Verizon KitKat update causing frequent dropped calls?

[runamuck0870]

I've had my Note 3 on Verizon since last fall on release. One of the MAIN reasons I switched to Verizon from AT&T years ago was voice call quality. I am on conference calls or with clients on the phone a good 5+ hours per day. With AT&T, I'd drop a call 5-6 times while out driving around. They have well known issues with handling tower transfers of calls. Verizon...never a dropped call. I'm not exaggerating...unless I absolutely had ZERO mobile network connectivity, Verizon works, even when roaming, for voice calls.

Enter KitKat. In general, everything is working fine. But I now have degraded signal in my home market (haven't traveled since the update so no ideas if this is limited to home market or not). I'm repeatedly unable to make/receive calls in many areas where I only have 2 bars, whereas before that wouldn't have been an issue. But even more maddening is being on a call and having it drop with the "Call Failed" banner across the page. Happened 8 times this morning in a span of highway I travel every day and run conference calls religiously while driving. Never, ever happened previously. Basically, less than 2 bars and I'm dropping the call. Very repeateable.

Any ideas? Anyone else having voice signal issues?

 

[karsdroid]

honestly, its a pain, but i would do a factory reset and see if that takes care of the issue. its often a good policy after a big update to start fresh.

 

[yarnsrj]

Having call failed errors as well in areas where I usually made calls at work. I'm not super fond of factory resets because I'm an app junkie, but this could be the reason to do it. Initial kit Kat install was smooth, but the honeymoon phase is over and with the OS settling in, battery drain and degraded signal are present.I will most likely do factory reset this weekend. Good luck to you as well.

from "Ms Note 3" on Tapatalk

 

[runamuck0870]

Yeah I was really afraid this was going to be the answer. I hate factory resets after this much work to get it to where I wanted in first place. Well...guess no choice but to do it.

 

[karsdroid]

Yeah I was really afraid this was going to be the answer. I hate factory resets after this much work to get it to where I wanted in first place. Well...guess no choice but to do it.

it is a pain, but the only way to really get a fresh start to troubleshoot from. bummer....

 

[runamuck0870]

Actually, now that I think of it....

If I boot it into SAFE mode, and try running it that way for awhile, but still have these dropped calls....doesn't that pretty much accomplish the same thing as a factory reset?

 

[Dolomite]

I have been having poor reception and decreased battery life since the update. The good news is that it seems wifi is more stable now. It looks like I will just have to do a factory reset at some point to see if things improve.

 

[AdamHLG]

Factory reset fixed EVERYTHING for me. Battery issues especially .

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

 

[yarnsrj]

Did the factory reset. I did not have the "backup and reset" option enabled so I had to redo all my settings, wallpapers, and apps manually. Only took better part of 2 hours getting her back to how I like it. Will keep an eye on previous issues to see that they're resolved.

from "Ms Note 3"

 

[runamuck0870]

Did full reset. While I can say that my dropped calls are fewer, they are still far, far worse than they were pre Kit Kat. Also, my phone no longer rings when people call me, no matter if I've 2 or 5 bars of 4G LTE showing. They all go straight to voice mail. Maddening.

I wouldn't mind so much that Verizon takes so long to release us new versions of stuff -IF- they took the time to do full regression QA effort. But clearly, they don't. So we are always last to the party and STILL have bugs.

 

[mountainman]

Did full reset. While I can say that my dropped calls are fewer, they are still far, far worse than they were pre Kit Kat. Also, my phone no longer rings when people call me, no matter if I've 2 or 5 bars of 4G LTE showing. They all go straight to voice mail. Maddening.

I wouldn't mind so much that Verizon takes so long to release us new versions of stuff -IF- they took the time to do full regression QA effort. But clearly, they don't. So we are always last to the party and STILL have bugs.

This same thing is happening to me. I drop calls randomly, and sometimes when people call, it never rings and I just get a voicemail. I wonder how many people have called and NOT left a voicemail.

I have not done the factory reset since the Kit Kat update. Not sure what to do. I would just root it and hope that another ROM might help, but that is not an option for us right now.

Sent from my SM-N900V using AC Forums mobile app

 

[runamuck0870]

^^ A factory reset in my experience DID help alleviate it somewhat, but not entirely.

I've been monitoring my signal strength pretty religiously and there appears to be no "sliding scale" any longer. I'm either entirely on 4G or I get nothing. No data, no voice, nothing. I do occasionally see either 1X or 3G indicated.

The calls straight to voice mail also seem to be happening when I've got something else streaming data in the background. For example, if I turn off the weather app, disable email, etc.....I get calls. If any of those are running....calls go straight to VM. Its almost as if I've lost the simultaneous voice+data capabilities I had before the KK update. Either that or my phone is no longer giving normal precedence to voice calls over data.

Either way, I smell a bug in KK for the Note 3 on Verizon. I've also begun to realize that I'm actually becoming a minority with heavy voice usage. I'm using voice with my Note 3 easily 5+ hours per day. So its possible I'm just more sensitive to it than a primarily data+text messaging user.

 

[Baby_Doc]

It's hard to imagine a KitKat bug causing dropped calls for only some Note 3 phones.

Unless, there are different builds or versions of the Note 3, why would some people have issues and others have no complaints with the same KitKat?

Either there are different phone builds, or there are perhaps different KitKats. (For example was the Kies version different from the OTA version?)

I may be just lucky, but I haven't had any dropped calls since my upgrade.
I haven't seen a difference in battery life either. My phone runs smoother with less lag. The only downside I have noticed with KitKat is that some 3rd party apps will no longer write to the external SD card.

Having said all this, I am very sympathetic to those of you with problems. If it were my phone and a factory reset wasn't fixing my issues, I would be insisting on a phone replacement. That's what warranties are for.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[runamuck0870]

Currently talking with Verizon Tier 2 tech support. I put my phone into Safe mode after the reset and have been running it that way for a couple of days. Phone would go from 4 bars 4G to dropped call several times while on the phone with tech support. The signal metrics are all over the map. He thinks its a bad antenna and wants to replace phone. I realize they are just following the script in front of them but here we go again. This will be my 4th Note 3 since I bought it.

 

[Dolomite]

I did a factory reset and I still experience no service, dropped calls, and calls straight to voicemail. I have to believe its Kitkat since the problems arose after the update.

 

[John Cafagna]

I am having similar issues and just performed a factory reset yesterday. My battery life is already better, so maybe it is not "searching" so much for that elusive verizon signal. I have to say that the issues for my Note 3 signal decreasing was just prior to my wired upgrade to KitKat. I really believe Verizon has done something different with its towers, etc. and out Note3 phones don't like it. My phone was VERY reliable and almost always found a signal in my work and home. When I called Verizon to troubleshoot, they got back to me in 7 days with the response that I am in a variable zone and this behavior is expected. WHAT?? I have been a Verizon customer for a long time, and I still live and work in the same town. This seems strange... maybe their leases changed on towers and they moved things with the new XLTE they are offering in some areas... not mine? I tried EVERY app on the market to increase my 3G/4G signal and none work.... I did not logically think they would, but thought it was worth a shot. I also do not believe it is my phone's antenna or hardware as my wife's S5 has decreased signal as well. Just seems like her S5 phone transitions it better and when it has low signal still handles calls whereas the Note3 decides to drop them or say no service available.

 

[bertsirkin]

Also, my phone no longer rings when people call me, no matter if I've 2 or 5 bars of 4G LTE showing. They all go straight to voice mail. Maddening.

Check to see if "blocking" is enabled - that would cause no ringing and calls going to VM.

 

[Robyn Perhach]

The majority of my calls drop after the update. I'm even using a Verizon network extender! I've never had this problem before KitKat. Been in touch with Verizon. They suggested I move the extender. Really?? It's worked perfectly for two years!! It's not my extender, Verizon, it's Kit Kat!!!

 

[Baby_Doc]

Take your phone to a Verizon corporate store where they will have another Note 3 with which to compare yours. Go into settings, Networks on both phones and compare signal strengths. If both are reading the same, then the reason for dropped calls is probably something other than KitKat. If your phone isn't getting as strong a signal as the demonstration phone, ask for a phone replacement. Assuming the Verizon demonstration phone has KitKat, this would prove something is wrong with your phone, and not just KitKat.

Most people who have upgraded to KitKat, are not experiencing any problems. While some people are reporting reception issues coincidental to the upgrade, it could also be coincidental to Verizon upgrading their towers or changing the number of cells as they are rolling out the new XLTE service. Both changes happened at nearly the same time.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Kittrav]

We have been having the same issues up and down the east coast. We live in FL and this has been happening the past several months. At first I purchased for 250plus dollars a network extender. Worked wonderful the first few months. Then nada, doesn't seem to help at all. Same thing is happening up north. Thus, it cannot be the towers, as it has happened with different towers. I don't think it's the phone, as it happens to my hubbys phone, but not as much. I really believe it's my line....I used this number for phone and for internet also. I'm beginning to wonder if it's a selected slowdown I'm getting. What else can it be???