We’ve seen some impressive moves in the market from LG in recent months, none more so than its flagship Android smartphone, the LG G2. We haven’t encountered any of these issues on our in-office G2s, but the G2 is available on many carriers and has a few different variations. There are always a few issues. Here are the most common bugs, glitches, and annoyances that G2 owners are reporting, and some advice on how to fix them.

Bug: GPS not working or inaccurate

Some people report that the GPS on the LG G2 takes a long time to get a fix, or that sometimes it won’t connect at all. There are also reports of the GPS losing its lock and showing an inaccurate position. There’s no obvious consistent reason for this problem. For some users the GPS is working fine, but the problems are cropping up on various carriers and in different regions. To start with, make sure that your LG G2 has a clear unobstructed view of the sky. No phone’s GPS (which is aided by Wi-Fi and other cellular signals) is always accurate.
Potential solutions:
  • Make sure location services are on. You can find these in Settings > Location access. Turn the Access to my location to On. Wait a moment and then try using your mapping or location app.
  • Try downloading and installing something like the free GPS Status & Toolbox app as it will show satellites in view and allow you to reset A-GPS data.
  • Call the retailer or carrier where you got the phone and ask for a replacement.

Problem: Poor voice quality on calls

LG-G2-screenshot-5Many reports of sounds issues during calls on the LG G2 have emerged. Most people are having a problem with static interfering with calls and the caller’s voice sounding crackly or being clipped. There are also reports of popping sounds, screeching and other interference. This could be down to the carrier or SIM, or it could even be the area – it’s not really clear – but you can try a couple of things on the phone.
Workarounds:
  • Go to System settings > Call and try turning Voice enhancement on or off to see if it makes a difference.
  • You can also try System settings > Call > Privacy keeper and disable it to see if there’s an improvement.
Potential solutions:
  • Contact your carrier and see what they suggest.
  • Wait for some kind of software update that may fix the issue.
  • Return the handset and get a replacement. If you have a return period then make sure you take it back before it expires.

Glitch: Touchscreen issues

Is your touchscreen acting up? Maybe it’s unresponsive some of the time, or it’s suddenly over sensitive and it zooms in or registers multiple key presses. You’re not the only one to encounter this issue. You can test by opening the Quick Memo app and then trying to draw a straight line (see Michael Stanton’s YouTube video).
Workarounds:
  • If you turn the screen off with the power button and then back on again that should temporarily stop the strange behavior. If it doesn’t then try a soft reset by holding the power button down until the phone reboots.
  • You could switch to a tap style keyboard or use voice dictation; the problem is more pronounced with swipe keyboards.
  • It’s possible that switching Settings > Accessibility > Touch & hold delay from short to medium might reduce the problem.
Potential solutions:
  • Some people have opted to get a replacement from their carrier or retailer and reported that the new LG G2 handset doesn’t have the problem. Unfortunately, some people have had more than one replacement and report that the problem is present on all.
  • This is likely a software issue, so you would expect an update to fix it at some point, but there’s no telling when. There’s no indication that a factory reset will help, so unless you opt for a replacement you may have to wait for a fix.

Problem: Rapid battery drain

lg g2 bl t7 battery
Smartphones are power-hungry and as screens get bigger and we load more software onto them an increased strain on the battery is inevitable. If you use the LG G2 a lot then the battery will drain, but you should be able to get through a full day without having to charge it. If you find you’re getting inconsistent battery drain, and that the juice is draining when the phone is not in use then you may have a problem.
Workarounds:
  • Go to Settings > General > Battery and turn Battery Saver on. You can click on it to configure exactly what it does.
  • Google services can cause a fair bit of battery drain as they might tracking your location or backing up data. Go into Settings and look for Google under Accounts and take a look. You can turn Location access off in here under Location settings.
  • Check out our other tips for saving smartphone battery.
Potential solutions:
  • Have a look in Settings > General > Battery and see what seems to be using the most power. You could have a problem app that’s using GPS or trying to update frequently. If you can identify the culprit then you can remove it.
  • There’s a slim chance you have a faulty handset. If adjusting your usage and tweaking settings doesn’t’ result in any improvement then take your LG G2 back to the retailer or carrier and get a replacement.

Problem: Overheating

This is a common problem, just like battery drain. If your smartphone is asked to do a lot then it will heat up. There is a difference between a normal level of warm, when you’ve had the screen on for a long time, or the phone is searching for a signal, and uncomfortably hot. If you find the LG G2 gets hot when you play a game then you’re not alone, but if it’s getting too hot to handle, or heating up when the screen isn’t on, then there might be a deeper problem. The tips above for the battery drain issue apply to this problem too, but there are other things to try.
Workaround:
  • As soon as you notice the device getting hot hold down the Power button and reboot it. That should solve the problem at least temporarily.
Potential solutions:
  • Backup your device and perform a factory reset.
  • If it still overheats after a factory reset then take it back to the retailer or carrier and get a replacement.

Problem: Knock On feature not working

LG G2
The G2 has a cool feature that lets you tap on the screen twice to turn it on or off. This is much more fun than pressing a button, but a lot of people report that the Knock On feature isn’t working for them or that it only works some of the time.
Make sure you’re doing it right:
The KnockOn feature is a little particular. Make sure that you’re double tapping somewhere around the center of the screen when it’s asleep to wake it up. You can also double tap on a blank space on the home screen or on the status bar to put it back to sleep. You’ll find the option to turn it on or off in Settings > General > Gestures > Knockon.
Potential solutions:
  • Make sure the proximity sensor isn’t covered and try knocking on different areas of the screen until you find the sweet spot for you. There’s a definite knack to it.
  • Go to Settings > General > Gestures and try Motion sensor calibration. This might improve it.
That’s our complete roundup of LG G2 problems and suggested workarounds or fixes for now, but we will update this list in future. Please post any problems you encounter and especially any solutions you find for the benefit of others.