Sony Xperia Z1 Problems, Questions, Solutions and Answers [Part 1]

Every smartphone owner should have experienced a problem or two with their device. While some are techie enough to solve their own issues, many need help. That is why, we started posting articles like this to reach out and help.

This post will is the first part of our Sony Xperia Z1 Problems and Solutions series. It seeks to provide solutions to owners who are currently experiencing five of the most pressing problems in Xperia community. There are five problems cited in this post and solutions for each problem are also included. Take time to browse the post to see if your problem was addressed.

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Xperia Z1 freezes on startup

Problem: I have a new Sony Xperia Z1, which I received as a gift from a friend. I am not so sure what happened or what I did but I remember there was something like an update. I though it was okay because after that, I was able to continue using my phone for about a week. However, when it ran out of battery, it shut down and I recharged it. When I attempted to boot it up, it displays the Sony logo and stays there for eternity. I tried waiting for it for more than an hour but it didn’t get past the logo so I assumed it’s stuck. Why did this happen in the first place? The phone was just doing fine but the problem happened all of the sudden. Is there a fix for this or should I send the phone back and have it replaced?

Answer: If there was an update prior to this problem, then it could just a minor issue. But since you cannot boot up normally, you are stuck to doing two things: first, wiping the cache partition, which would delete stored data used by apps and other services and second, doing a full data wipe or Factory Reset.

The reason why wiping the cache partition goes first is because we are attempting to find out if the problem was with the data used by the Android system. With this, you don’t need to worry about your saved data or settings because they all will be left untouched. Here’s how wipe cache partition on the Sony Xperia Z1:

Wiping Cache Partition while device is off

  1. Press and hold the Power and Volume Up buttons.
  2. Wait for the phone to vibrate once, then release the keys.
  3. That’s it, the cache partition has been wiped out.
  4. You can now power the device on to see if it would.

In case wiping the cache partition won’t solve the problem, there’s no other option but to do a full data wipe. You will lose many, if not all, of your data including contacts, messages, customizations, etc…

Performing Factory Reset

  1. Press and hold the Power and Volume Up buttons.
  2. Wait for the phone to vibrate three times, then release the keys. Please note the phone will vibrate once but keep on holding to those keys until it vibrates three times.
  3. Now turn your phone on.

If all else fail, one option left for you is to install custom (third-party) ROM.

Xperia Z1 shuts down randomly

Problem: I am not a techie guy so I don’t know how to explain my problem. Just recently, I noticed that my phone, an Xperia Z1, started to manifest some lags and freezes. I though it was just okay and part of the system because I could continue using it normally despite some lags.  I was thinking the issue would soon go away but I was wrong; it even progressed. There was one instance while I was texting the phone just shut itself down. Prior to that though, I recharged the phone to its fill so I know it wasn’t power insufficiency. I turned it back on and it did so I thought it was just for once. But it happened again after several hours and it kept on happening that I’m so pissed I can throw it out anytime. Can you guys help me, please?

Answer: There are a lot of reasons why a Sony Xperia Z1 phone randomly shuts down or reboots. And since we do not know for sure what’s causing the problem in your phone, we need to narrow it down. Now, here is a short list of the possible causes:

  • Third-party app has gone rogue.
  • Default application or service not working properly.
  • There are some corrupt data that’s causing inconsistencies affecting normal operation.
  • Battery is defective.

For problems like this, third-party applications and services are the primary suspects. I mean, the phone was working properly when you bought it and you were able to use it without problems for months. That said, there’s a need for us to prove our claim.

Boot Xperia Z1 to Safe Mode

Booting the phone to Safe Mode means it will only run default applications and services. This is the best way to determine whether the cause of the problem was a third-party app or not. Here’s how:

  • While the phone is on, touch and hold the Power key.
  • Touch and hold the Power Off option.
  1. You will be presented with the Safe Mode prompt, tap OK.
  2. The phone will now boot to Safe Mode.
  3. Observe closely to see if it still shuts down.
  4. If not, then we are right about a third-party app that’s causing the problem.
  5. Uninstall the apps that you suspect to be causing the issue, start from the most recent installation.
  6. Always reboot the phone right after you uninstalled an app.

In case the phone still reboots even in Safe Mode, then we need to set our focus on default apps and services. These are the ones that came pre-installed on the phone. The problem is, you cannot uninstall them from the phone. So, the best way to do is wipe the cache partition first, then perform the factory reset.

Wiping Cache Partition while device is off

  1. Press and hold the Power and Volume Up buttons.
  2. Wait for the phone to vibrate once, then release the keys.
  3. That’s it, the cache partition has been wiped out.
  4. You can now power the device on to see if it would.

Performing Factory Reset

This procedure will delete all your data so you need to backup the ones you don’t want to lose. This is the hassle of performing a master reset.

  1. Backup up everything.
  2. From the Home screen, tap the Applications icon.
  3. Choose Settings and tap Personal.
  4. Tap Backup & Reset option.
  5. UNCHECK the Automatic Restore option.
  6. Now, under Personal Data tap Factory Data Reset.
  7. Tap Reset phone.
  8. Tap Erase everything to confirm your action.

Sound Enhancements crashing on Xperia Z1

Problem: I am not sure if it was because of the recent Android 4.3 update or the new version of Walkman but the Sound Enhancement keeps crashing on my Xperia Z1. When I go to Sound Enhancements > Settings, the message “Unfortunately, Sound Enhancements has stopped.” Do you guys have any idea how to address this issue? What do I need to do?

Answer: Many would say it was a bug because it started right after the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update but I would say it was a simple compatibility problem. The Sound Enhancements service data that stored in the phone just needed an update. It means the phone just needed to cache newer and fresh set of data for it to work normally again. But since the service is embedded on Xperia Z1’s core system, you can also do so by clearing the cache and data of the Walkman app. Here’s how:

  1. From the Home screen, tap on the Applications icon.
  2. Tap Settings.
  3. Now, scroll to and tap Device, then choose Apps.
  4. Swipe left or right to view All tab’s contents.
  5. Scroll to and tap Walkman.
  6. Tap Force Stop button first.
  7. Tap Clear Cache and Clear Data buttons.

Basically, the procedure above will solve this minor issue with Xperia Z1’s Sound Enhancements service. But in case it won’t, there’s another procedure you could–wiping the cache partition.

  1. While the Xperia Z1 is on, press and hold both the Power and Volume Up buttons.
  2. Keep on holding until the screen turns off and the phone to vibrate once.
  3. Release the keys once the screen turns off.
  4. Press the Power key to boot the phone back on. That’s it, the cache partition has already been wiped out.

Loudspeaker activated during calls

Problem: I have a very annoying problem with my Sony Xperia Z1, although it happened only recently. I’m not sure what the problem is or what I did wrong but starting about 3 days ago, all my phone calls went straight to the loudspeaker. I only use my phone for calls mainly, then I browse the web from time to time, interact with friends on Twitter and Facebook. The point is, it’s not overused and I don’t mess up with the settings. I have installed very few apps and  I think it’s not an app that’s causing this. Any advice you can would surely be appreciated. I love using the phone the old fashion way, i.e. holding it to my ear when taking a call, but doing so with the loudspeaker on is kinda stupid. Oh by the way, I have checked the settings and everything was perfect I think.

Answer: My first impression on this problem would tell me that an accessibility app has been installed and that’s causing the problem. What it is? I don’t know. I was expecting you would actually tell me about the “few apps” you installed. I don’t want to discredit you when you said it isn’t an app that’s causing this but for me, the root cause of this issue is a third-party application, though I can’t know for sure, can I?

My mind is open to other possibilities or causes but I will stick to what my instinct would tell me. So, for our first troubleshooting step, boot your Xperia Z1 to Safe Mode.

  1. While the phone is on, touch and hold the Power key.
  2. Touch and hold the Power Off option.
  3. You will be presented with the Safe Mode prompt, tap OK.
  4. The phone will now boot to Safe Mode.
  5. Using a different phone, call the number that’s attached to you Xperia Z1.
  6. Take the call to test if it still goes directly to loudspeaker.
  7. If not, then a third-party app caused the problem. You need to trace recently installed apps and uninstall them one after the other until the problem is solved.

In case the phone still goes to loudspeaker even in Safe Mode, there is a possibility that one of the core applications is causing the problem. The next thing you do is wipe the cache partition:

  1. While the Xperia Z1 is on, press and hold both the Power and Volume Up buttons.
  2. Keep on holding until the screen turns off and the phone to vibrate once.
  3. Release the keys once the screen turns off.
  4. Press the Power key to boot the phone back on. That’s it, the cache partition has already been wiped out.
  5. Try to call your number and see if it goes to loudspeaker.

If yes, then you need to have your phone undergo Sony’s Update Service process.

  1. Go to this page from your computer. [Link here]
  2. Download the software and install it.
  3. Follow on-screen instructions.
  4. Test if the problem still persists.

If the problem is still there after the process above, there’s no other option but to do a factory reset. But first, backup all your important data.

  1. Backup up everything.
  2. From the Home screen, tap the Applications icon.
  3. Choose Settings and tap Personal.
  4. Tap Backup & Reset option.
  5. UNCHECK the Automatic Restore option.
  6. Now, under Personal Data tap Factory Data Reset.
  7. Tap Reset phone.
  8. Tap Erase everything to confirm your action.

If all else fails, bring your phone to the nearest Sony Service Center and have it checked by an authorized technician.

Wi-Fi is unstable, playing local music

Problem: I am a teacher and a non-techie one. So, my problem is that I can’t get good signal (most of the time) from my WiFi network at home. This problem is already present when I bought my Xperia Z1 in January. The thing is, there are times when I can connect just fine and I’m getting strong WiFi signal. But most of the time I’m getting very weak signal to none. Needless to say my internet connection sucks, although my laptop can connect just fine. While I want to blame my new phone for this, I can’t because it already happened with my Galaxy S3, my phone prior to this one. If it can help, I have a Belkin router. Also, how can I play tracks from my phone’s SD card to minimize my mobile data bundle? Thanks for your help.

Answer: Interference. That’s the first thing that I thought of upon reading the first two sentences of your message. You must be living in a house full of interfering appliances, or your router was set to use a channel that easily be interrupted. While Wi-Fi issues are common to smartphones, there is no known Wi-Fi bug in Xperia Z1 as of this writing. My instinct would tell me there’s no problem with your phone but with your Wi-Fi network. Here’s what you need to do:

  1. In your laptop, launch a browser (Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, etc).
  2. In the address bar, type in 192.168.2.1 and hit the Enter key.
  3. You router’s (Belkin) web-based setup page will show on the screen.
  4. Click the Login link located on the upper-right corner of the page.
  5. Enter your password and hit Submit. If you can’t remember changing the default password, leave it blank.
  6. Find the Wireless section and click Channel and SSID link.
  7. Look for Wireless Channel section and choose between 1, 6 and 11.
  8. Click Apply Changes.
  9. Refresh your network by unplugging your router from the power source for at least a minute.
  10. At the same time, in your phone, switch off Wi-Fi and turn the phone off.
  11. Plug the router back and wait another minute to make sure the router has booted completely.
  12. Turn the phone back on and go to Wi-Fi settings and turn in on.
  13. Connect to your network.

I hope this procedure works for you. If not, please let us know through email.

About your other question, well, you can actually play tracks saved in your SD card by simply turning off Music Unlimited. Music tracks that were saved locally will be detected and added to the playlist when you turn Music Unlimited off.

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11 thoughts on “Sony Xperia Z1 Problems, Questions, Solutions and Answers [Part 1]”

  1. Re: Xperia z1 apps crushing & self restarting
    Hi i have the same problem, i’ve had a c6902 for almost 2 years now suddenly it freeze, xperia apps crushes and restarts, the phone overheats in this process, i think its a kill switch for old models. sad

    i manage to restart to factory setings but if i use a heavy app (game) it enter in this mode of crushing & self restarting, if i only use light apps it works fine sad.

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