We know how annoying it could be when you subscribe your iPhone device with data but it finishes all of a sudden, even when you didn’t use it. If you find yourself in this kind of ugly scenario, it is always disheartening, especially when you don’t have enough money to spend on data regularly. However, it is important for you to know that you are not the only one experiencing excessive iPhone data consumption because there are many iPhone users who are in the same shoes as you.
Because of the sudden iPhone excessive data consumption, most of our users have been asking this question. Why is my iPhone using so much data all of a sudden? And we have dedicated this article to answering this particular question. So, if your iPhone is consuming excessive mobile data, then this guide will be of help to you.
There are a number of reasons that may cause your iPhone to start consuming excessive data all of a sudden, such as automatic updates, iCloud services, email syncing, background app refresh, among others. However, the good thing is that these issues can be fixed seamlessly. In the subsequent sections of this guide, we’ll be enumerating the causes and we are also going to show you how to fix them.
Some reasons why your iPhone is using so much data all of a sudden
There are many reasons why your iPhone may suddenly start consuming much data; some of the reasons are:
1. Background App Refresh
Background app refresh feature is one of the most common reasons why your iPhone is consuming excessive data. This feature allows iPhone apps to update their content in the background, which ensures that the apps are updated whenever you are using them. Although this is a bit good, it can lead to excessive data consumption, especially if you installed many apps on your iPhone.
2. Automatic Updates
As you may have known, iPhones are designed to keep your apps and system software up to date automatically. While this is beneficial for security and performance of the device, automatic updates can consume a lot of data, especially when large app updates or iOS updates are downloaded over cellular networks.
3. Streaming High-Quality Media
Another common reason why your iPhone may start consuming lots of data all of a sudden is when you use it to stream high-quality media. If you visit streaming sites like Netflix, YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music to stream high-definition (HD) video or high-quality audio frequently, your data will finish fast because these sites consume lots of data.
4. iCloud and Other Cloud Services
iCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox, and other cloud services can also contribute to increased data usage. These services often sync photos, videos, documents, and other files in the background. If you have a large number of files or frequently make changes, these syncs can use a lot of data.
5. Social Media Apps
Social media apps like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat also consume a lot of data. These apps automatically load videos, images, and other media in your feed, which will definitely make your iPhone consume lots of data.
6. Email Syncing
Email apps are also known for constantly checking for new messages and updating them, which may also cause your iPhone to consume more data. If you have multiple email accounts or receive a high volume of emails, the frequent syncing can consume more data than you ever expected.
7. Rogue apps or malware
The final reason on our list that may cause your iPhone to consume lots of data is rogue apps or malware. Although rare on iOS devices, rogue apps or malware on a device can cause unusual data consumption. These apps may run in the background, sending or receiving data without your knowledge.
How do I stop my data from finishing so fast on my iPhone?
Now that you know some of the common reasons why your iPhone may start consuming excessive data all of a sudden, let’s quickly look at some of the ways to get it fixed.
| S/N | Cause | Solution |
| 1. | Background App Refresh | Settings > General > Background App Refresh and select either “Wi-Fi” or turning it off for specific |
| 2. | Automatic Updates | Settings > General > Software Update and turn off Automatic Updates |
| 3. | Streaming High-Quality Media | Settings > Music Quality and choose a lower quality setting for streaming over cellular. |
| 4. | iCloud and Other Cloud Services | Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud and review which apps are using iCloud. You can toggle off apps that don’t need to sync over cellular. |
| 5. | Social media apps | Settings > Account > Cellular Data Use and enable Data Saver |
| 6. | Email Syncing | Go to Settings > Mail > Accounts > Fetch New Data and choose a less frequent fetch schedule, such as “Hourly” or “Manually.” |
| 7. | Rogue apps or malware | Regularly review your app usage by going to Settings > Cellular and checking the data usage for each app and disabling it. |
Conclusion
We have exhaustively discussed the possible reasons why your iPhone may state consuming excessive data all of a sudden, and we mentioned them to include background app refresh, automatic updates, iCloud and other cloud services, among others. In the same vein, we also highlighted some of the simple measures that you can follow to fix these issues. So, if your iPhone is consuming lots of data, you should try out the measures outlined in this guide and it is definitely going to stop.
