OnePlus 5T screen refresh rate became unbearably slow. Any ideas?

[Android Central Question]

I was just running some game and while it was downloading some update, I noticed that the video playing on the game was stuttering so much and then when I tried swiping on the screen the UI is very slow.
I already did a factory reset but the problem is still there.
I have a video of the problem but it seems I can't post it.
While turning on the phone, the screen still displays the Oxygen OS loading animation but I can already hear some notification sounds. It seems like the refresh rate of the screen became 1fps or something. The power button and touch screen seems to be working fine.
Can this problem be fixed by replacing the lcd screen? I don't wanna buy a replacement screen if it that's not the case. This phone is also not that popular in our area so the shops are a big help right now.

 

[Mooncatt]

That doesn't sound like a screen refresh rate issue. If it were, it wouldn't drag out like that. It would simply be jumpy. This sounds more like a software issue, where a bug has caused a substantial enough drain on resources that things don't respond in a timely fashion. I know you already reset, but it's possible something reinstalled during the next setup that actually carried the bug. I would first try to start in safe mode.

https://www.hardreset.info/devices/oneplus/oneplus-5t/safe-mode/

If the problem goes away, then we know it's something you installed. If it remains, that means it's something from the manufacturer (hardware or software).

You'll need to register to be able to reply, but that will let us keep the conversation going and try to figure this out. For the video, I'd suggest uploading it to YouTube and linking it here (a moderator may need to approve it due to being a new account, so bear with us if it doesn't post right away).

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! Please register on this forum, which will allow you to engage in discussion more easily, as well as post images. https://forums.androidcentral.com/ask-question/409154-join-android-central-community.html

 

[Javier P]

I agree with @Mooncatt, that doesn't sound like a refresh rate issue. Also, which kind of update were you downloading when the problem started? The OP 5T is 4 years old and official support stopped a while ago. Are you using a custom ROM?

 

[mustang7757]

Try to post the video with this app

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.imgur.mobile

 

[Deburin]

Sorry for the delay.
The game in question was Mir4. I installed it, opened it, and it downloaded some updates. Then I noticed that the video in the game suddenly started lagging, I thought it's just because the game is installing the update or something. But when I tried to interact with the phone it was really slow. I forced stop the game but still nada. Then restart & shutdown, and finally a factory reset.
Here's a link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pr8shDrtdS8

 

[Mooncatt]

Sorry for the delay.
The game in question was Mir4. I installed it, opened it, and it downloaded some updates. Then I noticed that the video in the game suddenly started lagging, I thought it's just because the game is installing the update or something. But when I tried to interact with the phone it was really slow. I forced stop the game but still nada. Then restart & shutdown, and finally a factory reset.
Here's a link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pr8shDrtdS8

Thanks for the video, and for joining up. Welcome!

Seeing the screen go static can indicate a hardware fault, though not necessarily the screen itself. A bad graphics chip, for example, can cause similar faults. Have you tried safe mode yet?

 

[Javier P]

Agreed on a hardware problem. It seems that you took that video before installing any new app or restoring your backup, right?

 

[Deburin]

I might try the safe mode tomorrow, I've been out the whole day today.
Yes, I took the video right after I did a factory reset. Just oneplus default stuff installed.

 

[Mooncatt]

Safe mode isn't going to be much different than a fresh factory reset with no additional apps installed, so not a big concern at this point. I do think this will require a physical repair, but I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that the LCD screen needs replacing without first properly diagnosing it. That means unless you have the tools and skills to do so, you'll have to send this out to a shop or the manufacturer for diagnosis and repair (or replacement).

I know it seems to coincide with an update, but that could have been pure coincidence.

 

[abab1984]

Hi Deburin,

I wonder if you figured out what the problem with your Oneplus 5T was and how you resolved it? I have the same problem with my Oneplus 5T device. There were too many photos in my gallery. Last week when I was scrolling down the gallery, it suddenly started lagging. I immediately restarted it, but it didn't help. Since then, the phone has become really slow. Whenever I want to unlock the phone, it behaves like the video that you shared. It also takes about 6 min to restart, and after restarting it, it doesn't get better at all.

I would really appreciate it if you please share your experience on how you resolved this issue. Thank you so much.

 

[Deburin]

Hi Deburin,

I wonder if you figured out what the problem with your Oneplus 5T was and how you resolved it? I have the same problem with my Oneplus 5T device. There were too many photos in my gallery. Last week when I was scrolling down the gallery, it suddenly started lagging. I immediately restarted it, but it didn't help. Since then, the phone has become really slow. Whenever I want to unlock the phone, it behaves like the video that you shared. It also takes about 6 min to restart, and after restarting it, it doesn't get better at all.

I would really appreciate it if you please share your experience on how you resolved this issue. Thank you so much.

I took it to a repair shop and they said that the problem is with the LCD screen. I didn't go through with the repair since the repair cost is very expensive and I was just hoping on doing it myself sometime in the future.

 

[smvim]

You really should try consulting a different service shop for a second opinion. This does not appear to be a phone hardware failure issue but rather an app compatibility issue that's more likely to be tied to some configuration issue. Since it's just Mir4 app, the reality of the problem is NOT going to where your phone's display just fails because one app but works otherwise. Focus on the problem, setting up the app. Replacing the screen sounds more like a money grab by that service shop than an actual fix (i.e. you can replace the screen once or a dozen times if you want to waste your money like that, but the problem you need to address with that game app will remain.)

 

[mustang7757]

I took it to a repair shop and they said that the problem is with the LCD screen. I didn't go through with the repair since the repair cost is very expensive and I was just hoping on doing it myself sometime in the future.

Just seen your video it looks like screen issue

 

[Deburin]

You really should try consulting a different service shop for a second opinion. This does not appear to be a phone hardware failure issue but rather an app compatibility issue that's more likely to be tied to some configuration issue. Since it's just Mir4 app, the reality of the problem is NOT going to where your phone's display just fails because one app but works otherwise. Focus on the problem, setting up the app. Replacing the screen sounds more like a money grab by that service shop than an actual fix (i.e. you can replace the screen once or a dozen times if you want to waste your money like that, but the problem you need to address with that game app will remain.)

I'm not sure if you've seen the video but that was a fresh factory reset. I think I've also stated that I already did a factory reset.

But anyway, I've upgraded my phone since my 5T was already getting old. I'll just try to fix it sometime in the future.

 

[smvim]

Watched the video but a phone's display won't fail just for one app and fix itself for everything else. If the display itself is failing, you wouldn't be seeing your home page and such. Apparently that game app had an adverse effect on one of the settings in your phone's Display options. Go into the Settings >> Display menu and reconfigure your phone back to when it was working normally. It's shouldn't be necessary to apply a hardware fix to a software problem, that's why I suspect that service shop's intentions. As for the Mir4 game app, if it has options in its settings menu for things like lower resolutions try that.
But if your budget is so expansive that just buying a new phone is doable (and/or replacing a working display/digitizer with duplicate display/digitizer), and if gaming is common need, don't skimp on a lessor model and focus on buying a flagship model. The higher the resolution with a beefy SoC (higher end CPU and GPU) along with lots of RAM are a requirement for more advanced phone usage.