Galaxy S2 shutting off in idle mode

[SpartyOnK]

Recently, I noticed that my phone shuts off while in sleep mode. This just happens when I don't check it for a while and the display is turned off. When I do go to check my phone, it's unresponsive, even if I hold down the power button. So far, I've had to remove the batter every time this has happened in order to reboot it.

I just don't get what the issue is. I'm probably missing phone calls because I'm not even aware that my phone is turning off. I feel like after the ICS update my phone has had issues. I already performed a factory reset last week since I was having a problem with the notifications not ringing and vibrating, and now, this is happening on top of that. 

If anyone has any suggestions, that would be greatly appreciated.

I have a Samsung Galaxy S2 i777.

Oh, and another thing, I noticed that my batter is at 95-100% before it shuts off by itself, and once it boots up again it's down to 85-89%. I also feel like it might be an issue with overheating: I noticed that my phone feels hot after I've been using it for a while, like texting or using the internet, and then I set it down to do other stuff when I notice that it's turned off. My phone usually feels really hot too, and the case I have for my phone probably does not help either. 

[geetarplayer]

I just found this:

http://community.spiceworks.com/topic/287118-samsung-galaxy-s2-randomly-turning-off

This is the post with a fix:

Udis Jan 4, 2013 at 3:33 AM

I had the same problem for few weeks since I have bought the phone (ICS 4.04 version).

I have found out that the cause for the problem in my case was the alarm clock!

So you need to freeze the android clockpackage.

I have used System Tuner application to do this (my phone is root) since freezing a system task requires the phone to be rooted

(I don't know if there is an application freezing system tasks without the need of the phone to be rooted)

Then I installed another clock alarm application from google-play for my usage.

I have verified that this is indeed the problem by unfreezing the clock task after a week without problems and then within a day the phone turned itself off. Again I have freezed the task and since then 2 weeks and I don't have the problem.

I hope it will be helpfull for you too.

[ablan59]

Thanks for the clock info.  I just disabled mine.  Will see if it works and update tomorrow sometime.

[geetarplayer]

Can you disable the clock without rooting the phone?

[ablan59]

Yes. I just did mine. Only problem may be if you need to use it for an alarm clock all the time you may have to use another clock program. I could live with that if it works. To be determined.

[geetarplayer]

How did you disable the Clock app?

[ablan59]

Well, it didn't work anyway. Phone has already shut down a few minutes ago. Was better before I disabled the clock ap. Back to square one for me.

If you want to disable and try it, just go to settings, applications, all, then find the clock app. I have two for whatever reason. One I can disable and the other I can force stop.

[geetarplayer]

Bummer. Ok, that's exactly what I did also. I guess I can expect to see my phone freeze up again then. we'll see.

[bratsche79]

I went to an AT&T Device Support Center (this only works if your phone is still under warranty i.e. less than 365 days old, as mine is). There's a list of DSCs on the AT&T website, they are in most major metropolitan areas. They said they only had the "new version" of the OS, but it turned out to be 4.0.3, phew. They flashed it on my phone and also gave me a new battery in case that was the problem. Things have been fine since. You do have to backup everything you want to keep beforehand, as they will only backup your contact list. Everything else on your phone will be wiped.

I will never install another OS update from AT&T.

[geetarplayer]

Let us know how that works out, bratche79. I'm on my second phone also. I had this problem before even upgrading to ICS. Then I still had it after going to 4.0.3.

[Linda Jo]

It's infuriating that AT&T acts like they don't know there's a problem with this latest OTA update to ICS. One agent told me to check with Samsung and see if I could get JB. Samsung laughed and said they don't handle this - they develop the stuff and hand it off to the providers to add their *personal* touches and release it to customers.

I have elderly parents who are at their wits' end every day that they can't reach me because I don't know they're calling because the phone is off. They don't understand there's nothing I can do about it. I can't just change phones or carriers. It doesn't work that way in the world of contracts.

AT&T is in denial and it doesn't seem like there's a rush to patch or release JB. They're really testing a lot of loyal customers.

[99ssconv]

I guess we will be looking into a different wireless carrier in a couple of months after our contract is up also.

[scot070]

I hate to stick up for att yet it behooves me to let everyone know that all carriers are having same problem with the gs2 phone. Seems the phone will not wake . Mine did while talking with Samsung and yet I was still able to talk with Bluetooth but phone would not wake. I wonder if the glitch is in the programming of the wake? Phone doesn't shut off while in use as far as I can tell just when it goes to sleep or idle it will not wake. Anyone experience it shutting down while performing any tasks?

[jrpros]

scot070, if this is happening to al gs2 phones, then you have some valid points. However, if that is the case, then AT&T should be defending themselves here, not leaving it up to you to put 2 and 2 together.

I have not experienced any issues while I am in the process of doing something. However, there is more to this than just the wake issue. Most of the time, when I restart the phone, after the sleep of death, my battery status is totally f'd up. I go from 50% charge down to 5%. That is more than a wake function issue.

[ablan59]

Several that have rooted their phones have spoke up in other threads with zero issues so I don't think its the phone itself or they would be having the same problem.  

Mine went from 5pm yesterday till noon today, then shut down.  I felt it getting warmer 30 minutes before it shut down,  Battery did not drop that much at all.  I had all the AT&T apps disabled.  I was away from Wifi some so I was off of it, then shortly after I was back on wifi it shut down.  Not sure if there is anything there causing it.  Just seems too random.  Does seem to help my battery life a lot by shutting down AT&T apps.  

Thinking I may root mine this weekend.  Have nothing to lose at this point.  Worse scenerio I'll go back to my trusty Iphone 3gs and its slow speeds.  

[geetarplayer]

@ablan59 - are you saying there are people who had this problem, and then rooted their phone, and that fixed it?