5 problems with the Moto X Style (Pure Edition) and how to fix them

The Moto X Style (Pure Edition) brings together everything a lot of us want from our flagship smartphones: fantastic build quality, high-end specifications, a near stock software experience with some very useful features, and a relatively affordable price. Topping off an already great set of features, is the ability to customize the look of the phone for a little bit more of a personalized touch.

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Of course, no phone is perfect. Like any smartphone or tablet out there, the latest Motorola flagship has seen its fair share of issues as well. With this in mind, we’ve rounded up some of the common problems faced by Moto X Style (Pure Edition) users, and offer potential solutions on how to fix them!

Disclaimer: Not every Moto X Style (Pure Edition) owner will face these issues, and it is actually more than likely that you won’t come across any of the problems listed below.

Problem #1 – Gyroscope and compass issues

Some users have found that the gyroscope and compass sensors need to be re-calibrated in order to work properly. In the case of the gyroscope issues, users have found the camera to be taking pictures upside down.

Potential solutions:

• If you find your camera to be taking pictures upside down, regardless of which camera application you are using, you will need to re-calibrate the gyroscope. Of course, this isn’t the only way issues with the gyroscope show up, but that has been seen with the Moto X Pure Edition.
• Some users have found the compass while using a Maps application to be off the mark by about 20 degrees.
• In both cases, download an application like the GPS Status & Toolbox from the Google Play Store. Tap on the screen, look for the wrench icon up top, and tap on calibrate compass or calibrate pitch and roll, to address the above mentioned issues.

Problem #2 – Screen waking up while driving even with no notification

Users have found the screen to wake up at random times, even when having not received any notifications. This seems to occur primarily while driving, but there have been other instances, with the phone just resting on a table.

Potential solutions:

• With Moto Display, you have the option to choose what gestures you want to use, such as a wave of the hand to wake the display, or a double tap to wake. If you have the former gesture activated, the screen will wake up whenever it senses any hand movement close to the device. Unfortunately, the sensors seems to be quite sensitive, resulting in the screen waking up even at the slightest movement close to the device. If this issue is proving to be particularly annoying, the only option here is to turn off this gesture setting. The screen will still show your notifications whenever they arrive however.

Problem #3 – Dead pixels and blemishes on the display

Some users have found dead pixels on the display of the device. Others have seen a blue or red blemish on the screen, that is noticeable on dark backgrounds.

Potential solutions:

• For dead pixels, you can download an app like Pixel Fixer from the Google Play Store, and that should do the trick.
• In the case of the blemishes, they occur when there has been some additional pressure on the screen. You can run the pixel test above to see if that works, but it likely won’t if it is pressure-related. In this case, the only option may be to pick up a replacement device if possible.

Problem #4 – Speaker crackling

A large number of users have found some cracking with the top speaker. While it mostly occurs at the maximum volumes, a few have found it to happen at lower volumes as well. There also seems to be an audible popping sound after a notification alert happens, with the bottom speaker affected in this case as well.

Potential solutions:

• As far as the speaker distortion is concerned, Motorola has taken note of this quite widespread issue, and the problem might be on the software side of things. If that is the case, you will need to wait for a future software update for a permanent fix.
• Some users have found that it seems to go away with the volume set to one level below the maximum volume. It’s not the best answer, but does help.
• Playing around with the equalizer settings in the Settings menu, or turning off “Audio Effects” entirely has done the trick for some people.
• When it comes to the popping sound however, this seems to be a hardware issue, and the only option here will be to pick up a replacement if possible.

Problem #5 – Connectivity issues

As is the case with any new device, there is a chance that you might face issues with connecting to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Moto X Style owners have faced problems with Bluetooth connectivity in particular, when the connection dropping, or the device not working, even the phone is showing an established connection. This seems to occur when multiple Bluetooth devices are connected at the same time.

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.

Guides – Hard reset, wipe cache partition, boot into Safe Mode

Hard Reset

• Make sure that the device is switched off.
• Press and hold the volume down key for a few seconds.
• While pressing the volume down key, simultaneously press the power button, and then release both.
• In the menu, use the volume down key to navigate to Recovery, and tap the volume up key to confirm.
• When the Android logo shows up, press and hold the power button.
• Then press and release the volume up key to show the menu options.
• Select “wipe data/factory reset,” and press the power button to confirm.

Wipe cache partition

• Make sure that the device is switched off.
• Press and hold the volume down key for a few seconds.
• While pressing the volume down key, simultaneously press the power button, and then release both.
• In the menu, use the volume down key to navigate to Recovery, and tap the volume up key to confirm.
• When the Android logo shows up, press and hold the power button.
• Then press and release the volume up key to show the menu options.
• Select “wipe cache partition,” and press the power button to confirm.

Boot into Safe Mode

• With the phone on, press and hold the power key until the on-screen “Power off” option shows up.
• Long press on the on-screen button, and select “Boot into Safe Mode.”

And this concludes our roundup of some of the most frequent problems faced by Moto X Style (Pure Edition) owners, and what they can do about them. If you ran in any of these problems and you found alternative solutions, let us know and we’ll revisit the issue. For more Moto X Style (Pure Edition) discussions, or if you have any questions, check out our official forums!

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