How to fix LG V40 ThinQ random restart issue

One of the annoying issues LG V40 ThinQ users can experience is random reboot issue. This troubleshooting article will show you how to deal with the problem.

Problem: How to fix LG V40 ThinQ random restart issue

Phone is a LG V40 ThinQ. It worked great until 2 weeks ago. The problem is the phone restarts frequently, or freezes up and I must do a soft restart (hold power and volume down) to get it to respond. After soft restart sometimes it freezes during unlocking process. When it freezes while unlocking it gets warm and battery drains quickly. it still restarts or freezes up several times daily. Sometimes its 10 min apart sometimes its good for 12 hours. It seems to be getting progressively worse (more frequent). Is this phone ready for the trash? My brother suggested replacing the battery but I don’t want to put $ into a lost cause.

Solution: The main concern for you in this case is to find out the reason for your problem. Since there is no direct way to know what is causing the problem, you’ll have to do a set of troubleshooting steps. Below are the troubleshooting steps that you can do.

Forced reboot

Random reboot issue can sometimes be a product of temporary bugs. These types of bugs may be tied to the current Android session so refreshing the system may fix the problem. In your case, we recommend that you forced reboot the device to clear the RAM and get rid of potential bugs. Press and hold the Power button and Volume Down at the same time until the device powers off, approximately 8 seconds, then release. This will restart your phone like it normally does but it’s memory will be refreshed and its apps and services will reloaded. If the issue continues after this, then try the next procedure.

Clear cache partition

Android uses a set of temporary files called system cache to load apps. Sometimes, this cache gets corrupted, which can then lead to performance issues and other problems. To check if your device has a system cache issue, we suggest that you clear the cache partition. Here’s how:

1. From the Home screen, tap Settings.
2. Tap the General tab.
3. Tap Storage.
4. Tap Internal storage.
5. Wait for menu options to finish calculating.
6. Tap Free up space.
7. Tap Temporary files & raw files.
8. Select the following options:
   • Cached data
   • Clip tray temporary files
   • Raw files from camera
9. Tap Delete.
10. Tap DELETE.
11. Restart the device and check for the problem.

Observe on Safe Mode

Sometimes, a downloaded app interfere with Android or with other apps. This may be the reason why your device keeps shutting down on its own. To check if you have a bad app issue, try booting the device to safe mode.

1. With the screen on, press and hold the Power key.
2. In the options menu that displays, press and hold Power off.
3. When prompted to restart in Safe Mode, tap OK.
4. After your device restarts, it displays Safe mode at the bottom of the screen.
5. Observe the phone and check if the problem returns.

If your LG V40 ThinQ works fine on safe mode but returns to its erratic state when booted to normal mode, that’s a sure sign of a bad app problem. To know which of your apps is the culprit, you want to use elimination method. Here’s how:

1. Boot your LG V40 ThinQ to safe mode.
2. Observe the phone and check for the problem.
3. If your LG V40 ThinQ won’t reboot on its own, that’s an indication that you have a bad app problem.
4. Uninstall an app that you think may be causing the problem.
5. After you uninstall an app, restart the phone to normal mode and check for the problem (observe the phone again).
6. If phone is still not working properly, repeat steps 1-5.

Check for overheating

Smartphones are designed to restart when a certain level of internal temperature is reached. In other words, overheating can occur if your phone gets too warm. Have you noticed your LG V40 ThinQ getting uncomfortably warm before your phone restart on its own? If it does, then something must be causing it to overheat.

Overheating in this case is not the problem. You must find out what is causing the device to overheat if you want to get to the bottom of the issue. As a general tip, you can take note of the particular action that you’re doing. For instance, if your phone freezes, overheats and reboots while playing a game, that app might be the reason for the problem. Try to delete it from the system and check what happens.

Factory reset

You want to wipe the device thru factory reset if none of the solutions above hasn’t helped. Make sure to back your personal data up ahead of time to avoid losing them. Factory reset will bring your device back to its default settings and delete all your files and data that are saved in your device’s internal memory. Follow the steps below on how to factory reset your device.

1. Back up all data on the internal memory before performing a master reset.
2. Turn off the device.
3. Press and hold the Power and Volume down buttons.
4. When the LG logo appears, quickly release and then re-hold the Power button while continuing to hold the Volume down button.
5. When the ‘Delete all user data (including LG and carrier apps) and reset all settings’ message appears, use the Volume down button to highlight Yes.
6. Press the Power button to reset the device.

Workaround: install antivirus

In some cases, freezing and random reboot issues may be caused by malware or viruses. To minimize the chances of your LG V40 ThinQ from being infected by viruses, which can sometimes lead to random reboot problems, always ensure that you have a good antivirus app installed. While not 100% effective in preventing virus infection, it’s better having them than not at all. Just make sure to only install one antivirus app only. When it comes to these types of apps, having more than one is not a good idea.

Workaround: calibrate battery

Sometimes, Android may lose track of the actual battery levels. To recalibrate the operating system so that it gets accurate battery level readings, do the following:

1. Drain the battery completely. This means using your device until it powers down by its own and the battery level reads 0%.
   
2. Charge the phone until it reaches 100%. Be sure to use original charging equipment for your device and let it charge up completely. Do not unplug your device for at least two more hours and also don’t use it while charging.
3. After the elapsed time, unplug your device.
4. Restart the device.
5. Use your phone until it completely runs out of power again.
6. Repeat steps 1-5.

 

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