We’re big fans of the LG G4. It boasts a simply stunning display, an excellent camera, and a stylish design, but no device is perfect. A few issues and LG G4 problems have surfaced online. We’ve been reading up on the complaints and checking for solutions. These are the major issues we’ve uncovered so far, each with a suggested workaround or fix. We also had advice on the best LG G4 cases and some handy LG G4 tips and tricks.
Problems with random reboots, touchscreen, and lag
Glitch: Random rebooting and boot loop
If your LG G4 has been rebooting for no apparent reason, or getting stuck in a boot loop, then you’re not alone. There are a lot of reports detailing random reboots. LG acknowledged the boot loop issue as being caused by “loose contact between components.” There’s even a lawsuit against LG now about the boot loop problem. If your LG G4 keeps turning off unexpectedly and gets stuck in a boot loop, then you’re probably going to have to get a repair or replacement. If you’re just getting random reboots, then there are a few things worth trying first.
Potential solutions:
- Sometimes a MicroSD card can cause problems like this. Try turning your LG G4 off and removing the SD card to see if it makes any difference.
- Try clearing the cache partition. Go to Settings > General > Storage > Cached data and then tap OK to clear it. If you find that you can’t get there because your G4 keeps crashing, then try turning the phone off and pressing and holding Power, Volume up, and Home. Let go of Power when the G4 vibrates, but keep holding the other two until you see the Android recovery screen. Use the Volume down button to highlight wipe cache partition and the Power button to select it.
- It’s worth checking safe mode to see if a third-party app might be your culprit. Press and hold the Power button, then tap and hold on Power off when it pops up. You should get the option to boot into safe mode. If the crashes are gone, then you know one of the apps you installed is probably the cause and you can try uninstalling them one-by-one, or skip to the next step.
- You may as well try a factory reset if nothing else has worked. Customer support is probably going to ask you to try it anyway, before you can get a replacement handset. Make sure you back up anything precious first. Go to Settings > Backup & reset > Factory data reset > Reset phone > Delete all. If you’re stuck in a boot loop, then you can try pulling the battery out and replacing it after 30 seconds to see if will start it up normally. If you’re unable to get there because it keeps crashing, turn the phone off and press and hold Power and Volume down. When you see the LG logo, let go of Power and press and hold it again while continuing to hold Volume down. You should see the Factory data reset option now, and you can use Volume down to highlight Yes and Power to select it.
- Your final option is to go contact your carrier, retailer, or LG and ask for a replacement. Quite a few people with this problem report that they had to get a replacement handset after being unable to find another solution.
Glitch: Touchscreen unresponsive
A lot of LG G4 owners have been complaining about touchscreen taps being delayed or just not registering at all. It seems that the touchscreen sensitivity is off and some taps are being missed. There have also been complaints about long-pressing for special characters being incredibly slow when using the keyboard. If you want to confirm whether you are suffering from the issue then try out the Multitouch Test app.
Workaround:
- If your main problem is with the keyboard then you could try using something different, such as Google Keyboard or SwiftKey.
Potential solutions:
- LG acknowledged that there is an issue here, with Buzz Jensen, LG’s Head of Marketing in the U.S. tweeting to tell users to update the LG Keyboard via Settings > General > About phone > Update center > App update. This should fix issues in the LG Keyboard, but it’s not going to help if you’re experiencing the issue in another app.
- If you’re using a screen protector or a case then it could be worth removing them to test if it makes a difference.
- Some people have found that the issue seems resolved or at least reduced after they toggled Force GPU Rendering in the Developer options menu. To unlock Developer options go to Settings > General > About phone > Software info and tap on Build number repeatedly until you see the message You are now a developer! Go back to Settings > General and you’ll see Developer options. Head in there and toggle Force GPU Rendering to see if it makes any difference for you.
Problem: Lag
Quite a few people have been complaining about lag on the LG G4. This may be linked to the touchscreen responsiveness problem, or it may be a separate issue. Most complaints are about lagging when waking the device or switching between apps. It’s a powerful phone that really shouldn’t be lagging, so there are a few things you can try to resolve this.
Workarounds:
- You could try using a different launcher, such as Nova Launcher. Some people report less lag when not using the default LG launcher.
- Some people report less lag after going to Settings > General and toggling Dual window off. This might help because long pressing on Back is a shortcut to Dual window.
- You could try the old animation trick. Unlock Developer options by tapping on Build number several times in Settings > General > About phone > Software info. You’ll find Developer options in Settings > General and you can switch Window animation scale, Transition animation scale, and Animator duration scale to 0.5x or turn them off completely.
Potential solutions:
- Disable or uninstall any apps or games that you aren’t using. You might want to try out Greenify and see if it can help your LG G4 run more smoothly.
- It might be worth trying a factory reset. Make sure that you’re backed up and then go to Settings > Backup and reset > Factory data reset.
- Plenty of owners are reporting lag-free LG G4 performance so it could be worth going back to your carrier, retailer, or LG and trying to get a replacement handset.
Problems with LED, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and more
Bug: LED flashing, but no notification
A few LG G4 users are annoyed because the LED keeps flashing for no discernible reason. When they check, there are no new notifications, and yet that light keeps blinking.
Workaround:
- You could just turn the LED off. You’ll find the option in Settings > Sound & notification > Notification LED.
Potential solutions:
- Here’s a fix from XDA Developers forum. Clear your notifications and turn off the screen, check that the LED is flashing. If it is then turn the screen back on and go to Clock, then disable Alarm. Turn the screen off again. The LED should have stopped blinking and you can go back into Clock and enable your Alarm again.
Issue: Bluetooth won’t connect or not working properly
Some people are having trouble getting the LG G4 to pair with their Bluetooth car system or device. There are also a few reports of missing song titles, and other issues related to Bluetooth.
Workaround:
If you’re having issues with song titles then try disabling the default LG Music app (assuming you’re using something else). You’ll find it under Settings > General > Apps on the All tab.
Potential solutions:
- Take a quick look in Settings > General > Smart Functions > Smart Settings and make sure nothing in here is interfering with your Bluetooth.
- Check your device or car manual and make sure that you’re following the instructions for pairing.
- You may have reached some kind of Bluetooth profile limit. Try deleting old profiles on your car or device.
- Go to Settings > Networks > Bluetooth on your G4, tap settings for the device that’s giving you problems and choose Forget. Do the same thing with your car or accessory, where applicable, and then set the connection up fresh.
- Try using the Bluetooth Auto Connect app and see if helps.
Problem: Wi-Fi won’t connect or very slow
Quite a few LG G4 owners have been struggling to get a stable connection to Wi-Fi networks. In some cases the phone won’t connect at all, but mostly it connects and runs slowly, or disconnects itself seemingly at random.
Potential solutions:
- You should always start with the easiest potential fix, which is to turn your router off and turn your phone off and then turn them both back on again.
- Now try going to Settings > Wi-Fi and long press on the network you are trying to connect to, then tap Forget and set the connection up anew.
- Take a look in Settings > General > Battery & power saving and check that Battery saver isn’t interfering with your Wi-Fi.
- Check in Settings > General > Smart Functions > Smart Settings and make sure nothing in here is interfering with your Wi-Fi.
- If you’re connecting to the 2.4GHz band then try 5GHz instead and vice versa.
- Download and install Wifi Analyzer and check how busy your channels are. You may need to switch to a less crowded channel.
- Check in with your ISP or router manufacturer and make sure that your router firmware is up to date.
Issue: Portrait photos rotating
If you find that your portrait photos from the LG G4 are sometimes being flipped to landscape orientation when you download them to another device or upload them online, then you’re definitely not alone. This seems to be something do with the way the LG G4 handles rotation. The phone uses EXIF (exchangeable image file format) settings to rotate the photo, which might be about cutting down processing time. There are a couple ways around the issue, but unfortunately there’s no real solution.
Workarounds:
- Use a different camera app. There are loads to choose from in the Play Store.
- Use an alternative gallery app. For example, saving photos in QuickPic Gallery, and then uploading them from there will fix the rotation issue.
- You can always rotate the photos on your computer in Windows Photo Viewer, or using any editor.
Glitch: Green spot on photos
A number of people are reporting an emerging glitch where green spots appear in the photos they take with the G4’s camera. There are also reports of an issue with a pink tint in the center of low light photos, but it’s not clear if the two are linked. There’s some argument about whether this is a hardware or software issue.
Workarounds:
- Try using an alternative camera app to take photos and see if there’s a difference.
Potential solutions:
- Make sure there’s no protective film on the lens and remove your case, if you’re using one.
- Some people found temporary success by going to Settings > General > Apps and finding the Camera app, then tapping Clear cache and Clear data.
- If you’re able to, then it may be worth contacting your carrier, retailer, or LG to ask about a replacement.
Problems with slow charging, overheating, screen splitting, and more
Issue: Slow charging
A lot of LG G4 owners have been complaining about the phone taking forever to charge up. It seems to be particularly slow at times, and the cause isn’t entirely clear. If you feel that it’s charging very slowly in certain circumstances, you can get a better idea about what’s happening by downloading the Ampere app.
Workarounds:
- The LG G4 will definitely charge up more quickly if you leave the screen off and refrain from using it while it’s charging.
- Some people have suggested that the charging speed is closely related to the heat of the device. Remove the case, if you have one, and charge in a cool room if you can.
- A few people found that it charged faster after they removed the MicroSD card. It might be worth a try.
Potential solution:
- The LG G4 supports Quick Charge 2.0, but the charger that comes in the box with it does not. We usually advise you to use the charger and cable that shipped with your phone when you encounter a charging issue, but in this case it might be best not to. You may need to buy a QC2.0 charger to get faster charging speeds.
Problem: Overheating
There was a bit of fuss about the Snapdragon 810 processor that was used in the LG G Flex 2 being prone to overheating, but LG decided to go with the 808 in the G4 (LG denied this was because of the overheating issue). In any case, some G4 owners have run into problems with the phone overheating. The good news is that it won’t overheat to the point where it risks damage, you’ll get a pop-up telling you that the phone needs to cool down, and you might notice the screen dimming, slower performance, or pauses in charging.
Workarounds:
- Remove the case if you use one to help the G4 cool down.
- Try not to use it in hot environments or leave it in direct sunlight.
- Don’t use it while it’s charging up.
Potential solutions:
- Start with a simple restart of your LG G4 to see if that makes a difference.
- There’s a chance that an app is causing an issue. Try going to Settings > General > Storage, and then tap on Cached data and clear it.
- You could also try uninstalling potential problem apps. To find candidates, take a look under Settings > Battery & power saving > Battery usage, and look for something guzzling more juice than it should.
- Your last resort is a factory reset. Back up all your precious files, and then go to Settings > Backup & reset > Factory data reset, tap Reset phone and follow through the process. Once it’s complete, don’t restore all your apps, install them selectively, and watch out for any issues emerging.
Glitch: Screen splitting vertically
A few people have reported a glitch where the screen splits vertically, one half sticks and the other changes when they try to scroll. The two halves separate.
Potential solutions:
- A restart might fix the issue, at least temporarily.
- There’s a chance that LG will put out a software fix, but this will come automatically OTA (over the air), so there isn’t much you can do other than wait.
- You may want to go back to your carrier, retailer, or LG and try to get a replacement handset.
Problem: Battery life is poor
Many LG G4 owners have been experiencing problems with poor battery life. The battery may be draining much faster than expected, or perhaps it’s draining when not in use. There are lots of potential reasons for this and lots of things you can try doing to improve it.
Workarounds:
- You have the option of swapping the battery in the LG G4, so you could always consider buying a spare and carrying it with you. You can buy an official LG G4 battery for around $40.
- The chances are good that the screen is your main power drain. Try reducing the brightness in Settings > Display > Brightness.
- It could be worth switching Wi-Fi off when you leave the house, or don’t need it. Some people have reported better battery life by doing this, because the G4 is no longer seeking a Wi-Fi signal. You can just swipe down to open the notification shade and toggle it off. This applies to Bluetooth, too.
- You can extend your last bit of battery significantly by using the battery saver mode. Go to Settings > Battery & power saving > Battery saver to turn it on and configure it.
- Background syncing can be a major drain sometimes. There are some apps you probably don’t need syncing in the background, so why not turn the sync off? They’ll still update when you open them. If you go to Settings > Accounts you can see a full list and turn off automatic syncing on selected items.
Potential solutions:
- It could be that a specific app is misbehaving. Take a look under Settings > Battery & power saving > Battery usage, and look for something guzzling more juice than it should. If you find a particularly bad app, then consider uninstalling it. You can confirm that a third-party app is to blame by trying safe mode. Press and hold the Power button, then tap and hold on Power off when it pops up, and you should get the option to boot into safe mode. If the problem is gone, then you know a third-party app is causing it. Just restart the G4 to get back out of safe mode.
- You can use an app like Greenify to help you identify problem apps that are draining your battery and to stop them from doing so.
- A factory reset can really help with battery issues, particularly if you’ve updated Android recently. Make sure that you back up any precious files and go to Settings > Backup & reset > Factory data reset, then Reset phone and Delete all.
Issue: “Unable to save changes” when photo editing
A few people have run into a “Unable to save changes” message when trying to edit photos in the Gallery app. This will apparently happen if you’re using your MicroSD card for storage instead of your phone’s internal memory. The problem might also be related to automatic backup.
Workarounds:
- The photos that it said it couldn’t save should actually be within the Gallery app listed under Albums > Pictures.
- Some people have found success by using an alternative app, such as QuickPic or Aviary.
Article originally published on 06-26-2015. Updated on 03-20-2017 by Simon Hill: Added news on the boot loop problem.
