Ambient Display: One mystery solved

[gmermel]

My ambient display failed to work on my phone. It would seem to work, and then quit. I wouldn't have cared too much except that I had a Turbo for a week and learned how nice the feature is.

I did the standard trouble shooting, resetting the phone, then resetting and adding apps one at a time, etc to no avail. Sometimes it would fail immediately on reboot. A couple of times I thought I had it licked, but then it would stop working within a half hour.

After several contacts with Moto tech, including phone calls with the escalation dept, we got nowhere, and a warranty replacement was approved (fortunately, it was a new-in-box unit, not a refurb). I set up the phone, and G-D it, same problem :-X Reset the phone, and again, it worked a couple times and would stop.

Then, in the middle of the night a plausible explanation dawned on me (couldn't resist that elegant turn of phrase, and didn't want anyone to miss it) :

I do not use a lock screen. Rather than perform an unlock a hundred times a day, I go straight to the home screen when I wake the phone up. I have a locked password manager for my financial accounts, and can wipe the phone remotely via Android Device Manager should I need to.

This AM, I confirmed that ambient display will NOT work if the screen lock is disabled. Activate swiping or a PIN, and it works fine. The truly Ironic thing is that it's harder to use the power key to wake the phone like I've been doing than it is to swipe up from the active ambient screen.

I'd feel stupid for finegalling a new phone, except how the heck can the tech guys not know this? I'm going to contact them to have them add this explanation to their knowledge base.

 

[Rukbat]

Two comments:

and a warranty replacement was approved (fortunately, it was a new-in-box unit, not a refurb).

A refurb is usually checked out carefully by a human being before being shipped. A new phone goes through a computerized checkout. Companies that do refurbs right almost never send out defective refurbs, but most companies send out an occasional bad new phone.

I'm going to contact them to have them add this explanation to their knowledge base.

Good move on your part. (If I ran the company, you'd get a full retail refund for your phone, at least, for doing that. It can cost a fortune for their techs to find something simple like that.)

 

[gmermel]

Two comments:

A refurb is usually checked out carefully by a human being before being shipped. A new phone goes through a computerized checkout. Companies that do refurbs right almost never send out defective refurbs, but most companies send out an occasional bad new phone.

Excellent point.

My phone was within the return period when ran in to what might have been a phantom issue. Which is why it bugged me, in principle, to think my phone wasn't new......

As for the refund, I may hold my information until I negotiate a ransom. Another good point:-$

 

[VW Maverick]

I have noticed that the AD works just fine if picking up the device from a flat surface, but does not come on if picking up if in a stand.
I assume the internal gyro can't tell if it is up in a stand or up in your hand.
Not a big deal, just an observation.

Mav.

Sent from my Sprint Tri-Band Nexus 6.

 

[VW Maverick]

Since we are on the subject, something else I have noted.
With the lock screen (swipe) engaged and I get a text, it plays the first 2-3 seconds of my chosen ringtone and then stops.
I am using GO SMS as my texting app if it matters.

Any ideas on getting it to play the entire ringtone when the lock screen is on and a text is received?
I may be missing something obvious as I don't usually have the lockscreen engaged but I like the AD it provides.

Thanks.

Mav.

 

[spawndoodling]

I have noticed that the AD works just fine if picking up the device from a flat surface, but does not come on if picking up if in a stand.
I assume the internal gyro can't tell if it is up in a stand or up in your hand.
Not a big deal, just an observation.

Mav.

Sent from my Sprint Tri-Band Nexus 6.

Yep definitely have had the same experience. Upright, ambient display does not work. On a flat surface, it works every time. Knowing this, I've changed how I use the phone and now AD has become a really useful feature for me. Love it.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[anon(5506951)]

Yep definitely have had the same experience. Upright, ambient display does not work. On a flat surface, it works every time. Knowing this, I've changed how I use the phone and now AD has become a really useful feature for me. Love it.

Posted via the Android Central App

Thank you to you, and Mav above you, you both have addressed one of my concerns regarding the Nexus 6.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[zlively]

I was wondering why mine stop working...was getting frustrated... Glad I always come to the forums before I do anything...thanks for that info!

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[88 FLUX]

Just to help with the clarification... The ambient display is simply a low power grayscale view of the lock screen. So no lock screen, no ambient display. ;-)

And kudos to you, OP, for reaching back out to them and providing them your research. Most people wouldn't bother with that extra step that could possibly help many other people in the future.

 

[gmermel]

Just to help with the clarification... The ambient display is simply a low power grayscale view of the lock screen. So no lock screen, no ambient display. ;-)

And kudos to you, OP, for reaching back out to them and providing them your research. Most people wouldn't bother with that extra step that could possibly help many other people in the future.

That "no lock screen, no ambient display" solution hit me while I was sleeping. Literally woke me up. Guess I was dreaming about the phone......

Update on talking with tech at Moto. A 1st level guy confirmed that this issue is not in their knowledge base. He told me that and he would forward this "upstream". They were supposed to get back in touch, but I haven't heard anything yet. 2 days and counting. I'll try again in a couple more days to make sure they took care of it.

Altruism only goes so far, however: At this point I'm hoping they'll comp me a Keylink, which is keeping me motivated. Rukbat put me on that hunt :-$

 

[gmermel]

Good move on your part. (If I ran the company, you'd get a full retail refund for your phone, at least, for doing that. It can cost a fortune for their techs to find something simple like that.)

As I've said, I contacted Moto twice. Explained the situation and the solution, and was told that tech escalation would contact me. Never recieved a call back. Worse, they didn't bite on my request for a free Keylink :'(

Anyway, today, I chatted again. I linked to this discussion.

Rather than having tech call me back, the rep promised she'd send it upstream, and asked me to post in their forum as well. Which I have, including the link. I also posted in the Moto X pure edition forum, because I presume it runs the same Ambient Display software.

AND, she sent me a $25 credit for an accessory, which is the price of the Keylink.

Now, Android Central may gain some members. Do I get a finder's fee for them from the forum???? Hey, I gotta work for a living.

 

[Carl Kahler]

Dude thank you so much i did a manual M update and thought something went awry.H BTW how do we thank someone? I don't see a button or anything. Derp I see it now.