Nexus 5 issues after Android 4.4.4, rollback to 4.4.2
Regular readers may recall that back in July following the Android 4.4.4 KitKat update we reported on problems with the Nexus 5. Among them were some issues that still existed from before the update, and owners of the device were also reporting new problems since the update. Jump forward a month and there are still Nexus 5 issues after Android 4.4.4, and some might want to try a rollback to 4.4.2.
Even though we are about to move into September, a look at various forums shows that some Nexus 5 owners are still discussing these problems. Just a few of the issues still apparent involve Nexus 5 charging issues, Nexus 5 problems with calls, and difficulties with the camera and Wi-Fi.
For example this Google product forum thread is about Nexus 5 camera glitches, while this forum thread concerns random reboots affecting some users. Meanwhile this Reddit page is concerned with Nexus 5 battery issues since 4.4.4. For example one user complains about the amount of time it now takes to charge their phone, saying that even after four hours the charge is not even up to 80%.
When we previously reported on Nexus 5 issues after the Android 4.4.4 update, we received many comments from readers and these are still coming in. Just a few of the problems noted include the inability to turn on Wi-Fi since the update, complaints about battery life, and random freezing amongst others.
A fix recommended by one reader is an Android 4.4.4 rollback to 4.4.2. This person says, “Issues with 4.4.4 OTA update can be fixed by rolling down to 4.4.2, as I had done the same and absolutely delighted with my nexus device. Try using nexus Root Toolkit to do so.” If you want to try this for yourself you can get the Nexus Root Toolkit details and download here.
We’re really interested in finding out just how many Nexus 5 users are still being affected by Android 4.4.4 update problems. Have you had any issues with your Nexus 5 since this update? Maybe you did at first but the problem has now been resolved? Alternatively what problems are still affecting your device? Send your comments to let us know.
Comments
14 thoughts on “Nexus 5 issues after Android 4.4.4, rollback to 4.4.2”
I don’t have the NEXUS, but use a Xoom. Originally I had trouble with the Android 4.4x upgrade, but as of the latest 4.4.4 upgrades, specifically the 20140806 upgrade coupled with the latest PA_GAPPS 20140818, this thing performs like a dream.
I would add, if it makes any difference, that I’ve been using this tablet very hard for the last 2 years, day and night. Over that period of time my battery life has decreased from nearly 8 hours per charge to less than 4 hours. I really can’t see that this is anything more than battery wear though, and plan on getting a new one soon.
I actually have experienced a couple random reboots…. And it does freeze, something that didn’t occur previously
M not facing any such problems in version 4.4.4
People,just yuse any utility program, like..android assistant, and..thats it, you want have any problem. My Nexus 5 with k.k.4.4.4 , works fine. Its simple…, like if you just drive your car, withaut care ..about ,oil, whater, gas..he will stop, so…try ..something.
My nexus is working absolutely fine with the latest update. Battery charging issue which you mentioned in the article could be due to the use of different charging cable (and not nexus cable) being used.
My Nexus 5 with 4.4.4 also has issues: Battery ia empty in under 12 hours even with turning out wifi and mobile data. The processes which show most battery use are: standby, screen, mobile standy, android-system, android os
The wifi dropping issue only started affecting me a few days ago, but boy is it aggravating because I’m overseas now & for the next few months, and I was relying on wifi to avoid roaming charges.
I’ve uninstalled all recent installs but no joy. I’ve found that in safe mode it holds the wifi connection much, much better. So I’m using safe mode a lot, but of course a lot of things don’t run in safe mode. So I’m now in the process of uninstalling any non-essential apps that load automatically & make intermittent network calls (yeah I’m looking at you social media). So far no definite progress…
The battery has had a tendency to sometimes run hotter since 4.4.4, & had some seemingly inexplicable fast battery run-downs. Changing the runtime to ART helped this a lot, but it still happens now & then. Now if I notice it getting hot or the battery draining fast I just reboot & that resolves it.
I’ve also had a few random crashes/reboots in the last few months, but very few.
I’m definitely disappointed with Google for not addressing these problems. I bought the Nexus 5 direct from Google precisely because I wanted updates asap. It’s maddening that that these problems have been known for a good while and Google has neither fixed them with an update nor even communicated with us about what they’re doing about them.
And here I thought it was Apple that liked to pretend there were never any problems and keep their users in the dark.
Just an fyi for anyone else out there who suddenly found themselves with wifi drops recently: try disabling your 3rd party SMS app. In the end I found that the problem only occurs when mine’s loaded (and reliably occurs when it’s loaded, and not at all when its not). I have no way of knowing if the problem is rooted in the 4.4.4 wifi bug and something in the app is triggering the bug, or whether it truly is just the app.
What is odd is that the app hasn’t had an update for weeks, and yet the problem only started days ago. However what did happen a few days ago was Hangouts grabbed the default SMS app setting. Correlation isn’t causation, but it could be related. Why Hangouts did this I have no idea, and it hasn’t has an update for a few weeks either.
In any case, try disabling your 3rd party SMS app if you use one & have wifi drop problems. It might help.
So where does that leave me in regards to 4.4.4 bugs? I don’t know. The battery concerns are real for me, even if I’ve found a workaround. A consistently overheating battery is a battery that won’t last as long. So the longer Google takes to fix it, the shorter life my Nexus 5 will have. Given that the battery was marginally enough in the design to begin with, that’s pretty irritating.
Faults with My Nexus 5 on 4.4.4
1. Over heats after 10min of use, can be as hot as a fresh cup of tea/coffee
2. It no longer exits apps when backing out of them eg real racing 3, Facebook. I know this because I don’t have control over ringer volume until I remove them from the open/recent windows
3. Phone randomly reboots (this could be linked with the over heating)
4. Battery power randomly vanishes eg last week my batt dropped from 100% to 5% on my drive to work (20min) the phone was in my pocket and not being used except linking to my Bluetooth but I wasn’t on calls or listening to music.
5. I can no longer use BBC iplayer as after 15min the phone is roasting and sound in the app is intermittent (I only play downloaded programmes not streamed)
I can’t able to switch on the wifi and its struck at Turning on Wifi screen and same with bluetooth.
i’m exactly facing the same issue! please tell me that you found a fix yet? if you did please drop me an email to nigel1812@gmail.com
thanks in advance! God Bless:)
problems with my nexus 5 with 4.4.4 unrooted
1. can’t connect to camera
the camera app is not working sometimes. need to do a reboot for that.
2. mm-qcamera-daemon
this bug is running in the background and is causing overheating problems
3. battery
the battery is draining very fast. i’m not even getting a battery backup of even 4 or 5 hours on standby mode. not even using wifi or bluetooth or data or gps during that 4 or 5 hours period.
4. charging time
my mobile is taking too much time for charging. it takes merely about 3 to 4 hours to charge from 30% to 100%
Can’t use Avast secureline anymore.
Suddenly Avast Secureline won’t start and battery life runs out very quickly now.