Apps and defaults
Per app cellular data
Most people call this blocking one app from using mobile data.
Each app has its own switch deciding whether it may use cellular data, so you can restrict a heavy app to Wi-Fi only.
This setting is present on your iPhone.
- We have this path on file but have not yet confirmed it against an official source.
Where to find it - iOS 12 and later
- Settings
- Cellular
- App name
What it does
The list sits below the master Cellular Data switch and shows how much each app has used since the counters were last reset. Turning an app off means it simply has no network when away from Wi-Fi.
What changes
When it is on
The app can use mobile data.
When it is off
The app works only on Wi-Fi.
Should you turn it on?
Good reasons to turn it on
- The app is useful away from Wi-Fi.
Good reasons to turn it off
- Stops one heavy app consuming an allowance.
- More precise than turning cellular data off entirely.
Battery
No real change
Privacy
No real change
Performance
No real change
Cellular data
Helps
Storage
No real change
Out of the box: Every app allowed.
Questions people actually ask
- How do I stop one app using my data?
- Settings, then Cellular, scroll to the app, and turn its switch off.
If it is not working
- Reset Statistics on your billing date or the usage figures mean nothing.
- System Services at the bottom shows what iOS itself used.