6 problems with the OnePlus 2 and how to fix them

The latest “flagship killer” from OnePlus arrived with much fanfare, but entered a market that was far more competitive in the affordable segment, far beyond anything its predecessor had to face. While the refinements to design, certain aspects of the hardware, new software experience, and fantastic price point are all great, the OnePlus 2 is certainly not without its flaws. That is why we’ve rounded up some of the common problems that OnePlus 2 owners face, and offer potential solutions on how to fix them!

Disclaimer: Not every OnePlus 2 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 – Capacitive home button and fingerprint sensor unresponsive

While its predecessor faced grounding issues that resulted in problems with the touchscreen, a similar problem in the OnePlus 2 has caused the capacitive home button of the OnePlus 2 to become unresponsive in certain situations. The problem seems to occur when holding the device along the metal frame with one hand, and then trying to press the home button with the other, but not when using the device in one hand, or when it is kept on a table. Since the home button comes with an embedded fingerprint sensor, the fingerprint scanner faces the same issue as well.

Potential solutions:

• A permanent solution for this problem is something that can hopefully be fixed via an OTA software update, so that is something you will have to wait for. If it does turn out to be a hardware problem, we’ll have to wait to see what OnePlus’ response will be.
• Using a case with the phone may help. You can check out our roundup of some of the best OnePlus 2 cases that are currently available here.
• Some users have found that turning off the built-in gesture controls seems to alleviate this issue as well.
• Finally, you may have to resort to using the on-screen navigation keys instead, which will take some display real estate, but will do away with having to use the capacitive home button altogether. When using on-screen navigation keys, the fingerprint scanner also seems to work completely normally.

Problem #2 – Dual-SIM selection issues

The OnePlus 2 comes with dual-SIM capabilities regardless of which region you are picking the phone up in, and that is a good feature, especially for those who travel. But users have been facing some problems with selecting which SIM should be used when, or with switching between the two SIM cards easily. Plus, the phone sometimes doesn’t show which carrier network is the primary pick in the notification bar.

Potential solutions:

• While the phone, for some users, doesn’t show which is the primary carrier network, or sticking with one even when switching to the network of the second SIM, these seems to only be a cosmetic issue, as the right network is used when making calls or using data. A future software issue should fix this issue.
• As far as switching between the two SIMs is concerned, it does seem to take some time, as noted in our comprehensive review, and some users have found a restart of the device to do the trick, if you don’t want to wait. Once again, this is a software bug, which will hopefully be resolved soon.
• When setting up the dual-SIM settings for making calls, you have the option to select which is the primary SIM to be used, and also the option to be asked every time. Even when the ask every time option is selected, the phone seems to select SIM 1 as the default. This will again require a software update to be fixed.

Problem #3 – Clear All button from Recent Apps screen has disappeared

Many users have found that the Clear All option, in the form a large X at the right corner,  in the Recent Apps menu to have disappeared. While some users have found that this occurred after updating their device to Oxygen OS 2.1, others are facing this even on the older 2.0.2 version as well.

Potential solutions:

• This is again a software bug, and something that will hopefully be taken care of in a future update. Until then, there are a few temporary fixes that you can try.
• This might be related to the Google app for some users. Make sure the Google app is updated to the latest version by checking the Google Play Store. If it is, find the app in the Applications section of the Settings menu, tap on Force Stop, then Clear Cache, and finally, disable the app. Enable it again, and this seems to have worked for some.
• Boot the device into Safe Mode (you can find out how to do so from the guide below). You will likely find the issue to not exist when in Safe Mode. Reboot the device to the normal mode again, and this should fix the problem. However, while this solution has worked long term for some, a few users have found the Clear All button to disappear once again after 2 or 3 days, requiring a repeat of the process.

Problem #4 – Camera issues

Following an update to the latest version of the Oxygen OS, some users have found that the camera doesn’t work when the flash is on. The screen goes blank and a photo isn’t taken sometimes, and if a shot is taken, the device locks right after, requiring you to unlock the device again and few the image in the Gallery.

Potential solutions:

• This issue seems to occur only with the stock camera application, so you may be better off installing a third-party camera app, such as Google Camera, from the Google Play Store.
• For others, wiping the cache partition seems to do the trick. You can find the instructions on how to do so in the guides below.
• If the issue still persists, your last resort may be to perform a factory reset. You can find how to do so in the guides below.

Problem #5 – Phonebook sync issues when connecting phone to the car via Bluetooth

Some users have had some difficulty connecting their OnePlus 2’s to their car, but the more prevalent issue has been the fact that, while the device does connect and audio calls and music (albeit without any music controls) do work, the phonebook does not sync with the car. This problem isn’t limited to a particular car manufacturer or model.

Potential solutions:

• The update to Oxygen OS 2.1 has fixed the Bluetooth connectivity issue for most users, and the phonebook sync problem will also likely be taken care of in a future update.
• Until then, download the Bluetooth Phonebook app from the Google Play Store, which seems to fix the issue for most users. There is a trial version available for you to check compatibility first, which you can find here, and only after you make sure that it works, you will have to go for the paid version. Keep in mind that the trial version only shows whether sync is working.

Problem #6 – Connectivity issues

Connectivity issues are quite common when getting a new device, and below are the general steps you can follow when facing problems with connecting to Wi-Fi or Bluetooth devices.

Potential solutions:

Wi-Fi Issues

• Turn off the router that you’re using and the phone, and wait for a while before turning them back on.
• Go to the Wi-Fi settings on the device and forget the preferred network, before entering the details again from scratch.
• Check the level of activity on your current channel with the Wi-Fi Analyzer application. If necessary, simply switch to a different channel.
• Disable Power Saving Mode through Settings. 
• Find the MAC address for the phone by going into Settings – About Phone and ensure it is recognized by your router.

Bluetooth Issues

• Make sure that no power saving mode is enabled.
• Start by turning the Bluetooth on your device off and back on again.
• If the problem continues, clear the cache for Bluetooth by going to the Bluetooth Settings.
• Restart the phone after clearing the data and cache.
• If the Bluetooth device saves multiple profiles, you might have reached the limit for the number of profiles it can save. Delete old and unused profiles, and try setting up the connection once again from scratch.

Guides – Soft reset, hard reset, wipe cache partition, and booting into Safe Mode

Soft reset

• If your display is off, turn it back on using the power key.
• Open the “Settings” application.
• Scroll down until you find “Backup & Reset.”
• Tap on “Factory data reset.”
• Select “Reset phone.”
• Tap on the box “Erase everything.”
• The device should automatically reboot

Hard reset

• Turn your phone off by pressing down the power key for five seconds.
• Turn the phone back on while keeping the volume down button pressed in.
• When the phone vibrates, release the volume down button.
• Your phone should enter a mode called Simple Recovery.
• Choose the option that reads “Wipe Cache Partition” using the power button.
• You should get a message that says “Cache wipe complete.”
• Continue to choose the option “Wipe Data/ Factory reset.”
• The phone should automatically reboot.

Wipe cache partition

• Turn your phone off by pressing down the power key for five seconds
• Turn the phone back on while keeping the volume down button pressed in
• When the phone vibrates, release the volume down button
• Your phone should enter a mode called “Simple Recovery.”
• Choose the option that reads “Wipe Cache Partition” using the power button
• You should get a message that says “Cache wipe complete.”

Booting into Safe Mode

• Turn off the device.
• Once off, press and hold the power button until the device starts booting up.
• As soon as it starts loading, press and hold the volume up and volume down keys simultaneously.
• Continue holding these buttons until the boot up is complete.
• Unlocking the device, you should see it having booted up into Safe Mode.

So, there you have it for this roundup of some of the common problems that plague OnePlus 2 owners, and some potential solutions on how to fix them. Do let us know if these solutions have worked for you, or if you’ve had any other problems come up, and we will update the list above.

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For those on the fence about getting the OnePlus 2, don’t let any of the above problems deter you. Most of these issues are quite rare, and have their roots in the software side of things, which means that future OTA updates will take care of them. It’s also worth noting that you may run into similar scenarios with just about every new device you get, as these kinds of issues are often common, especially shortly after a device first launches.