How to Restrict Cellular Usage When Using Wi-Fi on iPhone and iPad

Despite all efforts to stay on Wi-Fi, there is always a risk of using cellular data if your iPhone or iPad loses its connection to a hotspot. And frankly, going over your cellular data plan and paying additional carrier data charges isn’t the most fun of experiences.

Therefore, you should seriously look into restricting cellular data usage on your iPhone or iPad. This is true if you regularly hand over your device to others. For example, children.

Without further ado, let’s see how you can do this on any iPhone or iPad running iOS 12, iOS 13 or iPadOS.

Block Cellular Data from Control Center

With cellular data turned off, Screen Time restrictions on your iPhone or iPad give you the ability to easily disable the Cellular icon in Control Center. This can help prevent you or others from accidentally or intentionally enabling cellular data.

So, if your device loses Wi-Fi access, there is no risk of consuming cellular data. The following steps will help you do this.

Stage 1: Open Control Center on your iPhone or iPad, then tap the Cellular icon to turn off cellular data.

Step 2: Open the Settings app and then tap Screen Time. Follow by tapping the option labeled Content and Privacy Restrictions.

If this is your first time using Screen Time on your iPhone or iPad, you will need to go through a few self-explanatory steps to set up the functionality.

Note:

Stage 3: Scroll down to the Allow Changes section and then tap on the option labeled Cellular Data Changes.

Step 4: Select the option labeled Don’t Allow.

Exit the Settings app. Open Control Center – Cellular icon should be gray. Tapping on it will have no effect unless you go back and remove the Screen Time restriction you just applied.

However, you or anyone else can enable or disable cellular data via the Settings app. Tap Cellular in the Settings app, then use the switch next to Cellular Data to turn cellular data on or off.

If this poses a problem, let’s check out what you can do to completely restrict cellular data on your iPhone or iPad.

Completely Restrict Cellular Data

Even if the Cellular icon in Control Center is disabled, cellular data can be turned on or off via the Settings app. If you choose to restrict this as well, you must manually turn off cellular data usage for all apps before applying the Screen Time restriction.

This will prevent apps from consuming cellular data even if it is enabled on your iPhone or iPad. You also prevent others from using cellular data without your consent.

Stage 1: Open the Settings app, then tap Cellular (or Cellular Data if you’re using an iPad). Next, navigate to the section labeled Cellular Data.

Step 2: Turn off the switches next to all the apps in the list.

This will prevent them from using cellular data. However, you should now use Screen Time to lock your changes in place.

Stage 3: Open the Settings app and then tap Screen Time. Follow by tapping Content and Privacy Restrictions.

Note:

Step 4: Scroll down and then tap on the option labeled Cellular Data Changes.

Step 5: Select the option labeled Don’t Allow. Changes you make to cellular data settings are now locked.

To verify if this is the case, go back to the Cellular screen in the iPhone/iPad Settings app and then go to Cellular Data. The cellular data switches next to each app should be grayed out.

Even if someone turns on cellular data by going into Settings app, they cannot enable cellular data for any of the installed apps.

However, any new apps you or others later install can still use cellular data.

To avoid this, remove the Screen Time restriction, disable cellular data for that app (or apps) via Cellular display in the Settings app, and then re-apply the Screen Time restriction. You have to do this every time you install a new app.

Be Easy on the Wallet

If your cellular data plan isn’t too much, the above two methods will help you tremendously when it comes to avoiding accidental or intentional cellular data usage.

Disabling the Cellular icon in Control Center should work fine for the most part. But if you are interested in tech savvy users, it is recommended to turn off cellular data for apps and lock your changes. Just remember to use a Screen Time Passcode.

Next: Low Data Mode is a nifty feature for your iPhone or iPad that can help you reduce cellular and Wi-Fi data usage. Find out how it works.