Apple officially released iOS 9, the latest version of its iOS mobile operating system, more than a week ago. The newest iteration of iOS comes with a number of cool new features, including News, enhanced battery life, and a nifty split screen view functionality. However, one particular feature -- Wi-Fi Assist -- may be consuming data off users’ mobile plans without them knowing it.
Wi-Fi Assist is enabled by default whenever a mobile device is updated to the new iOS 9. This new feature is designed to help mobile users enjoy a continuous online connection. Basically what Wi-Fi Assist does is automatically switch over to a cellular connection whenever it recognizes that the current Wi-Fi signal being used is not strong enough.
The idea behind the feature is certainly nice, and Wi-Fi Assist itself does come in handy especially for users when they are within range of the connectivity outside their homes, where previous models of iPhones would cling to the Wi-Fi connection for as they can (but actually not likely to be able to download anything).
One of the most frustrating things about using an iPhone while connected to Wi-Fi is that while you are immersing yourself browsing the web, the Wi-Fi network you are in suddenly begins to slow down, and even stops working completely. The Wi-Fi Assist was made to address that problem, and basically provide mobile users with a more continuous, uninterrupted Internet surfing experience using the iPhone. The feature was first spotted in the beta version of iOS 9 that Apple released back in August earlier this year, and went on to become one of the cooler new features in the finalized version of operating system released last week.
However, there is a cost to Wi-Fi Assist -- the automatic switching to cellular connections could mean users are eating up more data from their monthly plan, possibly far more than their regular usage. Mobile users who are currently under wireless plans that come with a fixed data usage allotment every month may do well to check if their data consumption has indeed increased. To do this, they can go to Settings > Cellular in order to view their current data usage, and then scroll to the bottom to see if their Wi-Fi Assist feature is currently enabled.
To be clear about it, the abnormal increase in data consumption is not a glitch in iOS 9, it is just a direct result of the Wi-Fi Assist feature automatically connecting a user’s mobile device to any available signal. Perhaps the most obvious (and most easy) solution is to make sure to switch Wi-Fi Assist into off mode.
