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10 Common LG G8 Problems & How to Fix Them

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The LG G8 is a good looking phone with a lot of neat features and powerful cameras, but it’s not perfect. Whether that’s issues with battery life, the AirMotion controls, or something else. Now that more users have one we’re starting to hear about a lot of little LG G8 problems. If you’re facing a few, here’s how to fix them.

Thankfully it is easy to fix most small LG G8 problems on your own right from home. You won’t need help from a carrier retail store or have to call LG support and sit on hold for hours. Just follow our guide and tips.

And while most users won’t experience these bugs or problems and everyone uses phones differently, you could still face an issue or two. Whether it’s a small glitch or something bigger like bad LG G8 battery life problems.

How to Fix LG G8 Battery Life Problems

First things first, we’re hearing a few complaints about battery life, which is nothing new for LG phones. It’s usually an issue with LG phones, but this year the 6.2-inch LG G8 has a bigger 3,500 mAh battery that we expected to last a little longer.

What we’re trying to say is there’s no easy fix for bad LG G8 battery life. However, there are a few settings to change and things you can do to make it last a little longer. Every bit helps when you’re working with a small battery. First, go to settings and make sure an app isn’t misbehaving and using an abnormal amount of juice.

  • Go to Settings
  • Click on Battery & Power Saving
  • Select Battery Usage

Typically Android system, Android OS, or the screen (Display) is at the top. If there is something else at the top, like FaceBook or a random app, you have a problem. Tap on stop or force close to kill a bad app. We also recommend you disable, uninstall, or reinstall an app that’s misbehaving.

We also recommend customizing location settings, turning the screen brightness down to around 40% or automatic, and closing big apps you no longer need. Not to mention use LG’s battery saver modes if you can, or change the screen resolution from 2k down to 1080p. That’s in Settings > Display > resolution.

How to Fix LG G8 WiFi Problems

WiFi is another thing everyone complains about, but it’s rarely the phone itself. Usually, it’s a problem with the app, like Netflix or Google Play Music. From poor connectivity, drops, to even 5GHz not working right. We saw a lot of issues with WiFi on the LG G5 and G6, but nothing since.

Before we go any further into this guide, make sure to head to Settings > about phone > and check for updates and install any new software. LG will release a few quick updates now that the phone is available, and you should always be on the latest software.

If you’re having WiFi problems we have a few suggestions you should try before doing anything else.

  1. Reboot your phone
  2. Turn WiFi off, then back on (in settings or with the quick toggle in the notification bar)
  3. Unplug your home WiFi router for 2-3 minutes, then plug it back in and turn it on
  4. Try reconnecting to the WiFi connection

If this doesn’t fix your issue, try going to Settings > WiFi and forget the wireless network you’re trying to connect to. Then search again and reconnect to it, put in the password, and see if it works. This completely resets the connection between your phone and WiFi, giving it a fresh start and often fixes any issues.

LG G8 Backlight Bleeding

There were quite a few reports about backlight bleeding on the LG G7. That’s where users can see light bleeding through the sides of the phone and interfering with photos, video, or web browsing.

Most notably, users see light shining through more than it should on the bottom right, near the home button. Or just the entire bottom area of the screen. So far, we’ve seen a few reports of something similar on the LG G8. Sadly, we don’t have anything good to report here. This isn’t something we can “fix” and we recommend you reach out to LG for a replacement device. Almost everything else on our list you can fix though, so here’s where we can help.

How to Fix LG G8 Bluetooth Problems

Bluetooth is another area of every phone that people complain about. With millions of devices, Bluetooth speakers, cars, car stereos, and different brands, you’re bound to run into a problem or two.

As usual, the biggest complaint is that the phone won’t connect to the car stereo. For some, it’ll connect but the connection is greyed out and won’t work. If so, check your permissions. However, your best bet is to turn your phone (and car) off and back on again. Then repair the two and give it a try.

Bluetooth is always a little finicky, so try deleting or forgetting any device you’re having problems with, and redo the connection. This is a last-ditch effort to get things working properly.

LG G8 Apps Aren’t Fullscreen (and Notch problems)

The main screen problem we’re seeing users report is the fact that apps aren’t full-screen, or the notch gets int he way. Google added notch support to Android Pie, and at this point, almost every app should fully support them. Additionally, you can use LG’s “app scaling” mode to force apps into fullscreen mode.

  • Go to Settings
  • Tap on the Display Column
  • Select App Scaling
  • Find and enable fullscreen mode on apps that need it

LG’s built-in scaling mode will help you enjoy apps to the fullest. Just go through settings and toggle any app that doesn’t look right into fullscreen mode and you’re all set. And for YouTube, just pinch to zoom and it’ll expand, as Google built that mode into the app itself.

Or, you can hide the notch by giving the phone a fake bezel at the top that matches the bottom. Just search for “second screen” in settings and toggle the notch mode.

How to Fix LG G8 Missing App Drawer Problem

Next, we want to help you with a preference setting that some people view as a “problem”. On the LG G8 you don’t have an app drawer button. All the apps are just over on another page, or you can swipe up on the bottom of the phone to view all of your apps. Some people don’t know this.

Go to Settings > Display > Home screen and turn on the “app tray” to get the button back like your last phone probably had. Alternatively, users can follow this old but still useful guide to download and install a home screen replacement app with more features or customization.

How to Fix LG G8 Fingerprint Scanner Problems

Are you having problems with the G8’s fingerprint scanner? Typically we see two main complaints. One being failed scans or just general problems, while the other is the phone trying to scan while it’s in a pocket, which drains your battery. These are both easy to fix.

First, make sure you have a lockscreen password or pin in addition to the fingerprint scan. That way it won’t turn on in your pocket by accident and drain the battery. Most phones have a second layer on top of the fingerprint, so you probably already did this.

For all other fingerprint scanner problems, we recommend deleting your fingerprints and starting over. Basically, delete your saved finger scans and redo them. Do this by going to Settings > Security > Fingerprints > Saved Prints > and delete them. You can even try saving the same fingerprint twice for improved results and faster scans.

How to Fix LG G8 Audio Problems

We’re seeing a few complaints about the audio on the LG G8, which is odd because the LG G7 sounded great. The boombox speaker is crazy loud. This year, the LG G8 uses the entire screen to act as a speaker, which is why there’s no speaker grill at the top in the notch.

Unfortunately, we have nothing good for you here. There’s no way to fix a physical hardware design on the phone. If you’re having audio problems or can’t hear people very well during calls, try turning up the volume or just repositioning your face to better hear the sound on display technology.

If there’s any hope, it’s that upcoming software updates can improve the overall performance of this new technology and makes the screen speaker better, more loud, or clear.

How to Fix Bad LG G8 Performance & Lag

Does your new LG G8 feel slow or seem to lag opening apps and games? This shouldn’t happen on a powerful flagship phone. However, people use phones heavier than a computer and never ever turn them off, or reboot them. Eventually, it’ll get a little bogged down.

That said, LG has a few tools to help fix these types of problems. For one, reboot your phone. Do it now, and do it every week or so. We also recommend making sure all of your apps are up to date.

We also recommend using LG’s smart cleaning tools and services. You can go to Settings > General > Smart cleaning to quickly clean out unused files and apps. This is basically a cleaning process that frees up space, clears the memory, and keeps the phone running at its best.

However, the biggest cause for laggy performance is phones that never get a reboot, or a bad microSD card. If you’ve used the same MicroSD card on several phones and it’s a few years old, it’s time to format and erase everything on it or get a new one.

How to Fix LG G8 Camera Problems

We’re seeing the occasional comment about camera lag too, where users report it’s slow to click, focus, or just work in general. Whether that’s the time it takes for the camera to open, take the photo after you click, switch between the two lenses, or even a little lag as the phone tries to save the image.

This is probably something that can and will get better over time from software updates. Again, this phone is new, and over time LG will address issues and improve performance in several key areas, like the camera, with software upgrades. You can also try turning off HDR mode, or again, getting a better and new microSD card.

Other LG G8 Problems

Of course, some users may have other small problems here and there. No phone is perfect, not to mention everyone uses them differently. So, what works for you might not work for someone else.

For any and all other problems, the first step is to quickly reboot your LG G8. Whether that’s screen glitches or rotation, lag, app crashes, or other minor things, try rebooting your phone. In fact, you can fix almost all small problems by rebooting the phone. Just long-press the power button, and hit “restart”.

And if your LG G8 is completely frozen or really acting funny, force it to reboot. To do this simply press and hold volume down and the power button at the same time for 7-10 seconds. Press, hold and wait. You’ll hear the phone vibrate, see it turn off, and it’ll restart and hopefully work as expected.

How to Factory Reset the LG G8

Last but not least, if you are experiencing a major dealbreaker problem or can’t find a decent solution to a specific problem, you can always try doing a factory data reset. Plus, this is basically the only real suggestion you’ll get from LG tech support if you call for help. So skip the hassle, and do it yourself.

This is the last resort and will erase everything, but it can fix most problems. Backup anything important, then follow our steps below.

Head to Settings by pulling down the notification bar and hitting the gear-shaped icon near the top. In settings scroll down to Backup & reset or search for “reset” and choose Factory Data Reset. The phone will reboot a few times, erase everything, and boot up fresh and ready to go. You’ll have to go through setup again, redo all of your settings, and sign into Gmail. However, you’ll probably have fewer problems and enjoy the phone again.

What’s Next for the LG G8 ThinQ?

So what’s next for LG’s latest phone? Well, that’s the update to Android Q sometime in 2020. Google is working on Android 10 Q and we expect it to arrive in August. However, LG has been very slow to software updates and we’re not expecting them to take part in the beta program, either.

Owners can expect a few little software changes or improvements from bi-monthly software updates and security patches, but that’s about all. Lately, LG is getting bad with software updates, so don’t expect anything major. For now, try our suggestions above to fix problems, or drop us a comment below with any other questions.

In closing, try reaching out to @LGUSAMobile on Twitter. They have plenty of valuable resources to help owners with any and all concerns.

5 Comments

5 Comments

  1. Disappointed

    06/02/2019 at 2:35 pm

    The wifi problems with the LG G8 is not the connection it’s the phone itself. After a few minutes the phone drops the connection and restarts connecting. If you are just trying to use wifi and not the data from your phone this will not last long. My iPhone 6 puts this G8 to shame

  2. Vickie

    07/02/2019 at 1:58 pm

    Why does my LG G8 keep cutting out on phone calls?? I can’t hear half of what the person I’m speaking to says and they can’t hear parts of what I’m saying either. Can’t have an entire, complete conversation. Keeps cutting out. It’s infuriating and I wish I had my Samsung Galaxy back. I will say it seems to only do it in my office building while I am at work. But, my Samsung never did it.

  3. Randall

    07/23/2019 at 9:14 am

    The only REAL problem I’m having with the G8 is that, for some reason, the DAC is no longer responding to changes from the phone’s UI. It activates when earphones are plugged in, but it won’t let me change any settings.

  4. Mayo K Lambert

    08/04/2019 at 7:43 am

    When I make a phone call with my LG G8 Thinq, because I’m vision-impaired I need the screen to stay on so I can see the buttons and numbers. After a few seconds into the call but screen goes black. And I can’t get it to come back to life I can hear the other people talking but I can’t press any of my buttons because they’re not there the screen is black. It’s the proximity sensor is there some way to turn the damn thing off! I’ve looked through the phone and all the settings and I can’t find anything about the proximity sensor. The only way around it is to keep my thumb on the screen the whole time I’m talking and trying to work so the screen stays on with my touch. Once it goes black I can’t get it to come back so I can see what’s on the screen. Other than that I have no issues with the phone I really like it other than it’s too thin and light and slippery and I had to put a sturdy case on it which is rubber around the edges. Help please!

  5. Angie

    08/08/2019 at 5:16 am

    I so regret letting the AT&T salesman tell me this crappy phone is free nothing but problems. I am so disgusted I could cry. I loved my Galaxy android. The speaker is crap, I sometimes can’t get my emails to download etc, etc, etc….. Now I am stuck with this free so to speak until it is paid off. Shame on AT&T. After this phone is paid off I will cancel service no more AT&T. The salesman was let go a week after I got this piece of phone.

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