How to Stop an iPhone App from Using Mobile Data

One app is eating your data allowance, or you want a streaming app to wait for Wi-Fi. iOS lets you block cellular data per app without touching anything else.

Open the Cellular settings

Open Settings and tap Cellular. Outside the US the same screen is labeled Mobile Data or Mobile Service.

Scroll to the app list

Below the plan and options is a list of every app that has used cellular data, with the amount used under each name. The list is sorted by usage, so the heaviest apps are at the top.

Turn off the app's toggle

Flip the switch next to the app to off. From now on that app only connects over Wi-Fi. If it needs a connection on cellular it will show an offline or "cellular data is turned off" message, and turning the toggle back on fixes it.

Turn on Low Data Mode for a broader cut

For less data across every app, go to Settings, Cellular, tap your plan under Cellular Plans (or Cellular Data Options on a single-SIM phone), tap Data Mode, and choose Low Data Mode. This pauses automatic updates, background app refresh, and high-quality streaming on cellular while leaving the apps usable.

Turn off Wi-Fi Assist if the phone keeps switching to data

Scroll to the bottom of the Cellular screen and turn off Wi-Fi Assist. When it is on, iOS quietly switches to cellular whenever Wi-Fi is weak, which is the usual reason data gets used at home.

If you want to know which app to blame. The numbers in the app list count usage since the last reset, not the current billing month. Tap Reset Statistics at the very bottom on the first day of your plan cycle and the list will match your bill from then on.

If the app is a streaming or podcast app. Look in its own settings too. Most have a download or stream on Wi-Fi only option, which keeps the app working on cellular for browsing while blocking the large transfers.