Random restarts with Note 4 with ALL Android 6.x updates

My note 4 ran wonderfully before the Marshmallow/6.x update but has been a nightmare ever since. I have experienced unexplained reboots several times per week. I have also experienced worse battery life and the screen sometimes getting stuck and not auto-rotating. The Marshmallow 6.0.2 upgrade is awful and has ruined my phone. I have all the latest updates installed and I purchased a new battery since that was one of the solutions I saw posted elsewhere and it has not helped at all. I often reach in my pocket to take out my phone to find it has rebooted for no reason.

To the Verizon support team please help me resolve this issue, though the hardware is Samsung, Verizon is ultimately responsible for rolling out the software update that caused these issues. I have no wish to upgrade my device, I just want it to work well like it did before all the Android 6.x updates. VERIZON please help!!!

Accepted answers

Dwillian

I was having similar problems with lag, freeze, random reboots. I reflashed the phone's firmware using Verizon's Software Upgrade/Repair tool, but that did not fix the problem. I took it to the Samsung Experience center at my local Best Buy and the Samsung representative did a "deep factory reimage" and that did not fix the phone. I also bought a brand new Anker replacement battery, but that did not fix the problem.

Finally, in desperation, I contacted Samsung support (at 1-800-SAMSUNG) and they said there was probably a hardware issue and it needed to be sent in for diagnosis and repair. They sent me a UPS label (after putting a hold on my credit card for $70.31). I sent the phone in and I just now received a message that the phone had been fixed. Their note said the solution was as follows: REPLACED PBA - REPLACED COMPONENT - REPLACED LCD - REPLACED COSMETIC. I'm not really sure what all that means, but it sounds like there was more than one hardware issue with my phone.

I'm supposed to receive the repaired phone in two days (on 4/20/2017). I will post back to let everyone know if they truly fixed the phone. If they did then I will be ecstatic that Samsung was willing to repair a 2 year 3 month old phone that is long past the end of warranty for only $70.31.

All comments

tikibar1

Have you tried a system cache clear?

How to clear the system cache for the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 – Android Forum - AndroidPIT

GREMCS30

Thanks for the suggestion, I tried this but no luck, Hvae had at least 4 random restarts since I did the system cache clear.

bethsheartsong

i have also done this plus a few other little battery saving tweaks. I turn off my fully charged NOTE 4 for 36 hours and it won't start up, just begins the endless cycle of restarting. If there's enough power to keep restarting for 10 -15 minutes, why can't it just STAY on for a few minutes so I can look under the hood to see what has sucked the life out of it.

Or, is this just a poor battery design that failed after only 18 months of use. Usually I can keep phones for 3 years or more with minimal battery degradation. Maybe the "super" battery charger is hard on the device?

DELRIO38

I'm experiencing the same issue with my note 4 after it did some kind of software update around 4 months ago. From what I've read some say its a software update that caused it or a hardware issue. The cpu motherboard is not waking up or overheating and it hangs and then the phone restarts. I recommend you go to the app store and get the wake lock app by darken and set it to partial wakelock until verizon or Samsung fix this issue. It will minimize the number of times it restarts but it will drain your battery a lot of quicker. I'm waiting on this issue getting fixed asap!

Verizon_Support

We understand the important of having a working phone Delrio38. Having a phone that restarts itself can be very frustrating. When did you start experiencing issues with your device? Has there been any changes to the device when this started? What software version do you have? For directions on how to view the software version on your device click, http://vz.to/2mvOxZn

Thank You,

MichelleS_VZW
Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport
If my response answered your question please click the �Correct Answer� button under my response. This ensures others can benefit from our conversation. Thanks in advance for your help with this!!

GREMCS30

Michelle, I am the original poster of the problem in this thread. I continue to experience the problem as posted. To answer your questions:

1. I started experiencing the issue almost immediately after upgrade to android 6.0.1 in early 2016. Before that I never had a random crash and battery performance was significantly better.

2. The change that started the issue was the install of Android 6.0.1

3. I have android 6.0.1 with security patch level for Feb 2017

I have been living with this issue for about a year now. I wish someone from verizon would take ownership of this issue. I have seen this issue or similar reported in many places including this forum.

diagoro

Completely agree with OP. Another MAJOR issue my phone has had since the noted updates.

I recently started using my Samsung Gear Fit 2 again. Nothing like setting it to work before a workout......only to come back 90 minutes later and notice that my phone rebooted and never recorded a second of workout data.

Or waking up at 5am to find that the phone rebooted sometime overnight. The screen was on all night, on the log in screen, and the batter is at 20%!

Guess we'll get the same answers as I did with my prior discussion. Either buy insurance and get covered, or "sorry, there's nothing we can do since you're out of warranty". How about the option to deny these updates if I'm out of warranty??? Either that, or properly vet your software, and stop blaming Samsung/blaming Verizon, just fess up and take care of your customers!!!!

Dwillian

I received my repaired phone about 1 week ago. The phone looks and works like new. Samsung replaced the motherboard, the home button, the LCD screen, another printed circuit board (not sure what it does), the mid-frame, and the mid-frame surround (due to some cosmetic damage around the USB charging port). All of these repairs were done by Samsung for only $70.31. This is excellent customer service for a 2+ year old phone that is long out of warranty.

If you are having problems with lag, freeze, overheating, random reboots and nothing you've tried has fixed the problem (i.e., clear cache, factory reset, reflash current or earlier firmware, replace battery) then you likely have a hardware problem. I would highly recommend you contact Samsung Customer Service at 1-800-SAMSUNG. Apparently Samsung resumed fixing out-of-warranty phones on 2/1/2017 (see Out of Warranty Repairs - Samsung Community - 65062 ).

diagoro

Awesome you got it fixed, but there's no way this many people have the same issues after a basic software update. More than likely Samsung did some work on your specific phone to remove a software issue, along with the hardware fixed. Perhaps there's a conflict that they could only fix that way.

Regardless, who here can afford to be without their phones for a few weeks (much less a day), along with having to 'pay to fix their errors'!

Dwillian

I hear what you are saying, but the problems have been appearing over the past 6-12 months. So, maybe it's caused by a software update, maybe it's due to low quality hardware, maybe it's Samsung's fault, maybe it isn't. I don't see how it will ever be resolved who is ultimately at fault or who should pay. Perhaps this is why Samsung is fixing the Note 4 for so little money (IMHO). I suspect it cost far more than they charged me to fix my phone.

Regardless, spending $70 to get my phone repaired to like new condition (both hardware and software) is far cheaper than buying a new phone for $700-$800. The Note 4 is still a great phone even by today's standards. Granted it was hard to be without my phone for 10 days (in my case). Fortunately I had my old Motorola Droid Razr Maxx that I could use in the interim (totally inadequate by today's standards, but it got me through). Perhaps someone you know has an old Smartphone laying around that you could use for a few days.

JohnE_1

I have a Note 4 which was working fine until Android 6 was pushed to it. Since then I have had random reboots and locking up. I did a factory reset thinking that would fix the problem but it didn't. I'm beginning to think Android 6 is a ploy by Verizon to force people to upgrade their phones.