Context menu's activate on their own

[tarilen]

Hello everyone!

I'm new to the forum and I couldn't find something similar to this. I recently got 2 Epic 4G Touch's from Sprint and I've come across a problem where as I'm using the phone context menus start to pop up as if it's navigating through the phone and random screen presses occur. It happens frequently and it makes it difficult to use the phone. I haven't found any concrete as to what this could be aside from a hardware issue. I'm hoping someone can help shed some light on this.

Thanks!

 

[patrao_n]

Maybe try a different rom.

sent from my BAD A$$ Epic touch

 

[tarilen]

**EDIT** I have tried to re-flash it using Odin and the problem occurs. I tried to use the ICS 4.0.4 ROM.

Maybe try a different rom.

sent from my BAD A$$ Epic touch

I haven't delved into doing much to my phone. I wouldn't want to start doing something like changing the ROM or rooting it just yet. I would rather try to resolve the issue i'm having now first.

 

[JayWill]

When it happens, check your signal bars. If you're in a low signal area, then your phone has what seems to be a rather common defect. The phone spams the menu button when in a low signal area and you get a flurry of haptic feedback from the menu presses.

I've seen a Sprint tech post about this before, who said it's a defect with the screen, and the only way to fix it is to get the screen replaced. I don't totally buy this though, as it doesn't make sense to me. But anything is possible I guess.

My phone does this too by the way, but I didn't notice it happening until I flashed CM9. It could just be coincidence though.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

 

[tarilen]

I think you might be right. I was in an area where the reception was at least 3 and 4 bars and I didn't notice it happening. I find this annoying and frankly something I'm not willing to deal with. Im going to move forward and see what I can do about possibly getting exchanged.

 

[JayWill]

Probably a good idea if it's bothering you enough. Just make sure your phone is completely stock when you take it in.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

 

[ScottMGS]

I've been having similar issues and Sprint store tech couldn't find a problem. I'll watch to see whether it only happens in low-signal areas. It seems plausible as a correlation but not as a cause. Hmm...

 

[redhdgirl417]

Mine does the same...usually at home where I barely get 1 bar of service. This is my 2nd SGIIE4GT as the first did it constantly and I couldn't handle it.

 

[tarilen]

The strength that I've been getting from Sprint so far in Miami is laughable. I get better reception on MetroPCS in a lot of the same areas. Definitely rethinking my choice since this problem appears to be tied to signal strength.

 

[tarilen]

Has anyone had any luck flashing the phone with a different rom or any fixes for this that might resolve the problem?

 

[MatthewCory]

I've got this issue too -- annoying as all get out. Keep meaning to take it to a Sprint dealer to get the screen replaced, just never get around to it.

One thing you might want to keep in mind regarding to the signal bars: whatever value each actual bar represents doesn't mean that's exactly the strength you're getting at a given moment in time; I'm sure it's got a refresh time period of a few seconds. In other words, your phone may spazz out even though it says you've got 3-4 bars; it just happened that your signal likely dropped really low for a second or two, and the indicator didn't catch it while it was waiting to refresh.

Now, that doesn't mean the phone isn't going nuts even with full strength, but even if you do see it happen with a full bar, that doesn't mean you aren't getting a low signal at that time.

Anyways, it's caused me no shortage of frustration, and it'd have been nice if they would have caught that in whatever QA they put their phones through.

 

[zackmack7]

Made a thread today with the same issue. I'm in a college dorm that's built like a fallout shelter with thick concrete walls and ceilings. Reception is two bars at best. But I swear it happens even when I'm outside, and I live in Baltimore so I get some legit 3G and 4G signals

 

[ScottMGS]

Just an update. Based on the above comments about signal strength I've been running an experiment (though I won't claim it's a completely scientific experiment). The problem most often happens for me when I'm sitting at my desk at work. Sitting there, the phone usually shows between 1 and 3 signal bars. Since my prior experience says that if it happens once it will often repeat relatively soon. So, every time I get the mystery context menu pop-up I hold-press the power button and turn on Airplane Mode without changing anything else (plugged in - usually - or not, position on desk, apps running, etc.) and let it sit for 15 to 30 minutes. In the last 7 work days it has happened about 8 times. So far, it has never done the context menu pop-up when in Airplane Mode. It seems a weird correlation since you wouldn't think the signal strength would be associated with touch events but there's my little bit of data. I'm running ICS 4.0.4 FH13, not rooted.

 

[kyt]

Both my phone and my wife's are on FH13. Hers will press the menu key twice after waking randomly. Mine does not, never has, and I've had it since the day it came out.
She got hers as a replacement for her Moto Photon this past friday.
Mine is the original black model, hers is the white.
Which color model is everyone else use?
Could there be something different about the screen used in the newer models, or the white model?
I do notice a lot of light bleeds through the white backing for the capacitive buttons on her phone, mine doesn't bleed at all.

 

[redhdgirl417]

Both my phone and my wife's are on FH13. Hers will press the menu key twice after waking randomly. Mine does not, never has, and I've had it since the day it came out.
She got hers as a replacement for her Moto Photon this past friday.
Mine is the original black model, hers is the white.
Which color model is everyone else use?
Could there be something different about the screen used in the newer models, or the white model?
I do notice a lot of light bleeds through the white backing for the capacitive buttons on her phone, mine doesn't bleed at all.

Interesting...mine is a white and the 2nd one that has done this; the 1st one I got back in June was doing it all the time (on GB), this 2nd one as a replacement only does it occasionally (was shipped with ICS).

 

[claudinho85]

Happens to me every time at low signal. Doesn't happen to my fiances exact phone. Annoying lazy sprint techs says its the apps i download, they just want to keep hard resetting it. even though didnt work the first time.

 

[ScottMGS]

Mine's black.

 

[zackmack7]

Mine is black as well. completely stock, unrooted. Still having the problem. I do noticed that my signal strength is weak when it happens, but even with full bars it still happens. So is this a software issue or a hardware issue? It's really starting to piss me off more and more.

 

[ScottMGS]

Okay, more info for the signal strength hypothesis. I run Llama which sets profiles by where you're located. It uses cell numbers to figure out where it is and there's a "Recent" tab that shows the last several cells and when the phone "attaches" to them. I was in a room in the middle of the building at work where signal strength is notoriously bad (for Sprint, anyway) and I felt the haptic buzz of the context menu getting triggered. I pulled out my phone and quickly opened up that Llama Recent tab and it showed several cell changes while it was buzzing the context menu button. So maybe it's not *just* low signal but switching between low-signal cells.

 

[JayWill]

I would agree with the above observation based on my experience. The trigger isn't necessarily when the phone is in a low or no signal state, but rather when it transitions between two low signal states. It could be something about being on the border of low and no signal, somewhere between low and roaming.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2