Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To ask why her credit on phone keeps draining ?

82 replies

TinaTeaspoons · 28/07/2022 09:50

Got DD a phone last month, PAYG 3 network. Put £10 on it last week amd got the data pack. Today it's run out of credit. Seems only to last a week ?
She rarely uses it for calls or texts, only Internet but even then its just whataspp or Facebook. She doesn't stream videos or anything.
Can anyone shed any light as to what's going on? I can't afford to keep topping it up so often yet she needs the phone

OP posts:
ChessieFL · 28/07/2022 09:51

Is she using wi-fi as much as possible or is she always relying on the mobile data? That can be expensive. She needs to connect to wi-fi at home and wherever else she can.

Aposterhasnoname · 28/07/2022 09:51

Apps updating in the background?

TinaTeaspoons · 28/07/2022 10:05

No apps updating in background.
She uses the home Internet mostly. I know 3mobile hiked up their prices recently but having to top up £10 every week isn't right surely.....

OP posts:
Nc830 · 28/07/2022 10:06

That’s a normal amount, probably less than what I’d spend. You need to buy a plan. I’m on giffgaff pay as you go and they do ‘goodybags’ for £6, £10, £20 a month etc

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 28/07/2022 10:07

I'd get a plan, I only pay a tenner a month.

BlanketsBanned · 28/07/2022 10:08

Is the phone definately connected to the home wifi and not the 3 network, she might be on data roaming

TinaTeaspoons · 28/07/2022 10:20

I bought the 16GB bundle for £10 last week. Said it's expiry date was end of August yet here we are, out of credit again.
Phone connected to home Internet so makes no sense.

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 28/07/2022 10:23

You should be able to see in the phone settings what has used the data

chipsandpeas · 28/07/2022 10:24

what type of phone does she have? i know on iphone you can see mobile data usagae

dementedpixie · 28/07/2022 10:24

Is it the mobile data that's run out already?

dementedpixie · 28/07/2022 10:26

You can find it on android too in the settings
I am usually on home WiFi so have only used 2.89GB since 1st July

To ask why her credit on phone keeps draining ?
BlanketsBanned · 28/07/2022 10:31

Is she using it away from home at all, have you checked the connection settings.

aus12 · 28/07/2022 10:32

Get a sim-only in your name. I’m with iDmobile and pay £6 a month for 4GB with unlimited texts & calls. If you wanted more data you can get 16GB for £10 a month or unlimited data for £16. iDmobile is carphone warehouse’s own brand & they use the 3 network so are reliable.

SarahProblem · 28/07/2022 10:33

Something is using the data. Have a look at your data usage and it will say which apps use what.

If she is watching tik tok, youtube it will all add up.

BoxOfCats · 28/07/2022 10:35

Make sure Wi-Fi assist is turned off, that can eat a lot of data.

Technophobic · 28/07/2022 10:38

Make sure background app update is off in settings.

alnawire · 28/07/2022 10:39

aus12 · 28/07/2022 10:32

Get a sim-only in your name. I’m with iDmobile and pay £6 a month for 4GB with unlimited texts & calls. If you wanted more data you can get 16GB for £10 a month or unlimited data for £16. iDmobile is carphone warehouse’s own brand & they use the 3 network so are reliable.

OPDD has a 16GB plan for £10. She is trying to work out why the data has been used in a week.

dementedpixie · 28/07/2022 10:39

aus12 · 28/07/2022 10:32

Get a sim-only in your name. I’m with iDmobile and pay £6 a month for 4GB with unlimited texts & calls. If you wanted more data you can get 16GB for £10 a month or unlimited data for £16. iDmobile is carphone warehouse’s own brand & they use the 3 network so are reliable.

She has a sim with 16GB data and unlimited calls and texts from 3

Something is eating the data as its not normal to use that amount in such a short space of time

Longdistance · 28/07/2022 10:40

I pay £9 a month in Tesco mobile. Both my dds have it. One contract has 10GB a month, the other 12GB.
Check you dds usage.

redskyatnight · 28/07/2022 10:41

Nc830 · 28/07/2022 10:06

That’s a normal amount, probably less than what I’d spend. You need to buy a plan. I’m on giffgaff pay as you go and they do ‘goodybags’ for £6, £10, £20 a month etc

It's not a normal amount if she mostly uses WiFi. £10 can last me months.

girlmom21 · 28/07/2022 10:42

There's no way she's using 16GB data that quickly. Speak to 3. Maybe the data plan isn't being properly applied.

byzeus · 28/07/2022 10:43

Video apps like Tiktok and YouTube will absolutely munch through data, as will streaming music on services like Spotify. If you work out what it is that’s causing it you might be able to find a more appropriate phone package - for example I am on VOXI which allows unlimited usage of certain social media sites/apps without touching the inclusive data allowance, and they offer similar for music/video apps too.

BlanketsBanned · 28/07/2022 10:46

I would check the storage and memory and clean it up, also look at what apps have been loaded, she may be getting all sorts of rubbish being downloaded as its a new phone and like pp,says check with 3 that the bundle has been applied properly, thats a lot of data to be using.

dementedpixie · 28/07/2022 10:46

It shouldn't be using her data if she's using it on home WiFi though.

Keroppi · 28/07/2022 10:51

I think Smarty/Voxi does a payg where the social media apps are free/not included in the 3g allowance

If there is patchy wifi at home it will auto connect to mobile data if it is turned on - make sure the mobile data is off until she needs it when out. I dont get wifi signal in my bedroom so I have to turn my data on

Swipe left for the next trending thread