"Android OS" using huge amounts of wifi data (70+ GB)

yllw.ldbttr

Hi folks,

I recently changed from a Samsung Galaxy S5 to a OnePlus One.
Before the switch I noticed "Android OS" using huge amounts of wifi data but I assumed it was a bad setting on the old phone and I knew I was changing it so I didn't bother checking any further.

Fast forward to new phone and I notice it has used over 70 GB in data on wifi over the last week alone.

I have syncing/ backup turned off for dropbox, google photos and everything else I can think of.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what else I should check?

colossus-x

Hi,

I found this app for you. I haven't used it myself. It should be able to tell you which app is using up the data in more detail so you can disable it.

My Data Manager : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mobidia.android.mdm&hl=en

70 GB is an incredibly huge amount of data to be using and especially odd that it appears to be something going on in the background. Let us know what it was when you find out : )

yllw.ldbttr

colossus-x wrote: »

Hi,

I found this app for you. I haven't used it myself. It should be able to tell you which app is using up the data in more detail so you can disable it.

My Data Manager : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mobidia.android.mdm&hl=en

70 GB is an incredibly huge amount of data to be using and especially odd that it appears to be something going on in the background. Let us

know what it was when you find out : )

Wouldn't that app just tell me that android OS is responsible?

Professey Chin

Do you use the Telegram app by any chance?

yllw.ldbttr

Professey Chin wrote: »

Do you use the Telegram app by any chance?

Yes, why?

Professey Chin

There seems to be a bug in it thats showing up high data usage under the Android OS label

https://github.com/DrKLO/Telegram/issues/1089

yllw.ldbttr

Professey Chin wrote: »

There seems to be a bug in it thats showing up high data usage under the Android OS label

https://github.com/DrKLO/Telegram/issues/1089

Mine seems to be the opposite though.
I have the problem on wifi, but not on mobile data.

irishpancake

Just have a read here:

http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/40446/why-is-android-os-uploading-so-much-data

There may be something in the Google Backup causing this.

You could turn it off temporarily under Backup and Reset in Settings, and Android Settings in your Google Dashboard.

https://www.google.com/settings/dashboard

colossus-x

yllw.ldbttr wrote: »

Wouldn't that app just tell me that android OS is responsible?

I said I never used it myself. It wouldn't be much of an android app if all it told you was that android was responsible.

Just install it , it's free and see what it tells you.

yllw.ldbttr

Everytime I plug my phone in this thing is pushing or pulling data.

yllw.ldbttr

colossus-x wrote: »

Hi,

I found this app for you. I haven't used it myself. It should be able to tell you which app is using up the data in more detail so you can disable it.

My Data Manager : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mobidia.android.mdm&hl=en

70 GB is an incredibly huge amount of data to be using and especially odd that it appears to be something going on in the background. Let us know what it was when you find out : )

Thanks for the suggestion.
App just tells me Android OS is responsible so it's adding nothing unfortunately.

colossus-x

yllw.ldbttr wrote: »

Thanks for the suggestion.
App just tells me Android OS is responsible so it's adding nothing unfortunately.

Oh right ya I did install it just to see whats going on. Obviously the OS is made up of many smaller constituent parts and I though it would give a breakdown of those parts and it doesn't so ya that app is useless to you as it doesn't go into enough detail.

yllw.ldbttr

Anyone else have a similar issue?

Going to uninstall telegram this evening when charging on wifi and see if it makes a difference.

irishpancake

yllw.ldbttr wrote: »

Anyone else have a similar issue?

Going to uninstall telegram this evening when charging on wifi and see if it makes a difference.

Didya try the Google Backup thing? Turning it off make any difference?

yllw.ldbttr

irishpancake wrote: »

Didya try the Google Backup thing? Turning it off make any difference?

Tried it. No joy.

yllw.ldbttr

Professey Chin wrote: »

Do you use the Telegram app by any chance?

Tried uninstalling telegram last night and the device still used another 5 GB of data overnight.

Not sure wtf to do at this point, it happened on my S5 and on this device so I'm reluctant to factory reset the device as it will probably happen again.
I need to find out what is using all this data.

porcupine3

Hi,

My phone uses 5.0.1 (Lollipop) and when I go into Settings>Data usage and scroll down I can see a breakdown of the date usage per app.
Have you tried that already?

Mr E

Is there an OTA update that it's trying (and failing) to pull down?

Go into settings/about/software updates and try and force a manual update (if there is one).

Any torrent apps installed?

yllw.ldbttr

porcupine3 wrote: »

Hi,

My phone uses 5.0.1 (Lollipop) and when I go into Settings>Data usage and scroll down I can see a breakdown of the date usage per app.
Have you tried that already?

Thanks, that was how I discovered that Android OS is using the data in the first place.

yllw.ldbttr

Mr E wrote: »

Is there an OTA update that it's trying (and failing) to pull down?

Go into settings/about/software updates and try and force a manual update (if there is one).

Any torrent apps installed?

No torrent apps installed.
I'm on the latest version available for my device 5.0.2 - no updates available.
This was also happening on my S5 so I don't think it relates to the handset, it has to have something to do with my account.

At least it's wifi and not mobile data but the volume of data is crazy at this point, not to mention impact to battery life.

petrolcan

Install wakelock detector and let it run for a while. It should show you what is running in the background and using battery which may help identify the culprit.

yllw.ldbttr

petrolcan wrote: »

Install wakelock detector and let it run for a while. It should show you what is running in the background and using battery which may help identify the culprit.

Assume I'd need to root the device first?

Mr E

WLD works without root. Good idea!

redfacedbear

I had a similar problem on my M8 - 8gb in one 24 hour period! I disabled the Google+ app and that solved it for me.

yllw.ldbttr

Mr E wrote: »

WLD works without root. Good idea!

App says it needs root. Will try without it.

yllw.ldbttr

redfacedbear wrote: »

I had a similar problem on my M8 - 8gb in one 24 hour period! I disabled the Google+ app and that solved it for me.

Is it possible to disable a stock app? I'll give that a try. Thanks.

irishpancake

yllw.ldbttr wrote: »

Is it possible to disable a stock app? I'll give that a try. Thanks.

Yeah, in App Info, Disable button.



You can also stop Auto Backup in the G+ App ....sorry, it's in Photos, Settings, 1st Option....Backup & Sync.....

Turn that off....

yllw.ldbttr

irishpancake wrote: »

Yeah, in App Info, Disable button.



You can also stop Auto Backup in the G+ App ....sorry, it's in Photos, Settings, 1st Option....Backup & Sync.....

Turn that off....

Thanks, tried that and within an hour of connecting to my home wifi another 1.5 GB had been consumed by Android OS.

Don't know where to go from here.

AstraOwner

Disable half of your apps for an hour. If the problem persists disable half of what's left. If it doesn't switch to the other side. And so on and so on. You won't be too long narrowing it down and finding the culprit.

petrolcan

Is your phone carrier branded at all? If so, disable all installed carrier apps and see if that makes a difference.

yllw.ldbttr

petrolcan wrote: »

Is your phone carrier branded at all? If so, disable all installed carrier apps and see if that makes a difference.

No. Oneplus one direct from manufacturer.

irishpancake

yllw.ldbttr wrote: »

No. Oneplus one direct from manufacturer.

But it was happening on your previous phone too?

And just on Home WiFi, not on Mobile Data?

On that Telegram App, a Turkish guy on Voda published stuff here, regarding background data leak with that App, but it was just Mobile/Cellular....

https://github.com/DrKLO/Telegram/issues/1089

Your problem certainly is weird....

do you use it on Mobile data at all, just for comparison??

Or on WiFi Hotspots, hotels, airport, shopping centre.....does the same data usage happen when using other than your own home wifi network?


The leak has to be from some app.....or process, which will use local wifi but not mobile data.

That should restrict which apps are involved.


Are you rooted?

Can you make a Nandroid, to restore your data from where you are now, then do a factory reset, without restoring any user apps, and then see what happens?

You could also use Nandroid Manager to restore backed up user apps systematically, one by one, and try to catch the offending one.....

If you had your old phone still, you could try some stuff???

Like rooting, factory resetting, checking with just system apps, then systematic restore of user apps, etc, etc....

Keep us informed....it's interesting

mass_debater

Do a factory reset

irishpancake

mass_debater wrote: »

Do a factory reset

Have you read the thread?

mass_debater

irishpancake wrote: »

Have you read the thread?

Yes I did, do a factory reset and don't restore apps

yllw.ldbttr

mass_debater wrote: »

Yes I did, do a factory reset and don't restore apps

That might temporarily solve the problem but since it's happened with my last handset as well I'd like to try figure out the cause before jumping the gun.

yllw.ldbttr

irishpancake wrote: »

But it was happening on your previous phone too?

And just on Home WiFi, not on Mobile Data?

Just on wifi, interestingly, not on wifi connections that I flag as metered.

irishpancake wrote: »

On that Telegram App, a Turkish guy on Voda published stuff here, regarding background data leak with that App, but it was just Mobile/Cellular....

https://github.com/DrKLO/Telegram/issues/1089

I uninstalled that for a night and my data consumption continued unfortunately.

irishpancake wrote: »

do you use it on Mobile data at all, just for comparison??

Around 2-3GB per month

irishpancake wrote: »

Are you rooted?

Unfortunately not.

irishpancake wrote: »

Keep us informed....it's interesting

Will do, thanks for the advice.

Professey Chin

Would you have a lot of videos recorded on your phone? I'm starting to become convinced its a background backup set to only run under wifi. What do you have enabled to Sync on your google account?

yllw.ldbttr

Professey Chin wrote: »

Would you have a lot of videos recorded on your phone? I'm starting to become convinced its a background backup set to only run under wifi. What do you have enabled to Sync on your google account?

I had a lot on my old device because I was using a One Second A Day app to record the first year of my daughter's life but not anymore.

The data we're talking about here is more than 80GB though, so more than I'd have had stored on any phone.

All syncing to google is turned off, apps, drive, gmail, photos, all turned off.

yllw.ldbttr

Ok, i've wiped the phone.

set it up as a new device.
Logged in with my google account and "Android OS" has consumed nearly 300 MB of data already.

Has to be something bizarre going on with my account, even though all syncing has been turned off.

I give up. Been on Android a few years but this is enough to make me go back to iOS.

Edit - deleted my google account from the device and the data consumption continues.

irishpancake

mass_debater wrote: »

Yes I did, do a factory reset and don't restore apps

It was suggested, among other things....

you may just have missed it, just above your OP.

No problemo.

mass_debater

yllw.ldbttr wrote: »

Edit - deleted my google account from the device and the data consumption continues.

Didn't think that was possible, once you've added a default Google account you shouldn't be able to remove it, only replace it by adding another

yllw.ldbttr

mass_debater wrote: »

Didn't think that was possible, once you've added a default Google account you shouldn't be able to remove it, only replace it by adding another

Could be OS Specific, I'm on a Oneplus One. It did warn me that a valid active account was needed for backup once I'd deleted the main one.

A few hours work down the track of wiping it and setting it up again and I'm no better off... I'm well and truly stumped.

mass_debater

yllw.ldbttr wrote: »

Could be OS Specific, I'm on a Oneplus One. It did warn me that a valid active account was needed for backup once I'd deleted the main one.

A few hours work down the track of wiping it and setting it up again and I'm no better off... I'm well and truly stumped.

I'd unlock the bootloader and flash Exodus on it, it's not much different to Cyanogen but a better ROM

yllw.ldbttr

mass_debater wrote: »

I'd unlock the bootloader and flash Exodus on it, it's not much different to Cyanogen but a better ROM

Possibly a lot of work to end up with the same problem (i had it on my S5 as well)?
Also, potential to brick the device puts me off it.

mass_debater

yllw.ldbttr wrote: »

Possibly a lot of work to end up with the same problem (i had it on my S5 as well)?
Also, potential to brick the device puts me off it.

No risk of bricking, it's the same method they recommend to flash the official Oxygen ROM.

Unlock bootloader:
https://forums.oneplus.net/threads/guide-oneplus-one-how-to-unlock-bootloader-install-custom-recovery-and-root.64487/

Flash Exodus ROM
https://forums.oneplus.net/threads/rom-5-1-1-r8-official-ota-exodus-android-lollipop.278548/

Keith186

I've been reading this from the start and it's bizzare! My phone has only used about 700mb so only a hundredth of your amount!

Seems weird that it's on two phones. Have you anything set up on a home computer that connected to the same WiFi network that could be doing something funny with android devices somehow?

It's too much of a coincidence for it to still be happening after your reset has me wondering is it an issue with your WiFi maybe... Not sure if its even possible.

yllw.ldbttr

Keith186 wrote: »

I've been reading this from the start and it's bizzare! My phone has only used about 700mb so only a hundredth of your amount!

Seems weird that it's on two phones. Have you anything set up on a home computer that connected to the same WiFi network that could be doing something funny with android devices somehow?

It's too much of a coincidence for it to still be happening after your reset has me wondering is it an issue with your WiFi maybe... Not sure if its even possible.

I'm laughing as my phone has used 700 mb since I wiped it an hour ago.
I'm getting fibre put in next week... This thing could hit a terabyte next month....


The coincidence has to relate to my Google account. That's the only thing in common between the two devices.
I wonder what are the chances of getting someone in support at Google to check my account... Probably nil.

Keith186

Are you streaming YouTube or Netflix or any video apps to a TV box or any stuff like that? Seeing as it's only at home when you could have stuff streaming for hours?
Would your Google account even have 70gb of data to be 'backing up'?

yllw.ldbttr

Keith186 wrote: »

Are you streaming YouTube or Netflix or any video apps to a TV box or any stuff like that? Seeing as it's only at home when you could have stuff streaming for hours?
Would your Google account even have 70gb of data to be 'backing up'?

No, no Netflix, minimal YouTube.
Standard Google account is around 15 GB I think so the numbers don't add up.

corsav6

Can you put your phone in flight mode and turn WiFi on and then leave it overnight? Since you have ruled out your google account and it happened on your other phone then the last thing is to rule out your network.