Lollipop - Black Screen

[DirtyHarree]

Not sure if anyone else is experiencing this. On my N4, the screen will randomly go black except for the 3 soft buttons at the bottom and the notification bar up top. I can pull the notification bar down and see notifications, but a click on one that would normally open another screen just reverts the entire screen to black. I tried rotating the screen, hitting all the buttons available,etc, but the only fix is a reboot. I haven't determined what causes this, but last time it happened when I ended a call. Anyone? Any fix?

 

[nexus5km]

Same thing (exactly similar symptoms) happening every now on then on my nexus 5 rooted. Triggered sometimes by pressing back from recent apps, all apps screen, chrome. Stabilizes for a while if I dont install new apps (disable Playstore auto-update) - appears (I know it sounds weird) to destabilize when a new app/update is installed. After a reboot or two and some usage, its more stable. No other clues/pointers found so far. And even the playstore one may be red-herring.

 

[B. Diddy]

Try a cache partition wipe yet? Reset: Google Nexus 4 | T-Mobile Support

 

[Alberto Cacho]

Same here, screen goes black randomly and I only can see the 3 soft buttons and the notification bar.
I have a nexus 4 and I've updated it with factory image without wiping data. It happens with and without root.

 

[DirtyHarree]

I tried a cache partition wipe. I'll see if that helps the issue.

 

[Roberto Moura]

Same problem here... it is really annoying. If you guys have an clue about how to resolve this, please tell us..

Thank you

 

[nexus5km]

Tried the cache wipe yesterday - did not resolve the issue. Am considering a factory reset - however, saw a suggestion on another forum where a black screen symptom was traced to a specific (unnamed app) - have asked the poster how they traced it to a specific app (that they later uninstalled) - awaiting response. Will be good to hear from google on this - whatever the suggestion may be. Overall happy with lollipop - but this black screen thing is frequent enough to be ridiculous.

 

[B. Diddy]

You could also boot into Safe Mode, which prevents all 3rd party apps from starting up. Then open apps one by one until the problem happens again. The last app you opened may be the culprit.

 

[Alberto Cacho]

Well, this is like windows blue screen of death... if an app crashes, that doesnt have to make your system crash. I dont know if this bug is already reported to google but seems like this is going to require a fix in google side.

 

[DirtyHarree]

I did the cache wipe. Full day and a half, and the problem may be gone now. I'm running Tasker, and disabled a couple of non functioning tasks, so that could've been the issue too.

 

[Schonplayer]

I'm running the Nexus 4 lollipop stock not rooted and go launcher ex as my main launcher. I disabled the upward swipe gesture in go launcher and that seems to have fixed the black screen issue.

 

[Olaf Klischat]

Same problem here on a Nexus 5 (stock, non-rooted, no strange stuff installed). Having this issue since I rebooted earlier today to enable the latest Google Play Services update -- maybe they are the culprit? I've had Lollipop installed for two weeks or so now, didn't have this problem until today. Today though, I've seen this TWICE so far.

 

[Alberto Cacho]

I was starting to think the launcher was the problem (I'm using nova) but since Schonplayer is using Go Launcher the problem seems to be a lollipop issue.

 

[MadScientistUK]

I'm having the same issue on my rooted but otherwise stock nexus 5. Sometimes when I close an app the screen goes black with only the notification bar active. Strangely if I turn off the bluetooth, and therefore remove my trusted device, the screen goes back to the lock screen and I can start again. I removed my pebble from the trusted devices (no other devices are trusted) thinking that was the problem but it continued happening and toggling bluetooth still seems to sort it. This has happened exiting from several apps so I think it's definitely a google issue. I have also wiped and formatted the cache a couple of times with no success, just hoping I don't have to do a factory reset. If anyone figures out what the problem is please let us know.

 

[Bill Farquharson]

Does anyone use Tasker? I have disabled mine and my black screen problem has settled down now.

 

[Alberto Cacho]

Does anyone use Tasker? I have disabled mine and my black screen problem has settled down now.

Yes, im using it... And sometimes taskes goes crazy with profiles based on bluetooth connection

 

[nexus5km]

In case it helps:
- nexus 5, rooted, with tasker
These are the things I have tried - and still getting hangs:
- wiped cache (multiple times)
- was using Atom launcher - switched to Google Now launcher
- Uninstalled bluelight filter (switched to Twilight filter)
- bluetooth toggling didn't help

 

[nexus5km]

Regarding the pointer to boot in safe mode and start one app at a time: problem is that the issue does not reliably happen on startup - and all applications work fine at one point or another. All startup fine, no functional issues. (Except xposed module dependent functionality of course). Starting apps one at a time will not help isolate it in this case (though I like the pointer as well). The problem takes a few hours to day and a half to recur.

 

[countrycowboy026]

Does anyone use Tasker? I have disabled mine and my black screen problem has settled down now.

So here is what I have found. Ever since they introduced smartlock in the developer preview on my nexus 5 I began getting these random black screens. Exactly as described above, notification bar, and nav bar and nothing else.
As of 12-01-14 I now also have a nexus 6 stock rooted with the exact same tasker profiles transfered over. It too had the random black screens as previously described. So when I saw Bill's post about tasker it got me thinking. While I was in the middle of a black screen, I some how through a lot of persistence managed to get tasker to come up. I disabled my location based security profiles which enable and disable my lock screen, after all this is now part of the smart lock feature anyhow. It seems this immediately after turning my screen off and back on fixed my problems. I think it is a conflict of interest between the built in smartlock feature, tasker, and secure settings.
If I get another black screen I will report back, but as if now I have not.

Also as an FYI I use smartlock over Bluetooth with my pebble smart watch, and my bluetooth ear piece. And now I also use it with the location based profiles.

 

[1pixie1]

hmm I have been having these black screens as well since some time now after upgrading to Lolipop. Exactly same symptoms when exiting an application I got the black screen of death. What I noticed is that it happens more frequently when I restart and I try to open an App and press the back button immediately. If i leave it there for some time idle it doesnt happen that often.

After reading the posts here I tried clearing the partition cache yesterday. No luck , another screen just now.

I suspected tasker as well and I do have a profile as well that locks/unlocks screen based on WiFi connectivity. I disabled Tasker from the settings --> Disable Tasker. Will monitor for a couple of days to see if it happens...