Unknown Data Usage

[Harrythegreat5]

I currently have a plan where I have only 500MB a month and I have presumably used all of it according to my phone (OnePlus 5T). It gave me a warning that I was exceeding the data limit and then I checked on the Public Mobile website to see if it was true. It stated that I still had 33MB left so which one should I believe?

[darlicious]

 The 5.5mb of "ghost" data shows up on everyone's data plan as a kind of set up data. It will be returned to your allotment eventually but toggling airplane mode on and off will reset it as it will reset "data" used for MMS. "Web" data is actual data you have used....small amounts are used when you turn your data on and off within your phone. It can also be small amounts used when you briefly disconnect from your WiFi due to a poor signal at home or when connecting to free WiFi. Going thru your apps can help identify the source in your phone but often it is just your OS using it or Google play services.

[loyeemanchi]

---

@computergeek541 wrote:

---

@CannonFodder wrote:

---

@wetcoaster wrote:

---

@CannonFodder wrote:

Aaaand, now that this topic has been brought up again, just out of curiosity, I had a peek into my account, and the system is telling me that I've used ~5.5MB of data in the past approx. 2 & a half weeks, and yet data has been turned off the entire time!!! That, and I looked through the usage pages, and I can't find that listed..... 🤨 

---

I believe it's that small buffer amount. Have you tried switching airplane mode on and off again? Some people say it disapears with that. (Can't speak from own experience on this one, I don't pay enough attention to my data usage for that... oops.)

---

Uhm, that SOUNDS as though you're thinking that my phone is reporting ~5.5MB of usage? It's my PM account that's telling me I've used that data, but data has been turned off.....

---

Public Mobile's systems will sometimes report about 5.3MB of data used when it hasn't been. This amount also sometimes resets itself back to 0. This is some type of strange self serve account bug.

---

So Public Mobile needs to make clear of that.

[Clive2]

Also it could be, as mobile data is turned off, its looking for Wi-Fi connections as you move around

[computergeek541]

---

@CannonFodder wrote:

---

@wetcoaster wrote:

---

@CannonFodder wrote:

Aaaand, now that this topic has been brought up again, just out of curiosity, I had a peek into my account, and the system is telling me that I've used ~5.5MB of data in the past approx. 2 & a half weeks, and yet data has been turned off the entire time!!! That, and I looked through the usage pages, and I can't find that listed..... 🤨 

---

I believe it's that small buffer amount. Have you tried switching airplane mode on and off again? Some people say it disapears with that. (Can't speak from own experience on this one, I don't pay enough attention to my data usage for that... oops.)

---

Uhm, that SOUNDS as though you're thinking that my phone is reporting ~5.5MB of usage? It's my PM account that's telling me I've used that data, but data has been turned off.....

---

Public Mobile's systems will sometimes report about 5.3MB of data used when it hasn't been. This amount also sometimes resets itself back to 0. This is some type of strange self serve account bug.

[CannonFodder]

---

@wetcoaster wrote:

---

@CannonFodder wrote:

Aaaand, now that this topic has been brought up again, just out of curiosity, I had a peek into my account, and the system is telling me that I've used ~5.5MB of data in the past approx. 2 & a half weeks, and yet data has been turned off the entire time!!! That, and I looked through the usage pages, and I can't find that listed..... 🤨 

---

I believe it's that small buffer amount. Have you tried switching airplane mode on and off again? Some people say it disapears with that. (Can't speak from own experience on this one, I don't pay enough attention to my data usage for that... oops.)

---

Uhm, that SOUNDS as though you're thinking that my phone is reporting ~5.5MB of usage? It's my PM account that's telling me I've used that data, but data has been turned off.....

[loyeemanchi]

---

@CannonFodder wrote:

Aaaand, now that this topic has been brought up again, just out of curiosity, I had a peek into my account, and the system is telling me that I've used ~5.5MB of data in the past approx. 2 & a half weeks, and yet data has been turned off the entire time!!! That, and I looked through the usage pages, and I can't find that listed..... 🤨 

---

Yes @CannonFodder ,

People seem to miss our point. 🙄😒

[wetcoaster]

---

@CannonFodder wrote:

Aaaand, now that this topic has been brought up again, just out of curiosity, I had a peek into my account, and the system is telling me that I've used ~5.5MB of data in the past approx. 2 & a half weeks, and yet data has been turned off the entire time!!! That, and I looked through the usage pages, and I can't find that listed..... 🤨 

---

I believe it's that small buffer amount. Have you tried switching airplane mode on and off again? Some people say it disapears with that. (Can't speak from own experience on this one, I don't pay enough attention to my data usage for that... oops.)

[CannonFodder]

Aaaand, now that this topic has been brought up again, just out of curiosity, I had a peek into my account, and the system is telling me that I've used ~5.5MB of data in the past approx. 2 & a half weeks, and yet data has been turned off the entire time!!! That, and I looked through the usage pages, and I can't find that listed..... 🤨 

[LovesToPM]

@Harrythegreat5 

No worries. Once you've used up all your plan data, there are no overages.
PM will stop your data until your plan renews again or you purchase a data add-on.

As others mention, make sure your cycle period on your phone is in sync with your 30 day PM cycle.

Btw your phone might also be counting the data used for MMS messages. Whereas PM data usage for MMS is unlimited and does not count towards your plan.

Edit: Nevermind just noticed the original question is from 2018.

New users, please post your questions on a new thread. Avoid resurrecting old posts.

[Clive2]

Just throwing it out there, maybe the sim card updating 

[loyeemanchi]

That's why I asked. 😉

[Clive2]

To post a topic, hit the community tab (top right corner) scroll down to getting started, hit the ask a question tab and you can post a topic, hope this helps.

Also I have my mobile data off but still see data minimal data usage classed under "web" I have no idea what that is

[CannonFodder]

---

@loyeemanchi wrote:

I'm a new PM user for a few days. My account shows I have data usage (very little), though I'm not charged. I have the most basic plan and only has a miser 250mb. So I make sure that I never turned on the mobile data. I neither sent pic/vid message. Why?

There have been a few threads about this topic, but I don't recall seeing a definitive answer to the question. I'm also on the $15 plan, and I've noticed data usage as well, even though I also have data turned off, except when necessary.

Also I couldn't find how to ask a new question, so I enter here. Thanks.

---

To ask a new question, you can just go to whichever section of the community threads seem appropriate for the question, and then click the button as shown in the attached pic:

[Oneshot]

Lol my phone used to give me that message and I never had data before.  And I always kept it shutoff.

Now with PM I just check the web site seems acurate to me and my usage.

[loyeemanchi]

I'm a new PM user for a few days. My account shows I have data usage (very little), though I'm not charged. I have the most basic plan and only has a miser 250mb. So I make sure that I never turned on the mobile data. I neither sent pic/vid message. Why? Please advise.

I asked Simon but he just keep telling of how to check the usage history. Very unhelpful! Also I couldn't find how to ask a new question, so I enter here. Thanks.

[mharkz1997]

Trust the public mobile website. It gives you the correct data usage.The phone  sometimes are not accurate. Sometimes, it depends, on how you set the data usage limit. For example, your data plan was set to 500 mb but you set the data usage limit to 440mb, it might warn you that you exceeded on your data plan. 

Anyway, just use your data until it was over. It will be renewed anyway after 30 days. By the time, you reached your maximum, within the month, you can't use any data and wait for the next cycle.

[mharkz1997]

Trust the public mobile website. It gives you the correct data usage.The phone  sometimes are not accurate. Sometimes, it depends, on how you set the data usage limit. For example, your data plan was set to 500 mb but you set the data usage limit to 440mb, it might warn you that you exceeded on your data plan. 

Anyway, just use your data until it was over. It will be renewed anyway after 30 days. By the time, you reached your maximum, within the month, you can't use any data and wait for the next cycle.

[mimmo]

@Harrythegreat5  are you usinga data tracking app or you phones built in tracker.? 

PM's plans are per 30 days so the builtin tracker does not work well as it onlytracks monthly (resets on same day every month)  this means your phone could be calculating data from a previous cycle.

[Thejeff]

When you are out of data, you will not be charged for overage fees, data will simply stop working.  So keep using your phone until it stops.

The tracker on your phone can be used to give you an idea of how much data you used, however you should trust the website .

[drmartin · Accepted solution]

---

@Harrythegreat5 wrote:

I currently have a plan where I have only 500MB a month and I have presumably used all of it according to my phone (OnePlus 5T). It gave me a warning that I was exceeding the data limit and then I checked on the Public Mobile website to see if it was true. It stated that I still had 33MB left so which one should I believe?

---

Why does it matter what your phone says, presumably you want to know how much more you can use for free? 😛 In that case the PM website is going to give you the best idea. 

Edit:
Dug a bit deeper into this and there are two prevailing thoughts on the forum... first, the account page may take a bit to update, but the other and one which PM has answered themselves, that some pages do not count against your dataplan:

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Public-Lab/Zero-rated-data-for-PM-community-self-serv...