How to find out Internet traffic consumption on iPhone. How to find out which apps consume more data on iPhone Data limiting app for iOS

Reducing Internet traffic consumption on iPhone has become a fairly common problem in the modern world. People try to limit the flow of traffic as much as possible, which is spent on third-party applications or unnecessary information. How to solve this problem and reduce traffic consumption on the iPhone will be discussed below.

Track your expenses on iPhone

First you need to determine if this problem exists on your device. To do this, you will need to find out how much traffic was used per month and how much it arrived (according to your tariff plan).

All the necessary data can be found by following the instructions:

1. “Settings – cellular communications – tariff statistics.”
2. In the section you need to study the information “Current period”.

However, there is one problem. The operating system remembers all traffic used during the life of the phone, so it is recommended to reset traffic statistics once a month. The button required for this can be found at the very bottom of the page. But there is an easier way:

1. You can simply download a special application for traffic accounting.
2. With its help, you can always quickly find out how much traffic has been used.

Disable apps that waste data on iPhone

First, you need to look at how much traffic each specific application spends. This can be done in the “CELLULAR DATA” section. The operating system shows how much each application spent in units:

Finding the applications that “eat” the most traffic is not difficult. In the same section, with one swipe of a finger, you can safely disconnect from traffic those applications that, in your opinion, should not waste it.

This applies to those who travel a lot outside their home region or those who have a small supply of monthly traffic. In this case, there is absolutely no need to look for power-hungry applications or try to somehow reduce Internet traffic consumption. Simply turn off cellular data. And when you need the Internet, you can always turn this function back on.

The path to these settings is quite simple:

1. Settings.
2. Cellular.
3. Cellular data.

Limiting social networks and instant messengers

Almost every smartphone owner regularly uses social networks and instant messengers:

• Instagram.
• In contact with.
• WhatsApp.
• Telegram.

All of them have become an integral part of our lives. Of course, there is no point in completely limiting them, because users pay for traffic specifically for these applications. But there is another solution.

Apps like Instagram and VKontakte can be restricted from using cellular data, but they can still be connected via Wi-Fi. This way, you will always be in touch with people close to you via WhatsApp (or other less power-hungry applications), and you will only turn on expensive social networks when connected to Wi-Fi.

Other ways to save Internet traffic on iPhone

In addition to the methods given above, there are many other solutions that will help you save traffic on your device:

• Disabling iCloud. iCloud is an option that is supposed to make life easier for the user. However, in reality it turned out that everything was not so good. iCloud consumes a lot of Internet traffic, so in the settings you need to limit the application's access to cellular data.

• iTunes Store, App Store. Everything is simple here. Few people need automatic downloads from these two applications. Therefore, it would be more prudent to simply disconnect them from data transmission.

• Application updates. If you want to save your traffic, you should definitely disable background app updates. You only need to leave updates when your iPhone is connected to Wi-Fi. This can be done in the settings in the “Content Update” section.

• Notifications. You can turn off notifications in settings. Only the most important ones should be left, the rest should be turned off.
• Mail. To save traffic, it is recommended to disable automatic email updates.

Lately, we have been receiving more and more questions from users regarding excessive consumption of mobile Internet traffic. Therefore, we decided to devote a separate article to how you can control traffic on an iPhone or iPad. After all, even “unlimited” tariffs, as a rule, still have daily or monthly restrictions. And when you select a certain number of Megabytes, the Internet connection speed on the device automatically drops. In order to avoid this, you just need to “conjure” a little in the gadget settings.

1). Turn off Wi-Fi Assist

To prevent traffic leakage, first of all, we recommend disabling the “Wi-Fi Assist” function. We outlined the essence of the issue in detail in one of the previous articles, but in short, this function is activated in iOS 9 by default, and if the Wi-Fi speed drops, it automatically and without warning the user begins to load programs and applications, switching to Mobile Internet.

Disabling the “Wi-Fi Assist” function sometimes helps to plug that black hole where traffic flows

2). Start tracking the amount of information downloaded and sent

Now let's learn more about controlling the amount of information you download and send via the mobile Internet. The ability to view general statistics existed back in iOS 6; you just had to go to the standard application Settings - General - Statistics.

But only iPhone or iPad users with a 3G module running OS versions 7 and higher can view in detail which program consumed how much traffic. Cellular data statistics are located in the Cellular section of Settings. There is a general layout by the number of received and transmitted megabytes, and if you scroll below, you can find an alphabetical list of all programs installed on the device, indicating the amount of data consumed.

After all, many applications independently send and receive data almost constantly. This does not affect the operation of the gadget in any way and they do not ask for a request to download the application, but traffic consumption continues. In addition, a constant connection to the mobile Internet also significantly reduces battery charge.

You can limit the operation of applications on the Internet via 3G or LTE, as well as in roaming, in the same “Cellular” section in Settings. We get to the “Cellular data for software” item and mark applications that should not go online. By the way, for some reason not all of the applications installed on the device are displayed in this list. So it would be a good idea to manually check the settings of programs that are not on the list for the use of cellular communications. The established restrictions will only affect the use of mobile Internet; when connected via Wi-Fi, applications will work as normal.

Now you can work with any applications outside the home without having to constantly monitor whether they are receiving data through the cellular network. For example, if you prefer to download applications or updates to them via a computer or over Wi-Fi, then it makes sense to set restrictions on the use of cellular communications on the App Store installed on your iPhone or iPad. Another example of a data hog is iTunes, which likes to download books, music, apps, and streaming data for iTunes Match while you're not keeping an eye on it. So you can safely limit his use of mobile data.

Experts recommend “zeroing out” according to the validity period of the tariff plan you are using. Then it will be easy to understand how many megabytes you still have left for the month before the mobile Internet speed drops.

3). Find out how much traffic system services consume

Mobile data can also be used by iPhone and iPad for services such as weather, time and location syncing. It makes no sense to disable the ability to use the network for these services, but traffic consumption statistics will at least allow you to calculate how many megabytes you are losing on this. To see the breakdown of traffic usage for servicing system services, go to Settings > iTunes Store, App Store from the main screen, scroll down to the list of applications and open System Services.

We hope our tips will be useful, and the speed of your mobile Internet connection will never suddenly drop again :)

If you use iCloud and constantly move files from one device to another, this can lead to increased communication costs. If you work with a document in Pages while in a taxi, then the mobile Internet is used when saving changes you make in the document to the cloud. Here's what you can do:

1. Open Settings and go to the section iCloud
2. Click on a line iCloud
3. Scroll to the very end of the list that opens and disable the button Cellular data

Once the feature is turned off, iCloud will no longer use cellular data to transfer and save documents and other content, which will save on communication costs.

2. Disable cellular service for automatic downloads

Applications automatically download a lot of information from the Internet, and auto-updating applications via the mobile Internet can be expensive. Instead, all updates and downloads can be done over Wi-Fi.

1. In Settings go to iTunes Store, App Store.
2. There you will find a switch Cellular data. Just turn it off.

3. Disabling Wi-Fi Assist

Wi-Fi assistance can be as useful as it can be harmful. When the Wi-Fi signal becomes weak, this feature turns on cellular data if available. This in itself is great, but it can lead to you consuming a ton of mobile data without noticing. Disable Wi-Fi Assist:

1. Open Settings > cellular
2. At the very bottom of the list there is a switch Help with Wi-Fi. Turn it off

By the way, people with a poor home Wi-Fi signal may not realize that they are actually using cellular data if they have Wi-Fi Assist turned on. If your mobile Internet consumption is too high, it is quite possible that this function is to blame.

4. Monitor greedy applications

This is a fairly general recommendation, but in any case, you most likely use some apps more than others. Some of these applications may pump out little information from the network, others - more. It is always useful to know which applications consume a lot of Internet, and think about whether they need mobile Internet at all.

Turn off cellular data for greedy and not very necessary applications. Just click on the appropriate switches.

5. Disable background app updates

Standard trick. Apps can download their updates in the background while you're not using them, and this, of course, can use up cellular data. This feature can be disabled without any significant impact on your experience with your phone.

1. Go to Settings > Basic > Update content
2. Turn off the top switch. All other switches will disappear.
   • Use the list below to allow specific apps to use this feature.

Usually this function is disabled to extend the operating time of the device, but at the same time it also leads to traffic savings.

6. Disabling high-quality music over cellular communications

Apple has implemented the ability to download music in high quality both via Wi-Fi and cellular communications. Of course, higher quality means larger file size. The larger the file, the more traffic. Thus, if you want to save mobile data, disable this feature.

1. Open Settings > Music
2. Find and turn off High quality over cellular communications
3. If you want to reduce traffic even more, disable Use Cellular Data. When this option is disabled, you can only listen to music online via Wi-Fi.

Turning off high quality can be useful for those who want to continue listening to music online but don't want to download too much. If you use Pandora, Tidal or Spotify, make sure they also only download music over Wi-Fi.

7. Last resort: turn off cellular communications completely

Finally, you can turn off cellular communications completely. If your 2GB package is running low and there's nothing you can do about it, resort to this method.

1. Open Settings > Cellular data
2. Tap the Cellular Data switch

If you are not connected to Wi-Fi, then there will be no Internet connection at all. So you can safely enable all the other features that we talked about earlier.

Here are, in fact, the best ways to reduce cellular traffic. If we missed something, write about it in the comments.

Please advise how to monitor traffic on iPhone. I need to set a clear limit and receive notifications as I use it.
- Denis

Hello, Denis.

You can monitor traffic directly in iOS settings. To do this, on the first day of the billing period (month), go to Settings - Cellular and reset the statistics.

This will be the most accurate and reliable counter, but, unfortunately, the system does not allow you to set limits and display notifications.

You can use the operator's application. All relevant programs will clearly monitor traffic, but with a slight delay. The application does not take into account the data itself, but only receives statistics from the operator. In some cases, you can even limit the overage.

The most convenient means of monitoring network traffic are third-party applications from the App Store. We recommend using Traffic Monitor.

The utility flexibly sets a limit for a specified period; you can shift the boundaries of the reporting period and display several notifications when the established thresholds are exceeded. The main thing is to remember to give the program all the necessary permissions when you first launch it.

For clarity, you can also display a widget. Unfortunately, this method will be the least accurate; iOS is a closed system and does not allow third-party applications to receive all the necessary statistics.

Set the limit with a reserve, and after a month, check it with the operator’s statistics and adjust it in the right direction.

The times when we paid for home Internet based on the traffic spent are long gone. Nowadays, almost everyone in their apartment has their own “unlimited” plan, limiting the use of the Internet only by speed. However, the problem with the amount of downloaded traffic for our portable devices, such as a smartphone or tablet, has not gone away, so we have to constantly monitor the consumed megabytes every day, so as not to be left without the Internet at one fine moment. But what is the most convenient way to track it is, of course, an interesting question.

Business in Russia is another topic of eternal debate. After all, there is always a possibility that the operator will turn off your Internet for exceeding the limit at a time when it has not yet been reached. How can I check this? What if you are being deceived?

Of course, on your smartphone or tablet you can always view statistics on megabytes used, but this is not so convenient. Besides, you always need to remember this. Well, let's look at the options available to us and then decide which one is best for traffic accounting. So what we have:

1) Using the statistics collection solution built into iOS.
2) Install a separate application from the telecom operator.
3) Install a third-party application from the App Store to compare statistics.
4) Jailbreak and subsequent installation of third-party software from Cydia.
5) Purchasing an unlimited Internet package.

1. iOS already knows everything

Absolutely every iOS device has a built-in tracker that counts your megabytes spent. Its use is perhaps the simplest of all the above options. You can find usage statistics on iOS by going to Settings – cellular and go down a little lower in the menu to the item Tariff statistics via cellular connection.

Here we have general traffic statistics for all your actions, and just below - for each individual application. At the very end of the list there is a statistics reset button, clicking on which will start the countdown from zero - this will be relevant for counting traffic at the beginning of each month. In addition, among the applications you use, you can disable those that you think should not consume too many valuable megabytes, thus preventing them from accessing the network.

Pros:
- Already available on every iPhone and iPad.
— Easy to use.
— Work in the background.
— Statistics for each application.
- Ability to disable certain applications.

Minuses:
— Statistics need to be reset every month or carefully monitored.
— No notifications when the limit is reached.

2. Trust your operator

Every self-respecting operator a few years ago allowed the subscriber to manage their tariffs directly by creating a personal account for each. However, progress does not stand still and applications replacing it have replaced the personal account in web versions. However, the quality and usability of the applications themselves leave much to be desired. It often becomes quite difficult to find the necessary information in an overloaded interface, so this option is only suitable for users of cellular operators somewhere in America or Europe.

Pros:
— The most accurate statistics directly from the cellular operator.
— The application is free.
— Notifications about reaching the limit (not always).

Minuses:
— Usually disgusting support.
— Terrible application optimization (for Russian and CIS operators).
- Not an intuitive interface.
— Often there is a justified mistrust of the operator.

3. Apps from the App Store

In addition to official applications from telecom operators, the Apple app store contains many other solutions that will help you track precious megabytes, and at the same time notify you when a certain threshold of downloaded traffic has been reached. The most popular of them is probably Data Usage with a modest price of 33 rubles. However, there are others, even free analogues, but, unfortunately, of different quality. The application is worth highlighting separately Traffic Monitor, which has proven itself well for a long time.

Pros:
— Automatic reset of statistics and counting over a new one.
— Notifications when certain traffic limits are reached.
— You can set restrictions yourself (for example: daily, weekly, etc.).
— User-friendly interface, plotting.
— Independent traffic counting.

Minuses:
— Not all (and not always) applications can work correctly in the background.
— You have to pay for quality (as an exception, you can try Traffic Monitor).

4. Applications from Cydia

Here, of course, everything is clear: first you need to Jailbreak your device in order to gain access to the Cydia application store. However, hacking a device does not mean that you can now install anything for free. Not at all. As with the App Store, Cydia has a fair number of apps, but most of them also cost money.

The most popular are probably WeeTrackData, which, in addition to working in the background, can be embedded in the notification center for quick access, and CCMeters, which can also be displayed in the control center, but to install it you will have to install additional CCLoader software.

Pros:
— Of course, work in the background.
— Quick access to the application from the Notification Center.
— Notifications about reaching the limit.

Minuses:
- Jailbreak required.
- Often costs money.
— Depending on the software, you may need to install additional components.

4. Down with restrictions!

One of the easiest ways to forget about the headache of traffic costs is to connect to unlimited Internet. Undoubtedly, this option can cost a pretty penny, but if this is not a problem for you, this method will be the most painless. Another thing is that not all operators offer exactly unlimited tariffs. There are packages of 80-100 GB, but they run out anyway. On the other hand, you don’t download Blu-Ray movies on iOS for days, do you?

Alternatively, if there is an operator in your city that provides truly unlimited traffic, then you can simply use its services, as I did.

ZY

If you look at the problem from the other side, then you can think not about counting traffic, but about minimizing it. For example, use third-party browsers with this feature. By the way, Opera Mini has been able to compress it for a long time. Or if you can't stand anything other than Safari, you can try Onavo Extend, a separate application that works on the same principle. Unfortunately, not available in the Russian version of the App Store.

How much traffic do you spend per month? Is what the operators offer enough? Tell us about it in the comments!