Has your cellular data usage skyrocketed since you've picked up an iPhone 5? You're not the only one -- and it's not your (or Siri's) fault. Several users are reporting that their iPhone 5 is chewing through their mobile allotment even when they're connected to Wi-Fi, and it's not just the ramblings of a dissatisfied few. In fact, Verizon has released a patch to fix the problem.
"This carrier settings update resolves an issue in which, under certain circumstances, iPhone 5 may use Verizon cellular data while the phone is connected to a Wi-Fi network," Apple says in a post on its website. It's unknown whether or not the issue affects iPhone 5 handsets from other carriers, though CNN Money notes that the same issue has been reported with AT&T iPhones.
Verizon won't charge users for "unwarranted cellular data usage," representatives said.
To download the update, Verizon owners should head into Settings > General > About, tap "OK" when the update notice appears, then turn the iPhone 5 completely off before turning it back on again.
This isn't the first issue iOS 6 users have had with the Wi-Fi Apple's new operating system. Last week, several users reported running into problems connecting to Wi-Fi whatsoever after upgrading older iPads and iPhones to iOS 6. Some people have trouble getting Wi-Fi to activate at all, while others report running into issues getting their phone to actually connect to a network. The Apple forum thread about the issue currently stands at 104 pages long.
Image credit: Apple
Get a daily look at what’s developing in science and technology throughout the world.