How To Monitor Network Traffic on Your iOS Device

When you are using your iPhone and iPad, sometimes you will have a limited amount of data to use. It is always good to know exactly how and why you have used your data.

Why Should You Track Your Network Traffic?

All the apps on your device need to use network data on occasion. Some require non-stop internet connection as they cannot even function without it. Others just need to download a new update from time to time. So, when using your iPhone, it is unavoidable that your apps will consume at least some data.

You should monitor your network traffic on the iPhone to avoid any inconvenience. When you know how much data you use every month and which apps use the most of it, managing your data usage will be much easier.

Your iOS device has a built-in setting that can track your data usage, but you can also rely on third-party apps for a more precise insight.

Check Data Usage in Settings

Your iPhone or iPad always tracks how much data you have used and how many megabytes certain apps eat up whenever you are connected to a network. To find out your data usage, you need to follow a few simple steps:

• Step 1: Tap the ‘Settings’ icon in your app menu (gear icon).
• Step 2: Tap ‘Cellular’. If you have an iPad, it will probably say ‘Mobile Data’.

In this menu, you can manage your network options and see how much data you have used. You can also set a limit for your data usage. When you reach it, your phone will automatically disable further data usage until the start of the next month.

When you scroll down, you can see which apps are using your cellular data sorted by the amount they use. If you want to prevent an app from consuming data, you can tap to disable it. Those apps will then only use Wi-Fi networks to send and receive data.

In the same menu, you can tap on ‘System Services’ to see the data usage of each system service. You can’t disable cellular data for these services, but you can access information about their data consumption.

Check Data Usage via Third-Party Apps

If you want a more detailed input about your network traffic, you may need to use some third-party apps. Luckily, iOS devices have a wide-range of network-monitoring apps to choose from.

My Data Manager VPN Security

My Data Manager VPN Security is a hugely popular app that provides a lot of network monitoring features. The app does not only track how much data you have used but it can also protect your network from potentially harmful intrusions.

With this app, you can monitor data usage for different apps, protect your account information, get notifications once you get close to your limit, and enjoy various other features.

Get My Data Manager VPN Security

DataFlow

DataFlow is an app that tracks your device’s cellular and Wi-Fi usage. You can check your data usage history, network speed, make data plans, and limit your cellular data usage. It is also a highly customizable app that comes with different themes to suit your visual preferences.

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Traffic Monitor

Traffic Monitor will keep you updated about your data usage and network coverage.

You can test the network speed of a Wi-Fi, LTE, or UMTS connection. You can see separate values for download, upload, and ping. When you get your numbers, the app will list you the results of other users in your region for comparison. All the data will remain in the archive so you can reach it whenever you want.

Traffic Monitor can track your data for any amount of time. You can set up a start and end date and monitor your usage over that period. Usually, users set the start date to the beginning of their billing period and the end date to when they reach the limit of their data package. If you opt to do the same, the app will automatically disable data usage for all apps once you reach your monthly limit.

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SnapStats

SnapStats is a multi-purpose app that shows you more than just network statistics. This app provides insight into all of your device’s essential stats.

You can easily see all the device information, the time it takes to boot, battery life, CPU performance, memory and disk statistics, ant others. The app has a nice, colorful design and shows all the stats as nice-looking graphs and charts.

SnapStats provides an easy-to-use service that shows you data usage for both your Wi-Fi and cellular networks.

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Your Turn

Is your favorite data monitoring app for iOS not on this list? Share your top picks in the comments below!