Breaking a data cap on AT&T isn’t cheap, and with the new Mobile Share family data plans and iPhone 5’s 4G LTE data connection, breaking data caps is easier than ever.
To avoid paying extra for data, it’s important to check the data used on the iPhone during the month and sign up for data usage alerts.
Thanks to the faster 4G LTE connection and larger screen on the iPhone 5, it’s more tempting to use the Netflix app to watch Monday Night Football on the Watch ESPN app or watch movies on widescreen. Between streaming videos, downloading apps, making FaceTime calls over LTE, and uploading photos to Facebook, it’s easy to hit the monthly data cap in no time.
Adding family members using the same data bucket and tracking data usage gets complicated, but AT&T offers an app to monitor data usage on iPhone and other devices.
How to Check Data Usage on AT&T iPhone
It’s best to go straight to AT&T when checking how much data the iPhone has used so far during this billing period. this myAT&T app It offers access to the latest data usage information as well as other billing information and usage details.
Download the app and look for the myAT&T icon.
Select the myAT&T app from your home screen to open it.
After the application opens, enter your account information.
After logging in, the .
The next screen shows the data usage on the iPhone for the current billing cycle.
If excesses are usually a concern at the end of the month, it’s wise to check this out fairly regularly. Users also get data usage warnings Outgoings to the main number on the AT&T Mobile Share plan. These alerts come at 65% and 90% usage, but may not appear during an active download such as a movie, so be sure to pay attention to data usage.
Users can upgrade to a higher limit data plan before the end of the month to avoid overage charges. Exceeding the data limit results in $15 for 1GB of data. It might be a better deal to upgrade to a higher data level for the rest of the month.
Another place to watch is using the iPhone as a personal hotspot. This is a great way to connect an iPad or a laptop to the Internet, but it can quickly burn data.
Users can limit mobile data usage, connect to WiFi while at home or work, and avoid downloading large files over 3G, 4G and 4G LTE. For those who have trouble covering the whole house with WiFi, check out the NetGear WiFi Booster, a $40 accessory that expands the range of a home WiFi network to cover more rooms or gardens.