A system and method of controlling use of vehicular Wi-Fi hotspots by a handheld wireless device includes: detecting that the handheld wireless device is communicating via a Wi-Fi hotspot; determining at the handheld wireless device that that the Wi-Fi hotspot is provided by a vehicle; and enabling one or more default prohibitions against transmitting low-priority data from the handheld wireless device via a cellular wireless carrier system while the handheld wireless device communicates with the Wi-Fi hotspot provided by the vehicle.