Have you ever watched your iPhone attempt to load a webpage with a poor Wi-Fi connection, and wondered why it doesn’t just switch to 3G automatically? In currently iOS releases, your device can’t do that. If you’re connected to a Wi-Fi network, it will only use the Wi-Fi network. But iOS 6 changes that. You’ll soon be able to use “Wi-Fi Plus Cellular” connections, which allows apps to switch to a cellular data connection automatically when Wi-Fi is poor.
Hidden away within the Settings menu of the latest iOS 6 beta is new toggle for “Wi-Fi Plus Cellular” connections. According to Apple, this allows “apps having trouble with Wi-Fi to use cellular data.” With this enabled, your iOS device should automatically begin using its data connection when it needs to.
Furthermore, users can specify whether certain services — including iCloud Documents, FaceTime, iTunes, and Passbook — can use a cellular connection. Presumably, if these are turned off, they’ll only work over Wi-Fi. That should help keep your data use to a minimum.
Finally, AppAdvice has spotted a new “Shared Calendar Alerts” option in Calendar settings. “When enabled, you will be notified about new, modified, or deleted shared events,” Apple says.
Source: AppAdvice
Killian Bell is a freelance writer based in the U.K. He has an interest in all things tech and also covers Android over at CultofAndroid.com. You can follow him on Twitter via @killianbell.
9 responses to “iOS 6 Allows Apps To Use ‘Wi-Fi Plus Cellular’ Connections”
Now when my router needs rebooting I’ll have no clue and just suck up a few gig of data while Im at home, since my phones working as it should! YAY
So just leave this option turned off… “problem” solved!
My comment isnt about me, Im smart enough to know how it works, it was sarcasm about those who arent tech savvy. But with your “only think at life through your own eyes mentality”, you dont realize the massive amounts of the non tech savvy over 45s in the world who will get hammered by this. Step out of your bubble and that will solve all kinds of problems.
Maybe there will be some sort of alert or icon change to show you what’s happening. If not, there should be.
This is something I’ve wondered about for years. It’s a simple idea which I’m sure millions of others have also thought at one time. But I bet someone, maybe Apple, has patented the idea anyway.
This is great. The way it tenaciously tries to hold onto a wi-fi signal has bothered me for ages.
Especially if you have Apple routers, you have to get a block or more away from your house before it will realise that it isn’t on the home network anymore.
There’s like this little “fan” type icon at the top of the phone that tells you whether you are on Wi-Fi or not.
Seems pretty clear that it’s off by default though.
Also, the scenario you describe can easily happen with or without this feature being enabled or disabled.
Hopefully this comes in the off setting by default.