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IOS 9 Cellular Data Usage Restrictions not working

Hello, I just updated several devices to IOS 9 and I noticed the Cellular Data Usage Restrictions are turned on. However, when I check the Cellular settings I am able to make changes under User Cellular Data for section. This is the same behavior with all upgraded devices I have. Is this a known issue?


Thanks for your help with cap data plan having this feature working is critical for my family plan and devices.

iPhone 6 Plus, iOS 9

Posted on Sep 16, 2015 6:03 PM

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Posted on Sep 17, 2015 8:24 AM

I am having this issue as well for enterprise. After updating a couple supervised devices to iOS 9 the cellular settings are supposed to be restricted from being changed but this it's only half true. In iOS 9.0.0, when you shut off the items that you do not want working over cellular data and changes are not allowed for cellular data, the items that were already shut off at the time the restriction was engaged will stay off, even though they toggle back to green.


For example, let's say you toggled Music to not work over cellular data, then apply the restriction for cellular data changes, you'll still be able to toggle Music back over to work on cellular data so it APPEARS that it is back on, but as soon as you move away from the Cellular menu and come back Music will show as shut off for cellular data.


While this is really great for things that you already have shut off and restricted it's a real problem for things you NEED to have working over cellular data. For example, let's say that the App Store is something that you want to work over cellular data. If it the App Store is shut off after the restriction is applied, it is going to stay off until it is turned back on by the user.


So basically, any apps that you shut off in Cellular Data at the time the restriction to not allow changes was applied will stay OFF, even though the user thinks they toggled it to ON. Any apps that you leave ON in Cellular Data can be turned OFF by the user or turned back ON.


This is a real problem if you need something to stay ON.

319 replies

Jan 14, 2016 6:41 AM in response to vin12

vin12 wrote:

If an app is taken off from memory by force quitting


This thread is about a specific issue - if you go to Settings/General/Restrictions and enable a restriction to prevent changes to the settings in Settings/Cellular the restriction is not honored. Your issue is unrelated to this problem, and it is a disservice to the users who have a problem with being unable to set a restriction on changing settings to hijack their thread. I suggest posting your own new message if you want to discuss an unrelated issue.

Jan 14, 2016 6:45 AM in response to jfaughnan

jfaughnan wrote:


Have you heard if the 9.x CellularDataUseSettingsRestrictionsDoNotRestrict bug is fixed in 9.3 beta?

I haven't heard anything either way about 9.3, and I am not part of the beta. Apple also doesn't like discussing beta releases in the forum, and will sometimes delete messages that refer to it. So the best place to ask is probably in a non-Apple forum such as Macrumors. If I do get any additional information I will post it here, however.


I can reproduce the problem, and I have been unable to find a workaround or solution in 9.1 or 9.2.

Jan 14, 2016 8:46 AM in response to Lawrence Finch

This thread is about a specific issue - if you go to Settings/General/Restrictions and enable a restriction to prevent changes to the settings in Settings/Cellular the restriction is not honored.

I wonder. Similar to cellular setting - what makes you think "background app refresh" which disables wifi access to an app on the phone running iOS is OK not be honored?

So far I have never seen a credible reply on that. Hence the question.

Jan 14, 2016 9:45 AM in response to Kilgore-Trout

I wonder. Similar to cellular setting - what makes you think "background app refresh" which disables wifi access to an app on the phone running iOS is OK not be honored?

So far I have never seen a credible reply on that. Hence the question.


If you do not have anything to contribute to the above question or discussion please refrain from personal attacks and other inhibitions.

Mar 8, 2016 6:39 AM in response to jfaughnan

Actually, there's no point in filing bugs. According to a phone call I've just had with Apple Support this feature is no longer in use.
I said that it was very odd that the option was still there - surely, if they wanted to disable it, they would have removed it from the list right?

I asked if there was any sort of official notes about this and the lady said no... Sounds like BS to me 😝


Btw, the lady explained that Androids also had this feature until people started suing Google for running into extra data bills despite all restrictions. Also, she explained that it was because of fear of similar legal actions that they've suddenly removed the mobile (or "cellular" if you're American) data restrictions. Again, sounds like BS.

Mar 8, 2016 7:02 AM in response to MooMooWitney

Sounds like madness, but at this point it is pretty clear Apple isn't going to fix the broken restrictions control on cellular data use in iOS 9. Maybe they'll put together a different framework for iOS 10. Their current framework is pretty bad, broken restrictions aside, you can't disable cellular data use for an app until the app requests cellular data.

I haven't heard that Apple was going to remove all control of cellular data use. I could see them doing that by pushing the restriction control in the app settings, maybe reporting use per app, then leaving it up to customer to not use apps that use data -- but the customer pushback would be severe.

Mar 9, 2016 8:54 AM in response to Turko

This is still an ongoing issue and Apples silence on the matter is deafening. I know they don't respond on these forums but this is a gaping hole in iOS settings and needs fixing!


I have a rudimentary fix for this however but will only be useful to a handful of people in specific situation. That being if you have given your kids a phone and don't want them to access data for fear of uncapped tariffs racking up huge bills.


Go into the mobile data setting > mobile data network and then erase the APN address under the mobile data section at the top. Make a note of it so you can re enter if need be later on.


This will however stop ALL mobile data as there is no server address for your phone to access. Another issue is a carrier settings update may get pushed to the phone and update the APN itself so you will still have to keep an eye on it a bit but it will help to stop mobile data being used for the most part.


I do this on both my kids phones as iOS ***** big time as we all know and my crappy carrier refuses to put a cap in place.

IOS 9 Cellular Data Usage Restrictions not working

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