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Google+ is using all my data traffic

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  • 02-08-2014 3:06pm
    #1
    Irish Stones
    Registered Users Posts: 2,307 ✭✭✭


    I have a problem with Google+.
    Two days ago it asked me to upload to a cloud all the photos I have in my phone, I refused and I thought the issue was over.
    This morning I took my phone and I found it very hot, so I looked into the data traffic and found out that Google+ was using, or had used up, all my data traffic, so at the moment I have no traffic left until the 10th of this month when the monthly traffic will be restored.
    I don't know if the transfer was complete, I disabled the data traffic on the phone when I found out what was going on.
    It happened before some months ago, I felt a heat in my rear pocket (where I keep my phone) and found out that it was transferring all photos in the cloud.
    I think that this is a different cloud, because all the photos had been uploaded already and so far I had them all in the cloud, so I presume that Google has activated a new account and the transfer started over.
    How can I prevent this thing now and in the future?
    Thanks!


«1

Comments

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    #2
    SpaceTime
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,088 ✭✭✭SpaceTime


    Just turn off any automatic backups to Google+

    I find it's becoming an increasingly intrusive service.


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    #3
    Red Nissan
    Registered Users Posts: 3,055 ✭✭✭Red Nissan


    SpaceTime wrote: »
    Just turn off any automatic backups to Google+

    I find it's becoming an increasingly intrusive service.

    And a bit of a bully too.


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    #4
    same ol sh1te
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,837 ✭✭✭same ol sh1te


    Or you could just upload over Wi-Fi and be done with it, then set it in Google+ to only upload over Wi-Fi and when charging and it won't use any data and your stuff will be backed up


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    #5
    SpaceTime
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,088 ✭✭✭SpaceTime


    It's *almost* making me think about alternative mobile operating systems. iOS, Windows, Firefox OS etc.

    I'm not loving the direction Google is going with android anymore.


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    #6
    Irish Stones
    Registered Users Posts: 2,307 ✭✭✭Irish Stones


    OK, done, but how did it happen that it was uploading the same photos it had already uploaded in the past?
    It was halfway of the backup when I stopped it. It would have used twice as much my allowed monthly data traffic if I hadn't realized.


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    #7
    Irish Stones
    Registered Users Posts: 2,307 ✭✭✭Irish Stones


    same ol sh1te wrote: »
    Or you could just upload over Wi-Fi and be done with it, then set it in Google+ to only upload over Wi-Fi and when charging and it won't use any data and your stuff will be backed up

    That is a very good idea.
    But the invasive conduct of Google remains.


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    #8
    same ol sh1te
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,837 ✭✭✭same ol sh1te


    SpaceTime wrote: »
    It's *almost* making me think about alternative mobile operating systems. iOS, Windows, Firefox OS etc.

    I'm not loving the direction Google is going with android anymore.

    How's that, they're splitting the Google+ and photo apps

    http://mashable.com/2014/08/01/google-separating-google-plus-photos/

    Android is an ecosystem, just like iOS, Windows etc


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    #9
    allthedoyles
    Registered Users Posts: 6,893 ✭✭✭allthedoyles


    Its not just on android , it is G+ in general .

    I ain't happy with it either , and even when on you tube it makes suggestions I dont agree with .

    I have tried to delete some stuff on it , but cant work out how ,.


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    #10
    Sonics2k
    Registered Users Posts: 8,239 ✭✭✭Sonics2k


    Irish Stones wrote: »
    That is a very good idea.
    But the invasive conduct of Google remains.

    You mean the stuff you opt into?


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    #11
    Irish Stones
    Registered Users Posts: 2,307 ✭✭✭Irish Stones


    Sonics2k wrote: »
    You mean the stuff you opt into?

    I didn't opt into anything.
    The backup started on its own, last night the phone was on the table, this morning was hot and uploading.
    As I wrote, a previous backup to a Google cloud was started and completed in March, so I don't understand the use for a second backup to another cloud. And I don't understand how it decided to do that.


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    #12
    Fresh Pots
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,234 ✭✭✭Fresh Pots


    Irish Stones wrote: »
    I didn't opt into anything.
    The backup started on its own, last night the phone was on the table, this morning was hot and uploading.
    As I wrote, a previous backup to a Google cloud was started and completed in March, so I don't understand the use for a second backup to another cloud. And I don't understand how it decided to do that.
    It would have been updating your march backup. Just turn off auto upload or switch it to on WiFi only.

    /thread


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    #13
    same ol sh1te
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,837 ✭✭✭same ol sh1te


    Irish Stones wrote: »
    I didn't opt into anything.

    Yes you did. You opted into Google services when you first signed in on the phone


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    #14
    Irish Stones
    Registered Users Posts: 2,307 ✭✭✭Irish Stones


    Fresh Pots wrote: »
    It would have been updating your march backup. Just turn off auto upload or switch it to on WiFi only.

    /thread

    Since March the auto backup had been enabled and every photo I took was automatically sent to the cloud, so there was no need to update anything.
    Yesterday morning I browsed my on-line album and all the photos were there.
    This morning it ate up all the remaining traffic! :mad:


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    #15
    Irish Stones
    Registered Users Posts: 2,307 ✭✭✭Irish Stones


    same ol sh1te wrote: »
    Yes you did. You opted into Google services when you first signed in on the phone

    Alright, this was over one year ago and as I said all the photos were already backed up.
    Probably some term or condition has changed or it thought it was necessary to do that again, but given the possible massive use of data it should have noticed me about that prior to starting.


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    #16
    SpaceTime
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,088 ✭✭✭SpaceTime


    Irish Stones wrote: »
    I didn't opt into anything.
    The backup started on its own, last night the phone was on the table, this morning was hot and uploading.
    As I wrote, a previous backup to a Google cloud was started and completed in March, so I don't understand the use for a second backup to another cloud. And I don't understand how it decided to do that.

    Happened to me too. I discovered an unshared album on G+ with all my photos. I just feel it's a huge invasion of privacy. I don't think I opted in. It's not the kind of thing I'd agree to and I'm pretty IT and tech savvy so I don't think I did it by accident either.

    I just fundamentally disagree with anything storing every image from my camera in a server somewhere and even worse it's blurring the lone between cloud backup and social media. That's just damn creepy.

    I used to use my phone camera for taking photos of receipts, documents etc
    No more! I simply don't trust Android anymore.


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    #17
    listermint
    Registered Users Posts: 33,790 ✭✭✭✭listermint


    Irish Stones wrote: »
    Alright, this was over one year ago and as I said all the photos were already backed up.
    Probably some term or condition has changed or it thought it was necessary to do that again, but given the possible massive use of data it should have noticed me about that prior to starting.

    You can turn all of this off quite easily. It is about 3 clicks with your thumb.


    Please excuse me if im having difficulty understanding why this is still a problem :confused:


    Your probably someone who would also give about losing your photos and contacts if the phone was stolen.


    All these services are customisable you dont HAVE to use them.


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    #18
    SpaceTime
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,088 ✭✭✭SpaceTime


    Listemint: those settings aren't actually all that easy to find and it should be a hell of a lot more transparent when a service like that's being enabled you should get several warnings and there should be a periodic notice to let you know it's still enabled.

    Too much data slurping will ultimately hurt Android.

    The OS is good but Google have baked G+ into loads of stuff.

    I don't even review apps or use YouTube comments anymore because of it.

    Also most users don't spend that much time looking at the privacy settings on their phone or G+.

    I'm finding G+ is making Facebook look almost like it's a champion of data protection rights!

    Also blind defence of a mega corp like Google, Apple, Microsoft etc is a little silly. They all lose the run of themselves eventually and should be critiqued at all times!


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    #19
    same ol sh1te
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,837 ✭✭✭same ol sh1te


    SpaceTime wrote: »
    Listemint: those settings aren't actually all that easy to find and it should be a hell of a lot more transparent when a service like that's being enabled you should get several warnings and there should be a periodic notice to let you know it's still enabled.

    Too much data slurping will ultimately hurt Android.

    The OS is good but Google have baked G+ into loads of stuff.

    I don't even review apps or use YouTube comments anymore because of it.

    Also most users don't spend that much time looking at the privacy settings on their phone or G+.

    I'm finding G+ is making Facebook look almost like it's a champion of data protection rights!

    Also blind defence of a mega corp like Google, Apple, Microsoft etc is a little silly. They all lose the run of themselves eventually and should be critiqued at all times!

    Sorry, I don't understand. Google+ does not upload photos unless you actually turn it on and then it notifies you every time it does so. The settings are not obscure, open Google+, into settings and there's a whole auto-backup sub menu.


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    #20
    SpaceTime
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,088 ✭✭✭SpaceTime


    Well my HTC One M8 was mysteriously uploading pics and I never opted into anything that I can remember anyway.


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    #21
    BionicRasher
    Registered Users Posts: 2,793 ✭✭✭BionicRasher


    SpaceTime wrote: »
    Well my HTC One M8 was mysteriously uploading pics and I never opted into anything that I can remember anyway.
    You have to agree to the Terms and conditions of Google and Google+ when you sign in to your account on the phone. Auto upload is turned off by default until you turn it on
    You also get notifications of uploads

    I find the auto backup invaluable and it's really not hard to turn it off if you want to


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    #22
    same ol sh1te
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,837 ✭✭✭same ol sh1te


    SpaceTime wrote: »
    Well my HTC One M8 was mysteriously uploading pics and I never opted into anything that I can remember anyway.

    I did some hunting and it turns out it is enabled by default if you have agreed to have it on when setting up your Google account on the phone. You have to agree to many things, sync Google+ albums and syncing contacts etc. It uploads photos as you take them, but does not upload other folders.

    http://www.theandroidportal.com/disable-auto-backup-photos-videos/


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    #23
    ThisRegard
    Closed Accounts Posts: 27,834 ✭✭✭✭ThisRegard


    SpaceTime wrote: »
    Listemint: those settings aren't actually all that easy to find and it should be a hell of a lot more transparent when a service like that's being enabled you should get several warnings and there should be a periodic notice to let you know it's still enabled.

    You do. Only this week an app created a folder in my gallery and when the photos were getting backed up a message appeared in the bar saying a new folder was found, press to a manage the back up settings. As has been said, you also always get a message telling you when, and how many, photos have been backed up.
    same ol sh1te wrote: »
    It uploads photos as you take them, but does not upload other folders.

    You can of if you want. For example it backs up any photos sent to me in Viber, which I can turn off if I wish.


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    #24
    Mimikyu
    Registered Users Posts: 18,911 ✭✭✭✭Mimikyu


    This post has been deleted.


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    #25
    Irish Stones
    Registered Users Posts: 2,307 ✭✭✭Irish Stones


    listermint wrote: »
    Your probably someone who would also give about losing your photos and contacts if the phone was stolen.

    I value the possibility of having a backup of my data, but these photos had been backed up once some months ago. And every new photo taken was immediately uploaded to Google Photo and to Dropbox. On Friday morning I saw that on both clouds there were the last three photos I had taken the day before, so I don't understand the need to create a new backup on a different cloud space.
    Contacts are backed up on my PC regularly.


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    #26
    Irish Stones
    Registered Users Posts: 2,307 ✭✭✭Irish Stones


    same ol sh1te wrote: »
    Sorry, I don't understand. Google+ does not upload photos unless you actually turn it on and then it notifies you every time it does so.

    Actually Google notifies you after the backup is complete, not before doing it.
    If I take a photo then Google+ updates the Photo album and only AFTER that it sends me a message of successful backup.


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    #27
    same ol sh1te
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,837 ✭✭✭same ol sh1te


    Irish Stones wrote: »
    Actually Google notifies you after the backup is complete, not before doing it.
    If I take a photo then Google+ updates the Photo album and only AFTER that it sends me a message of successful backup.

    Yes, that's what I meant.

    Yours was a bug, a strange one as you already had them backed up


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    #28
    timetogo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 990 ✭✭✭timetogo


    Just restrict background data on all app that you don't want to work over 3g. Takes two minutes and you're done.


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    #29
    Irish Stones
    Registered Users Posts: 2,307 ✭✭✭Irish Stones


    timetogo wrote: »
    Just restrict background data on all app that you don't want to work over 3g. Takes two minutes and you're done.

    Wouldn't this affect data exchange for other applications like WhatsApp or the Weather widget?


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    #30
    same ol sh1te
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,837 ✭✭✭same ol sh1te


    Irish Stones wrote: »
    Wouldn't this affect data exchange for other applications like WhatsApp or the Weather widget?

    You do it individually, per app


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    #31
    Sully
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 24,056 Mod ✭✭✭✭Sully


    I like the idea of a cloud backup but I dislike the way my photos appear on Google Plus tbh.


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