While there’s no doubt it’s one of the older phones around now, the most innovative entry from 2016 was LG’s G5. The G5 is a sleek, powerful smartphone with a great camera (for its time) and an exciting modular system that hasn’t been attempted since. Unfortunately, every phone has some issues, and the G5 was no exception. We’ve performed testing, perused forum posts, and gathered a selection of the most commonly reported LG G5 problems in hopes of offering potential workarounds or fixes. You can check them out below.
You may also want to take a look at the best LG G5 cases, as well as our LG G5 tips and tricks.
We have seen a handful of reports about the LG G5 getting stuck in a bootloop, where it continually restarts itself. This issue was widely reported for some other LG phones, and it was the subject of a lawsuit that included the LG G5. It does seem to be far less common on the G5 than it was on some of its predecessors, but that’s not much solace if your device is affected.
There have been a number of reports of issues with the LG G5 display. Some owners are reporting an unacceptable level of backlight bleed, with bright patches appearing at the edges or corners of the display. There are also some reports that the picture distorts or blooms when people press on the display. These complaints suggest some build quality or quality assurance issues with the first wave of G5 handsets to hit the market. If you want to test the backlight, you can use the free Backlight Bleed Test app.
By default, there’s no application drawer in the LG G5 user interface. Every app gets added to the home screen instead. Some people won’t miss the app drawer, but if you want it back on your LG G5, then you have a couple of options.
The LG G5 supports the latest Quick Charge 3.0 standard, but there seems to be a bit of confusion about how it works. It’s designed to charge your phone quickly, taking it from 0 up to 80% in around 30 or 35 minutes. Once you hit 80%, it will charge at a slower rate. You can swipe down the notification shade to see a notification that indicates fast charging is working. If you find that the G5 isn’t charging up as fast as expected, then there are a couple of things to try.
A few people have run into a glitch where the notification LED fails to light up for some incoming messages. It might work with the default apps, but not with some third-party messaging apps.
A few people have been complaining about battery life with the LG G5, and weak battery life is something we noted in our LG G5 review. Keep in mind that during the first couple of days with a new phone, the battery will drain fast because it’s downloading and installing apps, and you’re probably using it a lot. If you find that the battery continues to drain rapidly after the first few days, then you may have a problem.
If you find that the LG G5 freezes up frequently and the touchscreen becomes unresponsive, then there are a few different possible causes.
A few people have run into an issue with the LG G5 where they hear a loud hissing or static when they plug the phone into a car system via the AUX port. For some people, the same phone works fine with headphones, but others are reporting a similar static issue with headphones. You should try plugging your LG G5 into another car or try a different set of headphones. You can also try a different phone in your car and test another cable to try and narrow down the problem.
There have been several reports about problems getting the LG G5 to connect to Bluetooth accessories and car systems. Some people are having trouble getting connected at all, while others report frequent disconnects or very poor audio quality. These kinds of issues are very common with smartphones.
Some LG G5 owners have been struggling to get their GPS working properly. It may fail to find a fix or take a long time, and it might drop the connection frequently or fail to update. GPS is going to struggle in some areas and indoors, but when you’re out and about, you should definitely be able to get a signal. Test with another device, if possible, to make sure the fault is with your G5.
We’ve seen a lot of complaints about the LG G5 overheating, or at least getting very warm. If this happened when you were first setting up your G5 or within the first couple of days, we’d suggest waiting to see if you have a genuine problem. All smartphones heat up a lot, especially when you’re first getting used to them and using them a lot. If your G5 continues to heat up without any apparent reason beyond the first few days, then you may have a problem to investigate.
Some LG G5 owners have run into issues with the smartphone’s proximity sensor, which has led to situations where they can’t use the phone while on a call, or the display will remain off after ending a call.
There have been a few reports about people being unable to use the fingerprint scanner to unlock their screens. Certain cases have been said to interfere with the feature, such as ones from Spigen and VRS Design.
A few people have found that after using the LG G5’s camera for an unspecified amount of time, or after an update, it may suddenly issue a “Warning: Camera Failed” message or something similar. Following this, the camera will fail to work.
Many LG G5 owners have reportedly been unable to get a Wi-Fi connection, which is a fairly common problem with today’s smartphones. When they do connect to the network, the connection is also slow or eventually drops.
If you find yourself unable to send text messages to a contact, or unable to receive messages, you are not alone. There are a few things you can try to rectify the situation.
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