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Android 4.4.2 Problems Persist As Nexus Users Call for Android 4.4.3

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Weeks after its release, Google’s latest Android 4.4.2 KitKat update continues to frustrate Nexus users with an assortment of bugs and issues, many of which don’t seem to have a fix. And with no Android 4.4.3 KitKat update in sight, it appears that Nexus owners will be forced to rely on the Android community for help.

In the beginning of December, Google quickly released Android 4.4.2 KitKat, a follow up to the Android 4.4.1 KitKat update that it had rolled out only a few days prior. Like Android 4.4.1 KitKat, Android 4.4.2 KitKat was and is aimed at enhancing the Nexus 5 camera while also providing various bug fixes and enhancements to Nexus 4, Nexus 7, Nexus 5, Nexus 10 owners, and beyond.

nexus 7 music on lock screen kitkat

While the updates have seemingly put an end to some of the issues affecting Nexus users, problems seem to be lingering weeks after Android 4.4.2 KitKat’s release. There continues to be a constant flow of Android 4.4.2 KitKat update complaints on Google’s Nexus product forums and we’re seeing problems surface on other discussion sites as well.

We’ve put some of these issues into the spotlight before, but there are plenty of others that have surfaced for the first time in recent days, issues that have caused some to lash out at Google and demand a fix. And here, we want to take a look at some of the Android 4.4.2 KitKat problems that are annoying Nexus users right now.

One of the biggest problems that we’re seeing right now, amongst Nexus 5 users, is one that affects calls. According to several Nexus 5 owners, the device won’t ring when users call the phone. Users are reporting that while connecting to LTE or Wi-Fi, the Nexus 5 often times does not show an incoming call. Users state that switching to 3G fixes the issue but clearly, that fix is less than ideal.

android_kitkat

Nexus 7 2013 owners are dealing with slow charging issues, issues that seem to have followed them to Android 4.4.2 KitKat. Some users are saying that while using the official charger, the Nexus 7 can take up to eight hours to charge which clearly isn’t efficient or normal. This is a problem that affected owners of the original Nexus 7 after Android 4.2 Jelly Bean arrived last year.

Some Nexus 7 owners are saying that the issues have dissipated without applying any kind of a fix. Others claim that they are still seeing it. We can confirm that one of our Nexus 7’s took several hours to charge to 100%, slower than usual.

Nexus 5 Android 4.4 photos - 4

There continue to be calls about bad battery life, something that always is an issue after incremental and major Android updates. Nexus 5 users are still complaining about low volume when using Bluetooth headsets though there are some that are reporting successful fixes for the issue. Nexus 4 owners are reporting a nasty camera bug wherein the device crashes. Google apparently claimed that it would fix the issue but hasn’t and there is no known fix. There are also plenty of people reporting various general issues with the camera after installing Android 4.4.2. And finally, Nexus 4 owners are adding to a growing list of bugs afflicting their aging flagship.

Some Nexus users are fed up with the issues and there are calls for an Android 4.4.3 KitKat update. Unfortunately, it’s not clear when or if Google will release such an update leaving Nexus owners with an array of temporary fixes and forums full of complaints.

74 Comments

74 Comments

  1. steve

    01/02/2014 at 12:08 pm

    I have had 4.4.2, running Omni Rom on my Note 2, maybe that’s why my phone took all night to charge. I will have to try another, I thought it was the rom

  2. Robin

    01/02/2014 at 12:50 pm

    before I looked at the bank draft which said $6737, I accept that…my… best friend could realie bringing home money part-time from there new laptop.. there uncles cousin started doing this for only about 16 months and resently repaid the dept on there place and bourt a gorgeous Citroën 2CV. visit this site……. https://clockurl.com/BeF

  3. cooley

    01/02/2014 at 1:54 pm

    Millsy where ya bin over xmas, i’ve bin having trouble getting the zz’s without your tedious articles

  4. Steve Thorn

    01/02/2014 at 3:32 pm

    I have owed the N5 since release. While no OS is bug free, I have not experienced ANY of the above listed issues. I believe one should own a device and evaluate the user experience before regurgitating issues posted on a forum. My experience is that people don’t understand their device or download apps and/or root their device without fully understanding the consequences which can lead to problems. You can’t possibly rely on forum posts without knowing everything about the user and device. How hard is it to read a forum and cut and paste. Nice work. Another meaningless article written by another true Apple fan boy.

    • Eric Smith

      01/02/2014 at 5:38 pm

      I have no issues as well, 3 months and still humming along

    • Shailesh Shukla

      01/02/2014 at 8:54 pm

      Truly & completely agree as I m using N-5 since i released but still don’t found any of above problems.

    • Mark Hess

      01/02/2014 at 8:58 pm

      Well said Sir!

    • Moh'd Sayed Aqeel

      01/03/2014 at 1:08 am

      I’m N5 user from 3 month and I faced the calling problem some time after 4.4.2, idk about the other problems. but I think its not really big problem when Google release 4.4.3 to solve such bugs

    • Jeff

      01/03/2014 at 1:22 am

      Why is it a meaningless post if he is “regurgitating” posts off other forums?

      “Dont understand their device” what the hell does this mean?

      Most people are rooting their device at present not for the added features but out of impatience and wanting to rectify issues.

      I’m tempted to downgrade thinking my current issues are related to the upgrade but would not even be tempted to root if there was no issues for the time being anyway.

      PS
      (By any chance is there anyone reading this who owns the nexus 7 2013 using the current Kitkat build and their video recordings are all at or near enough to 30fps. I have not found one post anywhere online with the same issue i am having and not getting a single response)

      • Josh Cook

        01/03/2014 at 5:51 am

        Never recorded video with the nexus 7 2013, I think you’re not getting a response because most people don’t use a tablet to record video. In fact I haven’t even taken a photo with it. Try the xda forums??

    • Mario Muriel

      01/03/2014 at 5:33 am

      The battery problem it has been there since released I used my phone on new years eve for 4 hours well on an off with 2 hours on screen time and ran me down to 14% I was like what?

    • Josh Cook

      01/03/2014 at 5:47 am

      Yeah same here….these issues are news to me! Maybe its more anti-google PR put on by apple???

    • metromhn

      01/03/2014 at 6:37 am

      I agree. No issues on my Nexus 5, 3 months in and still loving the zippy snapdragon experience.

    • Sabrina

      01/03/2014 at 7:13 am

      Whoa a lot of hate for the writer. A quick Google search would have confirmed what he says to be true. I have a N5 and I’m feeling a little insulted that you’re saying I don’t know how to use my phone because I’m experiencing the call issue. It’s because I know how to use my phone that I know I have this issue.

      You will not know if you have this issue unless your missed caller left you a voicemail or, like in my case, a missed call text message alert. If not for this alert I would not have known because you don’t receive a missed call notification.I didn’t realize it was an issue until I came across it in the Google forum.

      I love Google. I think their awesome. But there are bugs. And he is only reporting them.

      So before hating on someone, Google the facts.

      • Ratnok

        01/08/2014 at 8:34 pm

        True for a SMALL but loud number of people. Most seem to be root hackers. My Nexus 5 has been a dream device and has had not a single one of these issues.

        • Sabrina

          01/08/2014 at 9:39 pm

          That’s nice for you but again if you googled you would find no, it’s not a small number and no the phones are not rooted. Do a little research and maybe you’ll come across Google’s response about it. Just because you may not have the problem or may not even be aware you have it, you don’t need to patronize the people that do have it. Rude.

    • Anand Seshadri

      01/03/2014 at 10:03 am

      I agree. I too have owned on for months now nexus 5… No issues, except for high battery consumption… That can be fixed by a patch update.

    • Bisram Antoo

      01/07/2014 at 4:40 pm

      I have exchanged my N5 3times and I came to find out that the issued listed above (which did affect me) were only isolated to Sprint, t mobile and MetroPCS. I have switched to a AT&T MNVO and no issues since the switch.

  5. Gregory R B

    01/02/2014 at 4:02 pm

    Same here, my Nexus 5 has been performing flawlessly

  6. Arun

    01/02/2014 at 4:34 pm

    Not a single problem on my N5, loving every bit of it…

  7. Sonny Grasso (Sonny G)

    01/02/2014 at 4:38 pm

    Seem like this guy who wrote this article been waiting to rip on any nexus devices he must be pissed he spent all that money on apple devices and realized he could of spent a quarter of that and have a device that can do just as good or more than his idevices

    • steve

      01/02/2014 at 4:44 pm

      Good one Guys. I want to upgrade and try the Nexus next year, but I have a nexus 7 and know problems here. Even if you are having problems, grow some balls and flash a new Rom, until there’s a fix

    • Steve Philpot

      01/07/2014 at 2:15 pm

      Come up with some new material! As an owner if a 5S for work and Nexus 5 for home use the constant Apple bashing is stupid! They are both good devices.

  8. Kunal

    01/02/2014 at 4:46 pm

    Been using nexus 5 for nearly 2 months now. I don’t see any problems at all.

  9. MR

    01/02/2014 at 5:03 pm

    I too have the N5 with no major issues thus far apart from the obvious battery drain due to large screen and speedy processor

    • steve

      01/03/2014 at 5:56 am

      So true! With Apple crap size screen and aging A7 processor, they should run for days. While Android user enjoy a A15 processor and a beautiful screen. Not to mention everything else android does that Apple doesn’t. Apple was so last decade. Thanks to the man who said it below

      • Steve Philpot

        01/07/2014 at 2:21 pm

        Aging A7? Seriously the A7 just came out and every review I’ve read have the iPhone 5s and Nexus 5 on par as far as speed goes. I own both, my work uses iPhones exclusively and I have a Nexus 5 for outside of work, they are both great devices!

  10. Arturo “A.C.” Carter

    01/02/2014 at 5:05 pm

    Phone is flawless. Best I’ve ever owned.

  11. Charles Smith

    01/02/2014 at 5:12 pm

    I own a nexus 5 and it is flawless… Absolutely perfect. None of the above problems. Love it sooooo much. Makes my daughters iPhone seem like a tinker toy.

  12. dave b

    01/02/2014 at 5:22 pm

    I have a Nexus 4, Nexus 5 and a Nexus 7. No issues with the 5. The 4 still has horrible battery issues ever since the update to Kit Kat. 4.4.2 has had no effect. The Nexus 7 has the charging bug, but that occurred with Jelly Bean.

    I agree this article has a rather hateful tone to it, but these are legitimate issues.

  13. Andy

    01/02/2014 at 5:57 pm

    Absolutely no bug on my Nexus5 after one month with the 4.4.2 original version from google

  14. Andy

    01/02/2014 at 6:04 pm

    My Nexus5 is running perfectly except Google now sometimes cannot connect to server but that is due to GFW.
    ps:I ‘m a Chinese user.

  15. David Cronos

    01/02/2014 at 7:42 pm

    I have a Nexus 5 and a Nexus 7 and while the update didn’t create any miracles they both continue to work well as they always have.

  16. John

    01/02/2014 at 7:55 pm

    I have the Nexus 5 and 7 and they both work fine including battery charge, good pictures in low light, phone reception I think this guy wants to make android look sub par when it’s not.

  17. PRB

    01/02/2014 at 8:23 pm

    I’ve had the 5 since it came out and it has been working flawlessly since the moment I turned it on. I can’t tell you how much i appreciate the quality of the nexus 5, it has done everything I’ve asked it to do without so much as single stutter.

  18. Kenold Beauplan

    01/02/2014 at 8:49 pm

    I have no issues at all with my Nexus 5. Just switched from SG3 and the N5 has a better battery life. Use it all day long and only charge at night

  19. groobs

    01/02/2014 at 9:44 pm

    Lol at article and replies. No problems my end either. Great phone.

  20. Jeff

    01/02/2014 at 10:24 pm

    Nexus 7 2013 owner using kit Kat 4.4.2 and none of my video recordings get anywhere near 30fps.1080p at 20fps freezing and missing frames also, 720 21fps with the same issues and 480 hits 23fps.

    Front camera is reasonably smooth but still only captures at 25fps. The front facing 1.2 megapixel camera performs better considerably seems like the CPU is struggling to keep up with the high bit rates even though this should not be the case.

    Also noticed my 1080 recordings have a bit rate around 8000, untouched 1080 nexus 7 recordings online are around 12700 using older android versions.

  21. Gurdeep

    01/02/2014 at 10:45 pm

    No problem here on my Nexus 5 running 4.4.2, battery life is good with moderate use. People need to understand that its not a gaming device or a handycam. This single device work for a lot of different tasks but primarily its a phone.

  22. John

    01/02/2014 at 11:00 pm

    On NYE did a 4 min video of SF Bay fireworks using nexus 5 with KitKat 4.4.2 posted it to instagram, FB and G+ no problems. I use it heavily on a busy ICU for 14 hour shift and just do one full recharge during my 1 hour break. Works great!! Much better than iPhone 5 that needed a morphie juice BRICK that weighed heavily in my scrubs.

  23. Maciej Radzik

    01/02/2014 at 11:06 pm

    Count me in.. N5 and N7 2013…No problems.

  24. nexus4wmc

    01/02/2014 at 11:11 pm

    Nexus 4 on 4.4.2 and GEL here. No major issues experienced. Maybe battery life is shorter especially on 3g. Overall smooth n fast. Camera does not crash.

  25. Anil

    01/03/2014 at 12:45 am

    Using N5 for 30 days now – Apart from known Battery and Camera issues – the device is a gem. Stop cribbing guys – instead somehow get GOOGLE to sort these two out asap.

  26. UnkEnt

    01/03/2014 at 1:01 am

    Extremely biased article .. and clearly coming from another moronic iSheep herd member.

    Clearly 4.4.2 has fixed many issues with the original release and whilst its not perfect, the Nexus 5 is a fantastic device to own. Stop spreading nonsense … Idiot.

  27. cooley

    01/03/2014 at 1:33 am

    Thanks for that Millsy, had my first good kip for ages, must confess I had not thought you might be an iDiot, keep up the good work though

  28. Sewfan99

    01/03/2014 at 6:06 am

    My wife and I own a N4, N5 and N10. My N5 was the last purchase we made and that was obtained at release date. Overall I have to say I’m disappointed with the N5, perhaps if I were an American I’d be happier, but since I have a British accent the phone and I make for a handicapped partnership, perhaps Google should consider offering a discount to those people its not catered for? Google Now sleep functions won’t work, and connecting up to a hands free device for the car insists I try and use an American Accent for voice dial, which is …..embarrassing in England. Google don’t seem to acknowledge such problems and seem happy to ignore these matters as far as I can tell. I think therefore this will probably be our last investment in Google hardware, it does lots of things very well, but I need to make calls with my phone ideally from my car and without holding the phone, is that too much to ask?

  29. Alex Zesch

    01/03/2014 at 6:39 am

    I am enjoying my Nexus 5. No problems so far but I have only been at it for a week. My camera is working flawlessly. This phone is amazing. My wife prefers iPhone so I got her a 5s. Her battery is much better than my N5. My battery lasts over 18 hours with pretty moderate use and connected to WiFi most of the day. I did put some battery and app killing apps on.

  30. Sean Sweeney

    01/03/2014 at 6:39 am

    For what it’s worth, I switched from an iPhone 5 to a Nexus 5 and my battery life is SIGNIFICANTLY better on the Nexus. If I took my iPhone 5 ff the charger at 7AM, it would be down to ~45% battery when I left work at 5:30PM. When I do the same with my Nexus 5 my battery is at 75-80%.

    I’m sure that others may have legit issues, but this phone has demonstrated AMAZING battery life for me thus far.

  31. Willis

    01/03/2014 at 9:08 am

    Nexus 5 – KitKat 4.4.2

    Problem: Still can’t use the phone to enter in touch tone IVR responses. Flakily it shows the screen when Imove it away from my face, then Blanks the screen each time I press any key. Try entering a passcode while your typing Blind!@

  32. graham

    01/03/2014 at 11:47 am

    4.4.2 won’t install on my nexus 7 – it keeps crashing during install, which then bricks the device. So I am forced to reformat the thing and start again. Except that some google apps – including + and playstore now keep crashing because they need an android update and the only one I can find is 4.4.2 which caused the problem in the first place.

  33. J. Guzman

    01/03/2014 at 12:39 pm

    I got a nexus 5 with 4.4.2 kitkat and it charges insanely slow, hours.

    • AlexWaffleman

      01/03/2014 at 5:33 pm

      When you have your N5 plugged in, does your settings indicate that you are charging via USB or AC. If you’re plugged into a computer, it will take 3-4 times as long to charge. If you are in a hurry, plug into a wall socket a voila.

  34. George Barlow

    01/03/2014 at 1:17 pm

    I have had the Nexus 5 since early December and I have most of the issues listed in this article. I passed my Nexus 4 onto my girl and since 4.4.2 the camera crashes the phone regularly. I love google Nexus devices, I still have my Nexus one, and I do like the Nexus 5, but I’m starting to have second thoughts about buying a Nexus 6

  35. JD

    01/03/2014 at 4:30 pm

    I can’t get 4.4.2 to install on my Nexus 4. Gives error during install and freezes. From recovery mode, seems it’s either QuickOffice or the Home launcher. Given the bugs, maybe it’s a blessing in disguise.

    • Arturo “A.C.” Carter

      01/03/2014 at 5:24 pm

      Recovery? Sounds like your rooted. If so, it may not update. You can get the stock image and flash it yourself. All this talk on the internet about bugs is baloney. Most of this stuff is being reported on iOS leaning sites. Sure there are one or or two bugs just like any OS but the vast majority of nexus owners phones run fast and smooth.

    • George Barlow

      01/04/2014 at 2:13 am

      If you are rooted then you also have options to try other custom roms with are based on 4.4.2. You need to do a full wipe of the phone if you decide to do this. There is plenty of advice on xda-developers.
      I never rooted my Nexus 4, it was completely stock Android but I did do a factory reset before upgrading to kitkat so that may be an option too

  36. Hans

    01/04/2014 at 3:42 am

    Doudt the content of the article for the full 100%.
    Have a N4 and N7 (2012) but have no problems at all.

  37. Dick Tidrow

    01/04/2014 at 4:13 am

    You can all be in denial. The phone works pretty well but video recording has serious sound issues unless it is very loud. It’s a documented issue. The camera has slow shutter speed and does a very poor job on moving objects, like kids or pets. Unless all objects are still, you will get blurry photographs. Battery life is an issue. They were incredibly foolish not to just put in a killer internal battery and that is what makes the phone subpar in many respects. Just good enough but that’s it. And by the time it gets to the Nexus 5v2 next year, your battery will probably not have the same life. And I will not be upgrading to have the same issues. If you’re getting a phone with a built in battery it better be a very large battery.

  38. Angelica Thamson

    01/04/2014 at 4:25 am

    Now You Can Download Top Paid android apps For Free
    https://www.facebook.com/android2cloud

  39. dave

    01/04/2014 at 9:20 am

    I have a nexus 4 with a ported nexus 5 4.4.2 ROM and everything seems to be fine no call issue no battery drain or charging issue and works smoother and faster than ever couldn’t be happier

  40. George Barlow

    01/04/2014 at 1:24 pm

    Seems to be a pretty mixed bag, those of us who own the phones who experience the issues that the article describe, those who own the phones and have no such issues, and those idiots who either want to deny there are any problems or bash the author or take a swipe at apple.

  41. a witrip

    01/05/2014 at 8:55 pm

    I have a nexus 7 lte (2013) and use it as a phone. I am a pretty heavy user and was frankly surprised at how long the battery will last (well over 15 hours). My Sam Note was lucky to get seven hours.

    This device has been almost flawless. Of course the graphics are eye popping.

    My only complaint is that since I added a second user account (idea was that that account would be good for friends to play around with my phone), the phone buttons and icon response become very slow after about eight hours. However, if I re boot, the problem goes away. But this is a minor problem for all the benefits and the huge yearly saving in not having to subscibe to a traditional cell plan. I now just have a data plan.

    In the future, I hope Google will embrace SMS and similar services with VOIP phone apps.

  42. Steve

    01/07/2014 at 4:25 pm

    i dont know, to me Nexus 4.4.2 is perfect for my both Nexus 5 and 7
    used to have RR issue with Nexus 7 before 4.4, and i got no RR nomore with latest OS

  43. Zippero

    01/08/2014 at 1:00 am

    Nexus 5 has tons of problems, unresolved for months, according to Google’s own product forums at https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!categories/nexus

    Wow, it’s no wonder people buy iPhones.

    • steve

      01/08/2014 at 7:03 am

      Ya the old A7. Even my son’s 100$ HP tablet comes with an A9 and that’s a year old. The note 3 has an A15, so in Apple’s terms, they should be there in 8 years. Right, they go up 1 a year? Last year was A6. I doubt that the iPhone A7, is just as fast as the new A15 snapdragon 800, that’s in the Nexus, or what was the point of investing in technology, if it doesn’t improve?

    • Ratnok

      01/08/2014 at 8:40 pm

      You’re joking right? That link you posted has hardly any N5 problems, and the few that are in there are affecting only 1-3 people with multiple posts by the same authors. Get a life and stop spending FUD.

  44. jokary 77

    01/16/2014 at 8:30 am

    I decided to reset my phone but without success, the problem remains the same .
    I called Google Monday , replacing my phone and received today (super fast), but alas I still have this problem photosphere which stops after a few moments , searching a bit on the web, some people say also meet the same fate and a priori this is due to sensor barometer crashes and by the same occasion stop all other sensors including photosphere (for those who are applying pressure , I am one) so surely a hardware or software problem.
    I hope an update will fix this problem with 4.2.2 because it has nothing changed.

    If someone could download a barometer application and let it run a few days to see if the problem will come well there, his will be nice.

    For once I find myself with a new phone yesterday , the problem is not resolved , except that it is new.
    frankly, this is my first Nexus and I ‘m really disappointed bugs and unfinished products google rely sale.
    it is as if I had thrown 400 euros ( french money ) in the trash.

  45. common sense

    01/25/2014 at 2:05 pm

    I have had my nexus 7 2013 for months and it has been nothing but flawless. On 4.4.2 and battery lasts for-e-ver. One thing I don’t do is bog it down with loads of crappy apps and run busted programs from wannabe part time devs. I think android gets a bad rap from Crapple users simply because they can’t do anything but what Apple allows them to do. All the while, spoiled rotten android users who have freedom to do whatever on their devices complain to no end about things that over half the time are either the crappy carriers fault or the work of garbage code they downloaded and put on their phone themselves,.

  46. Hank

    01/26/2014 at 6:19 pm

    I really like this phone but the phone bug is real and really annoying. My phone is not rooted and I only have 3 non-google apps. I contacted Google and ran safe mode and finally gave in and did a factory reset…with no results. After searching forums I found that changing my WiFi to 2.5ghz only from auto seems to work. Not sure why Google hasn’t patched this yet but they haven’t been much help.

    I would hate to return this phone but I need to know when I receive calls. Which is not too much to ask.

    P.s.
    Regardless of how few people are affected, Apple would not let these problems linger this long.

  47. James

    02/09/2014 at 1:29 pm

    I don’t know about you guys, but I bought a brand new nexus 4 on boxing day and a few days later got the KitKat update. Since then my phone is literally ruined. Shuts off sporadically, loses network connectivity, apps don’t work and kill my battery, doesn’t charge or takes forever to charge. I tried calling them but they hung up on me. I can’t return it so I’m stuck with a phone that’s operating at about 20% . Its been months now and googled has not fixed anything ( the 4.4.2 did nothing for my nexus 4) I am really frustrated at the lack of accountability and problem solving Google is showing. I will NEVER use a Google product again. Unless its completely bug free that is…

    • GizmoSF

      02/09/2014 at 2:09 pm

      That’s to bad James that your not having a good experience. If it’s any conssolation when I upgraded my iPhone 4 to the new OS on the iPhone 4s I had the same problems. I just did a factory reset, sold it on eBay and bought the 4s. Walla! no more problems! Google’s new Red Nexus 5 looks like a darling :)

  48. reyhan

    02/09/2014 at 4:25 pm

    My N5 camera problem can’t connect to camera. I don’t know what should I do…

  49. Buck

    02/11/2014 at 6:06 pm

    Since getting the 4.4.2 calls/data dropped. T-mobile says Google doesn’t have a patch for it so I have to wait it out or go back to 4.4.1. I hear alot of people have the same issue with bad connectivity.

  50. JP

    03/23/2014 at 2:17 pm

    My nexus 7 has been acting up as well since the update. phantom touches and keyboard disappears mid typing. Very annoying. Need 4.4.3 soon

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