HTC One S - Stuck in Airplane Mode when Turning on

[GemmaT]

I have a HTC One S and since the last software upgrade (Android 4.0.4, HTC Sense 4.1, Software Number 2.38.161.6) my phone constantly gets stuck in airplane mode whenever I turn it on. More specifically it is stuck 'turning off' airplane mode, i.e. this function is greyed out so I cannot try pressing the buttons to do it myself. I have to restart the phone for this to be fixed, which does work every time but is rather time consuming and annoying to do every day.

Am I the only one experiencing this issue? Are you aware of the bug? Do you have any solutions?

Thanks,

Gemma

[alanbur]

I can confirm the fault is entirely as described in this thread

• After booting the phone has no signal, not even emergency calls can be made
• The Aeroplane mode setting is greyed out after boot, showing a  'turning off' message
• The problem only appeared after the 4.0.4 update is applied
• The phone needs to be off for some time (20-30 mins) before the problem occurs
• 'Power off' triggers the problem
• A factory reset makes no difference whatsoever
• 'Restart' after power on works around the problem until the next power off, when it happens again
• Turning off 'Fast boot' also seems to work around the problem

Android 4.0.4

HTC Sense 4.1

Software 2.31.401.5

HTC SDK 4.23

HTX Extension HTCExtension_403_1_GA_20

[Retired-James]

Hi Guys,

Thank you for your additional comments here.

At the moment we currently don’t have any updates regarding this issue however, as soon as we do we will let you know.

James

[dern]

Can confirm that turning off fast boot works for me and the phone boots as normal in the morning with it turned off.

Still unhappy about the runaround I was given by phone/email support. No idea how to effectively complain to vodafone as the only routes seem to be by phone or by email which ellicit the same old cut and paste responses. 

Regards,

Mark

[Ben_H]

Hi Mark,

Thanks for contributing. I'm sorry if you feel you're getting stock answers from the contact centres but rest assured that this is being looked into and any concerns that you voice over the experience you've had so far would have been fed back accordingly, no matter how standard you may have felt the response. We can only fix matters with the phones and improve the support we offer in house on the back of customer feedback so please don't feel as though it's for nothing.

Cheers, Ben

[dirose]

On further examination seem to have the airplane mode issue too, fixed via a reboot.  However it's just as easy to leave the phone on overnight while charging.  

The problem is minor compared to the weak and variable signal in this populous area opf NW London!

I think the support in this forum i sescellent, apart that is from the occasional fluffy cut and paste reply 😉

David

[dern]

Ben,

Thanks for the reply. I hear what you're saying and it's appreciated.

Regards,

Mark

[TheWoolger]

Just wanted to add that i had the same exact problem about 2 weeks ago - my HTC One S arrived with the relevant update already in place (or it updated immediately after unboxing) - i contacted Vodafone by phone and the person at end of phone had no idea. 

Sadly i then got a replacement but the wifi didnt work. 

Anyway i have picked up my 2nd replacement and it had this 'stuck in air plane mode' problem. However i have done the setting for disabling fast startup and will see how it goes.

The thing that aggravates me is that the vodafone peep i spoke to had NO IDEA that this was an issue (this forum thread was going at the point i had rung) - it could have saved me a lot of aggro if they had told me about the workaround earlier on.

I look forward to the software update being issued by Vodafone.

[asylumSKP]

• After booting the phone has no signal, not even emergency calls can be made
• The Aeroplane mode setting is greyed out after boot, showing a  'turning off' message
• The problem only appeared after the 4.0.4 update is applied
• The phone needs to be off for some time (20-30 mins) before the problem occurs
• 'Power off' triggers the problem
• A factory reset makes no difference whatsoever
• 'Restart' after power on works around the problem until the next power off, when it happens again
• Turning off 'Fast boot' also seems to work around the problem

Good summary alanbur.

I had not associated this prioblem with Aeroplane mode until somone pointed out that it is greyed out in the settings when the problem occurs. For me the problem has simply been no network connection on cold boot. You can find lots of others reporting this problem within the other "signal problem" threads so the issue is far more widespread than this thread suggests.

Just thought I would add in my experience:

1. Zero problems until the most recent Vodafone update then no network connection on cold boot every time. Restart solved it.
2. Tried factor reset. Problem not solved.
3. Tried factory reset and file wipe. Problem not solved.
4. Took it in to local Tech Team who confirmed the problem and suggested the update had failed to install correctly
5. Sent it off to the central Tech Team to restore the phone to pre-update vesion (cannot be done in store apparently)
6. Central Tech Team confirmed phone is not working and not repairable. They asked HTC to send a brand new phone.
7. Brand new phone arrives and, believing it was simply an installation error before, I update the phone all the way through to the latest version before customising it/installing any new apps.
8. Exactly the same problem is exhibited right after the last update is installed on the brand new phone.

Moral of the story is: don't install the latest update even f you have a new phone. It is quite clearly broken.

[Weary50]

There seems to be a variation in how this update has screwed the One S of different people.

Mine had the 'greyed-out' Airplane mode on startup, also needed to go thru the 'Restart' function to get the sim lock keypad to appear.

Both these seem to have been cured, or bypassed, by disabling the Fast Boot option. Early days yet, but at least the phone is usable immediately on power up, whilst we wait for HTC/VF to figure out the next instalment of the update saga! 

[rickybails]

Finally I have found workaround to this infuruating problem, thanks to this thread. This problem has been bugging me fsince I got the phone. I've had my phone checked, replaced, sim replaced. I googled the problem a number of times but only found this thread today.

I'm on 02 on an HTC One S, 4.0.4, phone gets stuck in airplane mode, and not just when turning it out of airplane mode. For me, a factory reset always fixed the problem but I'm not prepared to keep doing that. My phone always lost contact travelling through the same patch of no reception on my way to work.

O2 were completely useless at fixing the problem if it's any consolation.

deselecting the fast boot option has fixed the problem. Just in time too as I was getting so frustrated I was considering an iPhone which would have cost me dearly.

Richard