Galaxy Note 4 5.1.1 ATT

[anon(9638631)]

My phone is encrypted (SD too) and I've been using fingerprint since the Lollipop Update 5.0.1


Is it because you can't for another reason or you just think it doesn't work? On KitKat you couldn't use FP w/ encryption, but you've been able to do it on Lollipop since day one.

Let me rephrase, I believe I can use fingerprint for unlock on my encrypted device but I choose not to because biometrics or even face recognition as a method of unlocking are not protected by the 5th amendment and you can be legally ordered to unlock your device if asked to do so. PIN, password, and pattern are 5th amendment protected methods of securing your device.

Not that I use my phone for any illegal activity or anything. Call me paranoid.

**Edit** You cannot use fingerprint as your encryption unlock method, at least on my device. You can however use fingerprint as the screen unlock AFTER the device is unencrypted at boot using the encryption password. This is what I'm seeing on mine, yours may be different, I don't know.

 

[crusader666]

Spent three days with Samsung online via chat and Twitter and they kept trying to talk me into going to Best Buy, but all they do is reset phone to factory standards (which I am trying to avoid) and it's simple to do that at home (back up all your data first, obviously). On my TENTH attempt to do the OTA update after uninstalling third-party home launcher AND deleting my cache so that I have 17GB available, and praying to the Cell Phone Gods.

 

[crusader666]

For those having issues with updating to 5.1.1 OTA, it literally took me 4 days and 10 attempts, not to mention DOZENS of Chats, Tweets and Emails with Samsung (which, by the way, resulted in NOTHING gained)! The answer for this issue (for me at least) was contained in the related posts in this forum.

It was one or both of the following steps that finally allowed me to have a successful update: 1) I uninstalled ALL third-party home launcher apps; 2) I deleted my cache and unnecessary files that were taking up a lot of space. This is what some others in this forum (not Samsung) suggested, and it worked for me like a charm (although my phone is now very hot).

Pretty much all Samsung will tell customers is download KIES, download Smart Switch, none of which will do diddly. They will also advise taking the battery out of the phone while it is on, leaving phone off for several minutes, blah blah blah; also no results for me.

They will also say start up the phone in Safe Mode, also makes no difference, at least for me. When all that fails, they will tell you to go to their Samsung kiosk at WorstBuy, which is nonsense!

I realize not everyone will have the same issue, but it is very apparent there IS an issue and I told Samsung that NONE of their information paid off and wasted hours and days of my time!

From now on, when I need assistance for my Note 4, I am going straight to Android Central for the real scoop (do not pass GO)!

Thank you everyone who posted here!

 

[Sanjay Ramoutar]

If you're expecting different appearance, you're in bad luck. This update only helps us by improving the sluggishness from 5.0.1 and ram management.

Posted via the Android Central App

I believe now we can even mute our handsets from the lock screen. Could not have done that with 5.0.1.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[anon(9638631)]

I believe now we can even mute our handsets from the lock screen. Could not have done that with 5.0.1.

Posted via the Android Central App

How do you accomplish this? I'm curious as I don't see it on my device. Maybe I'm overlooking something. That would come in handy, at least for myself.

 

[Sanjay Ramoutar]

How do you accomplish this? I'm curious as I don't see it on my device. Maybe I'm overlooking something. That would come in handy, at least for myself.

Ok, so with Kit Kat you had the three options there when you held down the power button.
Now, with Lollipop, you hold down the power button still, but you have to use the volume down button to go to vibrate and even mute with 5.1.1 now.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[anon(9638631)]

Oh OK. Seems just as easy to unlock then use volume rocker to silence/mute.

 

[krauster]

BEST BUY!!! ??? screw best buy. I went there. The guy said he has software to install the update that I can't download on my own and he will do the update. Great. He loads the software from his laptop. Then starts the download of the install. The piece of crap best buy store has a really slow wifi and and after an hour we are about 30% through the upgrade. My wife and I go out to lunch and come back. it's at 60%. I complain to the manager and he goes looking for a something and comes back empty handed.

I am being cheap and don't want to burn through my data plan but realize that this costing us a Sunday so I get my wife's iphone, turn it into a hotspot and stop the upgrade download, connect to the iphone's hot stop and then start it back up and complete the download in 10 minutes. The Note 4 goes through the installation of software phase and then reboots and I am happy. Head out of the store and then before getting in the car I check the version on the phone. 5.0.1..... what the fruck?

Go back into the store and the guy that was first there helping out is gone to lunch. The next samsung guy says that maybe the rollout for 5.1.1 is not ready for that phone. He checks something on his laptop and says Yes, there is no 5.1.1 for my AT&T Note 4. I have SM-N910A. Is that possible?

I went to best buy today because twice over the last week the phone wanted to do an update which I assume was the 5.1.1, It failed when it started to get the update. I did not initiate the update so I assume that AT&T was initiating it because they have the update ready. During the last week I've tried clearing cache both with the startup method and through settings. I have 7G free.

Now I have no idea what is going on but a confirmed distrust of Best Buy and Samsung. The Samsung guys blame Best Buy for the slow wifi speed and they asked me to give their manager some grief because they are tired of dealing with the slow speed too.

Ugghh. All I was trying to do is get my Note4 to go a little faster. It really seems like it has been getting laggy lately. I like Android but maybe I should go with a clean non Samsung experience. Or go back to Apple.

 

[reeper55]

BEST BUY!!! ??? screw best buy. I went there. The guy said he has software to install the update that I can't download on my own and he will do the update. Great. He loads the software from his laptop. Then starts the download of the install. The piece of crap best buy store has a really slow wifi and and after an hour we are about 30% through the upgrade. My wife and I go out to lunch and come back. it's at 60%. I complain to the manager and he goes looking for a something and comes back empty handed.

I am being cheap and don't want to burn through my data plan but realize that this costing us a Sunday so I get my wife's iphone, turn it into a hotspot and stop the upgrade download, connect to the iphone's hot stop and then start it back up and complete the download in 10 minutes. The Note 4 goes through the installation of software phase and then reboots and I am happy. Head out of the store and then before getting in the car I check the version on the phone. 5.0.1..... what the fruck?

Go back into the store and the guy that was first there helping out is gone to lunch. The next samsung guy says that maybe the rollout for 5.1.1 is not ready for that phone. He checks something on his laptop and says Yes, there is no 5.1.1 for my AT&T Note 4. I have SM-N910A. Is that possible?

I went to best buy today because twice over the last week the phone wanted to do an update which I assume was the 5.1.1, It failed when it started to get the update. I did not initiate the update so I assume that AT&T was initiating it because they have the update ready. During the last week I've tried clearing cache both with the startup method and through settings. I have 7G free.

Now I have no idea what is going on but a confirmed distrust of Best Buy and Samsung. The Samsung guys blame Best Buy for the slow wifi speed and they asked me to give their manager some grief because they are tired of dealing with the slow speed too.

Ugghh. All I was trying to do is get my Note4 to go a little faster. It really seems like it has been getting laggy lately. I like Android but maybe I should go with a clean non Samsung experience. Or go back to Apple.

I am going to Best Buy to (hopefully) get updated to 5.1.1 this week then this thing is going on swappa once my 6P arrives!

Posted via my Note 4 on Cricket

 

[Sanjay Ramoutar]

Oh OK. Seems just as easy to unlock then use volume rocker to silence/mute.

That's why I loved the way it was done with Kit Kat, can't understand why they messed with it.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Bbeelzebub]

Let me rephrase, I believe I can use fingerprint for unlock on my encrypted device but I choose not to because biometrics or even face recognition as a method of unlocking are not protected by the 5th amendment and you can be legally ordered to unlock your device if asked to do so. PIN, password, and pattern are 5th amendment protected methods of securing your device.

Not that I use my phone for any illegal activity or anything. Call me paranoid.

**Edit** You cannot use fingerprint as your encryption unlock method, at least on my device. You can however use fingerprint as the screen unlock AFTER the device is unencrypted at boot using the encryption password. This is what I'm seeing on mine, yours may be different, I don't know.

You are correct. Not for the encryption unlock. (I've actually had my phone confiscated by the police and they wanted me to provide them with the unlock code to get into it. I informed them they needed a warrant and they didn't get one, they just wouldn't release my phone. I went online and erased it using Samsung's remote wipe feature.) (Ps- I didn't do anything, I was unfortunately in a now former friends car when he was doing some illegal shady stuff.)

 

[WarnerYoung]

And then of course, there are people like me, who cannot get the phone to show any updates at all. I'm still stuck on 4.4.4 KitKat. It's an AT&T Note4 on Cricket Wireless, and the thing just won't show me any updates on wireless, Wi-Fi, or with Kies. I'd love to get as far as "I don't have enough storage to do the update", but I have no idea how to make the phone see that there are updates.

 

[dfhphx]

Greetings. I just joined this community so I could learn more about the latest AT&T software update saga. I'm in Arizona, and my Galaxy Note 4 started giving me "update available" notices about a week ago. The process has failed four times, just as others here have described. I tried ignoring the problem but AT&T keeps sending me "update available" notices. Last night my phone tried to update itself. I woke up to the AT&T music and, once again, got the message that the update had failed. This morning I telephoned AT&T and got a tech support person on the phone. She read me an alert from AT&T that basically acknowledged that some Samsung Galaxy Note 4s are not accepting this latest mega update and that AT&T is working with Samsung on a solution. Frustrating to say the least. Making matters worse is that my phone has started acting glitchy since this update process began. Example: I'll punch in a phone number on the keypad and hit the dial button and then nothing happens ... I get left with a blank keypad screen as though I'd never typed anything in. I'm open to suggestions ... BTW, my phone has plenty of space to accommodate the update, I've got a strong wireless signal and I always attempt the update while the phone is plugged in.

 

[natehoy]

Since people keep coming in and having problems with the update, it bears repeating.

** If you are having trouble with the update applying, you NEED 10-12GB FREE SPACE on your phone for the update to apply **

You do not need to (and should not) buy any fancy cleaning tools to do the job. They don't do anything you cannot do yourself faster than downloading the app.


I don't know the exact amount that needs to be free, so I'm using 10GB as my baseline. If it still fails at 10GB, free up to 12-15GB. If it still fails after you have 15GB free, it's factory reset time.


Go to Options, "General", "Storage". Give it a few minutes to calculate out everything.
Chances are, "Available Space" shows less than 10GB if you are failing. Click on "Cached Data" and respond "OK" to "Clear Cached Data?"
Back out of Storage, wait a minute, then go back in.

If "Available Space" reads over 10GB or so, you should be good.

If "Available Space" reads under 10GB, tap on "Used Space" and "Applications" and delete any applications that:
1. Store data on the cloud or only require that you log back in to them if you uninstall/reinstall them.
2. Have data you don't really care about or games you haven't played in a while and don't anticipate playing again soon.

If "Available Space" reads over 10GB or so, you should be good.

If "Available Space" reads under 10GB, tap on "Used Space" and one of the other options ("Pictures, videos", "Audio", or "Downloads") and delete anything you no longer need.

 

[WarnerYoung]

So does anyone have any idea how to get a phone to "see" that there's an update at all? Mine is still stuck on 4.4.4. The phone says there are no updates available, and Kies also says 4.4.4 is the latest firmware. It's a standard AT&T Note4, although I'm using Cricket Wireless. It's great that Samsung is finally getting the Note 4 to 5.1.1, but it doesn't really help those of us who can't even see the update, let alone try to apply it.

 

[dfhphx]

Thanks for the information, Natehoy. While I felt that my phone had plenty of available memory, it did not have quite the 10-12 gigs you recommended. So I went in and cleared out junk and moved music to my SD card. I ended up with much more than 12 gigs. I then attempted the software update and it seems to have installed without any problems. I'm now running 5.1.1.

I don't live and breathe Android software - I just use the phone. I had 8 gigs of free memory and had no idea that space would be a problem. (Silly me.) What I find amazing is why the software installation doesn't check available space on your phone and then alert you if additional space is required. Isn't that standard for software installations on PCs?

Thank goodness for forums such as Android Central. This information wasn't available on AT&T's Web site ... at least not where I could find it. Additionally, the AT&T tech I spoke with on the phone yesterday never mentioned available memory as a possible issue.

 

[Big1low]

I'm having the same issue....

 

[natehoy]

What I find amazing is why the software installation doesn't check available space on your phone and then alert you if additional space is required. Isn't that standard for software installations on PCs?

You'd like to think it would be standard, but it ain't even on PCs, unless you are using a standard software development tool that builds your autoinstaller for you, then they usually have that figured out. Not always, but usually.

Actually, it should be brain-dead stupid to have the installer simply clear the software cache, at least, then check for free space if that's not enough, and fail gracefully with an actual informational error message telling you why the install didn't work. But each carrier would have to write that into every installer for every phone variant, or just use the "world phone" and not be able to push bloatware... err... "carefully test updates on their network as a courtesy to their customers".

Score -1 for fragmentation. When each carrier has to build a custom updater for every phone on their network, and insists on having their own variant of the phones so they can inject their bloatware into the build image, seemingly simple things like "is there enough space to do this?" will get missed.

Goes unavoidably hand-in-hand with the flexibility/freedom/choices/competition in the Android ecosystem.

 

[Sanjay Ramoutar]

And then of course, there are people like me, who cannot get the phone to show any updates at all. I'm still stuck on 4.4.4 KitKat. It's an AT&T Note4 on Cricket Wireless, and the thing just won't show me any updates on wireless, Wi-Fi, or with Kies. I'd love to get as far as "I don't have enough storage to do the update", but I have no idea how to make the phone see that there are updates.

Keep your phone on Kit Kat, that's how the Note 4 performed the best, well to me at least.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[WarnerYoung]

Keep your phone on Kit Kat, that's how the Note 4 performed the best, well to me at least.

Posted via the Android Central App

That's a nice sentiment, but there are some Lollipop features I'd like to use (SD card writing). And that's not counting the fact that there are security updates that might be nice to have. Plus, Marshmallow's permissions feature would be great, but if I can't update to Lollipop, what will happen when the Marshmallow update comes out? Will I still be stuck on 4.4.4?