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Common LG G4 problems and how to fix them

lg g4 vs nexus 6 comparison 19
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The LG G4 is a great phone, but like any complicated bit of gadgetry it can encounter issues, weird bugs or performance problems. Never fear, though: AndroidPIT has the solutions. Here are some common LG G4 problems and how to fix them.

lg g4 back seven
Great phone, great camera. But the G4 isn't immune to the odd problem.  / © ANDROIDPIT

LG G4 problem: the touchscreen isn’t responding

You’re not imagining this one: LG’s head of US marketing tweeted advice to users, telling them to update the LG keyboard in Settings > General > About Phone > Update Center > App Update. That’ll only fix problems if you’re experiencing them in the LG keyboard, of course.

It sounds basic, but screen protectors can often be the issue: if your protector is fairly thick or hasn’t been applied well, it can make your touchscreen feel much less responsible.

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The G4's screen is pin-sharp, but some users report touchscreen responsiveness issues.  / © ANDROIDPIT

LG G4 problem: it’s slow and laggy

There’s no reason why the G4 should suffer from performance problems: it’s virtually brand new and packed with power. We’d recommend starting with your apps: download and install Greenify to see what apps are running on your G4. You might be surprised by what’s going on without you noticing.

It’s also worth trying Developer Options (go into Settings > General > About Phone > Software Info and tap Build Number seven times) and then setting Window Animation Scale, Transition Animation Scale and Animator Duration Scale to zero or to 0.5x to speed up the interface.

LG G4 1 30
Is your G4 running slow? We're here to help. / © ANDROIDPIT

Some users report improvements after turning off Dual Window and other LG goodies in Settings > General, while others reckon it’s the launcher. A third party launcher such as Nova Launcher may solve your woes. If all else fails, a factory reset should put your phone back to factory-fresh condition. Make sure you’ve got a backup of anything important and then hit Settings > Backup and Reset > Factory Data Reset.

It’s worth mentioning that these fixes only apply to touchscreens with intermittent issues. If the problem is consistent across the entire screen, you may have a hardware fault.

lg g4 android lollipop
Lollipop should run smoothly on the LG. If not, a misbehaving app could be to blame. / © ANDROIDPIT

LG G4 problem: Green LED flashing with no notification

In a classic case of 'the lights are on but nobody’s home', some G4s are apparently flashing the green LED light all the time, but for no reason. You could disable it completely (in Settings > Sound and Notification), but before you do that, it’s worth disabling the alarm in Clock, turning the screen off and checking the LED is off too. If it is, you can go back in and enable the alarm again. That tip comes courtesy of the XDA Developers forum.

LG G4 problem: Bluetooth or Wi-Fi not working

Is there a phone that hasn’t suffered from wireless problems? Landlines don’t count. Like other Android smartphones the LG G4 can suffer from erratic Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Rebooting often solves the problem, and our old pal Settings > Wi-Fi enables you to forget networks and re-establish connections to make them behave again. It’s also worth checking Battery & Power Saving in Settings > General to see if that’s powering down your radios.

Don’t forget your router: over the years we’ve found that 99.999999999 percent of Wi-Fi problems can be solved by swearing at the router, giving it a kick and unplugging it for 30 seconds.

If you’re out and about, make sure the problem isn’t that you’re trying to connect to a hotspot you don’t have an account for: that’s particularly common if you have bundled Wi-Fi with your phone contract, as sometimes that Wi-Fi is only available in a subset of the Wi-Fi providers’ hotspots. That one’s really annoying.

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Wi-Fi problems might not be your LG's fault. If in doubt, reboot the router. / © ANDROIDPIT

LG G4 problem: overheating

Assuming you haven’t left your G4 in the sun or near a wicked child with a magnifying glass, overheating is often a byproduct of really hammering the phone with apps such as 3D games. It's also possible that your case might be contributing to the problem - phones are designed to be case-free, and heavy cases can interfere with heat dissipation. It’s worth trying Safe Mode to see if the culprit is an app that’s misbehaving.

LG G4 problem: slow charging

This could be raised expectations: the G4 supports Qualcomm’s QuickCharge 2.0, but the charger you get with it isn’t a fast charger. There are also known incompatibilities with some third party fast chargers, so if you’re encountering issues with one charger, it’s worth trying another if possible, to see if the problem goes away.

AndroidPIT LG G4 low battery hero 1
The G4's battery can be charged with a fast charger - but you don't get one in the box. / © ANDROIDPIT

Have you encountered these problems, or other issues with your LG G4? Let us know your experiences - and any solutions - in the comments.

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Gary Marshall

Gary Marshall
Freelance writer

Former lion tamer, Girls Aloud backing dancer and habitual liar Gary Marshall has been writing about technology since Google was two guys in a garage. He's written for many fine magazines, newspapers and websites, written a range of how-to-books and a novel, co-written a BBC documentary series and dishes out weekly tech advice on BBC Radio Scotland.

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12 comments
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  • 1
    Russell Apr 28, 2016 Link to comment

    I have had my lg g4, 9 months and had system failure yesterday. Called Verizon, they sent me 1/2 of a refurbished phone (no back, battery, box or charger). Is there anyway possible at all to get my pics off the phone before it's wiped clean. I never put them in the cloud, never expected it to crash this soon, and never backed it up. I have a handicapped child and don't want to lose all her pictures. Verizon says no. Is there private people who work on phones that can restore my pics somehow?


  • Lewis Chatellier Jr 1
    Lewis Chatellier Jr Feb 26, 2016 Link to comment

    With the marshmallow wifi slow speeds I found a easy work around go download the app DNset run app with wifi issue solved


  • 1
    Lerryn Smit Feb 18, 2016 Link to comment

    Hey guys, I just did the OS Update to Marshmallow - very silly thing to do - besides continual error messages like "android.process.media has stopped" my Camera doesn't work saying "failure to write" and my Gallery has disappeared completely. I've seen some posts re changing back to Lollipop - but I use a Mac so it doesn't work. PLEASE can someone help me. Thank you so much, regards Lerryn.


  • 1
    Viktor Navorski Jan 28, 2016 Link to comment

    I am having the problem with my LG G4. Whenever I am trying to switch on Mobile Data (not Wifi), the phone behaves erratically often opening apps on its own, sending long ASCII codes to unknown numbers in the US and opening adult content webpages. This thing does not happen when I am using WIFI. I have done a factory reset but to no avail. Please help.


  • 1
    Scott Deagan Dec 29, 2015 Link to comment

    I just upgraded the OS on my G4 to Marshmallow and really wish I hadn't. Lollipop was so much faster, smoother and more responsive. I can't believe my G4 now exhibits lag. Very, very, very annoyed.

    Does anyone know if it's possible to roll back to Lollipop?


  • 1
    Oscar Lindqvist Dec 20, 2015 Link to comment

    Help!
    I can't seem to get my wifi om the phone to work if I do not have a carrier signal!? Very annoying and sort of a "catch 22" as I need wifi when I don't have a gsm/g4 signal!

    Any suggestions?


  • 1
    Jared Hockman Dec 10, 2015 Link to comment

    So, I'm on my replacement G4 as of this point. Has anyone noticed any software issues with the Mic??? The phone just randomly cuts off the mic function during calls and I have to repeatedly keep switching between standard Mic and speakerphone in order to continue the call and have people be able to hear me. Any help would be awesome!!!


  • 1
    Darren Russinger Oct 15, 2015 Link to comment

    Screw a "workaround" LG. Just fix the damn bugs! The blinking light for example. Fix this. I knew better than to buy a phone with bloatware installed. Used for a month and now listed for sale on Glyde.


  • 1
    Chad Shreeves Oct 8, 2015 Link to comment

    I'm also having an issue. When I first got my G4 I was having no problem booting up the camcorder into 4K mode in order to record, but lately I haven't been able to. It just goes to Full 1080p mode which when viewed on my editing software looks more like 480 than anything.


  • Jeremy Miller 1
    Jeremy Miller Sep 21, 2015 Link to comment

    I have been having problems with my G4 since last Thursday. At first the phone would shut off for no reason, when I took the battery out and re installed it turned back on. I have been doing this for the past few days..... Now the phone will not turn on no matter what I do. My G4 is almost brand new! What gives?????


  • Sham Bhat 1
    Sham Bhat Aug 24, 2015 Link to comment

    Hi...recently bought G4...the gesture controls for receiving calls like holding phone against your ear and flipping phone to silence an incoming call doesn't seem to work even when those options are ticked in the call settings.....Also, G3 had the smart eye / smart stay feature that keeps the screen on so long as you are seeing the screen...surprisingly looks like its been done away in G4..Any suitable alternatives available for G4 ?


    • Heath Cope 1
      Heath Cope Oct 25, 2015 Link to comment

      Screeble is a great app for controlling the screen on and off while in use.. I have a rooted Galaxy s4 with a non TouchWiz rom and have used screeble for a couple of years... seems any bugs I have had in the past from screeble have now been eliminated... works a treat...

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