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Droid R2D2 OTA Update deleted texts, and made phone unusable.

Well, I have a Droid R2D2, and yesterday morning I received a notice that there was a system update available to download.

Before downloading, I went online and looked up exactly what the update contained. Basically it was to update my phone from Android 2.2 to Android 2.3.3. I found all this information here: http://support.vzw.com/system_update/droidr2d2.html

I went on to look more deeply into the features and changes that would be brought about, and decided I didn't really need the update, however my phone decided it DID need the update, and continued to pester me about it, something I never signed up for.

I caved and installed the update to free myself from the nagging, in the update instructions I was told the update would make my phone completely unusable for a period of 5-10 minutes while it installed. I patiently waited and when my phone restarted everything seemed okay momentarily.

The problem began as I noted that my phone was fairly unresponsive and immediately after starting ANY messaging application (Stock, Handcent, or GO Sms) my phone would lock up, take no input, and eventually reset on its own.

I noticed after about the 3rd reset that my message counters were slowly diminishing, a ~3000 message conversation was now down to ~2800. Wondering why my messages were being erased which is a BIG problem, I looked into the settings of the stock messaging app. Before this update, there was an option to turn off the message limit, now there is no option and the maximum is 1000. So now my phone will only hold 1000 texts per conversation, and is trying to delete anything above that.

Because ALL android phones delete messages VERY slowly and it takes up the entirety of the phones resources to do so, my phone continued to delete messages without my permission, and when the load on the CPU became too much for the phone to handle it would restart as a failsafe to prevent damage from running the CPU at a high speed for extremely prolonged periods of time. I had well over 100,000 messages which it's trying to get down to about 20,000 (because I have ~20 conversations multiplied by the now 1000 message limit).

This entire process has made for screwing me over in 3 ways.

Firstly, I have lost 80% of my messages which I doubt Verizon can ever remedy. Because my phone is used 95% for messaging, I just lost over 75% of my phones data.

Second, my phone was unusable for the entire time it was trying to delete messages, and resetting. ~9 hours. Not even close to the 5-10 minutes in the aforementioned update notes.

Way 2.5, my phone has been put under considerable stress for ~9 hours, and who can tell what effects this will have in the short/long term overall health of my device.

Third, I now cannot send or receive messages to/from anyone without my phone deleting a message to keep it in the 1000 threshold, making me lose more and more data as time goes on.

So what now? What sort of atonement can I attain for this disastrous "update" verizon has thrust upon me?

Is there a way to remove the 1000 message cap? (Possibly "downgrade" my device?)

Is there a way to recover lost messages?

Is there a way to ensure that no damage was done while my CPU whirled away throwing out data?

What reparations should I expect from Verizon?

Comments

TheWolfLoki

Come on Verizon, no reply to this?

Can't you answer ANY of these questions?

friedenswind

hello,

i am having the same issues with the slowness after the upgrade, even though i dont use much SMS, i use whatsapp a lot, but i do not see any options about messages limit (as you say)

my phone is now almost useless, and if i get lucky its extremly slow.

unknown

If you are having issues with the phone being slow, I always recommend a master reset if you've already tried pulling out the battery. If the phone freezes in a specific application for example the dialer, you can try clearing the cache/data of the application that the phone is locking in. To do this, you would need to go to settings> applications> manage applications> (possibly All at the top)> select desired app> clear data> clear cache> force stop. After doing so, reboot the phone with either a power cycle or battery pull. If that doesn't work, I recommend a master reset (steps here).

As far as the text message limit, that is something that the software on Gingerbread mandates. Verizon Wireless does NOT develop the software Google/Motorola Mobility does. The standards are set across the board. So for example, I have a Motorola Droid Bionic, and I cannot increase the text messaging limit to over 1000. This is was likely to prevent freeze ups, lock-ups, and memory clogs from people forgetting to erase their text messages. 100,000 text messages is an incredible amount of text messages. If messaging is very important to you, there are apps out there that store texts to an SD card. There may be a third-party application that you can download in order to pursue your desired over 1000 text feature, but I can't recommend a specific one.

In regards to the update being "forced" on you, you have and Android OS. I'm not sure if you knew this prior to getting the device, but Android OS devices do have mandatory software updates. This is across the board on all Android phones.

I hope this gives you somewhat of an explanation on how things work on the wireless end, and what our role is in the whole process. If your next question is, "Well why did they limit the text messages?" That would be a question to be directed at Google or Motorola Mobility.

Thanks for posting,

TheWolfLoki

The problem isn't that my phone is slow now, the problem is that my phone was unusable for basically the entire day. Not the 5-10 minutes VERIZON said is would be unusable for.

I know that Google develops Android, but Verizon is the one who supplies me with it.

In another scenario, let's say I have cookies recurringly shipped to me by a company, not the company that makes the cookies, but a company specializing in supplying baked goods to people at home. One of the reasons I buy and eat this specific brand of cookie, is because it is touted for the lack of any peanut products.

I am allergic to peanuts, not everyone who buys these cookies are, but I am.

If the recipe is changed to include peanuts, I feel it is the responsibility of the merchant to tell me so, because that change directly affects me.

Instead I was given a note saying "The cookies are better tasting than ever".

Sure for most people the cookies are better now, but for those like me who are allergic to peanuts (have over 1000 messages per thread), it's a change that must be noted to avoid grave consequences.

Verizon told me about ~13 "Enhancements". Failing to mention any drawbacks or possible situations that may arise.

As the entity who sold me my phone and service, and the only company I deal with, why isn't Verizon telling me what they're putting on my phone? Google didn't send out this update, Verizon did.

If you are familiar with the early Android 1.5 OS hotfix that was sent out by Rogers Wireless in Canada, you'll know that their update did have enhancements but also caused some serious pains to some of their customers, customers who didn't even need the update. The biggest pain was data was cut off for ~24 hours. As compensation to ALL their customers they provided one month of free data.

This was 4 months after the carrier began so supply Android and Android Phones. They didn't know the OS very well.

Verizon has been supplying users with Android for over two years now, and this is how it's handled? Telling me it's Google's fault? For shame. You're the ones getting paid to provide me with a service, not Google.

km80

Well at least you're not alone. Not only do I have the same problem with texting, but my phone likes to randomly restart itself. Which is just super when I'm in the middle of a conversation, either texting or talking.

Worst "feature" ever!

I find I end up doing a factory reset of my phone every two weeks. Talk about a pain in the butt.Can't wait for a discount upgrade so i can drop kick this phone into the ocean.

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