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Moto Z Force freezing/shutting down and deleting pictures via text

I have a Moto Z Force Droid. Android Version 7.1.1 w/ 9/1/17 security patch. My phone freezes and goes blank. This started several months ago and has now become more frequent and happens almost daily. It freezes to the point where it cannot be turned back on, even holding down the power button for 10 seconds. Sometimes it freezes on an active screen and other times it just appears with a black screen, like it is powered off. In both instances holding down power does not reset it. I just have to wait until it turns back on. Sometimes it will pick up on the screen where it froze, even from a black screen, sometimes it restarts. This has happened when I am using the phone on a phone call or searching for something and has happened when the phone is not in use at all. The phone has never felt like it was overheating. It happens when it is not plugged into a charger, but it has always been between 75%-90% charged. My phone has also started deleting pictures that have been sent to me via text. The rest of the text messages appear, but the pictures are missing. Usually with a blank/empty text frame. This can happen a couple of days after the text was sent or longer. This is becoming a major problem, as I often work remote and need a dependable phone.

Comments

stef7

Did you perform some update or apply a patch to the phone that came over the air (OTA)?

It's possible, your phone needs to have a "Factory Data Reset" (FDR) performed on it to restore proper operation. Sometimes, an OTA will take without any intervention on your part, but sometimes, an OTA does not work quite right. In many years using Android and taking OTAs on a range of phones and Android versions, perhaps 7/10 times, I never had to do a thing post-update. Those other three times? I had to do an FDR.

In fact, there are Android users that defer OTAs, perform an FDR, take the OTA, then perform another FDR after the update. They are the ones that generally have no flaky issues following an update.

First thing I would do? I'd back up my personal content I couldn't live without. Pictures? Videos? Downloaded Content? Maybe I'd forward important emails to another account. I'd write down what apps I might need to re-install from the Playstore. I'd write down my important email addresses and passwords... all on a sheet of paper.

Then I'd power down the phone. I'd remove any SD card that I had to keep it's contents safe. I'd Google my device and look how to perform a System Cache Wipe if that's possible. I'd power down and back up again. Did proper operation return?

If not, I'd perform the more invasive FDR... Did proper operation return? I would then start re-adding applications slowly over time to see if the bad behavior returned. If it did not, I'd be good to go. If it did return, I'd consider the app I just installed to be possible culprit and I wouldn't use it.

Now post FDR, if my device was still flaky, I'd contact the manufacturer support, and I'd see if the manufacturer had a means to re-install the OTA using a special program and the file they suggested I use.

If that didn't work - I'd look at replacing the device, hopefully under warranty.

That's what I would do. YMMV.

Ann154

stef7 wrote:
In fact, there are Android users that defer OTAs, perform an FDR, take the OTA, then perform another FDR after the update. They are the ones that generally have no flaky issues following an update.

And there are other users who don't do anything except to install the update and have no problems.

stef7

Right = I have done this probably 70% of the time and been just fine. However, I've been bitten the rest of the time and resorted to performing an FDR.

It is simply a challenge with the range of Android applications and potential customizations, to program an update to work perfectly on every environment it is deployed to. I think things are specially tricky when the update provides new features and settings that do not map to old ones.

The iOS platform is much more controlled, and I think even there, updates do not always install without some group of users being negatively affected.

Verizon_Support

Wjtdt3, a phone that remains on is absolutely necessary in order to get things done. We are sorry to hear that you are experiencing these issues. As we do value your time, what steps have you already attempted? Do you recall adding anything new like a game, app or software around the time that this began?

LorenB_VZW

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