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12 annoying issues with the LG G2, and how to fix them

LG G2 Phone front home screen
Image used with permission by copyright holder
We’ve seen some impressive moves in the market from LG in recent months, none more so than its flagship Android smartphone, the LG G2. We haven’t encountered any of these issues on our in-office G2s, but the G2 is available on many carriers and has a few different variations. There are always a few issues. Here are the most common bugs, glitches, and annoyances that G2 owners are reporting, and some advice on how to fix them.

Problem: Speaker volume too low

A number of LG G2 owners have had issues with the low volume of the speaker. Some have missed notifications because of it, and others are disappointed in the video volume. Unfortunately there’s no easy fix for this.

Potential solutions:

  • Start by making sure your speaker grill is completely clean. If headphones are the problem, give the earpiece a polish.
  • You could try using a volume control or boost app from the Play Store, but we haven’t found one yet that actually boosts the volume. They mostly just give you granular volume controls and let you set the volume for different things.
  • If you’re already rooted or willing to root your LG G2, you can try a volume boost MOD like this one at XDA Developers forum. Just make sure you follow the steps carefully and get the right files for your device.

Glitch: Bluetooth not connecting and disconnecting frequently

Quite a few people have had trouble with Bluetooth and the LG G2. There’s a range of different problems being reported, including a failure to connect, frequently dropping the connection, and poor quality audio when connected.

Workarounds:

  • Try turning the Wi-Fi on your LG G2 off or changing the band you’re using. Some bands can interfere with Bluetooth.

Potential solutions:

  • If it keeps cutting out, there’s a chance the Battery saver is kicking in. Go to Settings > Battery > Battery saver and uncheck Bluetooth.
  • If the quality is poor, try checking the settings in your music app to make sure you have it on a high quality audio setting.
  • If it won’t connect, turn both the phone and the device you’re trying to pair off and on again.
  • Check the pairing instructions for your Bluetooth accessory or system. You might need to hold down a button or enable pairing mode.
  • There’s a limit to the number of Bluetooth profiles your phone can store. Try deleting unused ones and pairing again.

Issue: Blurry photos

There have been several complaints about the camera on the LG G2. Some owners are getting blurry photos, even in good lighting conditions. Much more common is blurring in low light conditions and noisy, slow video. Smartphone cameras are generally pretty poor in low light conditions, but there are a couple of things you can try.

Workarounds:

  • If you can keep the LG G2 really steady in your hands, that’s the easiest way to eliminate blur.
  • Alternatively, you can switch to Normal mode and increase the ISO to get a faster shutter speed, but it’s a trade-off — you will get more noise in the photo.

Potential solutions:

  • If your shots are blurry in good lighting conditions, start by checking the lens is clean. Look at it closely to make sure it isn’t scuffed.
  • Make sure that you are giving the sensor time to focus. It might be a good idea to hold down the Volume down button and wait until the box turns green to indicate that it’s focused.
  • Don’t stick with the automatic settings. Experiment with the settings in the camera app and compare your results until you find a combination that works for you.

Glitch: Mobile data fails to connect

lg-g2-hands-on-mem-2v2

Some people have complained about issues with the LG G2 connecting to the mobile data network. This should occur automatically when you go out of Wi-Fi range, but it’s not working for everyone. Some owners are having trouble getting it to connect at all, even when they have a full signal.

Workaround:

  • Try turning Airplane mode on and then off again. The quickest way to do this is probably to hold down the Power button until you see the Turn on Airplane mode option, tap it and then tap OK. You can also get to it via Apps > Settings > Tethering & networks > Airplane mode.

Potential fix:

  • This issue was fixed in a recent software update. Check that you’re up to date by tapping Menu > All settings > General > About phone > Software update > Update now.

Malfunction: Slow charging

Quite a few people have had problems with the LG G2 taking a long time to charge, possibly even up to 8 hours to fully charge the battery. This is definitely not normal. A lot of people also get the slow charging notification.

Potential fix:

  • If you’re not using the original cable and charger that came with the phone, then start using it.
  • If you are using the original LG charger and cable, and still getting the slow charging problem, then it could be because one or other is faulty. Try switching the charger and see if it makes a difference, and if not, try switching the cable and see if it makes a difference.

Annoyance: Lag or stuttering

The LG G2 is a powerful phone, but that doesn’t mean you won’t encounter the odd bit of lag coming in and out of apps or some stuttering as you navigate your home screens — especially if you have a lot of active widgets.

Workarounds:

  • Remove some of your widgets. Some people have found that the LG weather widget is a major culprit and report much better performance after removing it.
  • Try a new launcher. You could try using something like Nova Launcher. Head into the settings, tap Look and feel, and you’ll find all kinds of settings related to basic navigation. Tweaking Scroll Speed and Animation Speed can help a great deal.

Potential fixes:

  • Software updates can make a difference. Check in Menu > All settings > General > About phone > Software update.
  • If the lag or stutter is really severe, it’s possible there’s an issue with your handset. You can try getting a replacement.

Bug: GPS not working or inaccurate

Some people report that the GPS on the LG G2 takes a long time to get a fix, or that it won’t connect at all. There are also reports of the GPS losing its lock and showing an inaccurate position. There’s no obvious reason for this problem — for some users the GPS is working fine, but problems are cropping up on various carriers and in different regions.

Potential solutions:

  • Make sure location services are on. You can find these in Settings > Location access. Turn the Access to my location to On. Wait a moment, and then try using your mapping or location app.
  • Try downloading and installing something like the free GPS Status & Toolbox app. It’ll allow you to reset A-GPS data.
  • Call the retailer or carrier where you got the phone and ask for a replacement.

Problem: Poor voice quality on calls

LG-G2-screenshot-5Many reports of sounds issues during calls on the LG G2 have emerged. Most people are having a problem with static interfering with calls and the caller’s voice sounding crackly or being clipped. There are also reports of popping sounds, screeching and other interference.

Workarounds:

  • Go to System settings > Call and try turning Voice enhancement on or off to see if it makes a difference.
  • You can also try System settings > Call > Privacy keeper and disable it to see if there’s an improvement.

Potential solutions:

  • Contact your carrier and see what they suggest.
  • Wait for some kind of software update that may fix the issue.
  • Return the handset and get a replacement. If you have a return period, make sure you take it back before it expires.

Glitch: Touchscreen issues

Is your touchscreen acting up? Maybe it’s unresponsive some of the time, or it’s suddenly over sensitive and it zooms in or registers multiple key presses. You’re not the only one to encounter this issue. You can test by opening the Quick Memo app and then trying to draw a straight line.

Workarounds:

  • If you turn the screen off with the power button and then back on again, that should temporarily stop the strange behavior. If it doesn’t, try a soft reset by holding the power button down until the phone reboots.
  • You could switch to a tap-style keyboard or use voice dictation. The problem is more pronounced with swipe keyboards.
  • It’s possible that switching Settings > Accessibility > Touch & hold delay from short to medium might reduce the problem.

Potential solutions:

  • Some people have opted to get a replacement from their carrier or retailer and reported that the new LG G2 handset doesn’t have the problem. Unfortunately, some people have had more than one replacement and report that all models exhibit the problem.
  • This is likely a software issue, so you would expect an update to fix it at some point, but there’s no telling when it’ll come. There’s no indication that a factory reset will help, so unless you opt for a replacement, you may have to wait for a fix.

Problem: Rapid battery drain

lg g2 bl t7 battery
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Smartphones are power-hungry, and strain on the battery is inevitable. If you use the LG G2 a lot, then the battery will drain, but you should be able to get through a full day without having to charge it. If you find you’re getting inconsistent battery drain and that the juice is draining when the phone is not in use, then you may have a problem.

Workarounds:

  • Go to Settings > General > Battery and turn Battery Saver on. You can click on it to configure exactly what it does.
  • Google services can cause a fair bit of battery drain when it’s tracking your location and backing up data. Go into Settings and look for Google in the Accounts section. You can turn Location access off under Location settings.

Potential solutions:

  • Have a look in Settings > General > Battery and see what seems to be using the most power. You could have a problem app that’s using GPS or trying to update frequently. If you can identify the culprit, then you can remove it.
  • There’s a slim chance you have a faulty handset. If adjusting your usage and tweaking settings doesn’t’ result in any improvement, take your LG G2 back to the retailer or carrier and get a replacement.

Problem: Overheating

This is a common problem, just like battery drain. If your smartphone is under an unusual amount of strain, it will heat up. There is a difference between a normal level of warm, when you’ve had the screen on for a long time or the phone is searching for a signal, and uncomfortably hot. If you find the LG G2 gets hot when you play a game, you’re not alone, but if it’s getting too hot to handle or heating up when the screen isn’t on, that’s an indication or a more serious problem.

Workaround:

  • As soon as you notice the device getting hot, hold down the Power button and reboot it. That should solve the problem at least temporarily.

Potential solutions:

  • Backup your device and perform a factory reset.
  • If it still overheats after a factory reset, take it back to the retailer or carrier and get a replacement.

Problem: Knock On feature not working

LG G2
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The G2 has a cool feature that lets you tap on the screen twice to turn it on or off. This is much more fun than pressing a button, but a lot of people report that the Knock On feature isn’t working for them or that it only works some of the time.

Make sure you’re doing it right:

The KnockOn feature is a little particular. Make sure that you’re double tapping somewhere around the center of the screen when it’s asleep to wake it up. You can also double tap on a blank space on the home screen or on the status bar to put it back to sleep. You’ll find the option to turn it on or off in Settings > General > Gestures > Knockon.

Potential solutions:

  • Make sure the proximity sensor isn’t covered and try knocking on different areas of the screen until you find the sweet spot for you. There’s a definite a knack to it.
  • Go to Settings > General > Gestures and try turning Knock On off and on again. You could also try Motion sensor calibration. This might improve it.
  • If you have a screen protector or a case on your LG G2, try removing it — it could be interfering with the proximity sensor.

That’s our complete roundup of LG G2 problems and suggested workarounds or fixes for now, but we will update this list in future. 

Updated on 11-26-2014 by Simon Hill: Reformatted, updated Knock On problem, added speaker volume problem, Bluetooth issue, and blurry camera.

Editors' Recommendations

Simon Hill
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Simon Hill is an experienced technology journalist and editor who loves all things tech. He is currently the Associate Mobile…
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