restrict data usage

[steve9b]

Hi,
I would like to restrict data usage as much as "sensibly possibly" when data volume "expensive" access to the internet. This is true for both roaming and when using a mifi abroad. When connected via Wifi to the Mifi the Iphone thinks it using Wifi access to the internet when in reality it is using cellular. Android allows tagging of specific Wifi networks as "restricted" or "metered" which then means they are treated by OS und Apps in the same way as cellular networks. Is there anything similar in IOS. I am also grateful for any other tips and tricks to achieve a restricted data usage in this scenario.
Thanks in advance, Steve.

 

[carolineM]

You can choose which Apps to allow the use of mobile data under Mobile settings. Also, to conserve mobile data you can turn off WiFi Assist, which uses mobile data when the broadband signal is week.

 

[steve9b]

Thanks. The scenario I am addressing is a connection to the internet using a mobile router that routes the Iphone connected vaa wifi over to a 3G/4G mobile connection. How would the Iphone in this case know that it is using mobile data provided by the mobile router?

 

[scifan57]

Thanks. The scenario I am addressing is a connection to the internet using a mobile router that routes the Iphone connected vaa wifi over to a 3G/4G mobile connection. How would the Iphone in this case know that it is using mobile data provided by the mobile router?

It won't know if the WiFi hotspot it's connected to is using a cellular data connection to access the internet.

 

[steve9b]

On my wifes and my android device I can tag any wifi network as "restricted" or "metered" which means it is then treated by OS und apps in the same way as cellular network. I was hoping to find something similar for my daughters IPhone.

 

[scifan57]

If you're connecting to the hotspot generated by a MiFi device. you'll already know that the device is using a cellular data connection and can just not connect to it or go to Settings>WiFi and forget that connection.

 

[steve9b]

I am probably not precise enough. I want to use the MiFi but also want the IPhone to respect it as an "expensive" cellular connection and apply all settings that are made for the "expensive" cellular connections, i.e. do not update apps or the OS, do not use sync. data all the time, ... Maybe however an IPhone is far less a data collector and sender than an Android device so the problem I am trying to solve is not present in the IPhone world....

 

[scifan57]

The problem is that the iPhone does not know that the MiFi hotspot it's connecting to is a cellular data connection. Because of that it can't apply any pre-selected restrictions you've set up for cellular data connections.

 

[FundyKayak]

Make sure Wi-Fi Assist is turned OFF.
Wifi assist is only good for people with unlimited data. For everyone else it's a disaster. When you are on wifi and the speed is poor it will start using cell data instead!
Go to Settings > Cellular, and scroll way down the page to the very bottom, turn off Wi-Fi Assist. Who knows why something so important is hidden way down there.