Problem with my Galaxy S (or Epic 4G)

[VikingVR6GTI]

This morning, I got a software update forced upon me by my phone. Ever since the update, my LED notification lights aren't working anymore. When I get a new email, text, or miss a call, my light does not flash like it used to. Does anyone know what I can do to remedy this? I sent an email to Sprint but if their customer service is the same as usual, I won't be hearing back from them anytime soon.

[VikingVR6GTI]

What's this?! They already got back to me??? Oh...I see....

Thank you for contacting Sprint. I understand that your phone
notification lights is not working after updating a new Gingerbread
system.

Please take your equipment to a Sprint Store to checked the handset.
Visit sprintstorelocator.com to locate a Sprint Center near you.
We value your business and appreciate the opportunity to answer your
questions. Please reply to this email or visit sprint.com if we can be
of assistance.

------------------
Yeah, that helped a lot! Thanks!

[VikingVR6GTI]

Nobody? No input?

[Egilbe]

ummm....go to the Sprint store and see what they say?

[VikingVR6GTI]

ummm....go to the Sprint store and see what they say?

I don't have a way to get to a Sprint store for at least the next 2 weeks. I KNOW that I can't be the only one with this issue since the software update seems to be the culprit and I figured there had to be some sort of easy fix I can do myself.

[2VWatatime]

Might help to know which phone - Galaxy S doesn't have "blinkers".

[Egilbe]

I can't help you with that. I get my updates from XDA developers

[VikingVR6GTI]

Might help to know which phone - Galaxy S doesn't have "blinkers".

It's Sprint's version of the Galaxy S or the "Epic 4G" and it most definitely has "blinkers". They worked great up until the software update 2 days ago.



The "blinkers" are just to the left of the google bar in this picture on the top of the phone.

[VikingVR6GTI]

In messing around with it more last night, I think the software update that was given to me was for the wrong phone altogether. The menu>settings>display doesn't have the options for the LED notification lights like it did before. I got another email from them that doing a factory reset would probably cure the problem but it would also wipe out all of my contacts and a lot of other info on there so I guess my only option will be to somehow find a way to a store. Not too pleased about this at all.

[Jesse]

Sounds like sammy/sprint might have screwed up and sent out an update with that functionality missing. Most SG variants did not have a notification light, so it's not out of the possibility that Samsung simply forgot that the sprint version did.

1) Check out an app called light flow lite. It might be able to restore the functionality for you. I use it on my galaxy nexus because the default notification light pulse rate is very slow. It allows you to set up notifications for multiple actions, set the rate, the color, the intensity, etc.

2) Settings -> backup & reset (or something similar). Check Back up my data, and automatic restore. With these checked, your contacts, calendar, apps, wallpaper, wifi & misc other settings (including wifi password), photos (separate setting to back up these IIRC, perhaps in your gallery) will be automatically restored from the google cloud after a factory reset. You will lose most app data (saved games, etc), text message history, call logs, home screen setup (you can back this up if you use a 3rd party launcher), misc system settings.

So if you can't get the light working, a factory reset should do it (just don't accept the update for the newest software).

[2VWatatime]

Seconding this - there's no update for the Epic (slide out keyboard) and it seems Sprint is sending out the Galaxy S (no keyboard) update to that phone as well. Bummer.

[VikingVR6GTI]

Sounds like sammy/sprint might have screwed up and sent out an update with that functionality missing. Most SG variants did not have a notification light, so it's not out of the possibility that Samsung simply forgot that the sprint version did.

1) Check out an app called light flow lite. It might be able to restore the functionality for you. I use it on my galaxy nexus because the default notification light pulse rate is very slow. It allows you to set up notifications for multiple actions, set the rate, the color, the intensity, etc.

2) Settings -> backup & reset (or something similar). Check Back up my data, and automatic restore. With these checked, your contacts, calendar, apps, wallpaper, wifi & misc other settings (including wifi password), photos (separate setting to back up these IIRC, perhaps in your gallery) will be automatically restored from the google cloud after a factory reset. You will lose most app data (saved games, etc), text message history, call logs, home screen setup (you can back this up if you use a 3rd party launcher), misc system settings.

So if you can't get the light working, a factory reset should do it (just don't accept the update for the newest software).

Thanks for the tips! I did try Light Flow and there is a test screen where they have you hit a button to verify the LED lights up and it didn't. So I think my phone just doesn't even think it HAS the LEDs right now. Do you think the factory reset would fix it if this is the case?

[VikingVR6GTI]

Seconding this - there's no update for the Epic (slide out keyboard) and it seems Sprint is sending out the Galaxy S (no keyboard) update to that phone as well. Bummer.

Just got off the phone with the guy that has been emailing me about the issue. He has been trying to get me to upgrade (for a $45 fee on top of the price of the phone) and I keep telling him that I have been perfectly happy with the phone until the software update messed it up. Plus, I can't justify spending $445 ($400 for a comparable phone plus the $45 fee for early upgrade) just because they f'ed up my phone. Then he said "Well just take it in and for $35 they can fix it for you" To me, this just seems shady. To me, it is almost like someone from Sprint walking up to me, grabbing my phone, and smashing it on the ground then saying they will fix it for $35. This might be what finally takes me away from Sprint after 11 years. So frustrated with these guys and their customer "service".

[VikingVR6GTI]

Also, I just messed around with it and I don't see any options for "backup and reset". The only reset option says "Factory Data Reset" and says it will erase all personal information on the phone. No options for backup or anything.

[Egilbe]

Does titanium backup work with an unrooted phone? It backs up all the apps and, I think data to your computer and you can use it to restore them back to your phone.

has to be rooted

http://www.titaniumtrack.com/kb/tita...ser-guide.html

[Jesse]

Also, I just messed around with it and I don't see any options for "backup and reset". The only reset option says "Factory Data Reset" and says it will erase all personal information on the phone. No options for backup or anything.

1) Make sure you're signed in to your Google account on the phone.
2) Settings -> privacy -> check back up my data, automatic restore. Should be under Privacy.

A factory reset should restore you to software with working LED.. but there are things to consider.

I don't know what the factory image on your phone is.

Call OEM software v1
Updates v2, v3
Current software v4

If your factory image is v1 or v2, you might be stuck on outdated software after a reset, because I suspect you will be prompted to only update to the newest software, and you won't run back through updates. I.e. if you roll back to v1 using factory reset, you will be prompted to update with v4.. not v2, then v3, then stop before v4.

So I don't know if you will be able to just roll back one software version.

Or you could root and get good software on there and not worry about idiots breaking your phone

[Jesse]

note: I suspect most phones retain their original factory image; however, I've heard that some images are have been updated along with a software update, so a factory reset doesn't restore the OEM software, but some new updated software.

Do not know what's on your phone.

Root would make this very simple because you could backup your current software, do a reset, see whats there and what updates you're prompted with, then you could restore if anything is awry.

[Egilbe]

Or you could root and get good software on there and not worry about idiots breaking your phone

QFT

[VikingVR6GTI]

Or you could root and get good software on there and not worry about idiots breaking your phone

I would LOVE to do that but I have no idea how to even go about that.

[VikingVR6GTI]

1) Make sure you're signed in to your Google account on the phone.
2) Settings -> privacy -> check back up my data, automatic restore. Should be under Privacy.

A factory reset should restore you to software with working LED.. but there are things to consider.

Under settings>privacy, the only option I have is "Factory Data Reset" and it says "Will erase all personal information on phone" No option for checking back up my data or anything like that at all.

[Egilbe]

I would LOVE to do that but I have no idea how to even go about that.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/filt...amsung-Android

Scroll down until you see your phone. Start reading. Say goodbye to your weekend But it opens up so many possibilities for your phone.

[VikingVR6GTI]

http://forum.xda-developers.com/filt...amsung-Android

Scroll down until you see your phone. Start reading. Say goodbye to your weekend But it opens up so many possibilities for your phone.

Yeah....that might be a bit more than I am willing to try to tackle on my own.

[Vision33r]

Imo, oem or custom roms not necessarily will fix issues. When you have everything working on your phone the best thing to do is root it and take a full backup of your settings then dump your rom to file and back it up. You can always easily restore it.

- I've learned never update your phone with the carrier. Always update it yourself with a fully tested rom so issues are identified and fixable by the developer.

- Carrier updates are not worth updating because they don't fix issues timely then why update and wait months or years for a fix. (e.g. Samsung GPS issue)

- If nothing else works and custom roms are not your thing, get a new phone.

[VikingVR6GTI]

Unfortunately, I had no choice but to accept this update. I had shut my phone down and when I turned it back on, the update was there and I had to hit accept to have the phone boot up at all. The last 2 updates before this cause minor issues with the phone too so I didn't want to have to accept the update but had no choice.

[Jesse]

Ok I thought that may happen.

You need to root, then install a custom recovery. The other option I can think of is to bring the phone to Verizon and complain so much about the ****ed up software update that they give you a totally new phone.

The recovery will block the update prompts and you can cruise with the factory reset software.

But since you'll be rooted with custom recovery, you can just flash a fresh new ICS ROM and give everything else the middle finger.

[VikingVR6GTI]

So Sprint called me and did a factory reset with me. The problem is still there. So they said "Well apparently then it's a software issue" Really? You don't say?! I've been telling them this all along. So they referred me to Samsung. Samsung gave me 2 "options"

1. Do a factory reset (already did that and I told them that as soon as I had him on the line!)
2. Send it to them to have them reflash the memory. Turnaround time is about a week.

I simply cannot be without my phone for "about a week". No, I am not that attached to my phone but I need it both for business and for my girls. I am beyond frustrated with both Sprint and Samsung at this point. I know I am not the only one with this issue because a buddy of mine has the same phone and his has the same problem. How can they not just sent another update to correct the issue???

[Jesse]

[Jesse]

You won't see a 'fix' for a while.. approval process for sw updates is long and dragged out. Aside from a small handfull of devices, carriers hold all the cards and they won't let anything play on their network without extensive testing.

[VikingVR6GTI]

You won't see a 'fix' for a while.. approval process for sw updates is long and dragged out. Aside from a small handfull of devices, carriers hold all the cards and they won't let anything play on their network without extensive testing.

Ironic that you would say that because when I complained to Sprint that the software update was the culprit, they said that Samsung controls all of that and they can't be held responsible for what is in the software updates. I said it should be their responsibility to check and make sure the software updates don't f**k up their customers' phones and they said they have nothing to do with that at all.

And again, I would love to root the phone but I don't have the equipment to do so (no home PC) nor do I feel comfortable doing that myself in the first place.

[Jesse]

There's an app that will blink a couple pixels on your screen as a notification light.. was written specifically in response to samsung devices without an actual led. Perhaps check that out..

Rooting is very simple though if you can access a PC.

[VikingVR6GTI]

I am about to lose it. I have been on the phone with Sprint or Samsung for the better part of 3 hours today. That dumb b***h that I was just on the phone with tried to tell me that my phone doesn't even have indicator lights. She said her user manual doesn't even say anything about idicator lights. Then she went on to explain that on HER phone, it will light up when charging but not if she gets a new msg or anything like that. I said "Well Tonya...do you even have the same phone as me?" she said no then I said "Well I'm not sure what in the hell that has to do with anything at all then!" Then she went on to tell me that it sounds like a problem with the phone and not the software. When I told her my buddy had the same problem with the same phone at the same time after he got the same software update, she said that was probably just a coincidence. This is seriously the worst customer service issue I have ever had in my life and I have had some seriously bad customer service in my days.

[Jesse]

You'd probably have better luck at the sprint store (I know you can't get there for awhile). The reps there should actually have half a clue what a smartphone is and should better understand your problem. I suspect the only qualification required to become a phone rep is to be alive.

I think your only course of action is to 1) root, or 2) demand a different phone from the physical store because the indicator light is critical for some made up reason other than being an annoyance. Try to convince them you specifically purchased this phone instead of leaving for AT&T because the sprint version had an indicator light. I dunno.. don't think there's too much history on issues like this.

[VikingVR6GTI]

Gonna see if a friend of mine is willing to give me a ride there on our way home today. I still don't see how they should expect me to pay $35 to have it fixed when the software update cause the issue to begin with though.

It is not so much "critical" but it is really nice to have. I have it sitting in front of me at work all day. It is linked to my work and personal email so I just waited for it to blink and then would check my emails. Even my co-workers have noticed that it is taking me longer to respond to emails where I would respond almost instantly before.

I just could not comprehend the incompetence of the last chick I talked to. She kept repeating over and over again how the user manual didn't reference the indicator lights so my phone doesn't have them. I even said to her "So you're trying to tell me that, for the past 2 years, I just imagined the indicator light going off every time I had a new email or text and the phone simply does not have the lights?" and she once again said "Well the user manual doesn't say..." I just said "Seriously, put down the user manual and just listen to me...the phone has the indicator lights. Trust me on this one. They are there" Ugh.

[VikingVR6GTI]

So I took it to Sprint last night. Their "solution"? Do a factory reset. I told them this had already been done but they went ahead and did it anyway. Now my contacts list has each contact listed 4 times for some reason. That, of course, did not fix the issue.

So their next solution was to replace the screen as the LED must obviously be burnt out, right? Uh...no. I told them the LED is working because it lights up when it is charging. They went ahead and replaced it anyway. Problem still not solved.

So the next step is to give me a new phone. It will be here tomorrow. My guess is, though, if it has the latest software update on it (which I am guessing will be uploaded when they activate the phone) the problem will still be there. I already specifically told them NOT to download the latest software update when activating the phone but I am guessing I will once again be ignored like I have been through every step in this process.

I sent an email to Samsung customer service yesterday and they responded at 4am stating it was "clearly a hardware issue and not a software issue". Tell me, why would the setting for turning the LED indicator light on and off no longer even be in the menu like it was before if it was a hardware issue?? How can I possibly be the only one who can plainly see that this is a software issue and not a hardware issue?????

[Jesse]

Jesus man..