I just factory reset my phone

[MoodyBlues]

I had to. It started acting flaky some months ago, locking up for seconds or, sometimes, even minutes, for no apparent reason, then its fingerprint feature started failing, then....well, a bunch of stuff that made it basically unusable! So a few minutes ago I took a deep breath, reminded myself that everything is backed up--and, besides, since I barely even use it any more, even if something did get lost in the shuffle, it couldn't be that important, what with not even having looked at [whatever it may be] for a year or more!

It's doing its thing right now, installing and updating apps. restoring backups, and so on. It's already vastly improved--I can use it now for more than 5 seconds without any problems!!

Mods, I know this really should be on an Android board, but OT feels more like home these days. Move if you must!

Oh, FWIW this is the Motorola One Hyper that I got....two(?) years ago. It's a great phone and I've loved using it, but it really had become unusable, so wiped it was! I don't know and, frankly, don't care what caused it to become so unstable. As long as it doesn't reappear!

 

[Unforgiven]

Since there is no support request I think we can leave it here as a conversational thread. I'm thinking of doing the same with my 2+ year old Galaxy S20. Things just don't seem "right."

 

[olbriar]

I'm starting to see little glitches with my S21. Nothing that's a show stopper.. just things aren't quite right. One that always catches my eye is sometimes I unlock the phone and I see a weather app that I rarely use instead of my home screen. I have no idea how it is open. Another is the BLE connection to my hearing aids is less than stellar. Turning BT off and back on seems to fix it but it's only temporary. Within a hour or two it is again only connected to one aid. Neither problem warrants a reset but definitely a sign things are not running as smooth as they were a few months ago. I feel a FR would set things right and I feel one in my future.

 

[MoodyBlues]

Hmmm...could it be something in the water? Oh, wait, we're all separated by thousands of miles... Well, maybe it's a virus!

 

[Milo Williamson]

Mine did have a few minor glitches a spell ago, minus the screen issue, still it had a great run... I might get a newer model of the same phone soonish, but it is running around 80% Efficently.

 

[nickdalzell]

The only time my phones ever got slow or glitchy was when I used to hit the 'update' button like a bad drug, or had auto updates turned on.

I'm using an SII and it's as fast as a brand new phone. I NEVER updated any apps and didn't have to install much because it came with everything baked in. Forgot how much a time saver that was. I had accepted that modern phones are wastelands and I spent hours installing the necessities (Samsung S20 FE has no music player out of box!) and I'm happy to be back in 2011 again.

It will never slow down because I never update and don't believe in updates anymore.

This post made on a PC running Windows XP.

 

[ocnbrze]

Hmmm...could it be something in the water? Oh, wait, we're all separated by thousands of miles... Well, maybe it's a virus!

View attachment 163316

well, don't know about you. but i'm restricted from using water.......maybe its in the bottled water you drink

 

[olbriar]

It can't be the water. I haven't had a drink in decades... unless it's brewed into something.

 

[Dannydet]

Personally, I try to do a factory reset every 2 months. Runs like a charm, always.
And yes, maybe it's overkill, but it's my prerogative

 

[MoodyBlues]

I've missed your very unique wit and wisdom, @nickdalzell! Glad to 'see' you around again!

As for your thoughts on updates, meh, I don't know. Sometimes they're good, sometimes not so much. But I figure the developer of an app knows more about it than I do, so if they see fit to issue an update, I'll go ahead and use it--until it proves to be a bad idea.

 

[MoodyBlues]

well, don't know about you. but i'm restricted from using water.......

Yep, me too--and I recently got my hand slapped for a boo-boo.

The other side has a warning about watering on an off-day. The thing is, we're not sure how that could've happened, since the timer is set for specific days and times. But I do sometimes use the remote control to turn a certain station on...so that was probably it. BTW, the 10 minutes shown on the tag is incorrect--they recently lowered that to an even more ridiculous 8 minutes. My sprinklers cannot water sufficiently with that little time, and I'm lucky that my irrigation guy happens to have clout that I don't have. He personally went to the city and explained that the system he installed is a low-pressure system with oscillating, pop-up sprinklers--kind of like you see on golf courses (and he installs and maintains many of the city's public space sprinkler systems, so they know him). He explained that I NEED more time. I can't say too much more, but we worked out a resolution. And I have to add that my household is SUPER water-conscious and we save water other ways; the city's own records prove that my household uses LESS water than similar households in my neighborhood.

maybe its in the bottled water you drink

Heh-heh-heh! I doubt it, but I guess anything's possible...

 

[Hadron]

I've never factory reset a phone other than when installing a custom ROM (which I've not done since my HTC One). And I keep my phones for an average of 4-5 years.
Maybe I'm just lucky?

 

[nickdalzell]

My disdain for updates has a lot to do with needless and unwanted UI redesigns. Especially flat UI design. I can't stand flat design at all. The other is 'moving the cheese' aka ruining your muscle memory by rearranging the app functions or hiding them behind gestures. I prefer the ability to use each app the same way each time to where I could use them blind if need be.

That, and when I was still an Apple fan, iOS 7 happened. Then Android 5.0 happened. Then I was done. Another infuriating 'feature' of modern phones is the infamous 'you must update this app to continue using it' dialogue. If I want to update, I will. IF I do not, I won't. Leave me alone and stop interrupting my flow dev!

Also, more updated apps usually mean more resources needed which equals slower phone over time. I'm an 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' guy. Why would I needlessly update a music player app that does its job fine? why update a notepad app if it works? Google Play doesn't even give changelogs anymore for most apps, just defaulting to 'app information not provided by developer'.

I know I ain't the only Android user who's phone became a hand warmer and depleted its battery within a couple hours due to a botched update?

 

[MoodyBlues]

My disdain for updates has a lot to do with needless and unwanted UI redesigns. Especially flat UI design. I can't stand flat design at all. The other is 'moving the cheese' aka ruining your muscle memory by rearranging the app functions or hiding them behind gestures. I prefer the ability to use each app the same way each time to where I could use them blind if need be.

Yeah, I'm pretty much the same way. That's why, when I upgrade an Android version, I ignore all of its "new and improved!" features, and configure my phone to use what I'm accustomed to, such as the 3-button navigation method versus the newer gesture....thing. I LIKE my three buttons at the bottom of my screen. I'm used to them. I want them to be there. I don't care about using gestures someone else thinks are better than the buttons.

That, and when I was still an Apple fan, iOS 7 happened. Then Android 5.0 happened. Then I was done. Another infuriating 'feature' of modern phones is the infamous 'you must update this app to continue using it' dialogue. If I want to update, I will. IF I do not, I won't. Leave me alone and stop interrupting my flow dev!

I don't really see that very much. I have my settings configured not to update anything automatically, and I pick and choose which apps [from the Play list I'm shown that have updates available] I *want* to update. In general, it's all of them, but I still like having the choice. If I came up against a "you MUST update...." I don't know. I think I'd switch to something else, unless it was one of my favorite apps and/or the developer's reason convinced me it's actually necessary--like they found a security hole and need to patch it.

Also, more updated apps usually mean more resources needed which equals slower phone over time. I'm an 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' guy. Why would I needlessly update a music player app that does its job fine? why update a notepad app if it works?

There are a number of good reasons I can think of. Like patching a security flaw. Or adding an awesome new feature. Or fixing an annoying glitch that's bothered me for ages. So I'm not against updates as long as they serve some logical purpose.

 

[MoodyBlues]

I've never factory reset a phone other than when installing a custom ROM (which I've not done since my HTC One). And I keep my phones for an average of 4-5 years.
Maybe I'm just lucky?

Thinking back, I'm not recalling anything offhand where I needed to factory reset due to problems. I generally only do that when I retire a phone and intend to donate it.

Yesterday's reset worked wonders! The phone is back to being STABLE, blazing fast, and 100% usable. Yay!

 

[nickdalzell]

Thankfully in older Android versions that I prefer to use, the 'you must update' can't exist because the code/API to enable such pop-ups didn't exist yet. A lot of older versions of apps including Viber run fine on old Android, but want their latest version to work on newer versions. I'm just tired of it and prefer the confidence that nothing ever changes. I'm gettin' too old for this...I just want to use and enjoy my phone uninterrupted, and not worry about keeping up anymore.

When I use a newer device, such as the tablet I use my Walmart Pay on, I prevented Walmart's app from phoning home for updates by disabling Google Play Services on it, and while it complains that it 'needs' it to run, it runs fine without, and stays running and never forces an update on me. So I do have workarounds. NetGuard No-root firewall also prevents a lot of apps from forcing updates and if they work offline, that's what I do. Also works to stop certain games from showing 'ad banners'.

Forced updates anger me. It should be my choice. The forced updates are what drove me to Linux on my gaming rig and two laptops.

 

[MoodyBlues]

Forced updates anger me. It should be my choice. The forced updates are what drove me to Linux on my gaming rig and two laptops.

As you may or may not recall, I've always been a *nix user, and really cannot understand how people put up with the crap micro$oft puts out. But to each their own. I figure they just don't know any better. Or they're stuck in 1980 and think Linux is UNIX with a new name, but still just a command prompt and cryptic commands, and only super tech-savvy people can figure it out.

I don't want any software I use, including my OS, to force me to do anything I don't CHOOSE to do. I'm with you on that, but when it comes to critical updates, such as what I mentioned before, a security patch that really *is* necessary (if you want security), I'll update it--but I still want the choice not to.

 

[nickdalzell]

Isn't Linux an acronym for "Linux Is Not UniX?"

If you want some funny stuff, check out Linus Tech Tips' Linux challenge. He failed to install Steam from the app store, and instead of doing an apt-get update, he force-installed Steam via command line, and even despite all-caps text claiming that 'this will potentially harm your system; do not do this unless you know exactly what you are doing; this removes essential packages such as POP_Desktop' he still types 'yes do as i say!' and removes his DE. I ain't an expert and even I was shouting 'you idiot! do not do that!'

 

[MoodyBlues]

I'm still tweaking various things, but for the life of me cannot remember how to make the status bar clock display in this format: HH:MM:SS (with or without AM/PM). Can someone refresh my memory? I tried changing my phone's 'clock' app's settings, but that only affected....the clock app.

 

[Milo Williamson]

I'm still tweaking various things, but for the life of me cannot remember how to make the status bar clock display in this format: HH:MM:SS (with or without AM/PM). Can someone refresh my memory? I tried changing my phone's 'clock' app's settings, but that only affected....the clock app.

Settings > Clock and > Display time with seconds

 

[Hadron]

Or they're stuck in 1980 and think Linux is UNIX with a new name, but still just a command prompt and cryptic commands, and only super tech-savvy people can figure it out.

Well that's how I use Linux . For that matter that's how I use MacOS (which is just a different graphical shell over a *nix base).

 

[MoodyBlues]

Settings > Clock and > Display time with seconds

There's no such creature on my phone.

 

[MoodyBlues]

Well that's how I use Linux .

Yeah, me too, but that's beside the point. We're geeks. With today's Linux, non-geeks can dive right in and do anything they want to do.

For that matter that's how I use MacOS (which is just a different graphical shell over a *nix base).

I know! Whenever my daughter--a die-hard Apple fan--needs help, I tell her to get to a command prompt and off we go!

 

[Milo Williamson]

There's no such creature on my phone.

hmmm.... It can only do it on my timer, but nothing appearing in the drop down menu.

 

[MoodyBlues]

hmmm.... It can only do it on my timer, but nothing appearing in the drop down menu.

Well what's weird is that I definitely had it that way before I reset the phone--I have tons of screenshots [taken for other reasons] that clearly show the time in HH:MM:SS format in the status bar. I wonder how I did that....