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Android 5.0 Lollipop Problems Plague Nexus Users

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Android 5.0 Lollipop is delivering new features, enhancements and bug fixes to Nexus 5, Nexus 4, Nexus 7, and Nexus 10 users but it also looks like the update is bringing Android 5.0 Lollipop problems to owners of old Nexus smartphones and tablets and to owners of Google’s new Nexus devices, the Nexus 6 and the Nexus 9.

Just about a month ago, Google announced a number of new products including a Nexus 6 smartphone from Motorola, a Nexus 9 tablet from HTC, and an Android 5.0 Lollipop update for the Nexus 4, Nexus 7, Nexus 10, and Nexus 5. It also confirmed Android 5.0 Lollipop for its stable of Google Play Edition devices. At the time, the company said that the updates would begin rolling out in the “coming weeks” though it failed to elaborate.

Last week, Google’s Nexus Android 5.0 Lollipop release date arrived for select Nexus users including owners of the Nexus 5, Nexus 4, Nexus 10 and Nexus 7. The update, one of the biggest in the history of the Android operating system, takes Nexus users from Android 4.4.4 KitKat to Android 5.0 Lollipop and it delivers a number of new features including the update’s new Material Design, bug fixes and an assortment of enhancements. It also appears to have brought Android 5.0 Lollipop problems to various Nexus users.

Nexus6vsN5-2

Nexus Android 5.0 Lollipop problems started emerging last week though at the time, most complaints were from Nexus users who sideloaded the upgraded ahead of the OTA. Sideloading always has the potential to cause issues and those that didn’t take proper precautions ran into some problems after manually installing the software.

At the time, we noted that Android 5.0 Lollipop problems were almost certainly going to pick up in the days, and weeks, after the initial arrival. Google’s Android update roll outs are slow and typically take a week or more to roll out to everyone. In the past few days, we’ve started to see Google’s Nexus Android 5.0 roll outs hit a larger number of users which has lead to a larger number of complaints about Nexus Android 5.0 Lollipop problems.

Major Android 5.0 Lollipop issues have been discovered lurking about in the days after the update’s release. Android Police discovered two Android 5.0 bugs affecting Nexus users including one wherein the app switcher shows off a random card when a user clears them all and another that’s affecting the Nexus 9. The Nexus 9 problem is particularly troublesome because it relates to the OK Google Everywhere voice recognition. The feature apparently doesn’t work except on the home screen and no temporary fixes have been discovered.

According to Myce, a serious SMS bug is affecting owners of the Nexus 4, Nexus 5, and Nexus 6. The bug is affecting certain mobile carriers including and it prevents users from sending SMS messages. Dutch publication Tweakers claims that Google’s halted the updates that are affected by this bug and that the roll outs will continue once it is fixed.

Nexus5-Android5

Nexus 7, Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 10, and Nexus 9 users have also taken to Google’s Nexus Help Forum to complain about a myriad of issues impacting their device after upgrading from Android 4.4 to Android 5.0. Nexus 7 2012 users are complaining about broken video playback and sluggish performance. One Nexus 7 2012 user told Gotta Be Mobile that:

My absolutely stock Nexus is unusable after the OTA yesterday. Google forum is filled with the same complaint. Fixes mentioned in the article apparently don’t do much from the forum responses. Updated last night. Didn’t know to hold off doing so! My nexus closes apps. Facebook only responds for so long before it freezes/closes. Can’t upload some pictures. Will not show all my photos. Cant watch any videos. Terrible!

Nexus 5 users are complaining about battery drain and charging issues, neither of which we’ve seen on our Nexus 5 with Android 5.0 Lollipop on board, Google Now is apparently crashing and freezing for a number of Nexus users, users are reporting issues with syncing after downloading the new update, we’re seeing the usual assortment of Wi-Fi issues, problems with sound, issues with Contacts, and more. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Google’s forums are literally flooded with complaints about its massive upgrade.

Nexus5-Android5-5

While some of these threads contain possible fixes, many others don’t and it could take some time before we, and others, discover temporary fixes for the bigger problems affecting Nexus owners. It also may come down to Google. Google’s been known to release bug fixers in the weeks after the initial roll out and while Android 5.0.1 rumors have yet to start, there’s a chance the company will roll out a new update to quell some of the bigger issues ahead of the holidays.

For now, Nexus users affected by Android 5.0 Lollipop problems will need to rely on Google’s product forums, Android forums and the Android community as a whole for solutions to these issues.

64 Comments

64 Comments

  1. Serge

    11/19/2014 at 12:03 pm

    On Nexus 7 2012, clearing the cache (booting in recovery mode) did a little good. Updating Google Keep did a lot better.

  2. Andrew Heap

    11/20/2014 at 1:22 am

    Yes, I installed it yesterday (19 Nov) onto a Nexus 7, after receiving the ‘download update’ notification. It crashed several times, shut down and turned itself off, and now refuses to start at all. This, on a Nexus that until then was working perfectly.

    Very unhappy. What I am I supposed to do?

  3. Neil

    11/20/2014 at 5:15 am

    Google Now problems are not exclusive to Lollipop. Also getting slow response or hanging for Google Now on Kitkat 4.4.4 and occasional “google search has stopped” messages across the screen randomly when running non-google apps. This is on both Nexus 4 and Moto G LTE neither of which are running Lollipop but running fully up-to-date KitKat.

  4. Tom Wilder

    11/20/2014 at 5:36 am

    I teach a newspaper/journalism class to fifth graders. Reading this story makes me think one of them wrote this for you. Are you ten years old? You write like one.

    • sammylpt

      11/24/2014 at 6:52 am

      “Nexus 7, Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 10, and Nexus 9 users have also taken to Google’s Nexus Help Forum to complain about a myriad of issues impacting their device after upgrading from Android 4.4 to Android 5.0. Nexus 7 2012 users are complaining about broken video playback and sluggish performance. One Nexus 7 2012 user told Gotta Be Mobile that:”

      You Sir, must be teaching some super bright 10 year olds. Could you please re-write the above paragraph using the “correct adult” use of the English grammar system, while explaining at the same time what the faults were with this one. Also well done to the 10 year olds who understand the word “myriad”.

  5. paul

    11/20/2014 at 8:39 am

    Updated to lollipops OTA coup!e of days ago, instantly lost all video use, could record or watch ANYTHING.
    All my apps are sluggish and jerky. BIG REGRETS

  6. Gene

    11/20/2014 at 4:36 pm

    Google engineers who develop the UI for android, specifically Lollipop are so smart about this stuff and excited about all the new things it will do completely missed the boat on nexus 2012 units. Were speaking of a two and a half year old device not an antique by any stretch of the imminigation. Come on guys you lost focus and support for us lowly dweebs who don’t own a latest and greatest nexus. I feel sorry for you guys. Google calls them engineers. WHAT. A true engineer works through all scenarios before ever saying its street ready. give me a break and get this problem fixed. At least let us downgrade……

  7. Robert Dennon

    11/20/2014 at 7:28 pm

    Please help!!! Android 5.0 has really been a disappointment. Apps crash, some do not work, battery drains quickly. Probably others that I have not encountered yet. Please advise what can be done, short of having to purchase something other than a nexus. By the way, I am using a 2012 nexus 7

  8. nexus user India

    11/20/2014 at 9:21 pm

    I update my nexus 5 yesterday (I’m from India). I have installed yahoo aviate launcher and it looks fine with android lollipop too. But when I changed my home view as my googles default launcher it looks so wierd and when I press menu option the apps are categorized inside are looks so ugly on a white background. I think user must have option to change its color like black or somethink with black color tone.
    Secondly, android lollipop using too much RAM of my nexus 5. And only 500-600 mb free (in KitKat version its always free between 950-1100 mb with 8-10 apps running in background. So lollipop takes so much RAM even only 5 apps were running in background like Facebook messenger, yahoomail,applock,WhatsApp and one more. And I force stop all other apps so they can’t run in background until I opened them once.
    I guess if it takes so much RAM it will drain my battery fast.
    And this is totally inverse of google methodology of kitkat where they said they will make android that can run perfectly on a phone with low specifications like phones 1gb ram .
    KitKat was OK with all those phone but lollipop isn’t followed it.
    Thirdly my gallery and photos are merged into once which is not good in my view because in gallery they are categorized in folders like camera,WhatsApp videos, downloaded etc. But in lollipop I have to go to photos and then select on device option which looks not so good.
    Other view I will tell you later as I faced down using lollipop on my nexus 5 .

  9. Milan

    11/20/2014 at 9:27 pm

    NEXUS 4, updated to Lollipop a week ago. I swear to god, never crashed, works fine and fast, I like it.

  10. robertkstephen

    11/21/2014 at 2:21 am

    ” ‘I fear the day technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots.’ ” – einstein . (yeah , and they´re all out there designing stuff like windows vista , android 5 , lots of etc )

  11. HARDIK GALA

    11/21/2014 at 2:37 am

    Lollypop is totally flop as it does not look like extraordinary. It is worst iOS I have ever seen in my life. It does not support gallery. If one does not have internet connection then he will not be able to see photos in photo app. Plus GUI is worst. You compare it with KitKat version for nexsus 5 ,it was great looking. Now I don’t like to see screen at all. What extraordinary new thing you have added. Itz not user friendly. Battery problem is there. There is problem in autorotation. One it get rotated it does not rotate when we change the position of phone. Most importantly it does not support MX PLAYER. One of the best app created by android. I don’t like any other player to see video. There are lots and lots of problem. The makers of lollypop,you really acted like children by eating real lollypop. You don’t deserve it. If you really care for your customer please fix this bugs as soon as possible.

    • ste1g

      11/21/2014 at 6:25 am

      on the photo app swipe left and check onto device there are the pictures and theres no need for internet connection. MX has to be updated to work with lollipop, which for instance is a problem of the developers of the program not android itself. iOS is for iPhone, OS is generic ;) BTW if u don’t even like the look of it why did you upgrade? Use a different launcher like Nova for example, that u can personalize as u wish

  12. Nick Pietropaolo

    11/21/2014 at 7:56 am

    Nexus 5. Updated to lollipop, worked great and I liked the interface for maybe the first day, then all the problems started happening… Battery drains quicker than before, apps f/c all the time including Facebook and chrome browser. Very sluggish now and when u go to home screen,takes a few seconds for icons to show up. Very upset and this needs a fix now or I’d like to go back to kitkat

    • Donna

      11/23/2014 at 7:03 pm

      The battery drain is exceptionally bad. I’m also disappointed that I have to use Google + as my default photo viewer.

  13. Zuzana Hamzaoglu

    11/21/2014 at 8:06 am

    After this latest update, my phone dimply won’t latch on any WiFi. The message shows authentication problem. I can’t be always draining my data, especially when I pay for WiFi at home. Come on android/google, fix it. I didn’t ask for these bugs. Thanks, Zuzana

    • Alka

      11/24/2014 at 3:39 am

      Upraded my nexus 5 to lollipop. Its now slower. For opening locked screen an additional step has been added i.e. you first swipe to open pattern screen and then open the lock. Not good at all. Further i can’t see notification bar on locked window. Bad again. I am experiencing problem with calls too as my screen goes blank and on opening with power button also it displays just lock screen. Please fix all this

  14. Ruthie

    11/21/2014 at 8:20 am

    Since the recent update for nexus 7 nothing works! Please fix it or tell me how I can go back to the previous version with out having to restore to factory settings?

  15. anil godara

    11/21/2014 at 8:55 am

    My phone no. Is 9615A-CEFWMAZM-2.01701.03
    I have not received android 5 update still

  16. James A. Cline, Jr.

    11/21/2014 at 10:19 am

    Thanks a lot, Google. My 2012 nexus 7 which has worked fine until now, is extremely slow since lollypop, and freezes all the time. It’s so bad it isn’t even worth using.

  17. Clint Jonsson

    11/22/2014 at 4:14 am

    I had to clean my Nexus 7 2012 and factory reset. Lost all the setrings even though I did a dara back up first. On previous OS tablet restored everything on its own.
    It was working fine before, it still randomly closes but is faster than before.

  18. Kathy

    11/22/2014 at 5:10 am

    I downloaded Lollypop 5.0 on my Nexus 5 and right away I stopped receiving text messages. I called my carrier and tech support had me clear the caches, but it didn’t work. Then I uninstalled the messenger app, then reinstalled it and rebooted my phone, and it worked. I also had issues with the camera when trying to take a picture the flashlight would come on and freeze it up. So same thing, I went to the Google Play Store and uninstalled the app, which what it really did was uninstall the latest update. Then I tested the camera and it worked. I went back to the play store and reinstalled the latest update for the camera, tested it and it’s working fine now. Hope this helps you too.

  19. Pete

    11/22/2014 at 1:30 pm

    Same problems as others have already stated since the Android upgrade to 5. Everything very slow or doesn’t respond at all. Very annoyed!!!!

  20. Ber

    11/22/2014 at 3:41 pm

    Since going ahead with Lollipop update on my Nexus 5 it’s like my phone can’t keep up with my typing and everything else is either sluggish or a nuisance to run properly….before this I LOVED my phone, now it exasperates me….:(

  21. cheryl

    11/22/2014 at 9:45 pm

    After I installed update I can no longer send or receive picture messages. My carrier found not help and I am very annoyed. Haven’t noticed any other problems but to me this is plenty

  22. Tom

    11/22/2014 at 9:48 pm

    We need to SUE google and Get are no ey back for our dead phones and tablets!!! I’ve lost lots of money!!!

  23. Thomas

    11/23/2014 at 5:22 am

    Stupid lollipop. Facebook keeps stopping, you scroll down 3 or 4 posts and it kicks off! Not Happy

    • Clint J

      11/23/2014 at 5:29 am

      Same here. Skype does not work at all either

      • kim

        11/23/2014 at 10:18 am

        Yes, same here :(

  24. Julian Hodgson

    11/23/2014 at 12:00 pm

    I’m having exactly the same problems with my 2012 nexus 7 as reported above. Freezing, closing apps without warning (particularly face book) I haven’t tried you tube lately but I will now given the reports of problems with video playback. All-in-all I have to say I’m very annoyed and disappointed with google, yes my tablet was old, but it still did everything I needed it to do and now it’s almost completely unusable. From what I can see from forums and internet searches, there are no fixes available either. Very, very disappointed with google…

  25. James Frampton

    11/23/2014 at 2:27 pm

    Why don’t Google like any other responsible company communicate with its customers either directly or via the media. These issues will definitely damage Google image and reputation and consequently sales as customers will remembered and move to other companies who don’t treat their customers with contempt.

    • steve

      01/18/2015 at 8:20 am

      I don’t know who youre going to switch to. My sisters iPhone 4s hasn’t been goid since ios 8, 4 months ago. Every company has trouble with updates

  26. Mat

    11/23/2014 at 3:26 pm

    Runs fine on nexus 4. Was terrible on my nexus 7 (2012) until I removed the Facebook app. Now fine.

  27. bevg

    11/23/2014 at 4:57 pm

    Hate the the update. We while typing this text it just stopped &crashed on me. Used to love my cute responsive, nexus 7. Now so disappointed. I was trying to order a christmas gift online and had to add a code, the system wouldn’t allow me(after several attempts) to type a lower case g. Hate the system its slow, one particular site the pictures load like an old dial up system, it doesn’t open quickly when you unlock it its horrible. And the white background on the keyboard is awful….Hate it!!!!!

  28. Namjith Aravind

    11/23/2014 at 10:09 pm

    Poor performance in NEXUS 5 even without encryption.Every app getting damn slow… Especially photos, phone etc…Cant even move the photos in camera app..Google will fix this OR want to go back to KitKat…

  29. Eric

    11/24/2014 at 3:05 am

    Lollipop sucks… Slows down the phone and changes the goggle inc. Apps.. WiFi takes forever to pick up in the phone and Chrome I just can find an easy way to open a new tab or to close the window… Sucks in design… And the photos… Takes time to load the gallery and Harder to find the folders of Facebook images, WhatsApp, downloads, etc… And the worse, to unlock the phone you have to press power and swipe the screen to open the numbers to type the code and unlock the phone. They added an extra step, at least in my Nexus 5. I haaate it.

  30. Joy

    11/24/2014 at 8:55 am

    Post the nexus update all Apps seem to have gone bizarre. First my SMS stopped working then hangout and now whenever I try calling from Fb messenger the phone just hangs. I tried uninstalling and re installing most of the apps. However fb messenger and hangout calls still not working. Can someone suggest how I could get these apps to function normally.

  31. bigfoot Shaun

    11/24/2014 at 10:09 am

    My nexus 5 has all the same bugs… I find it funny all the people thinking their device is now trash. Give it couple months live outside the screen for a bit they will work it out. As Google device owners we get first dibs on updates which is cool but also means we are the guinea pigs for everyone else. Anytime there is a major platform change there will be bugs, it’s too be expected. If you don’t want to deal with that don’t take the updates till they have been proven. Live, love, and learn. Life is to short stressing over crap you can’t change. :)

  32. Chad Phillips

    11/24/2014 at 11:55 am

    My Nexus 5 is really messed up after installing Lollipop. Wi-fi is off and will not turn on, period. Worse than that, when my phone tries to sleep it goes into an endless Android reboot loop, which will drain my battery if I don’t interrupt it. I have to turn my phone off completely and just turn it on periodically to check for calls. I’m really looking forward to a fix from google for this.

  33. Andres

    11/24/2014 at 4:10 pm

    One of t worse bug is that in my Nexus 5 Settings I now cannot change inputs nor languages. Many apps fail and I wish it were easy to go back! So I proceeded to change failing features and apps.
    Since I have t Swype apk I enter thru the “backdoor”. For pictures, threw away Photos & Google+, now have QuickPic and Fish Bowl as photo managers/gallery. For contacts also substituted built in apk by DW Contacts & Phone Pro which works super. Calendar was substituted by Business Calendar, linked to the Google cloud calendar…just great.
    Next time will wait for 1st or 2nd update to bugs.

  34. norm

    11/24/2014 at 8:41 pm

    Lollipop is a sucker wish I could go back to 4.4 what did you do with gallery please put it back

    • tigerandyx9

      11/25/2014 at 1:29 am

      One of t worse bug is that in my Nexus 5 Settings I now cannot change inputs nor languages. Many apps fail and I wish it were easy to go back! So I proceeded to change failing features and apps.
      Since I have t Swype apk I enter thru the “backdoor”. For pictures, threw away Photos & Google+, now have QuickPic and Fish Bowl as photo managers/gallery. For contacts also substituted built in apk by DW Contacts & Phone Pro which works super. Calendar was substituted by Business Calendar, linked to the Google cloud calendar…just great.
      Next time will wait for 1st or 2nd update to bugs.

  35. ian

    11/25/2014 at 2:25 am

    How can I fix this will android fix me!?!

  36. danielle

    11/26/2014 at 3:14 pm

    I lost half my contacts. Random ones were saved, half of them lost. Have tried everything to get them back without success. Hate this update.

  37. mehdi

    11/26/2014 at 10:43 pm

    After updating to lollipop many apps including viber and instagram get crashing and closing 1 or 2 seconds after I open them. Soo annoying!

  38. A

    11/27/2014 at 4:00 am

    Its horrible. Not able to access any messaging service :(

  39. susie

    11/27/2014 at 9:15 am

    I am very disappointed with the lollipop update and would love to undo it. The extra swipe to open is time consuming and annoying, also more sensitive to right handed swipers. The ” keyboard” is unaesthetic. My Skype does not work whenever I open the phone I get my phone book and not a main menu page. It is more complicated to make a phone call, there are more unnecessary steps.
    And this is after less than24 hours of frustration so there might be more discomforts and bugs that I have yet to discover. Is there anyway to undo this ” upgrade”???

  40. NAUSHAD HASAN

    11/27/2014 at 10:51 am

    I am from India and upgraded my nexus 5 to lollypop. Every other features are wow but I am not able to capture videos. Can anyone help?

  41. Emma P

    11/27/2014 at 7:00 pm

    Nexus 4 – upgrading to lollipop is the worst thing I’ve ever done, really wish I hadn’t done so. Everything from leading games/apps to writing texts is REALLY laggy & sluggish. Uses a hell of a lot more RAM so battery lasts a fraction of the time. Pages spontaneously crash for no reason, scran freezes, no longer have the option to view gallery photos or my phone book…. How the hell did this OS get the go-ahead??! Not happy at all >:(

  42. Emma P

    11/27/2014 at 7:05 pm

    Nexus 4 – upgrading to lollipop is the worst thing I’ve ever done, really wish I hadn’t done so. Everything from loading games/apps to writing texts is REALLY laggy & sluggish. Uses a hell of a lot more RAM so battery lasts a fraction of the time. Pages spontaneously crash for no reason, screen freezes, no longer have the option to view gallery photos or my phone book…. How the hell did this OS get the go-ahead??! Not happy at all >:(

  43. ian hawkins

    11/30/2014 at 4:13 am

    Nexus 4 owner. No video playback using YouTube or web pages with embedded videos. Browser scrolling stutters horribly. Some apps no longer install -505 error.

    Really need an option to roll back to KitKat.

  44. jcb

    11/30/2014 at 5:33 am

    I too have a Asus nexus 4 2013 tablet. Since the update. My tablet is very unresponsive. Every app fails. Fb messenger not responding. I tried to hard reboot it. But it never fixed the problems, its like I had a good tablet before 5. Now I have a tablet where battery lasts half a hour. And in that time nothing opens or plays. Please make a update which fixes my nexus.

  45. Nalini

    11/30/2014 at 9:01 am

    Crashes camera Skype and battery life s very poor.. What need to do to get back my nexus 5

  46. happy chicken

    11/30/2014 at 9:54 am

    My Google Chrome on Nexus 5 crashed 7 times while reading this article! My battery dropped from 60% to 57% instantaneously! Apps crashing. Better post this before it kills it!

  47. steamer551

    11/30/2014 at 4:40 pm

    Nexus10 – lost all sound and vibrations after lollipop upgrade. Screen gets bright and then dims to a level I can’t see anything. Google engineers must be copying Microsoft history of putting a good OS out followed by a crap OS.

    • jcb

      11/30/2014 at 9:16 pm

      Yeah my nexus 4 tab does that too. If you eventually get it stable enough you will see that in settings display that there’s a new option which make your screen do that. I have a good phone and I know I won’t be putting this shit update on it

  48. bks

    12/01/2014 at 8:20 am

    I did the system update on my Nexus 7 tablet and it is so messed up lost all my games shuts down restarts on its on can’t do anything with it when is this gonna get fixed

  49. Ken

    12/08/2014 at 5:18 am

    Is google going to get away with making my Nexus 7 2012 a paper weight???

  50. don

    12/11/2014 at 11:05 am

    Updated old n7 to 5.0 big friking mistake! Hangs, runs slower, and sev times a week reboots. If it can’t be fixed soon let us go back to kit kat kitty- at least she purred!

  51. Jjb

    12/15/2014 at 4:18 pm

    My nexus 5 has had all the problems that people have previously mentioned. But my issues are even more bizarre than I’ve read. While charging, my phone will send photos on Viber to random contacts, call viber contacts and last night took a photo on my instagram camera. This was all while my phone was charging and I was asleep.

    Had anyone else had these problems?

  52. K. Silva

    01/04/2015 at 12:54 am

    I just got my Nexus 6 and it has so many issues such as it wont give me a screen that allows me to answer a call, the speed dial screen (default) is a joke i don’t need huge blocks of contacts names I have not called in ages, and speed dial which i never have had to use, yet I am forced to have this hideous screen and potentially pocket dial all sorts of OLD contacts … thanks!! Then today my phone slid out of my pocket and fell on the ground (bent over when it fell) ONCE the screen is now cracked, but the phone continued working fine until it decided to give me only a black screen cannot use it at all. This phone is the WORST phone I have ever had the misfortune to trust and buy! HUGE MISTAKE these phones are complete garbage. I am completely without a phone after buying this Nexus 6 only 4 days ago…. NEVER again, I am angry and going to loose a lot of business which pays my bills. Thanks Google Motoroll!

  53. grahasm beck

    01/11/2015 at 6:07 am

    Absolute disgrace Firefox closes d9wn Facebook keeps shutting down all my apps are slow or locking.what w
    Lhat are we supposed to do !!!!!!

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