What is causing constant download icon activity?

[APX7000]

Next to the WiFi icon, there is the download/upload spinning icon that pops up when data is being transferred. This has happened on earlier iOS versions and since I’ve upgraded to iOS 12.4.1, it’s happening again. If I power cycle my iPhone it will stop for a few hours, then start up again and always shows data activity until I do another power cycle, which it starts again in a few hours. What the heck is going on? This iPhone has never been jail broken, and always upgraded its iOS from iTunes, not OTA.

I’ve went through the settings and shut off everything for the iCloud that uses data, as well as well as all apps that absolutely don’t need data to operate. I’m stumped!

 

[933]

Have you made sure background app refresh is off as well. This could also be cause for your issue. Hope you get it all worked out. Good day.

 

[garnet408]

Something similar happens on an android phone I have. The same year or so old text message downloads every time the phone boots up again. Nothing I tried cleared that up. Certainly hope my iPhone does not get like this.

 

[thebig429]

Had it happen with Facebook. Double click home button and slide each one up. That’s how I found out it was face book

 

[scifan57]

Had it happen with Facebook. Double click home button and slide each one up. That’s how I found out it was face book

Facebook is one of the worst apps for working in the background without your knowledge or permission.

 

[APX7000]

This has been an ongoing issue for years and many firmware, and every time it happens, I go through every single setting top to bottom. Even ones that don’t have anything to do with data. I close out all apps so there is nothing still active in the background.

When this happens, it will go on for days, then stop out of the blue. I don’t do Facebook, never had an account. I have limited cell data, so only a few apps have access to cell data.

So I killed all WiFi and BT devices in my home and used Wire Shark to see what data my iPhones IP address is sending or receiving. I could see my iPhone ping my router with maybe a hundred bytes of data every 5-10 minutes. This is not enough data to have the icon show continuous data for hours and hours. So I’m inconclusive on the results and I’m no expert on wire shark.

My next thought was BT.... but I’ve used it for headphones and sending photos to another iPhone, but no data spinning icon shows up when this is transferring or streaming.

I run a hardware ad and data blocker, a Pi-Hole on my router and disabled and enabled it and no change.

I switched from 2.4ghz to 5.6ghz WiFi, and even while switching (takes a few seconds), no change in the icon spinning. Even tried using a HackRF SDR with PortaPak to jam both WiFi bands (don’t worry, I stayed within the legal RF limits of staying under 20mW).

I’m leaning toward thinking that maybe web tracking cookie(s) may be causing this because after going into safari and clearing cookies and web history, this odd behavior stopped soon after. Safari was not running in the background.

I’m still baffled, but at least it stopped.

 

[APX7000]

Have you made sure background app refresh is off as well. This could also be cause for your issue. Hope you get it all worked out. Good day.

Yes I have. I have a few apps I do not want updated. Good suggestion tho..