Random Shutdowns on 5a since last OS update

lfod14

Pretty much says it, since the last OS update I pick up my phone and it's powered off. No warning, sometimes it'll go for an hour or two, sometimes I'll have to power it back on 3-4x in an hour. It appears (may just be the timing) that when I'm using it that it stays running, it's only been after it's been down with the screen off that I pick it back up and it's off.

Pixel 5a
TQ1A.221205.011

lndshrk

lfod14 I've also had mine shut down while it was in my hands being used.

lndshrk

Yes. It can be tied to no specific app and no specific power state. I thought initially that it only occurred when plugged in, but it isn't. It happened a bit ago in my secondary user profile. It's happened in my primary as well.

Happy to test anything.

matchboxbananasynergy

@lfod14 @lndshrk Are you both on TQ1A.221205.011.2022120700 right now?

lndshrk

matchboxbananasynergy

verified TQ1A.221205.011.2022120700

(As an aside, task switching is also broken)

lfod14

matchboxbananasynergy

Yup, on TQ1A.221205.011.2022120700

matchboxbananasynergy

lndshrk (As an aside, task switching is also broken)

Can you expand on that? A screenshot/screen recording showing the issue would be even better.

lndshrk

matchboxbananasynergy

https://imgur.com/a/wpAjyEu

matchboxbananasynergy

lndshrk Thank you for that. Is this on the owner or a secondary profile? I'm assuming the issue here is that you don't actually see the app, but rather a white screen.

lndshrk

matchboxbananasynergy it happens on both profiles. You see the apps in the switcher, but when you tap them you get "not available" and, of course, nothing happens. You also cannot clear the apps out of the task list. It looks like they close and then the next time you tap the third button... boom, they are all there again.

lndshrk

matchboxbananasynergy i attempted to catch it on a screen recording, and suddenly it "works". Riddle that one.

rambleon

Same random shutdown issue here on my Pixel 5a. I only have 1 profile.

And the battery % keeps getting stuck, normally at 100%. I watched Newpipe videos for an hour at full brightness, no charger, still 100%. Under Settings->Battery it shows "Battery usage data isn't available".

Build: TQ1A.221205.011.2022120700.

Issue happens despite reboots, also in safe mode. Please let me know if can provide any details to help resolve.

jeffmk

Having the same issue on my Pixel 5a. Phone randomly shuts down, in the following scenarios:

Battery saver on or off
Bluetooth on or off
While actively using it or not using it, including e.g. listening to a podcast
Have NOT tried disabling GPS or WiFi

Actively using the phone seems to increase the frequency of shutdowns, but it will also shutdown after sitting for some time. It's almost certainly going to be dead when I wake up in the morning. It shuts down maybe a dozen times per day, since the last update.

Details:

Model: Pixel 5a 5G
Carrier: Mint
Android version: 13
Release channel: Stable
Build number: TQ1A.2211205.011.2022120700
Storage: 37% free space (>80 GB)
Adaptive brightness: On, with dark mode and Night Light enabled
Multiple users: Disabled

The radio also doesn't seem to connect after restarting, often. So the time is set to ₂:40a (NTP/clock doesn't update from the network, texts/calls aren't sent/received). I don't see any pattern in this behavior, though the radio generally has been unreliable for the past few versions, I think. Toggling mobile data and WiFi on and off, as well as toggling airplane mode, don't seem to have any effect.

I've enabled native code debugging, but I'm not sure how to get at that.

Is there any update on this issue -- ideally an ETA on a fix or a method to revert to an older, working OS version? The phone is completely unreliable and unusable, and this seems to be affecting multiple 5a users.

unwat

There's an open issue for this in the issue tracker. And you're right there do seem to be a number of people with this problem. Hopefully today's update just fixes the problem (although there doesn't seem to be anything in the release notes that specifically say it's fixed).

lndshrk

I've been moving around (physically, 250mi++) today and it shut down enough that i lost count. I actually used a different phone to get my work done. On the way home (70+ mi) I put the phone in airplane mode and there were no crashes. I'm now in airplane mode with just WiFi enabled. Let's see what happens.

lndshrk

Hours later, T-Mobile "airplane-mode"ed, WiFi on, and no shutdown. (knock on wood).

lfod14

Not sure if it's amazing timing or not, but have noticed my phone never shuts down overnight when it's both plugged in and face down on my table, today at work I left it plugged in and face down on the floor of my truck and it didn't shut that way, probably had almost 10 combined hours that way, every shutdown it had otherwise was while I was using it, or in my pocket when I was out of my truck (truck driver).

Possibly something to do with the sensor that shuts the screen off? Probably not, but if a coincidence, a strange one!

jeffmk

I tried turning off cellular data while listening to a podcast during a >30 min walk and it didn't shut down. It shut down after I got home and toggled the radio back on. There may be something to the cell network switching hypothesis.

Mine dies almost every night, though I can't remember if it's face up or down. I guess it wouldn't matter much to the sensor since it's pitch black either way. Mine doesn't shut off when plugged into an AC source, but given that that implies little if any cell-tower handoff (but shutting off overnight doesn't make a lot of sense in that case).

That said, if you're moving around while it's plugged into a mobile DC source, while having cell towers hand it off, and it's still not shutting down, that could be a clue.

lndshrk

It's not "simple" cell site switching..

This is my $0.03.

If it were "every switch" it would have occurred every minute or two as I'm traveling 100's of miles with the 5a on the passenger seat.

When attached to a hotspot in airplane mode, not one crash. When on it's own network, repeated crashes.

I'm going to try something on my own.

Lock the radio OUT of 5g temporarily.

lfod14

lndshrk Agreed, Truck Driver here, around 400mi daily, there'd be zero hope if it was a cell site handoff problem. If I go a second day today with the phone face down and charging on the floor and it doesn't shut off then there's definietly a link to the sensor that turns the screen off, possibly the camera.