How Wi-Fi Assist Really Works in IOS 9
Last month, there were rumors about one of the new iOS 9 features, Wi-Fi Assist, that is eating up all of the plans. Now, if you’re wondering why this happened, Apple has released a support document that details how this feature works.
Wi-Fi Assist essentially switches between Wi-Fi and cellular to find the best internet connection. As you might expect, this can ruin your data plan if you’re not careful. Here’s a description of Apple with some caveats:
With Wi-Fi Assist, you can stay connected to the Internet even if you have a poor Wi-Fi connection. For example, if you are using Safari with a poor Wi-Fi connection and the web page does not load, Wi-Fi Assist activates and automatically switches to cellular to keep the web page loading. You can use Wi-Fi Assist with most apps like Safari, Apple Music, Mail, Maps and more …
- Wi-Fi Assist will not automatically switch to cellular if you are using data roaming.
- Wi-Fi Assist only works when you have apps running in the foreground, and is not activated when content is downloaded in the background.
- Wi-Fi Assist is not activated with some third-party apps that stream audio or video or download attachments, such as the email app, as they can use large amounts of data.
That’s all to say, yes, Wi-Fi Assist can consume your data, but perhaps not as much as you think. Either way, you can turn it off if you like under Settings> Cellular.
About Wi-Fi Assist | Apple