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7 problems with the HTC10 and how to fix them

We take a look at some common issues that plague HTC10 owners, and offer potential solutions on how to fix them.
By
February 10, 2017

It may not be the latest from HTCanymore, with the HTCU series taking up the helm, but it’s still a solid phone. The HTC10 what has always been the biggest selling points of the line, a beautiful full metal design, and audio capabilities that are unmatched. Especially if you use your smartphone for listening to a lot of music, the HTC10 is the best device for you.

That said, like any other smartphone or tablet, the HTC10 is not without its issues. Which is why, we’ve rounded up some of the common problems that plague HTC10 owners, and offer potential solutions on how to fix them!

Disclaimer: Not every HTC10 will have this issues, and it is more than likely that you won’t come across any of these problems at all.


Problem #1 – Display issues

HTC 10 Sense Feature Focus-6

Some users have found there to be a pinkish or yellowish tinge to the display. There have also been problems with the polarization of the screen.

Potential solutions:

  • As far as the screen coloration issue is concerned, you can use an app like Screen Equalizer to set it right.
  • The HTC10 also comes with built-in options to adjust the color temperature, which you can find under the Display settings, by going to color profile.
  • Some users have also stated that this seems to be caused by the glue not being completely dry. It should fix itself over time, but if you are looking to speed up the process, you can turn the brightness all the way up, and leave the phone out in direct sunlight for some time.
  • Some users have found that when wearing polarized sunglasses, they are unable to see the display of the phone in broad daylight. This happens when the phone is in the portrait orientation. Unfortunately, the only solution here is to use the device in the landscape orientation, or to take off your sunglasses.

Problem #2 – Auto-brightness issues

HTC 10 Sense Feature Focus-7

Quite a lot of users have found the auto brightness to not be working as expected, with users complaining about the display being too dark most of the time, and needing to manually set the brightness.

Potential solutions:

  • This is a software issue, and hopefully a fix will be available in an upcoming update. Until then, you can use an app like Lux Auto Brightness, that does a better job with auto brightness than the stock feature. There is also a free, Lite version of the app available, which you can find here.

Problem #3 – Touch screen problems

htc 10 (9 of 15)

A few users have faced problems with the touch screen, where it doesn’t register taps or presses, particularly along the edges of the display, or there is a slight delay in a touch being recognized.

Potential solutions:

  • Download an app like Screen Touch Test to see if there are any issues with the display recognizing your taps and presses. You can then try using SGS Touchscreen Booster to adjust the sensitivity settings.
  • If the touch screen calibration doesn’t work, your only option is to pick up a replacement. Until the replacement arrives, you can enable Glove Mode, which will boost the sensitivity of the display, and should make the touch screen respond better to your taps and presses.

Problem #4 – NFC issues

htc 10 first look aa (19 of 19)

Many users have faced problems when using NFC, with the device failing to read tags or cards, or when trying to use it to connect to a portable speaker.

Potential solutions:

  • The NFC chip is on the back, around the camera, and you have to carefully align the phone to get it to work. However, some users have found that NFC works better when using the front of the phone, around the front-facing speaker up top.
  • Some users have also found the NFC to be working much better following a recent software update, so make sure that your phone is up to date.
  • Some users have found this to be a hardware problem, with the only option being to pick up a replacement.

Problem #5 – Home button not working

htc 10 first look aa (14 of 19)

A few users have found the capacitive home button up front, which comes with an embedded fingerprint scanner, to not work, particularly after the device has been in the Extreme Power Saving mode.

Potential solutions:

  • In most cases, a simple restart has done the trick. If that doesn’t work, wiping the cache partition (you can find the instructions on how to do so below) has helped fix this problem as well.
  • If the home button is completely unresponsive, faulty hardware is the problem, and the only option here is to pick up a replacement.

Problem #6 – Difficulty switching from Wi-Fi to mobile data

htc 10 by autom3otives (10 of 28)

Some users have found their phones finding it difficult to make the switch from Wi-Fi to mobile data, with it taking quite some time to make the switch after you leave the Wi-Fi zone.

Potential solutions:

  • This issue seems to be related to the Wi-Fi Calling feature that is available. You will have to go into the Advanced Calling settings and disable Wi-Fi Calling, which should help fix this problem. Otherwise, you will have to manually disable Wi-Fi every time, for the switch to be made easily. Hopefully, an upcoming software update will help fix this problem.

Problem #7 – Connectivity issues

htc 10 by autom3otives (4 of 28)

As is the case with any new device, you may find yourself facing some connectivity issues with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Users have found both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth problems to occur with the HTC10.

Potential solutions:

Wi-Fi issues

  • Turn the device and the router off for at least ten seconds, then turn them back and retry the connection.
  • Go to Settings – Power saving and ensure that this option is turned off.
  • Use the Wi-Fi Analyzer to check how crowded your channel is, and switch to a better option.
  • Forget the Wi-Fi connection by going to Settings – Wi-Fi and long tapping the connection you want, then selecting “Forget”. Re-enter the details and try again.
  • Make sure the router firmware is up to date.
  • Make sure the applications and software on the device are up to date.
  • Go into Wi-Fi – Settings – Advanced and make a note of your device MAC address, then make sure that it is allowed access in the router’s MAC filter.

Bluetooth issues

  • With issues when connecting to the car, check the manufacturer’s manual for the device and the car and reset your connections.
  • Ensure that you are not missing a vital part of the connection process.
  • Go to Settings – Bluetooth and ensure nothing needs changing
  • Go into Settings – Bluetooth delete all prior pairings and try setting them up again from scratch.
  • When it comes to issues with multiple device connection, only a future update will be able to address this problem.

So, there you have it for look at some of the problems faced by HTC10 owners! As mentioned, you will likely not come across any of the issues listed above, so you shouldn’t let this list deter you from picking up this phone. The HTC10 remains a very good flagship smartphone, especially if great audio is a requirement for you.

If you have come across any other problems, do mention them in the comments section below.


Below are the guides to perform tasks like a soft reset, hard reset, booting into Safe Mode, or wiping the cache partition.

Safe Mode – 

  • Press and hold the power button until you see the power menu pop up.
  • Tap and hold the Power Off option.
  • A “reboot to Safe Mode” option should appear.
  • Tap on the “restart” option and wait for the device to reboot.

Soft Reset –

  • Press and hold the power button when the screen is on, and tap on the Restart option.
  • If the device is unresponsive and the screen cannot be turned on, press and hold the volume up key and power button together for at least 10 seconds, or till the device restarts.

Factory Reset –

  • Turn off the device.
  • Press and hold the volume down key. Then press the power button until the phone vibrates, then release the power button, but keep the volume down key pressed until a screen with red and blue text appears.
  • Use the volume down key to navigate to “reboot to bootloader” and press the power button to select it.
  • Another screen will then appear, where you can use the volume down key to navigate to “boot to recovery mode.”
  • Using the volume down key to “Wipe data/Factory Reset.”
  • Select “Yes — delete all user data” to confirm the whole operation.
  • After that select option “reboot system now.”
  • You can also go into Settings – Backup and Reset and tap on “Reset Phone.”
  • Keep in mind that performing a Factory Reset will erase all your data, so don’t forget to backup anything important you might have.

Wipe cache partition – 

  • Use the first four steps in the “Factory Reset” section to go into Recovery Mode.
  • Press the volume down key to “wipe cache partition” and then press the power button to select.