Speakerphone problem

[johne42]

Being a former electronics tech at an R&D level and currently a Software Eng... these type of 'problems' are fun to fix as long as it is not your own phone. Well, it happened to me. If I dialed out or received a call the phone would automatically flip to speaker. Reading through the solutions/temp fixes, I saw a pattern that was common:

1. a software setting needed to be changed
2. a software glitch (pull the battery will fix this one)
3. a shorted car connection or usb connection
4. intermittent results

So how many Software Engineers does it take to change a light bulb? (the answer is at the end of this post)

Looking for the software setting is logical and a solid first step. Pulling the battery is the next best step. At this point... the rest is most likely a hardware issue. In my case, (and I suspect in almost all remaining cases) the issue is actually fuzz and lint getting into that micro usb hole in your phone. This lint (pocket lint, purse lint) will actually short out the usb connections enough to make the phone think that it should run in car mode. Thus the speaker automatically turns on.

WARNING: Doing this next step could damage your usb port and ruin your phone.

The reason the problem appears to be intermittent is because you have to charge your phone everyday... connecting it to the charger will reposition the lint. Solution: take a small toothpick and carefully (with out breaking the tooth pick) extract the lint from the usb connection. the hole is pretty small and extreme caution should be used to clean it out. NEVER use any metal tool to clean out the lint because it most likely damage the connection. I use the tooth pick technique and my phone has been working fine since then. Instead of a toothpick, you could use the edge of a paper card or some other stiff paper. Be gentle and do not get your toothpick or paper fragments stuck in the usb port or you may cause more problems.


So how many Software Engineers does it take to change a light bulb? None, it is a hardware problem.

 

[Undead Red]

I found the solution, FINALLY! Very simple- Uncheck "Root Explorer" option in ES File Explorer settings. Yep, it's that easy.

Edit- If you're not running ES File Explorer, then some other app has superuser privileges, and your droid no likey. Find out which one and adjust accordingly. I just gave root privileges back to ES File Explorer and brought the issue right back. Whatever the case, don't go resetting your phone, reflashing, etc. It won't fix the problem. It is definitely app related.

HTC Evo 4G

 

[Lord Vader]

Unfortunately, it's not that easy. Many people, myself included, are not running ES File Explorer and therefore can't uncheck the aforementioned option.

 

[Undead Red]

Definitely app related, and probably SU permission related concerning the offending app (ES File Explorer, in my case). I can repro and eliminate this issue at will now. There's not a doubt in my mind. I'm a software test tech- I do this stuff for a living. Go through your apps, find the one that's causing the problem, and reboot. Go one by one- check settings, make a change, reboot. Process of elimination. Somewhere on your droid, an app has too much privilege....

 

[Lord Vader]

There's not enough time in the rest of this year to go through over a hundred apps one at a time. My fix works much faster--I simply turned on bluetooth. Once that's on, the speaker phone won't tun on.

 

[Undead Red]

Meh. Each to his own, I guess. Personally, I'm too anal(ytical) to NOT go through 100+ apps and find the problem. And forever running Bluetooth would bother the heck out of me. Take care, man

 

[Lord Vader]

It doesn't bother me, especially because my home phone has a bluetooth to cell feature. With the bluetooth feature left in the on mode on my EVO, I don't have to try and remember to keep turning it on when I get home.

 

[sjgmoney#AC]

I've tried cleaning the USB connection but no cure. I don't know what app may be casuing it, how can I diagnose? also, how does one go about changing the permissions for apps? Or do you have to totally remove the offending app?

 

[WrlsFanatic]

This is a very old thread, but there are TONS of them across the web with zero solutions... so if someone else should search for this like I did, I want to save them the trouble.

I was also having the problem that my phone would jump into dock mode constantly, and forcefully removing the dock app did little to help. While the speakerphone issue is annoying, the WORST part was that it kept turning on my screen randomly, and it leaves the screen on.

Anyway, the fix is to use an app called NoDock by NOTHIZE. You need to be rooted, but if you're not rooted, what the hell are you doing here?!?! It completely removed the issue for me, which is incredible. They do have a trial version that you can test for 7 days before you buy it, but they kind of have you over the barrel on this one: I tried a few other Play Store apps with no success.