N4 crashes/reboots almost daily

[seventeenseconds]

I really want to love this device, but it's difficult with this issue. I'm a new Android user switching over from iPhone 4, so I'm willing to admit it could be something I'm doing wrong. I just installed the 4.2.1 update, so will see if that makes any difference. I haven't gone crazy with installing apps. In fact, I stripped things down and using very few widgets (basically only home screen weather) because of battery life.

Problem: N4 locks up at some point nearly every night. I know because I use it as my daily alarm clock and will typically wake up +/- 15min of when the alarm should sound. I press the power button to wake the home screen and will see that the clock is several hours behind (amount varies). The lock screen will be unresponsive to touch. If I press the power button again (tap not hold) the screen will go dark and phone will instantly reboot showing the Google branding. Upon coming back up and and opening, I'll get a pop-up message that 'Fused Location Service has stopped' (not sure if this is the cause or a result of crash).

I've Google'd the error and haven't found anything relevant. None of the apps I've installed utilize location services that I'm aware of. Everything should be 'stock' in that regard with only Google Now checking up on where I'm at. I won't list out all the apps I've installed, but it's common stuff like Facebook, Twitter, RSS reader, Flipboard, etc. Not rooted, no widgets on lock screen. I haven't yet tried a factory reset, but that will likely be my next move. I've stopped most apps from updating in the background as much as I can.

Any ideas or help as to what I can do to track this down?

 

[Citizen Coyote]

Do you leave GPS on or turn it off? Try the opposite of whatever you do at night to see if that makes any kind of difference. I've never heard of "fused location service," maybe it's something a non-stock app uses?

 

[seventeenseconds]

I did leave GPS on, so I'll try turning it off. I'm not sure what app other than Google Now is using it. When I look at battery stats during unplugged hours (right after I charge before bed) the highest usage during overnight hours for wakelocks is the phone dialer application.

 

[jnorman76]

I am having the same issue. Except I'm seeing reboots four to six times a day. Seems to have started after the last update. I'm going to turn off Google Now to see if that makes a difference.

 

[KitN]

I am having the same issue. Except I'm seeing reboots four to six times a day. Seems to have started after the last update. I'm going to turn off Google Now to see if that makes a difference.

+1

I got 4 reboots IN A ROW just now trying to take pictures of my new Energizer wireless charger!!

I'm definitely seeing a huge uptick in random reboots and freezes since the 4.2.1 update. Very distressing...

Sent from my Nexus 4

 

[N4Newbie]

+1

I got 4 reboots IN A ROW just now trying to take pictures of my new Energizer wireless charger!!

I'm definitely seeing a huge uptick in random reboots and freezes since the 4.2.1 update. Very distressing...

Sent from my Nexus 4

Things like this would more than likely be related to a non-compatible third-party app. Time to put on your "researcher" hat and figure out which one is causing the problem.

 

[jpprice]

It very well could be an app that doesn't play nice with the update. I know that HD Widgets was causing reboots on my Nexus 7 when I put the update on it.

 

[sidamos]

Perhaps try forcing the WiFi setting to one frequency (for ex. 2.4 GHz) instead of auto. My GNex with 4.1.1 rebooted 1-3 times per day because of this.

 

[NoahJohnson]

Happening to me about 3 - 4 times a day. I did a factory reset and the reboots continued. I stripped pretty much all third party apps and widgets off and still getting reboots. This is getting annoying. Could it be a hardware issue?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[N4Newbie]

It very well could be an app that doesn't play nice with the update. I know that HD Widgets was causing reboots on my Nexus 7 when I put the update on it.

I will go out on a limb here and insist that the root cause IS an app. I've been around PDA's since the very first PalmOS units (when they carried the 3Com logo) and the earliest app-capable cell phones. Crashes and reboots are always caused by a rogue app. Period.

 

[NoahJohnson]

Crashes and reboots are always caused by a rogue app. Period.

I'm not so sure about this. I've removed every third party app and widget, did a factory reset, turned off google now and set wifi to 2.4 ghz as suggested. Still getting random reboots, usually 4-5 times a day. Im nearly convinced that I have defective hardware. The only thing making me hesitate with regards to this conclusion is that I had no reboots before 4.2.1 (at least I did not see them happening).




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[danielcj]

Wow this is very disturbing. I'm going to be a new android user too and my N4 is on the way. Hope this isn't an update issue.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

 

[seventeenseconds]

Wow.. at least I'm not crazy. Google admits there's an OS level bug in 4.2.x causing the issue. Use of some apps seems to exacerbate it. A fix from Google is coming in the next incremental release. I hope that's like ASAP and not months.

"I've confirmed with Google that the Android team is aware of the issue and has pinpointed the problem -- and that a fix will be included in the next incremental release."

Android 4.2 random reboots: What's going on? | Computerworld Blogs

 

[KitN]

Is definitely OS-level. Even on factory reset, I saw reboots. So it's not 3rd party software. Although not to say 3rd party software hasn't contributed to more of them, its not the root cause though.

I'm sure this can be fixed with a firmware update. I didn't have any problems until I upgraded to 4.2.1 even on my Nexus 7 that I'm using to type this.

Sent from my Nexus 7

 

[Mugler Infusion]

Oh please if you have done a factory reset and you still have problems, contact google for a replacement, if you have to troubleshoot a new phone that comes in with problems already, you should already know it is defective.

 

[corance]

Or you could look around and see others are having the problem meaning it's not specific to your phone and Google already knows about it and admits it OS and can be fixed. And the great thing about the nexus is you'll get the updates first!

 

[Mugler Infusion]

Not every phone does this, if it was definitely an OS problem wouldn't every phone have this same problem? Get it replaced......don't wait for a patch to....may never come out to fix your specific problem.

If it actually has something to do with the OS it is because the phone had a defective image installed on it in the first place, in which when you restore to factory defaults it just restores to a defective image, only can be 100% fixed with either a replacement phone or a re-image.

 

[Karrott9]

Was there an option to purchase a service plan from Google when we bought our N4?

 

[corance]

Don't get every body worked up bro...

 

[seventeenseconds]

Not every phone does this, if it was definitely an OS problem wouldn't every phone have this same problem? Get it replaced......don't wait for a patch to....may never come out to fix your specific problem.

If it actually has something to do with the OS it is because the phone had a defective image installed on it in the first place, in which when you restore to factory defaults it just restores to a defective image, only can be 100% fixed with either a replacement phone or a re-image.

"Android team is aware of the issue and has pinpointed the problem" -- that pretty much fits the definition of OS problem. Whether or not you encounter it or not is a different story. Some of us have (myself nearly daily) due to variances in apps, while you not so much. For what it's worth, I've had 2 N4's so far and both had the issue.

Android 4.2 random reboots: What's going on? | Computerworld Blogs