The new iOS version burns through data like a wildfire. Read if you are on iOS!

[ponzu]

If you feel like reading the full story, it's below the break. Here's the condensed version.

After getting two alerts about almost running out of my 15 Gb monthly data allowance on my iPhone, I discovered that the iOS T11 app used up 888 Mb of data in ten days. This comes out to about 2.5 Gb/month, enough to exceed my 15 Gb plan, which I so far (until the new T11 version came out) treated as unlimited for all my intents and purposes (cloud music services, photos, videos, audiobooks, podcasts). For someone with a more modest data plan (I had 3 Gb until recently), this can be deadly.

I am calling on all mobile users (Android as well) to collect statistics on their data usage in the T11 app and for the devs to address this immediately. There is a thread in the "Bugs and Technical Issues" as well, as I am not the only one who noticed this.

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I have a 15 Gb family share plan, which so far I have treated as unlimited. I listen to music from the cloud, audiobooks, podcasts, update apps, Facebook, occasional YouTube video, what have you. I even let others piggyback on me as a hotspot. I never have to even think whether I am on WiFi, because the cellular data is plentiful and fast. Plus I have rollover: what I don't use up one months gets added to the next month's allowance.

On Mar 21 (18 days into my data billing cycle, which starts on the 3rd) I got a notice that I used up "More than 75% of the 19223 MB" of data. That's my 15 Gb plus rollover from the last month (~4 Mb). About 1 Gb was used by wife, the rest (abou 12 Gb) by me, and in only 18 days. At that rate, I was going to go over and get charged.

That freaked me out. I went to the cell data usage by app and, since the statistics don't reset automatically when my billing cycle starts, all numbers were huge: AppStore, Chrome, Facebook, Podcasts, You Tube, etc.

I reset the counters and stopped streaming music and videos, thinking an occasional podcast or audiobook will not break the bank.

Yesterday (10 days later) I got another notice that I used up 90% of my plan. That's 15% of 19 Gb in 10 days. About 2.8 Gb with me barely doing anything I thought uses the data.

I checked the data usage by app (now this is over the past 10 days), and AppStore was big, about 500 Mb, which was unacceptable, it must be preloading updates all the time, so I cut off its access to cell data. From now on, only updates over WiFi, what's the rush.

There was about 180 Mb for Township, an addictive game I found through T11 free token ads and have not had the strength to delete.

Facebook burned about 200 Mb - all those videos and kid photos.

Chrome about 150 Mb - streaming audiobooks.

And 888 Mb for T11! The number so big and unexpected, I didn't even catch it the first time around and had to go over the apps again when the math did not add up.

How is this possible???

Is it a bug? Are they syphoning my data? Are they broadcasting live matches as videos? Silly me, I imagined the server sending metadata over to both players, like "Player A runs to spot X,Y", and the app renders this live for both players.

Is this why they can't "show" the whole match live? Because it would be equate to rendering and streaming an 8-minute video, which will break both the server and the users' data plans?

If I am interpreting this right, this is horrible design and I will bring this up as a bug.

This was not happening before, and I was not playing any less. Already last month I used up about 11 Gb, judging by the fact that only 4 Gb rolled over, and this was huge. I had never come close to the 10 Gb mark and never had to watch my traffic no matter how voraciously I consumed the media. About the only thing I don't do on the phone is stream full length movies. And now if I am going to stick with T11, it looks like I have to limit a lot of other uses I am accustomed to. Almost like a drug addict channeling all his funds to maintaining the habit.

Wow.

Do me and yourself a favor. If you are on iOS or Android, reset your data usage stats, and report back in a week or so how much T11 burns through. Better yet, try to gauge exactly how much data one live game burns. If it's not live games (and it shouldn't be!) then there is something going on in the app that I don't like at all.

[Tactician]

Maybe you should post and discuss that on iOS forums as it is more likely that your concern will be heard by the appropriate persons. And if ever there is something wrong, you will more likely to get appropriate help there.

[ponzu]

Where is that?

[Tactician]

Where is that?

Use Google Search. Look for iOS forums or communities.

One possibility is that there is something hidden or that you have not paid attention to that is consuming your data volume.

[ponzu]

T11 burned 888 Mb in 10 days. The single highest consumer of data on the phone. Why would go to anyone but T11 for the answers?

[Tactician]

T11 burned 888 Mb in 10 days. The single highest consumer of data on the phone. Why would go to anyone byt T11 for the answers?

Maybe it's the app. then. I don't have iOS and I don't play T11 on mobile phones.

Yes, of course, others can confirm to you here if they have experienced the same provided that they use iPhone or iPad for playing T11.

[ponzu]

Right.

There is already a thread about this in "Bugs and Technical Issues"

I wanted to start a thread here, because this is a higher traffic forum, and this is a HUGE issue.

The subject does say "Read if you are on iOS"

I should have said "or Android". I wonder if there is a difference.

[Tactician]

For browsers, it seems that the new version does consume more data volume. I have not verified though, but the loading and so on gives that indication.

[ponzu]

I feel like shortening the OP so it gets to the point quicker. I am sorry you got an impression I was clueless about the data leak source. It is fairly clear what uses up my data, just not obvious why.

I don't care about the browser version for two reasons: one, I don't use it, two, browser is hooked on to WiFi, which so far has been unlimited.

[Sweed Mind]

Right.

There is already a thread about this in "Bugs and Technical Issues"

I wanted to start a thread here, because this is a higher traffic forum, and this is a HUGE issue.

The subject does say "Read if you are on iOS"

I should have said "or Android". I wonder if there is a difference.

i gave my reply there