Why is there so much data usage?

[KJN]

I had in one day (on a day that I didn't use Dropbox) 2.11GB data useage attributed to dropbox. Since then I have used data saver to stop background data useage and this is the first day Dropbox has used such an excessive amount of data.

Has anyone had this happen and if so do they know what has caused this or how to stop this from occuring?

[Vernon]

Hi KJN,

Hope you are doing good.

You can find here (at the end of the article), what your Dropbox mobile app can do on a cellular network.

You did not use Dropbox at all this day? Did you by any chance access any uploaded files?

Thanks in advance for your reply!

[KJN]

Thank you Vernon. This at least lets me know that I can't set the app to be wifi only.

Unfortunately I did not access Dropbox (or any files stored there) on that day. I was thinking that if it was only 10's or 100's of MB I may have just forgotten that I accessed a file, however 2GB used in one day was what got me enquiring further.

Thanks again
KJN

[Vernon · Accepted solution]

Hi again,

Thanks for the additional info.

Please keep in mind that Dropbox constantly checks for update's on files as syncing is one of our main features. So, what may have happened is that the packages being sent from the app, due to the mobile data not being as steady as a wi-fi connection, were sent/received more times than usual because of failed attempts.

Hope this sheds some light into things.

Happy Holidays!

[Maple]

Hi KJN,

Do you use the offline files/folders feature? Or have Camera Uploads enabled? Do you have files queued for upload? Do you use iOS 11's Files app? Or do you access your Dropbox files in any third party apps?

[KJN]

Thank you Maple,

From what I understand, I don't have any of the things you've mentioned. I guess that's the source of my query.

It's great to cross things off the list that I wasn't aware of though!

Cheers

Kieran

[Maple]

Hi KJN,

Oops you're using Android, right? Ignore my weird comment about iOS 11's Files app.

Is the 2GB usage for a single day? If so, which day was it and what is the time frame it is shown for (midnight to midnight? which timezone?)?

[KJN]

No problems regarding the iOS. Yes the data download was for a single day, midnight to midnight, on the 16th December. I am in the Australian Eastern Daylight Timezone. To be exact, it was 2.11Gb.

Thanks!

[Maple]

Hi KJN,

This is very puzzling. I'm not seeing anything that could use that much data. If you see it again, please let me know.

When you check data usage can you also check how much storage the Dropbox app is using on your phone? If we see it grow the same amount as data used we can narrow it down to data that's being cached on disk (i.e. file contents).

[KJN]

Thanks and will do!