help! after update, phone will not charge on USB cable (Droid Bionic)

[MizCue]

after the most recent update and numerous instances of "OMG why did they change that" I got a suggestion to set up a battery saver rule. I did that and then plugged in USB charger since battery was at 20%. It would NOT start charging and instead said it was being used as a mass storage device! Prior to this update I could choose whether to use the connection that way but it would still charge. Not now.  I turned off that rule and tried to charge it and again it did not show it as charging. Left it on USB charger overnight and phone is completely dead this morning. What's going on? Why did the option suddenly change to "use as mass storage device" when I did not select that, and would not let me select "charge only" the way it used to???  Plugged USB cable into electrical outlet using adapter and now it's charging.

[Ann154]

It should still charge while on a USB connection and in mass storage mode. Using the USB connection from a computer doesn't provide enough voltage to charge the phone properly especially at low battery like 20%.

[MizCue]

This is not a helpful answer.

I've always used the USB cable to charge my phone.

Last night, after the "update", I plugged it in as usual and it switched, on its own, to "mass storage". I did NOT select that in any way. I tried to find a way to set it back to "charge only" and that was not a choice! This menu has changed, along with lots of other things in this update, that to me are NOT improvements. What happened to that menu? Why did the choice get made that this was now connected for mass storage? Why didn't the cable continue to charge the phone (as you say it should) when I left it plugged in all night? It was dead in the morning so it did NOT charge while on the USB cable.

[Ann154]

The update for ICS (android 4.0) might change how the phone connects to a computer.  My Nexus running ICS connects to the computer very differently then my Tbolt running GB.

[demmo86rt]

Sounds like your charger port (or cable) has gone bad.

[jaymadd]

MizCue wrote:

This is not a helpful answer.

I've always used the USB cable to charge my phone.

Last night, after the "update", I plugged it in as usual and it switched, on its own, to "mass storage". I did NOT select that in any way. I tried to find a way to set it back to "charge only" and that was not a choice!  This menu has changed, along with lots of other things in this update, that to me are NOT improvements.  What happened to that menu? Why did the choice get made that this was now connected for mass storage? Why didn't the cable continue to charge the phone (as you say it should) when I left it plugged in all night? It was dead in the morning so it did NOT charge while on the USB cable.

to unselect mass storage go to :

settings ---. storage ---> menu button ---> "usb computer connection" will pop up select it there you can un select mass storage by selecting one of the other options

[tikibar1]

That option also pops up in the notification bar whenever you plug the phone in. 

And regardless of which of the three options you choose, it should still charge your phone.

I'd also wonder if maybe the charger port or charger has gone bad.

[supermother1962]

i just did the update last night also& have always used a  usb now it says mass storage& wont charge helpppppppppppppppp

[tikibar1]

The 'charge only' option is gone with the update, as reported earlier.  But it should still charge regardless which of the three options you choose.  Has your phone battery died enough that that's why it won't charge via your computer?  Have you tried charging by plugging into the wall and if so, did it charge?

[B33]

They Dropped the Charge only Option in I.C.S.)  But charging with a Computer is not really the Way to the Charge the Device the charger or block is what i call it that came with the Unit was Designed for the Phone as it Regulates the Correct power to your Phone. And with out it the phone doesn't get Charged Correctly)  And i know a little about power supplies as i operated a C.B Base Station for little over 20 years...

[tikibar1]

Yep, and if the phone is now completely dead, there's no way there's enough power coming from a computer to power the phone back up correctly. 

[B33]

I agree

[Avalanche88]

To charge the phone using a USB connection now, it cannot be in Mass Storage mode... select MTP instead (I have verified that this works... you can also try PTP which should also work, but I have not tested that option yet).

[tikibar1]

Avalanche88 wrote:

To charge the phone using a USB connection now, it cannot be in Mass Storage mode

That's incorrect; the phone will charge via USB connection whether it's selected to mass storage, MTP, or PTP

[Avalanche88]

Not after the ICS update... this was an issue reported on the Motorola forums. I even tried charging with USB Mass Storage selected, but it will not charge. I have to select a different option to get the phone to charge. Perhaps this is a bug, and SOME phones will charge in USB Mass Storage mode, but if you're like many others, and it won't charge in that mode, select a different mode.

[tikibar1]

Maybe it is a bug that only, unfortunately, affects certain phones.  I have no problem at all charging my phone via USB Mass Storage ... it did it the past two days and is doing it as I type this.

[mark38090]

My phone charges fine in mass storage mode.

[MizCue]

thanks to everyone who replied... I'd like to repeat that the problem started when I plugged in the usb cable to charge the phone and it would not charge. Then the notification pulldown said it was in mass storage mode, and there was no option to "charge only" which I would normally see. I switched to AC power and the phone appeared to be charging. Left it overnight and it was dead the next morning, not charged.  Brought the cable to Verizon store and they tested it and said the cable was bad.

So it was not related to update after all.

However, I bought a replacement cable that's "universal" and it charges OK but will not show me any options for data transfer! In other words, the icon for USB connection does not appear in the notifications bar.  I've seen some posts about this issue with Bionic and now have to bring the cable back to the store and try and get an "original" cable made for this phone. What a pain!!

[tikibar1]

MizCue wrote:

However, I bought a replacement cable that's "universal" and it charges OK but will not show me any options for data transfer! In other words, the icon for USB connection does not appear in the notifications bar.  I've seen some posts about this issue with Bionic and now have to bring the cable back to the store and try and get an "original" cable made for this phone. What a pain!!

Yep, those universal cables and Motorola phones don't go together, unfortunately.  You can charge with them, but not use them for data transfer.  You're on the right track, though ... you need an OEM Motorola cable ,,, hopefully that'll take care of everything.  Good luck!

[metfan122164]

What of the reverse? After the 4.0.4 update, when I plug in thru the USB on my computer, all I get is "charging"; no options for drive F or so forth (and my PC is not recognizing the phone). I checked Q&A's at Verizon,l and it give a really nicely detailed remedy; unfortunately the first step is to open menu, and choose "notifications" (illustrating an earlier version of the Droid Bionic)... When I hit the menu button, I only have options for "Wallpaper", "Manage Apps" or "System Settings"... No "notifications".... Can anyone steer me in the right direction?

[tikibar1]

When you plug your phone into the PC, you should get a notification in your notification bar at the top of the phone.  Slide it down to reveal the notifications.  You should have three options; all three should charge your phone while plugged in.  Choose 'mass storage' and see if the PC will then load any drivers it may need and then pull up the phone's info.