5 common problems with the Moto X and how to fix them

The Moto X that was released last year took the smartphone world in a somewhat new direction, with a major OEM proving that you don’t have to win, or even be a part of, the specs race that dominates the Android world to have a great flagship device. Motorola managed to do that with some interesting customization options, and a slew of features on top of an otherwise stock-like OS that allowed for a fantastic software experience. That said, some users have faced some issues along the way, and today, we’ll be taking a look at some of these problems, and offering potential solutions to fix them. At the end of the article, there will also be some helpful how-to guides on performing a factory reset, soft reset, rebooting in Safe Mode, and clearing cache partition. Let’s take a look!

Disclaimer – The old Moto X is still one of the best smartphones you can buy, and in all likelihood, you will not face any of the issues stated below.

Problem #1 – Battery issues such as poor battery life or rapid drain

Battery life is always a concern, and it’s sometimes difficult for some users to get even a full day of use out of their smartphone. Others have also complained about unexplained and rapid battery drain, leaving them with just 1 or 2 hours of screen-on time.

Potential Solutions –

• If you’re looking to extend your battery life, go to Settings – Battery and tap on Battery Saver and select Battery to optimize battery life. When you the battery drops to below 15%, using this mode will turn off Wi-Fi and 3G services, turn off background sync, and reduce brightness.
• You can also help extend your battery life by turning off Auto-Brightness, and keeping brightness at a mid level. Also turning off Wi-Fi Always Scanning in the Advanced Wi-Fi Settings will also increase your battery life.
• In case of a rapid and unexplained battery drain, an app may be the cause. To figure out if this is the case, reboot the device in Safe Mode and see if the issue still persists. If it doesn’t then an application is the reason behind this problem. To figure out which one, you can try uninstalling the most recent apps you’ve downloaded, or even start fresh by performing a Factory Reset and being careful about which apps you install. Guides to booting into Safe Mode, and how to perform a factory reset can be found below.
• As you will lose all your data if you do a factory reset, before doing so, you can also try clearing the cache partition of the device. You can find the guide to doing so  below.

Problem #2 – Issues with Motorola Assist

Motorola Assist is an extremely useful feature for hands-free communication and more while doing something like driving. But, users have faced some issues with the Motorola Assist not functioning properly, not reading texts, not recognizing commands, or freezing.

Potential Solutions –

• You can try to reset the Motorola Assist app by going into Settings – Apps, tap on Motorola Assist, and tap on clear data and clear cache. Repeat this action for Motorola Assist Engine, Motorola Assist Framework, and Motorola Assist Talk to Me.
• A soft reset may do the trick. The guide on how to do a soft reset can be found below.
• In more extreme cases, a factory reset may be required.
• If you don’t use Motorola Assist much, a temporary workaround is to disable all the apps mentioned above, but this is obviously not the answer.
• Motorola has promised a fix for issues with this feature, so make sure that you’re on the latest version of the software.

Problem #3 – Connectivity Issues with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or GPS

Users have complained about various types of connectivity issues with their Moto X, such as the Wi-Fi not connecting, dropping, or being slow, phone still playing audio through device speakers instead of through Bluetooth speakers or not pairing with Bluetooth device, and GPS not being accurate or not switching on. Not at all of these issues have a permanent fix, but there are some workarounds you can try to help alleviate the problem.

Potential Solutions –

For Wi-Fi issues

•  Go into the Wi-Fi settings of the phone, find your network and tap on Forget Network. Then restart the router and try connecting to network by adding the credentials again. This is of course just a temporary fix and the issue may come back.
• Download the Wi-Fi Analyzer app from the Google Play Store and looking at that information, you may need to change the channel on your router.
• In the router settings, check to see if MAC filtering is on. You’ll then need to enter a MAC address for the phone. You can find it by going into Settings – About Phone – Status – Wi-Fi MAC Address.
• If there is an issue with data sync, a clearing the cache partition may work. You can find the guide on how to do so below.

For Bluetooth issues

• In most cases, bluetooth issues occur because of compatibility issues. Check the protocols of both devices to make sure that they are compatible.
• Try connecting the bluetooth device to another smartphone to see if the issue is with the device itself.
• Do a soft reset on the phone, turn off and on the bluetooth device, remove the pairing, and then try reconnecting from scratch.
• Make sure that the firmware of the bluetooth device is up to date. The information on how to update the firmware can be found from the device manufacturer.

For GPS issues

• Download the GPS Status and Toolbox app from the Google Play Store. You can use this app to reset the GPS, and this might fix the problem.
• Go into Settings – Location Access check the settings. Try turning on Wi-Fi and mobile network location, as well as Wi-Fi always scanning in the Wi-Fi Settings.

Problem #4 – Overheating

Some users have complained about the device becoming uncomfortably warm, even when the display hasn’t been continuously on for a long time, or you aren’t playing a graphically-intensive game.

Potential Solution –

• Kill all the background apps that you aren’t using, and make sure that the auto-sync feature of some apps is also turned off. To do so, go into Settings – Applications and then choose the app and disable auto sync.
• If you have a protective case or cover for your Moto X, a potentially simple solution is to remove the case when you know that you’ll be doing something that may cause the phone to get warm, such as playing high-intensity games.
• This could be related to a specific app. Reboot the device in Safe Mode (see below on how to do so), and if the issue doesn’t occur then, an application is the culprit. Make sure that all the apps are up to date, and you can also try clearing the app cache. Then, you can uninstall apps that you’ve recently downloaded, or do a Factory Reset and start over.
• If the phone heats up unnecessarily, such as when the display is off, or you’re not doing anything that is processor intensive, it may be faulty hardware, and it’s best to pick up a replacement if possible.

Problem #5 – Freezing and randomly rebooting

Some users have faced problems with the device freezing, or randomly rebooting occasionally.

Potential Solution –

• If the screen is frozen, tapping on the power button to turn the screen off, and turning the screen on again might unfreeze it. If that doesn’t work, a long press on the power button will reboot the device.
• The likely culprit for this issue is a specific application. You can follow the instructions in Problem #4 above to find out if this is the case.

So these are some of the common problems faced by Moto X owners, and we’ll continue to update this list if more turn up. If you’ve had to struggle with any of these issues, let us know if any of these solutions have worked for you. If there is any other problem with your device, don’t forget to mention it in the comments section below, and we’ll try to help you find a fix!

Get help with your issues and problems in our Moto X forums

As mentioned, here are some useful guides to perform certain tasks on the Moto X –

How to reset the device

Soft Reset

• Press and hold the power button, ignore the pop up menu if it comes up, and continue to hold for 7 – 10 seconds. This will restart the device.
• You won’t lose any data when you perform a soft reset.

Factory Reset

•  If the phone is working, go to Settings – Backup and Reset – Factory Data Reset and tap on Reset Phone.
• To do an external reset when the phone is off, press the volume down key for 2 – 3 seconds, then simultaneously press the power button and then release it. Different Boot Options should show up. Use the volume down key to scroll to Recovery, and press the volume up key to select. The device will display the Motorola logo and then the Android in distress ( logo with Exclamation mark). Press and hold the Volume Up key for 10-15 seconds. While still holding the key tap and release the Power button. The device will display additional menu options. Use the volume down key to scroll to Wipe data/factory reset, and tap the power button to select the option.
• Keep in mind that performing a factory reset will erase all your data on the device, to don’t forget to backup anything important you may have.

How to clear cache partition

• when the phone is off, press the volume down key for 2 – 3 seconds, then simultaneously press the power button and then release it. Different Boot Options should show up. Use the volume down key to scroll to Recovery, and press the volume up key to select. The device will display the Motorola logo and then the Android in distress ( logo with Exclamation mark). Press and hold the Volume Up key for 10-15 seconds. While still holding the key tap and release the Power button. The device will display additional menu options. Use the volume down key to scroll to Wipe Cache Partition and press the power button to select.

How to boot into Safe Mode

• Press the power key and in the popup menu, press and hold on Power Off until it reboots. A menu should come up that says Reboot to Safe Mode, where you can tap OK.
• You will know this has worked when you see Safe Mode written at the bottom left corner of the screen.