Data Usage | AT&T Community Forums (2024)

Data is not recorded in your online account live. Data may be delayed up to three days. The day that is posted in your online account overnight was used during the previous day while you were off of Wi-Fi.

Considering the current price of unlimited data plans is far cheaper than it has been in the past, and in some cases cheaper than a metered plan, you might want to look at the price and consider switching to a plan that does not have a data cap.

I am aware that cellular data is not recorded in real time; however I was under the impression it was delayed up to 3 hours not “up to three days”.

I am very aware that AT&T would like all their customers to migrate to their unlimited plans, their new Verizon-like family plans and away from Apple products. And while I thank you for your response and appreciate your advice, I still don’t have an answer to my question. How canI go years without ever going over 2GB’s of data and all of a sudden:

- on THE EXACT SAME DAY

- in the EXACT SAME 450MB

- in exactly 50 MINUTE INCREMENTS

in the middle of the night/early morning hours when my phone was not in use and in the same vicinity of my working WiFi?

Thanks for trying to help.

I was under the impression it was delayed up to 3 hours

If you look in the data usage section on your postpaid bill, at the bottom of the page it says that data is posted in 3 hour increments. Not only a 3 hour delay. The bulk of your data usage will be posted overnight when you are at home, connected to Wi-Fi, or asleep. Data used on non AT&T Towers may take even longer, up to 72 hours domestically and up to a full bill cycle if you are roaming outside of the United States.

😳 2 gigs? 2 gigs was a sufficient amount of data to run a small screen phone with relatively low resolution and very little RAM and very little storage when service was 3-g. Average recommended was 2 gigs when data plans and smartphones were first introduced, but it's not enough now. Double it.

AT&T offers a $30 5 gig Prepaid Plan and a 4 gig postpaid plan which in my opinion is overpriced since they have unlimited postpaid " unlimited value plan" for $50 with auto pay and paperless billing

Your Android phone keeps independent records of exactly which application used data, and how much, and that meter is live.

You do not need AT&T to tell you how much data you've used, fix the settings in your phone to match your bill cycle.

Once you fix the dates in your phone it will show you exactly how much you have used not only for this current bill cycle but for previous Cycles as well.

Hi there @HollyOOPisalyingSeeyounexttuesday.

Indeed @formerlyknownas is correct, resetting your the settings on your device will help manage the data usage.

You cancheck your data usagein your My ATT app or online by logging in and proceeding to theBilling & Usagesection. Also, learn more helpful tips about usage reporting delays.

While we understand you are seeing higher data usage on your current billing cycle, knowing what activities count against your usage amount can be helpful to determine this cause.

If you need additional assistance with this concern, please let us know. We are here to help!

Ashley, AT&T Community Specialist

Indeed@formerlyknownasis correct, resetting your the settings on your device will help manage the data usage.

Um, no, didn't write that, and it's not true.

I did write 2 gig plans are no longer enough for typical average use.

I also wrote that the best way to view accurate monthly usage is on the phone itself, and not on the AT&T application which is delayed, and does not show exactly what date it was used for.

When the att app and the phone are within a couple mbs of use each month, you can be assured the count is accurate.

In the past nine years, only one person has been able to convince me ( because they actually had correct information and knew what they were talking about) that their carriers data count and the count on their phone did not match and that the count on the phone was correct (Verizon, not AT&T)

@formerlyknownas

Yeah, You just gotta be careful when looking at “unlimited” data plans that you don’t need one with the ability to create a mobile hotspot. I found out when reading the fine print in the T Mobile “$55 for two lines with unlimited data” deal, that mobile hotspot data is not included in that plan. I’m guessing most unlimited plans would be the same. We travel quite a bit, with much of it on the road or at places like the MIL’s house. She’s living in 1985 conditions, still using a landline/answering machine and has no Internet or Wi-Fi (and crappy cell reception as well). So the mobile hotspot option is really important to us. As a wise friend once taught me, when mobile providers want to “upgrade” you to a new plan, it’s usually never as good as your current plan. We have 30GB with rollover data, and we’re not giving that up willingly.

@formerlyknownas

Yeah, You just gotta be careful when looking at “unlimited” data plans that you don’t need one with the ability to create a mobile hotspot. I found out when reading the fine print in the T Mobile “$55 for two lines with unlimited data” deal, that mobile hotspot data is not included in that plan. I’m guessing most unlimited plans would be the same. We travel quite a bit, with much of it on the road or at places like the MIL’s house. She’s living in 1985 conditions, still using a landline/answering machine and has no Internet or Wi-Fi (and crappy cell reception as well). So the mobile hotspot option is really important to us. As a wise friend once taught me, when mobile providers want to “upgrade” you to a new plan, it’s usually never as good as your current plan. We have 30GB with rollover data, and we’re not giving that up willingly.