iOS Settings vs SimQuota
what's actually different?

Your iPhone already shows data usage. We get this question a lot. Here's the honest answer.

"iOS Settings shows you a number. SimQuota shows you what to do about it."

— A 60-second read.

iOS Settings
SimQuota
How often does it update?
Roughly every 24 hours. You can pull-to-refresh, but the number lags reality.
Every 60 seconds, automatically. Widgets show the live number.
Warning before you hit your limit?
None. You set your own monthly cap mentally and check manually.
3 thresholds (50% / 80% / 95%) push you a notification. Burst detection alerts on unexpected spikes.
Live roaming cost in your home currency?
Shows GB used while roaming. You translate to dollars in your head.
Live cost in your home currency, based on your detected carrier and country. "$12.30 spent so far" not "1.4 GB."
Multi-SIM separation?
Combined view across all lines. Hard to see which SIM ate your plan.
Separate budgets per SIM. Independent limits, billing cycles, and roaming configs.
Home screen widget?
No widget. Open Settings → Cellular → scroll.
Live gauge widget, lock screen widget, Dynamic Island, Live Activity. Tap, glance, dismiss.
Survives iPhone reboots?
The counter resets on reboot. You have to remember to track period start manually.
Detects reboots automatically. Preserves your running monthly total — no manual recalibration.
Sync to other devices?
Per-device only. iPad on cellular has its own separate stats.
Cross-device sync on Pro. See your iPhone's usage from your iPad or the web dashboard.
Historical usage?
Current period only. No way to see "what did I use last month?"
7-day rolling history on Free, full 30-day + monthly logs on Pro. CSV export.
Family monitoring?
Each iPhone is independent. No way to see kids' or partner's usage.
Pro Family monitors up to 8 members. Kids Mode, admin controls, family dashboard.
Find a cheaper plan when roaming?
No.
Built-in eSIM Finder — compares Airalo, Saily, Holafly, Nomad and others with community coupon codes.

iOS Settings is fine if…

  • You have unlimited data and never roam
  • You only need a rough monthly total once in a while
  • You're OK with manually checking every few days
  • You don't care about widgets, alerts, or multi-SIM

You'll want SimQuota if…

  • You've ever been surprised by a roaming bill
  • You travel and want live cost in your home currency
  • You use dual-SIM or eSIM and need per-line tracking
  • You want widgets and alerts instead of checking manually
  • You're managing data for a household or kids

The short version

iOS Settings tells you what you've used. SimQuota tells you what to do about it — before it costs you.

Free to download. No account needed to start.

Get SimQuota free