Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 (US 16gb model): Screen does NOT auto shut off most of the time!!

[Dualmonitors]

Dear All:

I'm baffled! My brand new Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 does not seem to auto shut off its screen most of the time!

I noticed that it would dim very significantly, but that the screen isn't "off", just very very dimly lit.

I checked all the suspected areas of setting where I might have missed something, or, somehow, it was inadvertently set incorrectly (very unlikely as this is only 3 days old!). Nothing.

May I ask please for any suggestions, advice? I'm hoping that it's a simple "aha!" type thing that I did not figure out myself, but something in me worry that this might be a deeper problem.

Thank you in advance.

 

[Manikandan Ramakrishnan]

What is the screen timeout value?

Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk 4

 

[Dualmonitors]

30 seconds.

 

[chpary]

Is "Smart stay" enabled? (Settings > Display > Smart screen > Smart stay)

 

[Dualmonitors]

Smart Stay's check mark is unchecked.

 

[Vudumedic]

Are you using any kind of case on it?

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Dualmonitors]

Gentlemen:

Thank you all so much for pitching in to try to help me!! I really feel helpless on this one.

Ok, more clues/information:

- I do not use a case with any magnets on it. i was careful and chose a case with velcro ONLY.

- Apps: maybe an app is causing these issues? i uninstalled the 2 weather-related apps to no avail. the tablet is still not shutting down the screen.

HOWEVER, i must say that the tablet DIMMS the screen very substantially. it is quite dark, but clearly on and sufficiently bright that one can see the wallpaper, read all the icons, read the text, etc.

I do note that i use an app that is not that popular: i use an app from Onkyo, for controlling my AVR (Audio Video Receiver) for my TV and stereo. This app works extremely well and really makes the tablet (or my Samsung S4 cell phone) into a super duper remote control. It uses WIFI so the range is great, and the controls are NOT via infrared so line of sight is not necessary.

That Onkyo remote control app is not that popular and i'm wondering if it wreaked havoc with the tablet's auto screen shut off?

In desperation, i even changed the screen shut off "time out" time from 30 seconds to 15 seconds!! 15 seconds is the absolute minimum that is available as an option.

May I ask for any other advice? Do you guys think my tablet is broken? I do still have exchange or refund privileges.

Thank you again.

 

[Dualmonitors]

Additional clues:

I discovered last night in an "aha!" moment, that if i rebooted my Note 8.0, and have NOT yet used my Onkyo app, it observes the usual and expected LCD auto shut off very well.

for example: if i reboot, not use the Onkyo app, and set my auto LCD shut off at 15 seconds, it would indeed shut off in 15 seconds, or whatever amount of time i specified.

once i use the Onkyo app, however, it seems to forget all that.

it would require that i use the right hand side Power On/Off switch to turn off the screen.

i seem to recall that a few days ago, even when i DID turn off the Power On/Off switch on the right side, the LCD would still wake up -- very strange. It was as though some app was working and churning in the background, to the point that the Note 8.0 does not realize that it was being unused for a period of time.

does this help any of the good folks here to help me diagnose and maybe find a solution, please?

thanks in advance.

PS: I did find yet another clue -- once the Onkyo app has been used, even when using any other function, i.e. web surfing, gmail, etc, the screen would dim as per the "# of seconds" setting in Display Settings, but the screen would ONLY DIM, not turn off. the Display setting specifically is for the screen turning OFF, not merely dim!

 

[unashamedgeek]

I feel like you figured it out yourself. That Onkyo app seems to be the issue. Report it as a bug in through the Play store for that application and maybe they will work on an update. It sounds like the Onkyo app is extremely useful for you so you may have to just manually turn it off all the time, or maybe get a case with a magnet to shut off the screen.

 

[Dualmonitors]

"...shutting down the app..." how?

@unashamedgeek, et al:

thanks for your post helping me out vis-a-vis the screen not turning off issue with my brand new samsung note 8.0.

may i ask what you mean by "shutting the app down"?

i've always thought that Android apps do not get "shut down", and that was one of the hallmarks that was counter-intuitive?

thanks in advance.

 

[unashamedgeek]

Re: "...shutting down the app..." how?

I apologize for the poor wording, but when I stated "turn it off", I meant using the power button on the Note to turn off the screen. As far as shutting down the app, you are correct that for the most part, apps keep running in the background and Android handles them appropriately. However, you can hold down the Home button (front of the screen, physical button) and you can force close the app by selecting it and swiping it away. That might do the trick???

 

[Dualmonitors]

Re: "...shutting down the app..." how?

@unashamedgeek:

thanks once again for being good natured to help me out! very much appreciated.

the thing that really bothers me is that i just recently downsized from an Asus 10.1" Transformer Infinity TF700 to the Samsung Note 8.0, in hopes that this being the best 8" tablet out there, it really ought to hit a great sweetspot of size versus easy handling. i found that i did not enjoy holding up the Asus 10.1" up when i'm on the sofa watching TV, or in bed holding it up. i even had it fall on my nose/face when i fell asleep!!! hated that. so...i sold my TF700 (a pretty high end 10.1" tablet) and got the very best 8" tablet i could find - despite its lower end LCD screen

that said, i was further surprised that the Onkyo Android app (i had to buy a new Onkyo AVR receiver at the same time as the 2-year old Onkyo fried itself, my 2nd Onkyo that fried itself, both at the 2-year mark of their lives!!) is as good as it is. it makes for very comfy Pandora use during the day (work at home guy here).

however, this is the big however, the fact that once you opened and used the Onkyo Android app ONCE, the Note 8.0's LCD would NEVER shut off/time out again UNTIL ONE REBOOTS the Note 8.0. that is just unacceptable and is clearly a bug.

i don't know if a company like Onkyo would look at this or not, but i posted on Onkyo's own forums, as well as the Onkyo App's reviews on the Google Play store. hope someone at Onkyo reads those things!

do you think i'll have any luck to have someone look at it and fix it? i believe the bug only exists for the Samsung Note 8.0 and i don't know who else has discovered that bug!

thank you again.

 

[unashamedgeek]

Re: "...shutting down the app..." how?

The bug is with Onkyo, but whether other tablets suffer from the same bug or not, I can't say. For example, I can't say whether the Nexus 7 would suffer from the same issue or not. That is the hard part when you are using a little used app and a device that isn't a market leader either (the Note 8.0 is great and I love it, but I don't think it is anywhere near the most popular small form tablet when you compare it to the Nexus and Tab lines). You could try to find a support email address for Onkyo, might be in the play store, and send them an email directly. Other than that, I'm afraid I'm out of ideas.

 

[Vudumedic]

I'd suggest maybe trying shutting down the wifi connection to see if your tablet will time out then. I'm guessing maybe the link is that once you make the wifi direct connection to the receiver your tablet is reading as being actively used.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Dualmonitors]

Thanks all for your various suggestions and good natured all around helpfulness!

Guess what? My posting on Onkyo's forums yielded an answer:

the unchecking of the "Automatic Lock Settings" (buried in the Settings section of the Onkyo app) did the trick! My Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0's screen shutdown is now appearing to be normal! I didn't have that much time to check it out today, but will do so more thoroughly with more use over the next day or so.

Thank you so much for helping!