Bluetooth and data usage?

Trucko20 · May 23, 2016

Hey guys,

Since I got my truck 2 months ago, my data usage on my phone plan has spiked. When I look at my plan, I can see that it's spiking exactly at the times that I'm in my truck.

I have been letting the phone connect to the truck via Bluetooth, but I only do it so that I can receive phone calls. I'm not playing music or doing anything else with it. Does that sound right? Does simply connecting via Bluetooth use data? Or maybe I have something running in the background that I don't know about?

kp52 · May 23, 2016

Bluetooth does not use cellular data on its own. You can turn cellular data off and it wont affect bluetooth streaming music you have on your phone.. Could be a GPS/Mapping app or many other apps, LTE for phone calls (if supported and turned on) can use data.but only about 20mb an hour.

tnchevy · May 23, 2016

Bluetooth does not consume data, something is running that is eating it.

Trucko20 · May 23, 2016

Thanks guys....yeah, I suspected that had to be it. Now I've just got to figure out what's running that I'm not using.

b1gted · May 23, 2016

Sounds like you have connected your phone via wifi to your trucks Wifi SSID. I am assuming you have a 2016 that has the LTE Wifi. Just go into your phone and disconnect it from wifi. Leave the bluetooth connected.

Trucko20 · May 23, 2016

Actually no, I have a '14 LT. I don't believe I have WiFi (never activated the free Onstar).

b1gted · May 24, 2016

Are you playing Pandora or something like that through the stereo in your truck? That would be the only other way you would be using a spikes of data.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Trucko20 · May 24, 2016

Not using Pandora. My phone's data usage stats indicate that Google Chrome is what's running up the data. But at this point I'm not sure why.

15 Z71 · May 24, 2016

Not using Pandora. My phone's data usage stats indicate that Google Chrome is what's running up the data. But at this point I'm not sure why.

are you making sure you close it out when your done browsing? My wife would use her Google Chrome and then just go to her main page and not close out of it. So it was always open in background using data.

Trucko20 · May 24, 2016

Honestly no, I don't think I "end" my sessions when done browsing with Chrome. I just hit the home button. Would that be causing my data to spike while in the truck? How do you end the session....just hitting the X in the corner of the browser?

15 Z71 · May 24, 2016

Honestly no, I don't think I "end" my sessions when done browsing with Chrome. I just hit the home button. Would that be causing my data to spike while in the truck? How do you end the session....just hitting the X in the corner of the browser?

Hit the x.maybe if your on WiFi then get in truck,may be using data then. I always close stuff out when I'm not at home.

b1gted · May 24, 2016

Honestly no, I don't think I "end" my sessions when done browsing with Chrome. I just hit the home button. Would that be causing my data to spike while in the truck? How do you end the session....just hitting the X in the corner of the browser?

It is probably just a matter of your not using data at all when you at home because your on wifi, but when you leave the house in your truck, it starts using LTE data to continue doing whatever it was doing at home on the wifi. Like others have said, I bet if you actually close out your app, it will help your situation.