On verge of selling S3 - too much data being used. Help

[sanctified Veteran]

OP. I totally agree with you about the low data plan being enough. A Phone is a communication tool, not a home entertainment system.

About your facebook app problem. Have your gf tried using the facebook messenger app? That way her coworkers can contact her without the constant data munching of the normal fb app.

[nekkidtruth]

OP. I totally agree with you about the low data plan being enough. A Phone is a communication tool, not a home entertainment system.

About your facebook app problem. Have your gf tried using the facebook messenger app? That way her coworkers can contact her without the constant data munching of the normal fb app.

I don't agree with the suggestion to up your data plan (if it's unnecessary or not feasible), but a phone is used by many for a lot more than a communication tool. Just as low data users don't like to be told to up their data package, scoffing at high data users for their usage is equally obnoxious.

People use their electronic devices for all sorts of things. They aren't always going to coincide with what you use it for. Some could argue low data users shouldn't bother using smartphones as they don't get their money's worth out of the device, realistically. Why own a $500+ smartphone to send a couple of texts and make the odd phone call? :rolleyes:

[Teebor]

Not sure if some of these things have already been suggested, but I can't be bothered to rummage through 9 pages, sorry

As you have an S3 you have the data usage option in the settings so first I would check in there to see what is using the most. (possibly facebook) and then uninstall it

Then leave it for a few hours/ 1 day and see how much data it uses.

If that doesn't fix it you could go extreme and factory reset the phone removing all apps etc and then only install a few apps at a time.

If you find that the facebook app was the thing using all the data when you reinstall it make sure that any and all automatic sync options are disabled.

Check that the play store settings are not set to automatically update applications as this could be using data unexpectedly.

Also check your google account settings is not constantly syncing phone data/photos or performing some sort of automated backup.

[Mando]

Ignoring the last sentence, I would recommend doing the same thing. Not permanently, just short term while you make sure that the application is definitely the culprit. The idea of getting rid of Facebook for good is an individual decision, no one should be telling you that

Agreed, apologies I didn't mean to tell you what you should or shouldn't do, should have edited the comment to reflect what I intened. For me it was the best thing I ever did.

[omganinja]

I haven't read every single post but I've read most, so sorry if this has already been mentioned. Regardless of your data limit, you think (I'm not saying it isn't, it just hasn't been 100% proven that it is) the phone is chewing through more data than it should. Factory restore the phone, if the problem continues, it's either something the carrier has done to the firmware that's causing the issue, or there's no issue. A good test to see if it's inaccurately monitoring data usage would be to close all apps, and check the data usage, download a file in the browser of a fixed size, ie, a 10mb ISP speedtest file, then check the reported data usage.

[SteveMackinnon]

I have read through the first 7 pages and the last couple of comments on this.

Please please please do not take offence to this BUT have you thought about how much actual time this has wasted in both yours and your partner's life? for the sake of an extra ?10 a month? which you could of earned ten times over on minimum wage if you didn't waste your time trying to diagnose the cause of this?

I'm really not trying to be mean because I know that people like fixing problems etc etc but sometimes your focus is better spent on other things?

I'm sure many people will disagree with me but I'm jsut putting it out there.

[Detection]

I have read through the first 7 pages and the last couple of comments on this.

Please please please do not take offence to this BUT have you thought about how much actual time this has wasted in both yours and your partner's life? for the sake of an extra ?10 a month? which you could of earned ten times over on minimum wage if you didn't waste your time trying to diagnose the cause of this?

I'm really not trying to be mean because I know that people like fixing problems etc etc but sometimes your focus is better spent on other things?

I'm sure many people will disagree with me but I'm jsut putting it out there.

I have a feeling OP is not taking time off work to try and fix the problem :wacko:

[SteveMackinnon]

I have a feeling OP is not taking time off work to try and fix the problem :wacko:

That isn't what I mean exactly.

What I mean is that sometimes people get so wrapped up in 'saving' money when they could have spent that time 'earning' it and rendering the problem obselete.

I'm just presenting a different opinion that the OP may not have considered that's all.

[Detection]

That isn't what I mean exactly.

What I mean is that sometimes people get so wrapped up in 'saving' money when they could have spent that time 'earning' it and rendering the problem obselete.

I'm just presenting a different opinion that the OP may not have considered that's all.

Yea I get what you mean, but ?10 p/m soon adds up and if you are like most us are atm, ?10 p/m is needed elsewhere like Gas (The heating type)

[SteveMackinnon]

Yea I get what you mean, but ?10 p/m soon adds up and if you are like most us are atm, ?10 p/m is needed elsewhere like Gas (The heating type)

I wasn't really saying that it was an immediate way to solve the problem. I realise people cannot just 'magic' money out of the air.

What I mean is that sometimes the time you spend trying to rectify or resolve this things could be used to improve your career, thus getting you more money thus solving the issue...

I guess my response was for the OP to maybe look at the bigger picture of what he wants to achieve.

Not very good at getting my point across which is why I didn't want it being taken as an insult, it really isn't

[Technique]

No offence, but i strongly disagree.

Time better used elsewhere? Doing what exactly? As has been said, i haven't taken time off work to post on Neowin - i do it in my spare time. What would i be doing at the point in the day when i'm on here if i wasn't on here? Well probably just browsing some other website really. A car forum perhaps. Looking something up out of boredom. Maybe playing a game or watching TV - in other words, nothing really vital.

So i've lost nothing - no time and certainly no money. The only way you could "solve" the problem, other than actually solving it, is to upgrade to a 1GB plan, which isn't going to happen. The other option is to find out what you can do to tweak it - which is what we're doing.

Anyway, soon be Jan 1st - which is when her next data plan begins & she'll get a true result of what these new measures are doing.

[Xoligy]

What I mean is that sometimes the time you spend trying to rectify or resolve this things could be used to improve your career, thus getting you more money thus solving the issue...

I guess my response was for the OP to maybe look at the bigger picture of what he wants to achieve.

You say look at the bigger picture, but i dont see how giving o2 more money solves the problem its just delaying it and making you waste money the best solution is normally finding out what the problem is and solving it and thats what the OP is trying to do.

Infact i think most business men would tell you that finding a solution to a problem rather than wasting money is always the best approach, sure its good for a short term if you dont have time to find a decent solution but you have to think long term. Who knows maybe his daughter is just using her mobile more because its new, we soon start to use them less though. As said too ads are a big problem if they are in games or on websites.

[omganinja]

You say look at the bigger picture, but i dont see how giving o2 more money solves the problem its just delaying it and making you waste money the best solution is normally finding out what the problem is and solving it and thats what the OP is trying to do.

Infact i think most business men would tell you that finding a solution to a problem rather than wasting money is always the best approach, sure its good for a short term if you dont have time to find a decent solution but you have to think long term. Who knows maybe his daughter is just using her mobile more because its new, we soon start to use them less though. As said too ads are a big problem if they are in games or on websites.

It's his wife, not his daughter.

[Xoligy]

It's his wife, not his daughter.

I dont see how correcting me is helpful to the topic infact its just wasted my time, plus if the OP minded im sure he would of said something on the 19/20th when he quoted me where i made the same mistake. Daughter/wife are normally both very much loved by there father/husband anyhow, plus i dont remember what i did yesterday never mind 10 day's ago and yes i did look up my responses as like i just said i have a bad memory.

Anyway i guess i'll log out of the forum and respond when i log back in, ina few days pointless reading loads of quotes that just waste my time.

[omganinja]

I dont see how correcting me is helpful to the topic infact its just wasted my time, plus if the OP minded im sure he would of said something on the 19/20th when he quoted me where i made the same mistake. Daughter/wife are normally both very much loved by there father/husband anyhow, plus i dont remember what i did yesterday never mind 10 day's ago and yes i did look up my responses as like i just said i have a bad memory.

Anyway i guess i'll log out of the forum and respond when i log back in, ina few days pointless reading loads of quotes that just waste my time.

lol

[Technique]

I dont see how correcting me is helpful to the topic

You're right - in that it didn't bother me

But using your argument ..... i also don't see how it's helpful for the topic for people to say

1) get rid of facebook, it's useless, it's a waste of time, it's the devils work. We know you say this isn't an option, but we're going to ignore that & suggest it anyway, wasting your time & ours.

2) pay more for a bigger data plan when you never needed it before & don't actually need it now. We know you've said that you wont pay more, but we're going to ignore that & keep replying suggesting that you do pay more, wasting your time & ours.

[Blackhearted]

2) pay more for a bigger data plan when you never needed it before & don't actually need it now. We know you've said that you wont pay more, but we're going to ignore that & keep replying suggesting that you do pay more, wasting your time & ours.

Times do change ya know. For example, 512mb of ram may have been acceptable back when you were using a P4 system, but it sure doesn't work now. Likewise, lowend, budget data plans may have been workable years ago with dumbphones that could barely web browse, but they don't fit in todays devices(especially HIGH END devices).

Also, your whole "i want to be cheap and pair a super budget data plan with a high end phone" thing reminds me of those people who do rather dumb things like buying a high end $350+ video card, then pairing it up with a $50 cpu.

[BobSlob]

You're right - in that it didn't bother me

But using your argument ..... i also don't see how it's helpful for the topic for people to say

1) get rid of facebook, it's useless, it's a waste of time, it's the devils work. We know you say this isn't an option, but we're going to ignore that & suggest it anyway, wasting your time & ours.

2) pay more for a bigger data plan when you never needed it before & don't actually need it now. We know you've said that you wont pay more, but we're going to ignore that & keep replying suggesting that you do pay more, wasting your time & ours.

If you're using newer technology you require a bigger data plan, and it's obvious you do actually need it, regardless of what you say. Facebook is a media intensive app... everyone and their mother is on it.

If you drive a Prius for years then get a huge 4x4 Truck... you're gonna use more gas... the answer isnt simply to refuse to do it.

[Technique]

Your argument falls flat though.

If you're using newer technology you require a bigger data plan,

Right let's take that argument....

The iPhone 4S is newer than the iPhone 3GS - newer technology, i'm sure we can all agree on this. Therefore by your own admission - if you run an iPhone 4S over a 3GS, which is 2 iPhones on from the 3GS, then you'd require a bigger data plan, or at the very least be pushing your current data plan closer to the limits.

So why in that case has my data usage NOT changed one little bit - despite the newer technology.

"But iphones are different" is something i suspect you may say.

Ah yes, but we're not talking about iPhones being different are we. You said "if you're using newer technology you REQUIRE a bigger data plan", you didn't say you may require, you said it as though you WILL require.

Yet i don't.

Something doesn't stack up here ....... and it's the people who are saying a new data plan >IS< required & that it's the >ONLY< answer.

[BobSlob]

Your argument falls flat though.

Right let's take that argument....

The iPhone 4S is newer than the iPhone 3GS - newer technology, i'm sure we can all agree on this. Therefore by your own admission - if you run an iPhone 4S over a 3GS, which is 2 iPhones on from the 3GS, then you'd require a bigger data plan, or at the very least be pushing your current data plan closer to the limits.

So why in that case has my data usage NOT changed one little bit - despite the newer technology.

"But iphones are different" is something i suspect you may say.

Ah yes, but we're not talking about iPhones being different are we. You said "if you're using newer technology you REQUIRE a bigger data plan", you didn't say you may require, you said it as though you WILL require.

Yet i don't.

Something doesn't stack up here ....... and it's the people who are saying a new data plan >IS< required & that it's the >ONLY< answer.

Because the Iphone 3GS and the SGS3 have the same screen size and specs... Its quite clear you should hit the SGS3 with a hammer and go back to the 3GS.

You also say your data usage hasn't changed... we're not talking about your data usage at all. Give the 4S to your wife and see.

[joemailey]

The only time I've seen this happen, is to a friend of mine who uses PAYG. Her old Android phone use to eat her money. Put in ?10 and within days it would disappear because of data charges.

The only way I could stop it was by turning of all mobile data had to turn of mobile data and one or two other settings. Although sometimes it would turn its self back on, on its own. Use to eat her money in no time, go to sleep and wake up, and you'd be missing ?3.

Never ever figured out the reason why, once she changed phones and moved to a sony xperia, she hasn't had the issue since.

Didn't read the entire thread, so if it hasn't been suggested yet, wipe the phone and start again and make sure you have done the latest updates :) and make sure your wifes usage hasn't changed.

[nekrosoft13]

tell her to get off facebook

[ashpowell]

I remember reading when I had my Samsung Galaxy S, and had Cyanogenmod that 1 thing they fixed was it still using data connection when wifi was on.. Maybe that's possible in this case

[MikeChipshop Member]

At what time of the month does she normally go over her limit?

[Guest seanseany]

Yea I get what you mean, but ?10 p/m soon adds up and if you are like most us are atm, ?10 p/m is needed elsewhere like Gas (The heating type)

If money is that tight , why spend all that money on decent phone(s), when as you say, you could be spending it on gas ? . Priorities is a word that springs to mind.

GiffGaff is a very good service.I was on o2 for years and made the change. Everything is exactly the same as o2....well apart from costs !!! Join the forum and please ask if you have questions ( Forum members get paid to answer questions).

If you're that skint and unable to upgrade the data plan ,sell the phone and buy a cheaper one as a replacement.