KitKat Upgrade is horrible for Droid RAZR Maxx HD - Major issues - Horrible testing

[gvfisherjr]

If anyone can read this before accepting the update...DONT DO IT!!!!  There are a lot of issues especially with the RAZR Maxx HD.

You lose SWYPE, they get rid of it. You lose your personalized dictionary.

You lose the capability of auto Bluetooth. I used to be able to just get in my truck and it would auto connect.  NOW everything is manual.  It keeps dropping the connect and I have to keep connecting.  This is absolutely horrible upgrade.

If I am listening to an app through Bluetooth and receive a phone call, it will switch.  After about 60 seconds, the call is still connected, yet the phone starts broadcasting the app as well as the phone call, it drowns out the phone conversation.  I have to close the app or stop the broadcasting of the app.  It will no longer keep it in the background.

The text messaging is now all with a white background, you can't tell the difference between you and the person you're texting.

I'm trying to figure out how Motorola and Verizon could think this is a good thing!!!

[rastagard]

I really hate to be "that guy" (the guy who responds to someone having issues with "I'm not having problems") but I was on the fence about this update and I feel I need to address this update.

Yes, you lose Swype. Download and install it.

Yes, the new Text Messaging is horrible to the point of being un-usable. Plenty of really good free ones to choose from.
Yes, Bluetooth is giving some people problems. This is a serious issue. I have a LG Tone headset that I couldn't get to connect. I just had to un-pair then re-pair it and all is well. Your experience may/will vary. You should take this issue very seriously as many people have had Bluetooth/ WiFi issues. Mine were minor and easily fixable.

You must CYA before doing any update of this magnitude. Contacts, apps, pictures, music, etc. is probably all backed up if you have a Google account, but back everything up elsewhere just in case.

Now, the one and only thing I was concerned about with my brand spanking new Droid RAZR Maxx HD was the abysmal battery life. I bought this thing thinking I was getting a long battery life and instead had a quick and steady discharge that brought me to my knees shortly after lunch. Totally unacceptable.

This update improved my battery life. Not a little bit, but hugely. I now go all day and get home with a 50% charge left. There are a few things I like about KitKat, but mostly the battery life. As I say, I have had minimal issues, not that others haven't had problems. I've been there myself and feared the worst before pulling the trigger on this update. But I'm very happy I did.

I know this doesn't help the OP and the last thing I want to do is trivialize the issues they are having. But if you can live without built-in Swype, Text Message app, those are easy fixes. The Bluetooth/WiFi issues are more of a crap-shoot. Take them serious, but I was ready to get a new phone due to the battery issue, so I took a chance and have no regrets.

[navytestpilot]

I have also found that with KK on my Razr Maxx HD that Google Play Music stutters quite often, battery life has been reduced, spotty group texts, numerous Force Closes on apps I never had problems on, and, although minor in the big scheme, I am missing my toggle switch for the ringer on the lock screen!  All-in-all I despise this os upgrade and wish I could go back.  For all the iPhone bashing I have done in the past....I might just have to move over to Apple.

[Gemini0526]

Hi...I appreciate your post, and wanted to know if you are still happy you upgraded to KitKat?  I know everyone's situation will be different but I am thinking about upgrading. Any new issues with the phone?  I am very interested in getting longer batter time (if hopefully I have the same success, when/if I upgrade). Thanks

[Power10]

Don't touch the upgrade unless you want to destroy your phone. It's toxic

[abalentine1]

You will not get more battery life with the upgrade, you will get less.

In my opinion the upgrade is not worth it and if I could roll it back I would without thinking twice. The minor speed that you get from the upgrade is not worth the other issues that come from the upgrade. Ever since Kit Kat was forced upon my phone I hate my phone, my frustration with it is more than I can put into words on this forum.

Issues that are not resolved:

Shortened battery life- can no longer go an entire day on a single charge.

Cannot use Wi-Fi and bluetooth at same time- Wi-Fi will stop working and go to using phone data plan with no warning.

You will lose Swype- Google keyboard is similar but it is not the same. If you want Swype back on the phone you will have to pay for it from the Play Store.

Weaker Signal- you will lose signal stregth- I have gone from a full 4G connection to low 4G or even 1X, same with Wi-Fi- I use to be able to go more than 50ft now I cannot go more than 20ft

Corp Sync- if you have Corporate Sync then you will have to delete your sync and reinstall- there is no way to avoid this.

Text Messaging- There is no longer a way to select and delete multiple messages, you have to delete messages either one at a time or delete the entire conversation. The outgoing and incoming text are all the same color so you cannot tell which messages you sent vs the incoming.

Color scheme- its white everything is all white boring white.

[CindyBird]

hi!

No, I'm not happy I upgraded. I had to download an app for the keyboard and

my LED light doesn't work for notifications. There's no way to go back

after you've installed.

[stef7]

+1 on un-pairing and repairing. Should help with the BT issues in the car.

You might want to backup all your personal content (photos, movies, music, downloaded files), make notes to where you've placed icons, and what your email settings are, perhaps export or copy down important calendar and contact information, and perform a Factory Data Reset on your device.

It shouldn't take that long to get your device back to a state following an FDR where you can use it again easily, but it will take a little effort.

Often an upgrade will leave some apps in a bad state because of uninitiated memory. Too much variation out there as to what people have loaded on their devices and how they use their devices. An FDR resets the device to a state more like how it would have come out of the box, but with the new OS in place.

Hope that helps.

[abalentine1]

I am having the same issues, been thru tech support with my office, Verizon and Motorola. Nothing has been done to correct it. First off I never wanted the update, why is this update forced upon the users that do not want it. Every app that I have downloaded I have the option to either update or not, but not the phone that I PAID for. I PAID for the phone in its original state mainly due to the way it performed. I would NOT have PAID for a phone with the KIT KAT software. My Son was able to shut down his update and avoid the KitKat update on the exact model phone I have, and is experiencing none of these issues.

Some of my issues are:

Swype- I purchased my phone with the Swype feature on it, KitKat stole that from me. I will not purchase the Swype from Google Play as I have already paid for it.

Text messaging- Color scheme is abysmal to say the least, lost the ability for deleting multiple messages, cannot see group messages.

Wifi/Bluetooth- Cannot be used at the same time, have to chose one or the other, so no streaming video on wifi with bluetooth headphones

Weak Wifi- Signal strength has gotten horrific- Use to be able to sit outside and connect to Wifi- now only have 15 ft range- could get almost 50ft prior to update- sons Droid Razr HD still can with JellyBean

No 4g- I have always had 4 bars of 4g in my house- now I only get 3g or the 1X- Sons JellyBean phone sitting next to mine has 4g, mine will not

Loss of Wifi and bluetooth- All of my Wifi and bluetooth saved connections are gone and on some cannot connect- Can no longer connect to the hands free in my truck.

Loss of LED scheme- Again with the white- my LED light for notifications use to be a green light, blue for bluetooth, red for low battery, now it’s all white.

Corp Sync- Email notifications are no longer being pushed thru- I now have to manually check email messages, no longer coming up on the drop down screen and no notifications.

Battery Life- Battery now is depleting at a tremendous rate- I have force stopped and deactivated all programs that I do not use but because the phone seems to always be looking for signal it is eating up battery life.

I mainly use my phone for business and not for play; This KitKat update has really hurt my ability to communicate using my phone. I understand that the update will not be rolled back but I do hope that there is a patch that is coming out soon, as when I read up on the different forums everywhere there are thousands of us with the same issues.

My son and I have the same Droid Razr HD, He was able to avoid the update his phone works better than mine, true my screen may slide over a little smoother and it may play video a little more clearly (if it’s not buffering) but there is absolutely nothing that benefits me or my family on a FORCED, UNSOLICITED, UNWANTED update. If you want to update fine, but do not change my settings, or remove any of my features in the update. 

[user15]

I am having most of the same issues on my Razr Maxx HD since the KitKat update, including (but probably not limited to):

• Can't clear read text messages as easily
• Can't delete multiple text messages
• No quick select by letter in contacts list (quickly go to all the "M" names etc)
• Can no longer dial by voice or look up a contact from the phone dial pad menu (microphone icon gone)
• Can no longer text by voice from the text menu (microphone icon is gone)
• variable color LED indicator for alerts - only white?
• Corp email synch error
• Sound level - not as loud for phone calls
• Bluetooth device connection problems

I called customer support and was at least able to fix one of the above (Bluetooth). I had to do the following to fix the Bluetooth connections:

• Soft reset (hold power button and volume down buttons at the same time for roughly 10 seconds until device appears to shut off, then release both buttons). This is basically the same as taking the battery out on phones that have a removable battery. This does not erase your settings or data etc.
• Un-pair and re-pair each device.

I am now able to connect to and transmit/receive data to each of my Bluetooth devices.

The other problems I was told were due to Google's changes to Android and they couldn't do anything about them. In cases where a function has been lost a free app should be available to replace that function (ie in the case of SWYPE etc others mentioned). Not sure if a better text reader exists or other solutions to the other problems. Hopefully enough people will complain and an interim update will get released that resolves some of these other issues.

[uniqd]

I am getting:

*  low volume...ringing, during calls, alarms, message alerts etc.

*  a popup every fifteen seconds  stating "Unfortunately,messaging has stopped"  and another stating "Unfortunately, Google search has stopped"

*  alarms fail to go off at appointed times.

*  battery life has gone down drastically.  I could go a day and a half without a charge and now I'm looking for a plug in by lunch. 

*  Also the keyboard is hypersensitive, adding in spaces I didn't type, putting periods between every word, doubling or tripling letters.  It took me twenty minutes to type this because of making corrections.

[vzw_customer_support]

Hi Uniqd,

Software updates are made to enhance the device! I am sorry to hear that this has not occured. Have your processed a soft reset on the device since the software update http://vz.to/1rgkrsJ ? Has there been any liquid or physical damage to the device? Place the device in safe mode to see if the pop ups, keyboard and battery life improve http://vz.to/1rgkFQy .

Thanks,
PamelaF_VZW
Tweet us @vzwsupport

[Power10]

I use the phone for business also  and have had major issues since the update.

Can't use Bluetooth and WiFi at the same time

4g reception is terrible and I normally had 4 bars indoors,  barely get 1 now.

Text messaging is painfully slow even after reset by vzw support. Messages occasionally don't go through at all.

sync of my corporate mail and Gmail  don't happen over cellular as messages are supposed to arrive.

The update was supposed to improve the phone,  not destroy the core functionally of the unit. All Verizon has suggested was to buy a new phone which is not a sensible solution.

I hope you can help because I'm not the only one here with an isolated  issue.  This is a failure across the board.

[vzw_customer_support]

@Power10

You are correct, software updates are intended to provide customers a better wireless experience, not worse.  I would love to assist you with your device issues.

Due to the size of the update, these types of device symptoms are common after a software update.  I recommend hard resetting your device http://vz.to/SUMj6m to allow it to load all of your applications and settings afresh.  Please let me know how the device responds after the reset.

AnthonyTa_VZW
Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

[Power10]

I've done hard reset and cleared the cache several times before.

It's not a problem of update gremlins but shoddy quality control or rather

the entire lack thereof.

By the way, someone better get back into the office and write a patch to

fix the no mic issue before someone needs to dial 911. Otherwise you'll

have attorneys and the FCC knocking at your door.

On Jul 7, 2014 10:39 AM, "Verizon Wireless Customer Support" <

[Ann154]

That would be the manufacturer that has the write the code not Verizon Wireless.

[Power10]

VZW needs to use their clout and get this resolved. It looks poorly on not

just the mfg, but the service provider as well and could be a bad image for

all parties involved if not addressed.

[abalentine1]

18 days, almost 3weeks, since I first posted and still no fix to the issues with KITKAT! I keep seeing the numerous issues with the KITKAT update and Motorola along with Verizon just keep closing their eyes to the issues.

Wifi/Bluetooth- Cannot be used at the same time, have to chose one or the other, so no streaming video on wifi with bluetooth headphones

Weak Wifi- Signal strength has gotten horrific- Use to be able to sit outside and connect to Wifi- now only have 15 ft range- could get almost 50ft prior to update- sons Droid Razr HD still can with JellyBean

No 4g- I have always had 4 bars of 4g in my house- now I only get 3g or the 1X- Sons JellyBean phone sitting next to mine has 4g, mine will not

Loss of Wifi and bluetooth- All of my Wifi and bluetooth saved connections are gone and on some cannot connect- Can no longer connect to the hands free in my truck.

Corp Sync- Corp sync has quit working completely- only a manual push will work. I have missed numerous meeting updates and emails due to the sync not working.This is critical for business users. I have arrived at my job location only to find out that a meeting had been moved to over 70 miles away, the email was sent the day prior, (needless to say I missed the meeting)!

I have performed: reboot- soft reboot; partition clean; remove and reinstall exchange account; and Factory Data Reset.

My I.T. guy in our corp. office says that I am not the only one- EVERY phone with the KITKAT update has similar issues, this is over 50 phones! That only the new phones that are loaded with KitKAT are working- less than 10. Now they are talking about making us switch to the I-Crap. Something needs to be done to fix the issues with KitKat.

[ua2377]

I too am experiencing MANY issues!

WiFi signal has gone to next to nothing (then switches to data plan..)

I can no longer take good video, it skips and jumps...

I can no longer watch videos cleanly...Netflix, personal videos, youtube, all jumpy

my 4g is in and out, goes to 3g...or just stops...

my phone restarts itself 4 or 5 times a day...

it locks up often...

I get a message box that states...sorry, amazon, or whatever other app. has stopped, 20 times a day...

I cannot attach pics to text all the time...

NONE OF THESE ISSUES WERE THERE THE HOUR BEFORE THE UPGRADE!!!

I spent lots of time with Verizon troubleshooting...no dice there...one guy even said that due to a crack on my phone, that's why these issues are there...please note, I cracked the top of the screen the third day I had this phone...no issues then, or for nearly the year since...no there is!

They directed me to Motorola...Motorola said its Verizon, but had me do the same steps as Verizon...Verizon then said, oh its googles issue.

I am stuck with this phone til I either PAY outright for a new one, or I get the contract redo discount in 14 months!!!

[Power10]

Exact same issues here.  Worst of all, can't use the mic on the handset without a Bluetooth headset.

God forbid I have to make a 911 call,  no one will hear me.

[mydroidsux]

omg. I woke up this am and had a big ass message, saying important updates, now my phone reminds me of the first flip phone I had 12 years ago, and im paying how much for this crap, refund, contract was broken, imo. totally sucks. how can I get my old version back, its this crapthat  makes me want to just get a lan line and answering machine . thx verizon ,, jerks