The kinda-official LG G4 bootloop thread

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

There's quite a few threads on the LG G4 subforum about the phone randomly dying out of nowhere and is stuck on the LG splash screen, rendering the phone as useless as a sleek, curvy paperweight.

I decided to make one main thread about this issue so I'd like anyone who has the same issue to post their experiences in this one thread instead of making another thread.

My G4, for the most part, has been working fine, until yesterday. It was the end of a pretty uneventful day. I was watching a video on YouTube (the irony was that it was a replay of the Samsung Unpacked 2015 Episode 1 event, AKA the unveiling of the Galaxy S6) when the phone suddenly froze. I thought it was no biggie for a second, until the screen went off and the LG splash screen appeared. I was expecting a reboot, but instead, the phone stayed there until it mysteriously shut off. There was around 60% left on the battery when it happened, so I tried turning it back on, but no response. No dice either when charging it.

I swapped batteries when I got home, and I managed to get the phone to power on, but it is constantly stuck on the LG splash screen. That's when I knew that this G4 is done for and that I'll need to get a replacement.

I have made 2 backups earlier before this happened, so I'm not overly concerned over my data. I just hope I can get a replacement under warranty, since this phone has not been tampered with.

My G4's S/N begins with 505, which seems to be a common trait with other failed G4s.

 

[ffejjj]

We actually went to Sprint today to have my daughter's phone replaced. It's also a 505

Because of the known issue Sprint is sending us a new phone, not a referb.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

We actually went to Sprint today to have my daughter's phone replaced. It's also a 505

Because of the known issue Sprint is sending us a new phone, not a referb.

Posted via the Android Central App

Mine's an imported unlocked unit, so I hope my story's the same.

 

[ffejjj]

The only thing on ours is that it was the Best Buy exclusive blue version.

The replacement will be black leather. My daughter's happy about that though lol

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[chas1723]

My first one lasted 12 days. Bought it at the end of October. I am on Verizon. Not sure what serial number.

 

[jon4400]

I'm gettting worried now as I have a unlocked H815 model with the 505.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Jim_in_VA]

Paranoid much? ... a few, and I mean a FEW, people have G4s that go bad. Not the rest of us who own the phone. Blown WAY out of proportion. Mass hysteria and [language]. The phone is fine. Don't believe everything you read.

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

Paranoid much? ... a few, and I mean a FEW, people have G4s that go bad. Not the rest of us who own the phone. Blown WAY out of proportion. Mass hysteria and [language]The phone is fine. Don't believe everything you read.

Even so, be prepared. I thought mine was fine too until it happened.

Thankfully, I made 2 backups prior to it ruining itself, so I'm fine.

 

[bigtnew]

Paranoid much? ... a few, and I mean a FEW, people have G4s that go bad. Not the rest of us who own the phone. Blown WAY out of proportion. Mass hysteria and [language]. The phone is fine. Don't believe everything you read.

Happened to me. My 2 cents believe it.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Merciix3]

Do you know (have you heard of) anyone having this problem on the one with 507 S/N ?

 

[mc4nam]

Paranoid much? ... a few, and I mean a FEW, people have G4s that go bad. Not the rest of us who own the phone. Blown WAY out of proportion. Mass hysteria and [language]The phone is fine. Don't believe everything you read.

I hope you are right but it seems to be pretty widespread on many forums. My 505 from June died end of December with this same issue.

2 weeks before I sold my extra red leather back and a battery to a guy on Craigslist. He had just got his replacement back from Sprint for same issue.

Maybe it is blown out of proportion some but it is a true issue. Seems to be far more than a few.

Also, on the don't believe everything you read, why would people waste time saying and posting on forums that they had an issue with a phone and did not?

I just became eligible for Jump with Tmobile. I am going to hold off to see what G5 and S7 bring to the table. If LG gets rid of back buttons, which I love, I am probably going back to Samsung assuming new camera is up to par and has SD card option like rumored.

 

[KPMcClave]

Paranoid much? ... a few, and I mean a FEW, people have G4s that go bad. Not the rest of us who own the phone. Blown WAY out of proportion. Mass hysteria and [language]The phone is fine. Don't believe everything you read.

With all due respect (more than you seem to be showing others), you're doing a major disservice to people who may have a G4 that is on borrowed time.

There's no guarantee either way, of course. Some will get lucky and some won't be lucky. However, there has been a clear increase in people with this problem here (it seems to be snowballing recently), in what is a minority of G4 owners at large. None of us know exactly how widespread or not the issue is, but based on how much it seems to be spreading within this small cross-section of G4 owners, I think your take on how big an issue it is doesn't hold up.

As someone who had no issues of warning at all, other than posts here explaining the problem, and then had exactly the bootloop experience others had described, I know how it can appear everything is fine. Until it isn't.

The bottom line is that having the G4 and it "working smoothly," or "having no issues," is of no consequence with this particular problem. For many of us, there was simply no warning from our individual handsets.

So, I guess people can decide what they want to believe, but I think forewarned is forearmed.

 

[KPMcClave]

The "good news" is that there really isn't much to be done either way if your G4 is working fine now. Back up your data and media and do what you do. Maybe have an old standby phone ready as a backup.

Other than that, it will either fail or it won't. Then you can deal with the issue.

 

[Tsukiyomi]

Paranoid much? ... a few, and I mean a FEW, people have G4s that go bad. Not the rest of us who own the phone. Blown WAY out of proportion. Mass hysteria and [language] The phone is fine. Don't believe everything you read.

That would explain this then
LG G4 owners launch petition to address bootloop issue



For the past couple of months, various LG G4 owners around the globe have been complaining about a mysterious bootloop problem affecting the device. For no apparent reason, the LG G4 will randomly reboot and get stuck in a bootloop with no apparent resolution. A petition has now been formed to get LG to officially address the issue.

The petition has been created as a means to force LG into not only acknowledging the problem, but also to institute a free replacement scheme for all affected models of the G4. According to the petition’s creator, Santiago Archila, the issue potentially affects all G4s, not just specific carrier-branded or regional models. According to Archila, LG’s response thus far has been unacceptable.

Complaints have been floating around the internet since September, 2015 – and some carriers have even acknowledged the problem as a “known issue” – but LG has reportedly not handled the issue in a consistent way. Some users have had their device replaced while others have been told their model number isn’t eligible for repair or replacement. If you scour YouTube, Twitter, Reddit and various Android forums like XDA Developers, you can find plenty of evidence of the problem, including multiple videos showing it in effect. The problem certainly seems to be widespread enough that an official investigation and statement from LG is warranted. We’ve reached out to LG for comment and will update this story with any response.

If you scour YouTube, Twitter, Reddit and various Android forums like XDA Developers, you can find plenty of evidence of the problem, including multiple videos showing it in effect. The problem certainly seems to be widespread enough that an official investigation and statement from LG is warranted. We’ve reached out to LG for comment and will update this story with any response.

When the problem was initially flagged, it was thought the issue only affected early model G4 units (ie those built before October 2015) and was a hardware problem related to the motherboard on specific variants. But the claims of random bootloops have persisted, with users on all carriers and in all regions being affected with no simple solution.

More at the link above.

Interesting to note how there's almost 1,000 signatures already for something that's "Mass hysteria" "Blown WAY out of proportion" and "bull***" and the petition is still only in its early days.

 

[Jim_in_VA]

my 05/15 manufactured phone is working perfectly. Millions of G4's have been sold. If it was a motherboard problem every single phone made in that date range would be dying now. They are not. Perhaps one single line in the process was corrupted involving a few thousand units. Did not kill the entire production.

 

[ulnek]

i've read somewhere that this is a problem LG knows and there's a petition to get them to address it because carriers know. i lost a lot of stored data and info because this happened to me. they replaced the phone but i don't trust it anymore that i know this is something that's happening to a lot of people. now i'm just looking to move away from LG.

LG G4 owners launch petition to address bootloop issue - Android Authority

 

[mech1164]

The scary part of this is it just comes out of nowhere. It would be one thing if it was acting off and such but just up and dumping the system does not bode well.

Thankfully (I know I just dammed myself) my G4 is working OK. I say ok as opposed to fine cause TBH the sw on this device can be some of the buggiest i've ever used. Very inconsistent battery that is not helped by having the battery turn into a thermo nuke reactor when it auto connects to wifi I haven't accepted.

As much as I love this device, i'm always on guard for something going wonky at a moments notice. If LG doen't get it's act together with this an M10 might be in my future.

 

[CellTheUltimateAndroid]

I've recently heard about this "bootloop" issue.
Well I've got the international (uk) h815 model and my serial number is 507. Ive had the phone for more than a month without any issues. I shouldn't have any issues in the future...right?

Also has anyone from the UK experienced these issues?

 

[Tsukiyomi]

Forget your 'paranoia', people. LG have now confirmed it's a hardware issue.

LG admits G4 bootloop problem is a hardware fault, will repair affected devices

From Android Authority:

After several months of LG G4 owners complaining of a bootloop issue to no avail, we picked up the story and confronted LG

Here’s the full statement LG made to Android Authority:

LG Electronics has been made aware of a booting issue with the LG G4 smartphone that has now been identified as resulting from a loose contact between components. Customers who are experiencing booting issues with their LG G4s should contact their local carrier from where the G4 was purchased or a nearby LG Service Center (LG Electronics) for repair under full warranty.

Customers who purchased their G4 devices from non-carrier retailers should contact an LG Service Center with the understanding that warranty conditions will differ. LG Electronics is committed to providing the highest standards of product quality and customer service and apologizes for the inconvenience caused to some of our customers who initially received incorrect diagnoses.

If you have a LG G4 with bootloop problems, you should now be able to get the troublesome connector repaired and get your phone back in working condition. LG confirmed that earlier attempts to fix the problem were misdiagnoses which led to the wrong parts being replaced. With the problem properly identified, it should be smooth sailing for repairs from here on in.

Full article can be found by clicking the link above.

 

[mbnocx]

my 05/15 manufactured phone is working perfectly. Millions of G4's have been sold. If it was a motherboard problem every single phone made in that date range would be dying now. They are not. Perhaps one single line in the process was corrupted involving a few thousand units. Did not kill the entire production.

Hey everyone, Jim has confirmed that his single phone is working fine so there is nothing to see here. Time to move along. No problems at all. Jim's one G4 is fine so they are all fine. HAHA!!! And I bet all those paranoid people forced the good guys LG to make a statement for a non-issue. If you will have the guts to admit it when yours does fail, we will see you back here eventually.