Galaxy S4 I9500 Screen flickering problem

[masterpeter]

Hi, started this thread to see if anyone had the same problem I'm having with my screen.

I have a Galaxy S4 GT-I9500 (Octa-core variation), it is running 4.4.2, rooted, stock Touchwiz.

The problem is that the screen starts to flicker almost as if it would want to turn off, when in low light conditions and auto-brightness on, it continues to flicker unless I set the brightness between +2 and +5. I can reproduce the issue without auto-brightness setting the brightness to the lowest, one notch above the lowest and there is no flickering. It is noticeable in white backgrounds and also when swiping down the notification center, that's the most noticeable instance but you can see it in the home screen and in any app.

I started noticing it when I had 4.2.2 Jelly bean (rooted), and I updated to Kitkat hoping it would be solved but it is the same, I updated through Kies and rooted, no Factory reset, I want to try that as last resort.

Funny thing I discovered is when I set Juice Defender to control my brightness it does not flicker even in -60% brightness, but when the dimming happens before the screen turns off it does flicker (and the dimming thing is controlled by the OS I think, not Juice Defender).

I wish I could put up a video but I don't have another phone to film it.

Anyone know if this is software or hardware? What can I do?

I'd like to add, that I changed the battery, disabled overlays in developers option, forced GPU rendering, tried Pimp my rom and played with all the settings, checked and unchecked every option in Display settings and it still flickered given the low brightness conditions.

 

[chadwick108]

If you are rooted and kit kat you have the ability to screen record. I would try and disable juice defender and consider uninstalling just to see if may be something to do with it. I also would consider wiping cache and davlik cache in recovery. May not resolve but at least give you something else to try.

 

[masterpeter]

If you are rooted and kit kat you have the ability to screen record. I would try and disable juice defender and consider uninstalling just to see if may be something to do with it. I also would consider wiping cache and davlik cache in recovery. May not resolve but at least give you something else to try.

Thank you chad, I recorded the activity with the app Rec. but in the video everything seems normal, it does not record the problem (I don't know if that means something).

I just Freezed JuiceDefender wiht Titanium Backup, it is the same, however, I meant that controlling the brightness with Juicedefender and NOT the stock Settings, actually solves the problem, if I lower the brightness inside JuiceDefender the screen does not flicker.

I had wiped the the Cache partition and the Dalvik cache in CWM before, nothing...

The problem looks a bit like this (although not with those divisions in the screen, only the flickering, blinking, I don't know...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQdvK5-Ejag

This is not my video or my phone.

 

[chadwick108]

I would try to flash a custom rom or find the stock firmware for the bootloader and baseband that you are using and try to flash via recovery or Odin depending on whichever way you go. Hate to say it but it almost sounds hardware related.

 

[Lucy Davies]

Thank you chad, I recorded the activity with the app Rec. but in the video everything seems normal, it does not record the problem (I don't know if that means something).

I just Freezed JuiceDefender wiht Titanium Backup, it is the same, however, I meant that controlling the brightness with Juicedefender and NOT the stock Settings, actually solves the problem, if I lower the brightness inside JuiceDefender the screen does not flicker.

I had wiped the the Cache partition and the Dalvik cache in CWM before, nothing...

The problem looks a bit like this (although not with those divisions in the screen, only the flickering, blinking, I don't know...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQdvK5-Ejag

This is not my video or my phone.

On that video read the comments & try what one person suggested as people who done that said it worked.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[masterpeter]

I would try to flash a custom rom or find the stock firmware for the bootloader and baseband that you are using and try to flash via recovery or Odin depending on whichever way you go. Hate to say it but it almost sounds hardware related.

Thanks again chad, I'll try that soon, I didn't wanted to wipe my data but I think it is the last thing to try. The thing is, which hardware, because it could be the mobo, or GPU, not the LCD, I'm afraid to take it to a local technician and that they charge me for the screen and the problem continues, the screen alone is like half the value of the phone, I'm in Venezuela, so there is not a lot of options as service centers go.

I think after wiping my data I'll try to open the phone myself with some Youtube video's help and check the connections to the display, or try to sell it like this at a discount, it works after all, and it is rooted, I guess it raises the value a bit..

On that video read the comments & try what one person suggested as people who done that said it worked.

Posted via Android Central App

I tried the S View cover thing, it didn't work...

 

[Dawkcide]

i have a similar issue once the brightness is on low. I was told its a OS issue. So i'm hoping someone that has the issue can flash their phone and then upgrade to see if that will fix the issue.

 

[PIXIllate]

I have the same issue out of the blue. Only on the lowest brighness setting and when the phone dims on it's own before the screen shuts off.

I can use any dimming app and it works just fine.

I've tried all of the above suggestions plus taking the phone apart to check all of the internal connections. No luck.

Running 4.4.2 non rooted on a Telus S4.

 

[Kerpz]

Got S4 for a week now and now i cannot use it, same problem, flickering and now its total black... you can hear the sounds but you cannot see, also the touch stop responding and the back and menu button also stor working. This is my 4 android samsung phone, I guess all my friends is true, IOS still the best phone out there...

 

[bilal shafqat]

flickering problem can be solved easily.Just turn off the "AIR VIEW" feature of your mobile....

 

[PIXIllate]

Air view solves nothing. I've wiped twice and moved to Cyanogenmod 11 and the problem persists. It a hardware issue. Would love to figure out how to fix it if it's a bad connection or something simple.

 

[vahidall]

Hey guys. I have the same problem and it is really driving me crazy. I would throw the phone to the wall if I could afford a good one. Did anyone solved the problem? Please let me know.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Nick Keates]

Turning off Airview doesn't fix it if Airview isn't on. However, if you turn on Airview, and then off, that does fix it. Just a little added detail for those not using Airview and discounting that option without trying.

This happened randomly, KitKat update +6 monthns ago, only change was removal of a launcher (not Lollipop launcher) that was chewing up my battery

 

[MeiYun]

I didn't root my mobile but have the same problem as well. All you have to do is just turn off the power saving mode. It works for me, hope it helps you too.

 

[Matt Dixon]

I have my power saving mode off and it is still flickering.

 

[maurits2000]

Hi,

I solved it on my phone (S4 with 4.4.3) after searching on internet. with me it was solved very easily:
Settings - Developer Options - check "Disable Hardware Overlays"

When I read about it I suddenly realized I had been messing with the settings because of some advice on a a board "how to optimize your phone". Great proof never to mess around if you don't really know what you 're doing

 

[Yasaswi Ketepalli]

you are the gem boss,my problem solved thank you

 

[Eduardo Casiano Sr]

Hi, started this thread to see if anyone had the same problem I'm having with my screen.

I have a Galaxy S4 GT-I9500 (Octa-core variation), it is running 4.4.2, rooted, stock Touchwiz.

The problem is that the screen starts to flicker almost as if it would want to turn off, when in low light conditions and auto-brightness on, it continues to flicker unless I set the brightness between +2 and +5. I can reproduce the issue without auto-brightness setting the brightness to the lowest, one notch above the lowest and there is no flickering. It is noticeable in white backgrounds and also when swiping down the notification center, that's the most noticeable instance but you can see it in the home screen and in any app.

I started noticing it when I had 4.2.2 Jelly bean (rooted), and I updated to Kitkat hoping it would be solved but it is the same, I updated through Kies and rooted, no Factory reset, I want to try that as last resort.

Funny thing I discovered is when I set Juice Defender to control my brightness it does not flicker even in -60% brightness, but when the dimming happens before the screen turns off it does flicker (and the dimming thing is controlled by the OS I think, not Juice Defender).

I wish I could put up a video but I don't have another phone to film it.

Anyone know if this is software or hardware? What can I do?

I'd like to add, that I changed the battery, disabled overlays in developers option, forced GPU rendering, tried Pimp my rom and played with all the settings, checked and unchecked every option in Display settings and it still flickered given the low brightness conditions.

 

[Eduardo Casiano Sr]

i had the same blinking battery icon and blinking red light on my galaxy s 4 so i open my took out the battery and cleaned the contacts put the battery in problem solved

 

[Rick Rauch]

Disable overlays solved my problem of flickering, my hero! I've been looking for a while.