How To Fix Common LG G2 Problems and Errors

Honestly, I’ve been so pre-occupied with Samsung devices this past few months that it took me this long to address problems sent to us by our readers who use the LG G2. Some of the problems I cited in this post are not really that common.

For example, the third issue is about the possible microphone issues, at least, that’s what the title of the problem says. But the way I see it, it’s not really a mic issue but a headphone jack problem.

If you are an LG G2 user and have experienced a problem or two with your phone, I’m sure you’ll love to read this post. There is a possibility that you will encounter one of the problems I included here and reading the solutions or suggestions will give you an idea how to address it in the future.

#1. Issue with LG G2 microphone

Q: I’ve been using my LG G2 for quite some time now and I noticed its microphone sensitivity deteriorated over time. I work in a construction and I always bring my phone with me in my pocket. About a couple of months ago, people I often call started to complain not hearing some of the words I’m saying so I thought it was just some kind of a temporary network issue but the condition even got worse. Now, all people I talk to say either they can’t hear me or they can hear me but barely understand what I’m talking about. I already suspected it was the microphone that has issues so I tried recording my voice via the stock voice recorder; all I hear was some kind of murmur with incomprehensible words. How do you go about this if it were your problem, droid guy? Help me please. Thanks. — Romeo

A: This isn’t a common issue with LG G2 but there were many owners complaining about the sensitivity of their device’s microphone. It’s an irony but it’s actually a good thing. It means that many owners already experienced this problem and eventually found answers and solutions. Based on testimonies of people who reported to have encountered this problem, I can provide you three possible solutions.

Turn off the Noise Suppression feature. It is, of course, under Call Settings. There were owners who said that turning off this feature makes the mic volume better. Basically, Noise Suppression was integrated into the device to make call quality better. It’s like a photo filter that reduces noise on pictures; it makes the photo quality better by eliminating noise that obscure the subject but too much of it would also result to undesirable effects. The same is true with audio. That is why it is advisable to turn off Noise Suppression when the problem is related to audio quality.
Blast compressed air into the microphone hole. This is one of the most effective ways to fix microphone issues caused by corrosion of dust and dirt in the hole. A blast of compressed air is strong enough to get rid of a small amount of dirt in that tiny hole. Whether you believe it or not, many owners testified it works so it’s worth a try. In your case, it is possible that corrosion may have caused this considering your line of work.
Update firmware version if possible. If there is an available update for your phone, do not hesitate to download and install it. There were lot of people complaining about call quality and mic issues but recent updates seemed to have fixed their problems.

#2. Cannot setup Hotmail on LG G2

Q: I have a slight problem with my phone, it’s an LG G2. I use Hotmail as my email and it’s my first email so I know every bit of information about it including the mail servers, my password, and everything. But when I set my account up on my phone, I was getting “Login information incorrect” error. I doubled- even tripled-check my username and password and they’re both correct. So, I was perplexed. How come the email app that came with the phone says I have entered incorrect information? Do you guys know how to fix this? Help me please. — Randy

A: It could be just a glitch on stock email app because I have setup my Hotmail account on my phone using the stock email app and every time I hit that “Done” button, it goes through. But I have encountered a problem related to yours. I also got the login info incorrect error message before when I setup my Gmail account on the stock email app. I was using mobile data when that happens and after the error popped up, I tried browsing the internet and wasn’t able to. So basically, the error was triggered when the internet connection was interrupted and you don’t need to be an expert to know it’s just connectivity issue.

So, if you’re getting this problem, first, make sure your internet is working. Otherwise, you’ll keep getting this error message or the other. If however, you are sure it’s not your connection that’s causing this, then proceed with using the official app of your email provider. In your case, download and install Outlook.com’s Android app as it automatically connects to Microsoft’s servers.

#3. Headset mic not working, audio crackles

Q: My LG G2 is new, I just have it since April. There’s no problem with the normal operation with phone whatsoever except when I plug the original headset. As to its performance, the phone is great but whenever I use its headset or whatever headset I hap, the microphone just won’t work and the audio crackles. There are times when the Headphone icon on the notification bar disappears and then reappears. It’s weird really because I know the phone is not overused or abused in any way. Have you heard of this problem before? By the way, my headset works with my other Android phone that is not an LG, so I know it’s not really the headset that has issues. I need your input on this guys. I’m a tech noob.

A: The short answer is, the headphone jack on your LG G2 is loose, or worse, the receptors were bent. So, my most convenient advice is to bring your phone to a technician and have it checked. But I understand if you’re hesitant to believe what I’m saying so let me support it based on your statement.

The microphone’s not working. This is one of the immediate effects if the receptors inside the headphone jack on your phone are bent or can’t make good contact. May be you already know this but the audio only crackles when you touch the plug that is inserted to your phone. The same happens to your microphone. When you, however, hold the plug firm, both the mic and headphones work. It’s a sign that there is only good contact when you hold the plug firmly onto position.

The audio crackles. This also happens when the plug is disturbed. Since the headphone jack is loose, there should be a play and it’s just a matter of millimeter. A slight touch and the audio would begin crackle.

The headphone icon appears and disappears. When there is good contact, the phone could detect that a headset is plugged, thus, it displays an icon on the notification bar. When the contact is lost, the icon disappears. These appearing and disappearing acts of the icon would be frequent if the connection is loose.

A technician may rectify this problem by fixing contacts inside the headphone jack or by replacing the jack entirely. If you’re confident, you can do this on your own, otherwise, employ services of a professional.

#4. LG G2 is very slow, keeps lagging

Q: You guys are doing millions of people a favor. Thanks for doing this. Now my problem is about my phone LG G2. I have this for a little over 5 months now and it seems like it has slowed down a lot since I bought it. My previous Android phone took more than two years before it started to slow down but this high-end device only took six months. Although I’ve already been using Android for years now, I’m not really a techie person and I’m still learning to operate this 5-month old phone of mine. But how can I learn fast if it’s so slow? Please help me retain my phone’s performance like the way it was. Thanks.

A: Even high-end smartphones will deteriorate over time and this is obviously what’s happening to you right now. The more apps you install, the faster the device to go slow in performance because there are a lot of services that use RAM. Also, when the phone cached a lot of files already, the phone would take time to read all those files and index them. Thus, processes will be affected causing performance issues. There are to procedures you can do to bring the phone back to its optimal settings:

Wipe cache partition

This is your only option if you don’t want to go through the hassle of backing up all your data. Follow the steps below to do this:

From the home screen, tap Apps.
Tap Settings.
Tap General tab.
Tap Storage.
Wait for menu options to finish calculating.
Tap Cached data, then OK.
Wait for the Cached data to clear; depending on size it will take several seconds to complete. When complete the storage screen will refresh and cached data will not be listed.

If wiping the cache partition isn’t enough to bring the phone back to its optimal performance, then proceed with factory reset.

Factory reset

It will bring the phone back to its original settings deleting everything in the phone including contacts, photos, files, etc. Here’s how…

From any Home screen, tap the Menu key.
Tap System settings.
Tap General, scroll to ‘PERSONAL.’
Tap Backup & reset.
Tap Factory data reset.
Tap Reset phone.
Tap Erase everything.
Review the warning, and then tap OK.

#5. SwiftKey force closing on LG G2

Q: I always use SwiftKey as I find it easy to enter words but after the update it seems to crash and I’m always getting “Unfortunately, SwiftKey has stopped” error message. Did I get a bad update? How can I resolve this conflict between the Android system and the SwiftKey app? I need your guidance guys. Thanks. And by the way, I will help promote all your blogs and solutions so continue writing posts like the ones that you do.

A: The recent update may have messed up some settings and data but I think this problem is minor and can be fixed by clearing the cache and data of the app itself. Just follow the steps below:

From any Home screen, tap the Menu key.
Tap System Settings.
Tap General, scroll down to ‘Device,’ and then tap Apps.
If necessary, touch the screen and slide left to view the ‘ALL’ screen.
Scroll to and tap SwiftKey.
Tap Clear cache.
Tap Clear data.
If necessary, tap OK.

#6. LG G2 cannot send MMS messages

Q: I know it’s a minor problem but I don’t know what to do to fix it. So, please help me. My LG G2 used to send all messages including text messages and MMS messages but now, picture messages is not possible. The text messaging is working fine and I can make or receive calls so I know it’s not a network problem. My Wi-Fi works fine as well but my mobile data isn’t. Any suggestions? Thanks.

A: Just because you can send / receive text messages or make / receive calls doesn’t mean you can send MMS messages. MMS use mobile data to be sent and received that is why it made sense to me when you said that you couldn’t connect to the internet without using Wi-Fi.

I am almost certain that the APN Settings on your phone have been changed to something incorrect or your provider has a new set of APN. But there is also a possibility that it is a temporary network issue. I don’t want to discredit you when you said it’s not a network issue but again, SMS and MMS don’t ride on the same train.

The best way to know whether it is a network issue or APN settings problem is by calling your service provider. Do that first and let us know what your carrier would tell you in case they cannot fix the problem.

#7. New LG G2 won’t turn on anymore

Q: Hello Droid guy, I need your help badly. Basically, I just bought my phone two days ago. I didn’t use it for anything except a few text messages and phone calls and Wi-Fi. I installed a couple of apps but that’s all I did. Today, when I woke up, the screen was blank. I hit the power button but it won’t respond. What should I do?

A: Charge your phone. I think the battery was all drained when you were sleeping that’s why the screen was blank when you woke up. The phone is pretty new and I take your word that nothing happened to the phone that could have resulted to this problem. I’m almost certain it’s just a drained battery issue more than anything else.

But please try to use the original charger. Try to press and hold the power button to see what happens. The phone can’t be defective if nothing happened to it. However, even after hours of charging and the phone still won’t power up, bring it back to the store and have them check it for problems. That way, they could easily replace it in case there’s a problem with the hardware.

#8. Cannot download apps from the Play Store

Q: It’s weird that my phone suddenly started acting weird, it refuses to download any app from the Play Store. It’s giving out an error but I can’t remember what it was. I have no idea whatsoever what happened to the phone or to the app that it acted out like this. And oh, my service provider doesn’t know a thing how to solve it. All they ever wanted was to do master reset. I refused because I have thousands of photos, hundreds of music and videos in it. Can you suggest something else?

A: It could be just a glitch with the Google Play Store app. The first thing I want you to do is to clear its cache and data. Please note that you will lose all your settings when you do that and you may have to set up your Play Store account again.

From any Home screen, tap the Menu key.
Tap System Settings.
Tap General, scroll down to ‘Device,’ and then tap Apps.
If necessary, touch the screen and slide left to view the ‘ALL’ screen.
Scroll to and tap Google Play Store.
Tap Clear cache.
Tap Clear data.
If necessary, tap OK.

If clearing the cache and data won’t fix the problem, repeat the steps from 1 to 5 and hit uninstall updates, then reboot your phone. That should do it.

#9. Gallery loads very slow

Q: I have a lot of pictures in my phone, it’s an LG G2, but I can’t view them because the Gallery app loads very, very slow. There are even times when I would get the dreadful ‘gallery stopped working’ error message. I also noticed that the phone will lag when I open the gallery especially when I’m not connected to the internet. I thought that the phone could perform faster if not connected to the internet but it’s the other way around. I’m confused and don’t know how to fix this. So help me. Thank you guys.

A: Yes, the phone is a lot faster when there’s only a few services running and if not connected to the internet but you can’t actually tell the difference if you’re using a high-end phone like the G2. Having a lot of pictures could be one thing that causes the gallery to load very slow. It is because the app would have to load all those thumbnails and organize the pictures depending on the preferences of the user. But when you said that the phone often freezes when you open the gallery app with no internet connection, I immediately thought you have pictures saved in the cloud and you synced your accounts with your phone.

The best way to address this is, first, un-sync all online accounts connected to the gallery app like Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Dropbox, Google+, etc. Remember, if any of these accounts are synced with your gallery, the app will need internet connection to crop photos from each account so it can display a thumbnail. Without internet connection, the app would still try and re-try to connect and if unsuccessful after several minutes, the app crashes leaving the phone too slow to function properly.

After you’ve un-synced your accounts and the gallery app still loads very slow, clear its cache and data. Don’t worry, your photos will remain intact. I think that’s all about how to solve this problem.

#10. LG G2 drains battery faster than before

Q: My G2 is 8 months old and the first 5 months was really smooth sailing without any problems. But about a couple of months ago, the phone started to exhibit symptoms of fast battery drain. I use this phone mainly for phone calls and Wi-Fi internet. I don’t text so much and I don’t send too may picture messages. I use it to play my favorite music from time to time and to take photos occasionally. In short, I took care of the phone that I can’t remember it having fallen. So, why does it drain its battery way faster now than before? Is there a fix for this?

A: When there’s a lot of apps and services running in the background, it is normal that the phone would double its use of power to accommodate all of them. If you’ve taken care of your phone well, then there’s no problem whatsoever with its hardware. So, to narrow down the problem, try to boot your phone to safe mode:

From any screen, press and hold the Power key.
Touch and hold Power off.
Review the ‘Reboot to safe mode’ screen, and then tap OK.
The device will restart and ‘Safe mode’ appears in the lower-left corner.

While the phone is in safe mode, observe to know if it still drains the battery faster like when it’s in normal mode. If yes, so pre-installed apps and core services are causing all these problems. Otherwise, the culprit are your third-party apps. But either way, you still need to do factory reset after you backed up everything in your phone.

From any Home screen, tap the Menu key.
Tap System settings.
Tap General, scroll to ‘PERSONAL.’
Tap Backup & reset.
Tap Factory data reset.
Tap Reset phone.
Tap Erase everything.
Review the warning, and then tap OK.