Accelerometer not working

[Base_UK]

This seems to be a fairly common problem, but I cannot find a clear solution, so giving it a go here.

About a week ago, my accelerometer just stopped working. No auto-rotate, camera images don't save in the correct orientation, maps is far less useful, it's surprising just how much it is used for. I hadn't installed anything recently before it happened, or had any damage to the phone. Installed Android 10 when it was released a few weeks before and it has worked fine up until this. I have done a factory reset, and it worked briefly before the backup fully restored. Tried safe mode and again it worked very briefly before going again. I have removed dozens of apps but it's like looking for a needle in a haystack finding the one which is causing it.

Google just wanted to give me a replacement phone, but this looks like a software issue to me so that may not resolve it if they don't know the casue.

Has anyone had any luck fixing this?

 

[Mike Dee]

Does the problem come back while in safe mode or after you reboot to normal?

 

[Base_UK]

It came back while I was still in safe mode. I tried maps and it worked, then went to the camera and it had stopped working and I couldn't get it back. Subsequent attempts to boot into safe mode has not brought it back to working at all, even briefly.

 

[Mike Dee]

It came back while I was still in safe mode. I tried maps and it worked, then went to the camera and it had stopped working and I couldn't get it back. Subsequent attempts to boot into safe mode has not brought it back to working at all, even briefly.

I have a feeling it's a hardware issue. You mentioned software but if that was the case we would see a lot more with your issue.
You can check the sensors with GPS tools or GPS status app. With GPS status tap the heading in upper left corner to bring up the menu. It won't solve you problem but you can check the sensor.

 

[Base_UK]

I tried the GPS app and it did indeed show all of the motion sensors as dead.

So, I've tried resetting and not restoring anything, and it worked fine. Tried rotation on a few apps (including the camera). So, then I reset and restored settings, but not apps and it was fine until I opened the camera which has killed it again?!

I can't see how it is a hardware issue when resetting kicks it back on again, but no idea what is killing it.

Going to reset again and keep it un-restored and for a while, see if it keeps going...

 

[Rukbat]

At worst, call Google support (they keep a record of previous calls) and ask them to escalate the problem. Eventually you might get to someone who asks for a debug dump (they'll take you through the process - it's trivial) and they can see exactly what's failing.

From what you say, though, I suspect it's a bad accelerometer or a bad camera module.

 

[Base_UK]

Ah, I have given up now and am just restoring all my apps and settings. Google just wanted to replace it, but it's 2 years old and I'm just waiting for the 4 to be released, it's just frustrating, but I guess at least it lasted almost flawlessly up until it's last few weeks!

Thanks for the help all anyway

 

[Mike Dee]

When you perform a reset it's like new provided you don't reinstall something bad. If it's the stock camera app it shouldn't have triggered it due to bad software but we don't really know if the camera triggered it or it was coincidence. Intermittent problems are hard to pinpoint as hardware or software. In your shoes I would take the replacement but that's really your call.

 

[Rukbat]

Intermittent problems are usually impossible to solve - until you figure out how to reproduce them at will. Then they usually turn out to be something simple.

 

[Base_UK]

Huh, after all that and Google insisting it is hardware and wanting to replace it, the October update fixed it. It's been working fine all day?!