Finding out *why* phone powers off

[foxxydroid]

I have an HTC Thunderbolt, rooted. Rarely, maybe twice a month, the phone will power off. Usually I ignore this and chalk it up to new tech. But, this time, my boyfriend was very worried about me all night, and since I was ill and have an ongoing medical condition, was worried sick as I slept....(I didn't mean to fall asleep, and I have no house phone).

So - I am wondering, is there any way to look in a log on the phone? I have several applications running that might already be logging some data or have it, but other than that, I do have root access and am running BAMF as well, so I should have access to anything on the phone. I also have System Tools going, and am digging around in there. I just want to know and maybe prevent it from shutting down.

Usually, if anything, the phone will just reset when I'm using it. That happens maybe once every few weeks as well, and that I don't much care about - since it just restarts.

I am also looking for a tool that will perhaps power on the phone if it is off. Heck, I would even pay for a dongle I could leave on it when I am sleeping or traveling that would alarm if power was shut off to the phone. If I was smart, I'd just make one. The very few times my phone shuts itself off, it always is like "really?"...

 

[srkmagnus]

You can grab a logcat when the phone reboots itself by using terminal emulator (download for free in the Playstore) and post the results in the BAMF thread for some input by the developer or given to any other developer who can interpret what it says.

http://forums.androidcentral.com/general-help-how/141073-learn-logcat-like-pro.html

Here is the section you will need to follow from the device:

adb logcat > /sdcard/logcat.txt

If using Terminal Emulator on your phone instead of a computer setup, this (above) is the code you'd want to use. It will save the logcat.txt to the root of your SD card...

Much credit to JHutson456 for the write-up. The file will save on the sdcard as logcat.txt and can be posted online as a .txt file. Hope this helps

 

[Rukbat]

There are apps that log battery voltage. If you run one I think you'll find that the battery is going down to 0 for a very short period (or permanently as far as the log is concerned, until you turn the phone back on, actually). That would indicate a defective battery. (If you want the technical details, it's throwing a dendrite.) Replacing the battery (it should be covered by the warranty if you push them hard enough - it's a manufacturing defect) should fix the problem.

(When you replace the battery, condition it properly to avoid future problems. Full charge before you turn the phone on. Then use the phone without charging it until it tells you to recharge it. Do this cycle 3 times. Then you can charge it whenever you want.)

As far as an app to turn the phone on when it turns off - it has to be on for the app to run, so no.

As for that dongle, it would have to be connected between the battery and the phone (and have its own battery, of course). That's not possible on some phones without voiding the warranty, and most people aren't going to get that deeply into their phones.