It’s no secret that we’re fans
of the HTC One M8. It’s a gorgeous looking handset and offers
unique features and qualities that make it stand out. But no matter how much we
like it, it’s not a perfect device. Like all smartphones, it has its share
of problems. We’ve found some of the most common issues with the HTC One M8 and
have provided some possible solutions for you to try should you run into them.
Problem: Extreme Power Saving
mode is missing
One of the features that HTC
trotted out in its announcement of the One M8 was an Extreme Power Saving mode.
The mode would send the phone into an almost hibernation stage, only allowing
through the most minimal of information and allowing the phone to stay alive
for 15 hours on just 5 percent battery life. That mode is missing on some HTC
One M8 handsets, an issue that has mostly plagued United States
owners. The reason for this is because U.S. carriers are shipping a
version of the smartphone that
is running an earlier software version than the one with Extreme Power Saving.
Solution: Users without
Extreme Power Saving will have to wait for a software update to arrive. The
phone hasn’t been out for too long, but updates should start rolling out fairly
soon. You can always check for system updates by going to Settings > Software
Updates > Check Now. The HTC software version that includes
Extreme Power Saving mode will be version 1.54.401.5 and up.
Malfunction: No SIM card error
A fair number of HTC One M8
owners have reported an error message that occasionally displays on their phone
that the SIM card has not been detected properly. This error often pops up at
random and has been known to arise multiple times over the course of use with
no real rhyme or reason for appearing.
Potential Solutions:
You can find the SIM card tray
and eject the SIM card using a paper clip or pin to pop out the tray. Reseat or
readjust the card, re-insert it, and see if it solves the problem.
Attempt to clean the SIM card
and the gold contacts on it with rubbing alcohol applied to a microfiber cloth.
Clean carefully to avoid any damage, and dry the card before re-inserting it.
To add an extra layer to the
SIM card to prevent it from shaking loose within its tray, thicken the card
with a few thin layers of tape. Make sure not to cover the gold plates on the
card. This could add enough size to make sure the SIM card doesn’t fall loose
again.
If all else fails, you can
always take the handset back to the store and have it or the SIM card replaced.
Annoyance: Keyboard keeps
changing language
Some users have had a difficult
time with the HTC keyboard. Specifically, some users find they are suddenly
typing in entirely different languages. This isn’t so much a software problem
as it is clumsy fingers or poor spacing on the keyboard itself, but it’s an
annoyance either way.
Solution: Luckily, the
keyboard on the HTC One M8 is digital and on screen, so it’s easy to replace.
Switch over to a keyboard replacement app of your choice by downloading one
from the Google Play Store or try out the popular and built-in Swype keyboard
option.
If you’d like to stick with the
default keyboard and just eliminate the issue with the other language, open the
SMS app, bring up the keyboard, and hold the cog button to bring up the
keyboard settings menu. Tap Keyboard Selection and uncheck the
languages that you won’t use.
Problem: Phone crashes at
random
Some users have reported the
HTC One M8 crashing during use. Those who has mentioned the problem have not
noticed a pattern in usage to cause such an occurrence. The phone simply
reboots on occasion without any prompting.
Possible Solutions:
A factory reset seems to be the
first solution to the problem. Go to Settings > Backup & reset >
Reset phone > Erase all data > OK to perform the reset.
If you believe it is a specific
app or program causing the issue, go to Settings > Power > Usage.
This will show you if any app in particular is eating away at resourcing and
wreaking havoc on your handset.
Malfunction: Camera app crashes
in portrait mode
Outside of the complaints about
the quality of photos captured by the HTC One M8 — sorry, not much we can do
about that one — there have been reports of the camera crashing during use in
portrait mode. Some users have even reported that there are no issues with the
camera in landscape, but changing orientations causes the HTC camera app to
crash.
Solution:
This issues has been tracked to
a specific app. LastPass, the popular password manager tool, has been causing
the problem thanks to its latest update. The good news is you won’t have to
delete the app or use a different photo app. They can live in harmony. Here’s
what you’ll have to do:
Log into the LastPass
application
Go to Preferences > Edit
App Associations
Select Camera
Change the selection to “Do not
show fill window”
By all accounts, this seems to
do the trick.
Bug: Bluetooth won’t connect
Bluetooth is one of those
problems that pops up with just about every phone, especially when it comes to
trying to connect with a car. The HTC One M8 is no exception to the rule, and
it has its own share of issues with Bluetooth connectivity. There are a lot of
ways to break through these issues, including persistence, but here are some
that seem to work.
Possible solutions:
Make sure that the firmware in
all devices is up to date.
Delete the previous pairings
between the HTC One M8 and the other device. Go to Settings > Bluetooth to
do so. After completing the process, try to connect again.
For issues related to sending
messages, make sure Message access is on by going to Settings > Bluetooth > Advanced.
Avoid special characters when
naming your device. Make sure you haven’t given your device a crazy name by
going to Settings > Bluetooth and checking the Device
name.
Bug: Phone always appears to be
roaming
A handful of users have noticed
that their HTC One M8 always appears to be roaming. This could be a concern for
anyone who doesn’t want their cell bill to be incredibly high even though they
are making calls from well within their region of service. This is a known bug
and HTC promises that users seeing the roaming signal at all times are not
being charged for roaming services.
Solution:
This comes down to a software
update that should be on the way soon. To check and see if your HTC One M8 is
up to date and has the latest firmware, go to Settings > Software
Updates > Check Now.
Malfunction: Email app isn’t
working
HTC provides its own apps for
the HTC One M8, but some of those have been problematic for users.
Specifically, the search function of the HTC email app doesn’t yield results in
a timely manner and has trouble displaying messages.
Solution:
If you find yourself with this
problem, you are likely a Yahoo mail user. Yahoo and the HTC mail app don’t
seem to play nice together. The default values are incorrect. You can follow
these steps, provided by Yahoo, to fix the problem:
Open the Menu button
on your Home screen.
Tap Apps.
Tap the Mail icon.
Tap Other (POP3/IMAP).
Enter your Yahoo account
information.
If an error occurs throughout
the process, try the following:
Tap Manual Setup.
Tap IMAP.
Enter the following server
setting information:
Incoming server: imap.mail.yahoo.com
Port #: 993
Security type: SSL
(accepts all certificates)
Outgoing Server: smtp.mail.yahoo.com
Port #: 465
Keep all of the other settings
the same.
Complete the setup process.
Glitch: Dead or stuck pixels
Despite
the pretty screen on the HTC One M8, there have been some complaints about dead
pixels — pixels that won’t light up — and stuck pixels — ones that are
permanently on — with the displays. This can ruin the viewing experience for
the One M8 user.
Possible solutions:
You can try an app like Dead Pixel Detect and Fix and see if it helps.
Some users suggest leaving your
screen on for 30 minutes or so on full brightness in an effort to burn away the
dead pixels.
Return the handset and get a
replacement with a screen that doesn’t have this problem.
Bug: HTC TV App won’t connect
with TV
The HTC One M8 isn’t just
designed to be in your pocket on the go, but in your hand while you’re in the
living room. An IR blaster in the device makes it capable of becoming your TV
remote. But that’s assuming it works, which by the accounts of some users has not
been the case. The error message “Unable to retrieve data” appears after
attempting the setup process.
Possible Solutions:
Make sure your service provider
offers support for the app. Simple as it sounds, some providers are not
compatible.
Run through the setup process
again, making sure that you’ve followed the process properly and completed
every step. Sometimes it just takes a few tries to get the app to pick up the
information.
Go to Settings > Apps and
find the HTC TV app. Clear the data for the app and try the setup process
again.
Make sure the app is up to
date. An older version of the app seemed to have more problems than the current
one.
If you’ve run into any other
HTC One M8 problems or, even better, found a solution that isn’t listed, then
please post a comment and share. You will also a lot of great advice over at
the XDA
Developers forum for the HTC One M8. Also, check out our guide to HTC
One problems, as some issues have carried over to the new handset.
No comments:
Post a Comment