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Help VZW 4.0.2 vs 4.0.4 - volume rocker active when screen off?

Tim K

Android Expert
Nov 2, 2009
1,645
471
Phila, PA
I am pretty sure that when I was running 4.0.2 that if the screen was off, the volume rocker would not wake the screen or adjust the ringer volume. Now that I am running 4.0.4 I have been noticing that my volume has been muted a few times in my pocket. On my old Droid I used to have to run an app that would require a confirmation on volume changes for this very reason. I think if I was playing music it would adjust the headset or speaker volume, but I don't think it used to adjust ringer volume or turn on the screen otherwise.

Am I imagining things or did this change with 4.0.4?
 
@Tim -

I loaded up the 4.0.4 VzW "OTA update" on my VzW GN (sometime in last couple of weeks), and oddly enough I just started noticing what you're describing a couple of days ago. Until this point, only the power button could "wake up" the phone. In last couple of days I've started noticing that the volume rocker does it as well -- actually a bit inconvenient -- I keep waking up the phone inadvertently.

Wondering though if it's my launcher? I've got Apex Pro installed, and also running the latest beta. Any chance it's the launcher?

Jon
 
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Same here. At first I thought that WidgetLocker was allowing this in 4.0.4, as it never did this on 4.0.2. (WidgetLocker has this option).

But, when I unchecked the option in WidgetLocker to wake with hardware buttons, pressing volume up or down still wakes the GNex.

So, I would conclude that 4.0.4 has this "feature" built in.
 
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That is very, very interesting. Can anyone with stock 4.0.4 check under Lockscreen settings for that option?

My ROM has an option to allow rocker wake, but that doesn't seem right. If the phone was in my pocket with the screen off I would not want the volume rocker active.
 
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Wondering though if it's my launcher? I've got Apex Pro installed, and also running the latest beta. Any chance it's the launcher?
Jon
I have Go Launcher and it's doing it for me as well.

That is very, very interesting. Can anyone with stock 4.0.4 check under Lockscreen settings for that option?

My ROM has an option to allow rocker wake, but that doesn't seem right. If the phone was in my pocket with the screen off I would not want the volume rocker active.

Does stock android have any lock screen settings? I don't see it. I manually installed the IMM76K build of 4.0.4 but other than that I'm stock.
 
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I confirmed that its "baked in" to the soak test version of 4.0.4 that I installed by looking at the file specified by chjade84 on XDA.

Disable Volume Wake Galaxy Nexus 4.0.4 Leaked ROM - xda-developers

Navigate to /system/usr/keylayout/ with Root Explorer or such and mount as read/write.

Make a backup of tuna-gpio-keypad.kl -- just in case

Then open tuna-gpio-keypad.kl in a text editor.

You will see 3 values after all of the header text information:

key 114 VOLUME_DOWN WAKE
key 115 VOLUME_UP WAKE
key 116 POWER WAKE

Delete the "WAKE" from the buttons you wish NOT to have wake the phone.

Save the file and restart.

I haven't tried it yet but I'm thinking about it...
 
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god this is such an annoying "feature". I have a stock VZW GNex, updated yesterday to 4.04 and things were great, until now that the phone won't stay off in my pocket. That big ole volume button easily gets pressed and then all of a sudden I'm butt dialing someone.

FYI, it's apparently only a problem if you don't have a screen lock or if it is set to slide. Any of the others, face, pattern, pin, etc won't wake the phone by pressing volume.

Looks like they just forced me to root a little sooner than I planned....oh well. I don't want my screen to have to have a lock on it and I don't want my volume button to turn on the phone.
 
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I just got the 4.0.4 OTA this evening and tested to see if the phone would wake up by pressing the volume rocker after seeing this thread. It does turn the screen on when I press the volume down button and shows me the slide to unlock screen. If I wait a little while after locking the screen then press the volume down button it does not turn the screen on.

I think 4.0.2 allowed me to set the "Automatically lock" setting with slide to unlock and a length of time to wait before locking the device. I set it to 30 seconds when I was on 4.0.2. If the screen turns off from inactivity I could turn it back on without the need to slide unlock or enter pattern. Taking a look at the settings now it appears that the "Automatically lock" is not available for slide unlock in 4.0.4. I swear it was available in 4.0.2 but I have no easy way of checking that now.

Try the following and let us know if this works for you. It seems to have stopped the volume down wake for me. Go into your security settings and set a pattern lock. Set "Automatically lock" to "Immediately after sleep". Then set slide to unlock again, assuming that was what you used in the first place. Lock the screen and wait 1 second before trying volume down so the phone as a moment to lock.


Edit: I am getting strange results when I have the clock app open and then lock the screen. Pressing volume down wakes the screen. If am at the homescreen it does not wake the screen. I also tried with chrome and google music (paused) open when locking the screen. It did not wake with eitheir of those apps open. I turned on the screen lock sound so I could hear if the phone is locking. It does make a sound when I lock with the clock app open but it sound more like static than the locking sound.
 
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That's weird. I'm unlocked and rooted but on stock 4.04 running Nova Launcher and the volume button does NOT wake the phone. If I have tunes playing I can control the volume while locked but that doesn't wake the screen.

How can there be different behavior with the same software? I see no options in Settings for what you folks describe.

Could Nova Launcher be causing a difference? I don't see how since the screen wake should be running below the launcher.


Edit: If I push the volume down INSTANTLY after locking the screen, it pops back on but if I wait a second before hitting volume down it does nothing. That doesn't sound like what's being described above and I can't imagine what I'm seeing causing a problem.
 
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Edit: If I push the volume down INSTANTLY after locking the screen, it pops back on but if I wait a second before hitting volume down it does nothing. That doesn't sound like what's being described above and I can't imagine what I'm seeing causing a problem.

This is exactly what happens on my phone. I'm completely stock, non-rooted, locked, running 4.0.4 OTA. I have my unlock settings set to "slide". Don't have any unlocker or boot apps installed.

I did multiple test to try to get it to wake from sleep. Held down, pressed rapidly, silmultatneous presses of all buttons on the volume rocker.
 
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Don't know if this adds to the world's knowledge or not:

I have just gotten 4.04 OTA (forced it using the clear Google Services Framework method found elsewhere on this forum). I'm completely stock CDMA GNex Verizon.

I use a pattern lock. When the phone screen goes off by itself but is not yet locked, the volume buttons will re-awaken the screen. When I lock the screen with the power button or let it lock itself (I have a 5 min delay), the volume buttons do nothing.

I now see a setting to disable the power button from locking the screen, but given the possibility that volume buttons will unlock the screen in my pocket, I'm avoiding that setting. I always power off manually before it goes in my pocket anyhow, and that locks the unit.
 
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I've got stock 4.0.4 (was rooted before - but no longer, obviously). I use nova launcher, playing music now, the volume rocker works as normal. Doesn't wake the screen, but changes the volume --- however, it seems to be 'smoother' volume changes, like the smooth brightness transitions... maybe just in my head though...
 
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I've got the same issue and it's driving my crazy (as well as killing my battery). I have an LG Lucid that I just upgraded to ICS. I have a pattern screen lock, but I don't want it to be active until 10 minutes. However, since my ICS upgrade, if my screen is off but the volume buttons are pushed, the screen turns on. BUT if the pattern screen lock is active, the volume buttons WON'T turn on the screen.. Anyone have a fix for this?
 
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I was so happy to get this feature when I first ROM'ed. I use the feature to use the power button to hang up phone calls. So this way I can wake the phone while on a Bluetooth call on the car. I'm surprised how big of an issue this is for you all. I only carry the phone in my front right pocket. I don't wear skinny jeans, lol, but I keep my wallet in the same pocket and it's pretty fat.
 
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