Android has been blessedly free from any major problems for a long time, as the software continually improves. Google seems happy to listen to comments and suggestions from its massive user base. Where the problem can still arise, however, is when the excellent software is not paired with excellent hardware. Let’s take a look at the 10 most common Android software and hardware problems, and ways they can be solved.
Table of Contents
1. Battery Drain:
The easiest way to quickly reduce battery drain is to switch off a few power-hungry features such as GPS and Bluetooth, reduce the screen brightness and restart your device. By this, you will be able to see an immediate improvement in battery life. Some devices also now include battery saver modes, allowing you to reduce functionality for a short-term increase in battery life. However, these are generally designed as emergency measures, not a day to day solutions.
If you’re still having problems lasting the day on a full charge, then consider buying a new battery. Lollipop offers users a detailed look at what is using the battery power on your device. Just look in Settings-> Battery, and tap on each entry in the user list to see possible fixes.
2. Lack of Storage:
In the list of common Android problems, lack of storage easily comes next. The easiest way to solve a lack of storage space on your phone or tablet is, obviously, to remove some old content such as apps, photos, or videos. You can easily remove apps by going to Settings-> Applications, selecting the app from the list, and tapping the “Uninstall” button. You can also uninstall apps by tapping and holding on to the icon in the main app drawer. And dragging the app icon up to the uninstall icon that appears.
Photos and videos can be deleted from within the gallery or Photos app. In both cases, tap and hold on to the first image you want to delete and then select any other using the selection screen. Once you have all the photos and videos selected that you want to delete, tap the Trash button or select “Delete”.
Some devices, particularly phones, will allow you to expand storage space by inserting a MicroSD card. There may already be a MicroSD installed but it is unlikely to be the largest capacity the device can work with. This fairly cheap option could double the available storage space on your device.
3. User Interface Lag:
The main thing that is most likely be causing your phone to slow down is the full internal storage drive. You can start fixing this by deleting unused apps and photos or moving them to the cloud or a MicroSD card. Additionally, you should limit the use of live wallpapers and close open apps that you no longer use. Another good thing to do is to delete the app cache.
- Any app’s cached data can be deleted by going to Settings-> clicking on an app. Select an app from the main list, and then choose the “Clear cache” option.
- Programs such as App Cache Cleaner and Clean Master, both of which are available for free from the Google Play Store, can also be used to automate the cache cleaning process.
4. Wi-Fi Connection:
Anytime your device needs to connect to an external device, the chances of encountering problems are increased. If you’re having problems with your Wi-Fi connection, the first step to take is to reboot the device. You should also try rebooting the router your phone is connected to. Follow manufacturer instructions for rebooting your router. If it doesn’t work, make sure that the router’s firmware is up to date. This process will vary based on make and model. If those steps don’t work, you need to look at the Android device’s Wi-Fi settings. On there, force the device to forget the Wi-Fi network. Simply tap on the desired network and a menu will pop up. Tap “Forget network”. Select that and then re-enter the password to connect again. If that doesn’t work, try changing the frequency in the Advanced menu.
5. Apps Crashing:
If apps are consistently crashing during operation, the first thing to do is to check for any available updates for those apps. You can also do this by opening the Google Play store app, tapping the Menu button, and selecting “My apps”. Here you’ll see a list of all apps which have updates available, and be able to tap to updates.
If there’re no updates available for the app that is crashing, it is worth either uninstalling the app and then reinstalling it. Alternatively, open the main settings, click “Application” and find the problem app in the list. On the app info screen, clear both the app data and the app cache. Tap “Force stop”. Now head back to the home screen or main app drawer and open the app to see if the crashes have stopped.
If the problem persists even after these steps, there may simply be a problem with the app. This could be causing the crashing.
6. Sync Errors:
If it seems that an app such as Gmail or Dropbox isn’t syncing properly, the first thing to do is to check the app. You can check for updates for apps by opening the Google Play Store app, clicking “My Apps” in the menu, and checking the update list. Apply any available updates and check to see if that fixes the sync problem.
If not, you can try clearing the app cache and data. This will usually mean that you will have to sign in to the app again, but it should fix persistent sync problems. Open the apps in question and check that the individual sync settings for all of your Google Apps.
7. Play Store Problems:
Although it is thankfully fairly uncommon, some apps on the Play Store are only compatible with specific types of Android devices. View the Play Store on your Android tablet and you will subtly different selection of apps compared to when you view the store on your Android phone. Generally, apps that aren’t compatible with your device won’t even be displayed. This is not the case when viewing the Play Store on a computer. Here you’ll see all apps but will need to check the compatibility notice just below the Install button.
If you receive a “Download unsuccessful” message when attempting to download an app, try the following troubleshooting steps to resolve the issue:
- For paid application, confirm your credit card information by signing into your Google Wallet account.
- Clear the cache of the Google Play Store app(settings-> Application -> Clear cache).
- Restart your tablet, then try downloading the app again.
- Confirm there’s connectivity to either a wireless or cellular network on your device.
- Ensure there’s enough space on your device for the app to download.
- If none of the above steps work, try remounting your SD card if your device has one. Tap Menu-> Settings-> Storage-> Unmount SD card. Then Remount the SD card from the same menu by selecting Remount SD card. or restart the device if the remount option isn’t available.
8. PC Connection Fails:
Even though Android problems are almost trouble-free, some of you report USB connection problems. There are a few common android problems but the most often is that you can’t transfer files between your device and your computer. If you’re experiencing any problems connecting your Android device to your PC, these are the steps you should follow.
- Restart your device- If you have been using your computer or Android device for a long time without restarting, they may be simply overloaded.
- Update your device- Sometimes there may be some bugs in the software and updating your Android version may indeed help.
- Update your PC- Sometimes outdated systems will not recognize any Android device. That’s why it’s always a good idea to update your system.
- Try Debug mode- This is the mode intended for developers. It allows you directly to access your phone, transfer and install apps without notification. To activate debug mode, go to settings-> Developer options-> and check USB debugging.
- New USB cable- Android USB cables will undoubtedly become damaged or worn over time. So it is certainly worth trying to connect using a different cable.
9. Bluetooth connection:
One of the common Android problems is Bluetooth connection. If you’re also dealing with it then try switching the Bluetooth on and off. This is a simple fix but it works most of the time. But if the problem persists, try clearing the cache on Bluetooth share. To do this, head into Settings-> Apps-> Scroll over to all-> Select Bluetooth share-> Clear cache. After doing this reboot your device. You can also try to clear data from the same screen. If none of this works, try booting into Safe Mode. To do this-
- Ensure your device’s screen is on, then press and hold the Power button.
- Touch and hold the Power off option in the dialogue box.
- Touch OK in the following dialogue to start safe mode.
10. SD card Unrecognized:
This list of common Android problems will end with an SD card recognition problem. This can potentially happen any time, even with a fairly new SD card. Try formatting SD cards within Android. This solves some of the issues with SD cards. To format an Android MicroSD card, go to Settings-> Storage-> and scroll down to the bottom and select “Format SD card”. Then select “Format SD card” again. If it fails you’ll need to connect the SD card to a PC with a card reader. If your files aren’t readable after connecting to a PC, you may have more luck using data recovery software.
THANK YOU FOR READING: I hope this article was helpful and could solve some of your Android problems. If it did then do let us know in the comments down below. Also, if you're interested in similar articles then here are a few recommendations for you guys. How to improve Android security? 10 Android features that can save you a lot of time How to disable Android bloatware?