My data limit was full after a few hours

[Ragnarocker]

I've just gotten my first "smart phone" and all I did with it after getting it home was to download an updated firmware. That's it. I was told that other apps would take up more of the data limit while running in the background, but really. My phone display said that I've reached my data limit after only a few hours. Seriously? Why do they call these "smart phones". 

The only possible explaination is that since I had a flip phone on a limited no data set up with Fido, that they didn't update my account before this message flashed on my screen.

[Ragnarocker]

Hello Ragnarocker,

  Welcome to the community!

  As FidoTerry noted, some software/firmware updates can be quite large. That's the reason it is often suggested to try to update via Wifi rather than with data.

  How much data does your plan have? Also to clarify, you note your phone displayed that you reached your data limit. Was that a text or SMS that was sent to you or a phone function? What phone do you have? Have you verified that your data cycle has been set up properly? Have you verified your data usage with My Account via computer or app?

  Also, if you just updated your account to include data, it's possible that you might not have access to your full allotment of data until your next cycle due to proration.

  Most phones require updates when we first start to use them. It happens because the phone manufacturers can only install what software is available at the time of manufacture. Since the software evolves more quickly than hardware, by the time phones reach end users, there are often newer software versions.

  Smart phones offer convenience. That usefulness can come with the cost of large amounts of data. If you do not have unlimited data, it is often recommended to use Wifi whenever possible. Additionally, I tend to recommend people turn off any auto-updates and/or auto-backup functions (or at least set to Wifi-only). I also personally restrict background data to all apps which I do not require all the time. I can still use them when required, they just don't use data when I don't need them. There are many websites that offer other suggestions to manage data.

  I understand that the phones might seem not-so-smart during the set-up process. However, once they are set-up properly, their usefulness is apparent.

Hope this helps

Cheers

[Cawtau · Accepted solution]

Hello Ragnarocker,

  Welcome to the community!

  As FidoTerry noted, some software/firmware updates can be quite large. That's the reason it is often suggested to try to update via Wifi rather than with data.

  How much data does your plan have? Also to clarify, you note your phone displayed that you reached your data limit. Was that a text or SMS that was sent to you or a phone function? What phone do you have? Have you verified that your data cycle has been set up properly? Have you verified your data usage with My Account via computer or app?

  Also, if you just updated your account to include data, it's possible that you might not have access to your full allotment of data until your next cycle due to proration.

  Most phones require updates when we first start to use them. It happens because the phone manufacturers can only install what software is available at the time of manufacture. Since the software evolves more quickly than hardware, by the time phones reach end users, there are often newer software versions.

  Smart phones offer convenience. That usefulness can come with the cost of large amounts of data. If you do not have unlimited data, it is often recommended to use Wifi whenever possible. Additionally, I tend to recommend people turn off any auto-updates and/or auto-backup functions (or at least set to Wifi-only). I also personally restrict background data to all apps which I do not require all the time. I can still use them when required, they just don't use data when I don't need them. There are many websites that offer other suggestions to manage data.

  I understand that the phones might seem not-so-smart during the set-up process. However, once they are set-up properly, their usefulness is apparent.

Hope this helps

Cheers

[FidoTerry]

Welcome to the community @Ragnarocker!  

Awesome to hear you got your first smart phone. Some firmware can be quite big which will explain why your usage shows a bit higher than usual. If you're having trouble controlling your usage here's a great blog to check out that may help you out. You can click here to view it.