How to fix 10 Moto G problems: the solutions that work

Lockups and Reboots

One of the most common complaints with the Moto G is that the screen will freeze from time to time and that the phone will restart randomly, sometimes even when the screen is off and the device is locked. This may be due to a specific application, network issues, or other contributing factors. To temporarily fix this, you can try doing a soft reboot on the device by holding the power button for a few seconds.

If you’re looking for a more permanent solution, try the following:

Start the Moto G in safe mode (when you restart and see the logo, hold the menu button down until you see the lock screen). You will see a Safe Mode label on the screen if you’re successful.  If your phone works in this mode, then you can troubleshoot it to an issue with a particular application. You could try to figure out which application it is, or start from scratch. The former is a bit more time consuming and will require trial and error. The latter, you can do with a simple factory reset by heading to Settings > Backup and Restore> Factory Data Reset.

Moto G (2014) Battery issues

With the Moto G, it is possible for the battery to become a little wonky if it hasn’t been calibrated properly. A way to identify if this is happening to you is keeping an eye on the battery percentage in the status bar: if you notice it’s jumping around, say from 50% to 1% and back again, you may have this calibration error.

In order to solve this, it’s relatively easy: just let the battery fully discharge and then charge it back fully in one go. Repeat the process one more time and it should disappear as the battery “relearns” its calibration.

SIM not detected

This one is a little tricky, as you can have a SIM card that works for a bit of time and then randomly, say after an hour, the Moto G will no longer recognize it. As such, you’ll be unable to connect to any wireless networks or make any phone calls. This may be because you’re using a Nano SIM Adapter (the Moto G supports only micro SIM) or you might have a damaged SIM card. Try another card and see if that works, if so, you can just ask your carrier for duplicate.

Errors with the camera launching

Some users have reported issues with the camera application failing to launch, notably after upgrading to Android 4.4. KitKat.  One of the quickest and easiest ways to solve this problem is rebooting the Moto G. If this doesn’t solve the issue, go to Settings > Applications > Camera and then choose Force Quit, Clear Data, and Clear Cache.  This solves the majority of the issues with the camera app and should be able to run again.

If you’re still having issues, you may be using a third party application that uses the flash or camera that is causing the problem. You can try closing or uninstalling that particular app and seeing if that works.

LED Notifications not working

Some problems have been showing with the LED in the Moto G not working when users get a SMS, e-mail, etc.  This has been tied to importing data from a Google Account from a previous phone and somewhere, having LED notifications disabled on your previous phone.

The solution is easy to solve, as Motorola has its very own widget to control the LED notifications called Light Notification Widget. If you install it, you’ll be able to enable the LED again, and then you can just remove it and your LEDs should work again.

Unusual Sounds

Another big complaint is that there sounds to be a small sound or vibration when you shake or turn off the phone. Some people attribute it to the haptic feedback, and while it is relatively harmless, can be annoying. As well, it could be a loose button on your device.

An easy solution is to get yourself a case, and besides protecting your Moto G, will reduce the amount of noise from within the device. If you think it’s definitely something that shouldn’t be occurring, make sure to contact your carrier or Motorola as it may be a defect.

Poor sound quality

Considering the price of the device, the sounds that the Moto G can produce are pretty clear. Of course, there may some bugs or issues with it that can be tweaked. In general, because the speakers are on the back of the device, there may be some distortion if not using your headphones to listen to music.

A possible solution is using the equalizer to tweak the sounds to your liking. In order to do this, go to Settings > Sounds > Audio Effects. You can play around with the audio output to the speakers or even to wired headphones.

Problems while charging

Does your Moto G restarts when you’re charging? Does it take forever for the Moto G’s battery to charge when it is plugged in? If so, you most likely have a faulty USB cable. First, try out a new cable that has an output of between 500 mA and 1.5A.

When testing out a new USB cable, try to discharge the device completely and then keep the device turned off for the first 20 minutes of charging. After that time, turn the Moto G on by holding the power button.

Problems sideloading APK files

If you want to install applications that aren’t from the Google Play Store, you must first make sure that you are able to install from Unknown Sources (Settings > Security). With the Moto G, you’ll also need to make sure that you have unchecked the Verify Apps in the same menu. If you’ve done all this, you can sideload APK files without any issues. Also take care when doing this and that you’re installing an APK file from a trusted source.

If you’ve done all this an are still having issues, try to upload the APK file to Google Drive and install it from there. As well, you can try out ES File Explorer and install it from there.

Dropped WiFi connections

The problem with dropped WiFi connections isn’t unique to the Moto G and could be one of many problems: errors when connecting to a route, excessive battery consumption, or intermittent disconnections.  For most of these problems, the solution is simple: turn it off and on again. Restart your Moto G, your router, and clear the data of your saved connections and then re-connect them.

If the problem has to do with the connection always failing, head to WiFi Settings and click the three dots in the corner and choose Advanced Settings.  From there, click the Keep WiFi on during Sleep and make sure the Only when plugged in option is checked off.

You can also reduce your battery drain by turning off the WiFi scanning option.

Are there any other common Moto G (2014) problems? If so, let us know in the comments and we can help you out!