iPhone 5 carrier update fixes bug causing cellular data use while on Wi-Fi [u]

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Apple on Sunday rolled out a carrier update for Verizon iPhone 5s which fixes a bug that in some cases caused the handset to use cellular data even while connected to a Wi-Fi network, eating away at precious data allowances [update: Verizon responds]

According to Apple's support page regarding the fix, the carrier settings update resolves an issue where some iPhone 5s "may use Verizon cellular data while the phone is connected to a Wi-Fi network."

From the installation guide:
1. Tap Settings > General > About.

2. Wait for the following alert to appear:

Verizon Carrier Update


3. Tap OK to install the update.
4. Hold the Sleep/Wake button down until you see "slide to power off".
5. Slide to power off.
6. After the device powers off, hold the Sleep/Wake button to turn your phone back on.

Note: To finish the installation of the update, your iPhone 5 must be turned off and then on again.

After your iPhone restarts, tap Settings > General > About, then scroll down to Carrier and verify that "Verizon 13.1" is displayed.
Update: In a statement to The Loop, Verizon said that customers will not be charged for "unwarranted cellular data usage."

The update comes after a number of iPhone 5 users took to Apple's Support Communities webpage to complain that their newly-purchased handsets were racking up data usage charges despite being connected to functioning Wi-Fi networks. In the 8-page thread, some owners speculated the issue was related to iOS 6, while others claimed it was a hardware problem with Apple's new handset.

While Sunday's update is for Verizon Wireless customers only, some thread posts noted similar issues with AT&T as well, however the validity of their claims have yet to be verified.

In a separate thread, owners of older iPhone models, especially the iPhone 4 and 4S, have also complained of excessive data use after installing the latest iOS 6. The issue doesn't appear to be tied to a specific carrier, and recent posts point to data usage peaking during overnight hours.

It is unclear whether Verizon will be refunding users affected by the unintentional data usage, and Apple has yet to announce what exactly caused the issue.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 24


    How dare Apple let this happen.

  • Reply 2 of 24
    Thanks!

    Btw, LTE is blistering:

    [IMG]http://i48.tinypic.com/2e3y9mg.jpg[/IMG]
  • Reply 3 of 24
    Where is Tim Cook's apology that the carrier profile wasn't perfect from the start? Steve Jobs would have never let this happen¡

    postulant wrote: »
    Thanks!
    Btw, LTE is blistering:

    [image[

    That's better than my max speed. Not by too much, but still faster.
  • Reply 4 of 24
    solipsismx wrote: »
    That's better than my max speed. Not by too much, but still faster.
    Beats my home wifi network which averages around 30 mb/s. I dumped AT&T yesterday and went with Verizon - couldn't be happier.
  • Reply 5 of 24


    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post

    Where is Tim Cook's apology that the carrier profile wasn't perfect from the start?


     


    If you've seen the most recent Scoopertino, he's busy apologizing for other things right now. I'm sure he'll apologize for not apologizing for this sooner.

  • Reply 6 of 24


    I did the fix and all but what I want to know is just how non-intuitive is this update method? Were I not an Apple forum member, how was I supposed to get this message about an update and all?

  • Reply 7 of 24
    postulant wrote: »
    Beats my home wifi network which averages around 30 mb/s. I dumped AT&T yesterday and went with Verizon - couldn't be happier.

    I did the same with my new iPhone. New carrier and new number. I also put my Verizon iPad (3) on the bill so I can share the data plan and save $10 per month that way.

    Overall it's more expensive than AT&T (even with my corporate discount of 22%, which only comes off the "phone" part of the bill, as in not the "data" part of the bill) but the speed increase.

    I do miss SV&D and it's been apparent since day one that I use this feature nearly every time I'm on a call but the speed on Verizon is high enough that I'm not looking back.
  • Reply 8 of 24
    I did the fix and all but what I want to know is just how non-intuitive is this update method? Were I not an Apple forum member, how was I supposed to get this message about an update and all?

    It just popped up for me... Long before the AI article.
  • Reply 9 of 24
    I did the fix and all but what I want to know is just how non-intuitive is this update method? Were I not an Apple forum member, how was I supposed to get this message about an update and all?

    It would just happen when you restarted your phone the next time.
  • Reply 10 of 24
    solipsismx wrote: »
    I did the same with my new iPhone. New carrier and new number. I also put my Verizon iPad (3) on the bill so I can share the data plan and save $10 per month that way.
    Overall it's more expensive than AT&T (even with my corporate discount of 22%, which only comes off the "phone" part of the bill, as in not the "data" part of the bill) but the speed increase.
    I do miss SV&D and it's been apparent since day one that I use this feature nearly every time I'm on a call but the speed on Verizon is high enough that I'm not looking back.

    That's funny. My corporate discount is 22% also, which makes my bill about the same as my AT&T's which netted me a 24% corporate discount.



    Edit... I should learn to read - I gotcha now.
  • Reply 11 of 24
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member


    I get 12.02 down and .93 up fron ATT in Irvine

  • Reply 12 of 24
    postulant wrote: »
    That's funny. My corporate discount is 22% also, which makes my bill about the same as my AT&T's which netted me a 24% corporate discount.
    Can't you share the data with the hotspot feature on your iPhone without paying an extra $10? I have the Verizon iPad too... What am I missing?

    My total bill with AT&T for iPhone with 2GB data, no SMS, and 450 minutes with rollover, and Verizon for iPad with 1GB data was about $93 a month.

    With Verizon unlimited voice and SMS (which I don't use much or need, respectively), and 1GBd data on the Shared plan for iPhone and iPad ($10 monthly fee to include it), plus corporate discount it looks to be around $110 a month.

    So only looking at the contract I'm giving up 2/3rd of my total data. Now I checked and re-checked and I only use about 250MB per month each so I'm good.

    I think these are new plans.


    PS: I didn't have a corporate discount while on AT&T so it's odd that it's still higher on Verizon with 22% off.
  • Reply 13 of 24
    I have instances where this is happening on my iPad 3rd. gen. on iOS 5.1.1 with my mobile data allowance when watching videos on my NFL Game Pass app at home

    Edit: I should have mention this on Vodafone UK 3G mobile data
  • Reply 14 of 24
    On my iPhone 4 it does this(turns off wifi goes to cellular then wifi turns back on) so during watching a video for example uses up to 70% data. This a 2 year old iPhone 4 AT&T with iOS 6. It sounds like this problem is with all iOS cellular/wifi devices they need a full iOS 6.0.1 update for the problem not just a verison iPhone 5 only problem
  • Reply 15 of 24
    On my iPhone 4 it does this(turns off wifi goes to cellular then wifi turns back on) so during watching a video for example uses up to 70% data. This a 2 year old iPhone 4 AT&T with iOS 6. It sounds like this problem is with all iOS cellular/wifi devices they need a full iOS 6.0.1 update for the problem not just a verison iPhone 5 only problem
  • Reply 16 of 24
    vadaniavadania Posts: 425member
    If you've seen the most recent Scoopertino, he's busy apologizing for other things right now. I'm sure he'll apologize for not apologizing for this sooner.

    No! He should very well be apologizing for maps. Whether that topic was overblown or not. I was aggravated even more when Daniel (DED) mocked the resolution problem. I'm on the east coast, and I tried his west coast scenarios and it still looks sub par. I know you know the math because you posted as such. If one pixel = 1 mile, or one pixel = 100', there is a HUGE difference. I believe/hope it's just an algorithm issue. Mind you that I am speaking towards satellite and or hybrid view.

    I'm REALLY looking forward to a better Apple maps application, and I also believe we will get one. (Does anyone here believe otherwise at his point?). For that I am happy.
  • Reply 17 of 24

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Vadania View Post



    I'm REALLY looking forward to a better Apple maps application, and I also believe we will get one. (Does anyone here believe otherwise at his point?). For that I am happy.


     


    I totally expect Maps to get much better. Apple made too much smoke about how good it was and now they need to get behind it totally. Early Google maps were not any better in the beginning and I don't expect Apple to take ten years to surpass Google. More like a year or so.


     


    If Apple learns anything from this is will be to UNDER-promise and OVER-deliver.

  • Reply 18 of 24
    It's an iOS 6 bug.

    Within 24 hours of receiving my iPhone 5 from UPS, it had downloaded over 600MB over cellular. According to a senior level Verizon tech, 400 MB was downloaded at 5:50am Saturday morning - while I was asleep, and the iPhone was charging on my nightstand!

    While talking to the Verizon tech's I went over to AT&T's website (from whom I had just switched), and it said my usage for the month was 1.1GB!!! That was on my iPhone 4 running iOS6.
  • Reply 19 of 24
    dtidmoredtidmore Posts: 145member


    I am on ATT as a mobileshare customer.  I have an IP5 and an IP4S on the plan.  Both phones are running iOS6 and both phones, while sitting plugged in and on the local WiFi, ONCE EVERY HOUR, connect to ATT and send between 1 to 5 KBs of data. The transmission occurs every hour at exactly the same minute on the hour (different between the phones, but same minute on each specific phone). I have all the diagnostic and usage reporting turned off in iOS.  Now this is not that much data, but it does add up and it could easily be the difference between breaking my 4GB plan or not. I have absolutely NO idea what this data usage represents, but I highly suspect it is related to usage or health reporting to ATT.  This is unacceptable.  When the data plans were unlimited (yea, I gave up my grandfathered unlimited, but lowered my bill $25 a month), these little data "leakages" were not that big a deal, but with a $15 penalty for breaking your data plan cap, this is a whole new ball game.  


     


    David

  • Reply 20 of 24


    I was hoping this would be a 4S to because I noticed this problem since updating to IOS6. I was using app and I'm like why is this so freaking slow. Well I had hadly any cellular signal but super strong highspeed wifi. I tested the speed on another computer and it was superfast.>So I ran speedtest on my 4S and I was getting like 100Kbps down....So I rebooted the phone....Next speedtest was 3MB. So I thought ahh must of been a glitch on the phone..>But I don't think so now..Wonder how many other times it's using Cellular instead of WIFI now. I smell something rotten.

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