It’s called WiFi Assist, and unless it’s used carefully, it could run your bill sky-high.
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Apple’s iOS 9 software is already installed on well over 50% of existing devices, according to what Apple revealed in the first weekend after releasing the operating system.
When a user connects to a Wi-Fi network that is slow or unresponsive, the cellular device will continue to operate on that slow connection, prolonging apps and webpages from loading and fully developing. This isn’t turned on by default, so you don’t need to worry about accidentally downloading a massive file on your mobile data.
Apple could help alleviate the issue by disabling Wi-Fi Assist by default and positioning the feature more prominently in Settings (it’s now buried under the entire list of apps that use data in the Cellular section). I hadn’t realized the change was due to the new Wi-Fi Assist feature in iOS 9. Look for Mobile Data.
The iOS 9 has a lot of new features in store for loyal users of Apple products. So if you don’t have unlimited data, you may want to turn the feature off and just opt to manually switch from your internet to mobile data.
This is great for when you’re stuck in places like the connectivity nexus right outside your home, where old iPhones would cling to the WiFi signal for as long as possible, but wouldn’t actually be able to load anything. Once inside cellular, scroll all the way down to the bottom.
Though the update has only been live for a couple of days, some users on Twitter have been reporting their data usage has escalated to far beyond what they’d normally use.
The new “Wifi Assist” option will allow your phone to freely switch between these two, often without you noticing. It was so annoying, in fact, I found myself putting the phone in airplane mode every time I entered the house so the Wi-Fi would stay connected.
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The good news is that it can be turned off. It would, after all, cause a riot if it couldn’t be.
