Display flashes, what's the fix?
Marm2005
Enthusiast - Level 1

At some point earlier this year, around March, I noticed the lower third of my Droid Maxx's screen flickers erratically in low light when the Active Display appears or disappears. Additionally, when its brightness control is set to auto in low light, portions of the screen flicker with the lower third of the screen appearing much brighter than the rest of the screen. Cursory searches turned up other Maxx users reporting similar issues, but there wasn't any consensus on the cause of the issue or solution proposed in any of the pages I pulled up. Disabling automatic brightness "resolved" the automatic brightness control issue, but is there a known solution for the Active Display flickering?

In brief:

  • Droid Maxx running KitKat version 4.4.4
  • Active Display causes flickering on the bottom third of the screen when it activates or deactivates
  • Automatic brightness settings in low light cause portions of the screen to flicker erratically and the bottom third of the screen remains at un-automated brightness levels
  • This is something other users have posted about experiencing
  • Is there a fix for the Active Display flickering?
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4 Replies
Tamarlyn
Enthusiast - Level 2

I am just curious is your phone RED?

I am having the same issue. Yet I notice every one here posted BEFORE February 2015. So this is an old issue.

My husband and I got a Droid Maxx in February 2015 in the same store on the same day. Yet my Maxx is having Active Display issues and his display is not. The only difference is his phone is BLACK and mine is RED.

I went to my Verizon store to troubleshot after some basic troubleshooting nothing worked. I backed my phone and did a factory reset...

WARING! DO NOT FACTORY RESET! IT MADE THE PROBLEM WORSE.

I did find other people with the same problem, https://forums.motorola.com/posts/e4505b5ad2?commentId=977599#977599  ... notice everyone there posted BEFORE February 2015. So this is an old issue.

I called Motorola and asked for a warranty return and repair. Motorola is not repairing the Maxx any longer. They are still warranty replacing them.

I told the agent that is not JUST my phone. That my husband's phone is not "flickering" and that we got "SDSTSS" that other then other then color. I gave this forum here on Verizon and the I have linked here. I told her that Google Play did not give me the option to contact the developer or "vote for the app and leave a comment about the app so I could give feed back. I wish they would just fix the software.I happen to love this phone I don't want to replace it.

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vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep

We regret to learn about the screen issues with your Droid Maxx. We know how important it is to have a fully functional device. We will be delighted to help get this resolved. Are there any app updates needed on the device? Any software updates needed? Have you tried to place the place in Safe Mode http://vz.to/1ARiqVv Please let us know these details. We will be await your reply. 
JuanD_VZW
Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport
If my response answered your question please click the ๏ฟฝCorrect Answer๏ฟฝ button under my response. This ensures others can benefit from our conversation. Thanks in advance for your help with this!!

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Tamarlyn
Enthusiast - Level 2

I got home from the Verizon store around 3:00 pm and around 3:30 I did a Factory Reset. After my Maxx finished the FR I let is "sit" still for an hour after I signed into my home WiFi, signed into my Google account, installed & set up Google Authenicator. I waited for my apps to auto update then I picked my phone, flipped it upside down so  the clock would come on. When the time display went off the screen began to flicker again. When the screen flickered again later that evening the line was larger. I then restarted my Maxx again in safe mode and the screen was still flickering.

I did not install any new apps until after 6:00 pm.  I waited the weekend out to let my phone slowly update and only run the bare minimum apps I "needed" over the weekend. I did however set my phone to update over WiFi only because our data was low. Three times it shutdown and restated on its own, something it done a few time since the flicking started.

All app listed below are set to auto update. (Gmail, Ingress Messaging and NFL Mobile and Email are now disabled. {as of yesterday afternoon see below})

Here is a list:

Armed Forces Bank 9-4

Authenticator 9-4

Chrome 9-4

Facebook 9-4

Inbox 9-5

Keep 9-5

Messenger (Google) 9-5

Messenger (Facebook) 9-4

My-Cast Weather 9-7

Overdrive 9-7

Wallet 9-6

I had hoped after the FR and letting everything update the flicking would stop but it did not...

I did find that many Verizon Droid Maxx users find that the problem only gets worse over time. (Android Central http://forums.androidcentral.com/moto-x-2013/422451-active-display-screen-flicker-4-4-4-a.html )

To my knowledge my phone has not been dropped (was put in  a Defender Otter Box out of the box at the Verizon store), exposed to water (I do not take it with me to the bathroom to shower) I try not to "plug and play" and very rarely do I let my kids play on my phone.

I called tech support yesterday Sept.7 and I am having my phone replaced under warranty.

I was pleased with the fact that I will be getting a replacement in the next day or two. Just very leery about "like new phones". I have not had good luck with then in the past.

(Not pleased that as customers we sign contract for new phone and something goes wrong and the we get a "like new phone" as a replacement.) May be it is just my phobia from another carrier and my experience with their "like new" phones.

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Marm2005
Enthusiast - Level 1

All the apps on the Droid Maxx in question are up to date and the phone still suffered from screen flickering in safe mode.

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