Solved Can't use as a normal phone

[antaine]

So I’ve developed a weird problem with my unrooted Droid MAXX in the last few weeks. Motorola has been unable to help, and I haven’t seen this exact problem described online. Here’s what happens:

When I make or receive a call, the only options are “speakerphone on” and “speakerphone off.” Normally, that menu has “handset earpiece” as the default option. Clicking the menu just turns the speakerphone on or off rather than giving me options.

If I have my Bluetooth earpiece connected, however, the menu shows “Bluetooth,” “Handset Earpiece,” and “Speakerphone” (like it’s supposed to). If I select “handset earpiece” from there, it works normally. The problem is that I MUST have a Bluetooth earpiece connected in order to have that option in the menu.

I’ve tried everything short of a factory reset. I’ve done two of them in my time, along with setting up this phone when I first got it, and it takes me 14-15 hours to redownload and reconfigure everything, so I am EXTREMELY reluctant to do it.

I’ve restarted the phone, I’ve cleared the cache, and I’ve started it in safe mode. Other than screwing up my widgets with safe mode, nothing seemed to alter the situation.

I almost exclusively use a Bluetooth, so I really don’t know how long the problem has been going on (I first noticed it about two or three weeks ago).

 

[Sajo]

I don't remember ever seeing a "Handset Earpiece" option on the Dialer screen? I think my scren has always looked like this.

 

[94lt1]

I would think I would just skip to the factory reset.. I know that not popular.. But it saves you some gray hair and frustration

 

[Sajo]

I think the options you mentioned only appear when on a Blue Tooth call. Here is my screen on a BT call. The Handset Earpiece option is only there when on a BT call.

 

[antaine]

@sajokaz - That is what I see, too, but that is the speakerphone. I can't use it as a normal phone. When I turn that off, I can hear the other person through the earpiece of the phone, but they can't hear me at all. So I have to take a call either on bluetooth or speakerphone.

This is what the handset icon looks like and the menu with all three options. In order to get that, I have to have a bluetooth connected. If I ever lost my bluetooth, I'd be unable to make normal calls until I got a new one.

 

[antaine]

okay, we posted at the same time. Yes, but my phone still won't allow me to talk to someone unless the speakerphone is on (when calling without bluetooth). When I have the bluetooth connected and choose handset earpiece, it works just fine, so it isn't that my phone's internal mic is broken, either.

 

[antaine]

@94lt1 - I am not convinced that the grey hairs I'd save would not be exceeded by those of setting up the phone again. I was not speaking hyperbolically about the 15 hours.

 

[Sajo]

okay, we posted at the same time. Yes, but my phone still won't allow me to talk to someone unless the speakerphone is on (when calling without bluetooth). When I have the bluetooth connected and choose handset earpiece, it works just fine, so it isn't that my phone's internal mic is broken, either.

I tend to agree with @94lt1 now that we have more info. If your mic works on a BT call but doesn't work on a non BT call then a FDR may be the option. Unless you can figure out which app is causing the issue. I agree with you that's its probably not hardware. But which app or apps is causing this? Have you at least tried in Safe Mode?

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

 

[antaine]

Yup. No change in safe mode

 

[antaine]

Alright, so I reenabled all the things I had disabled (even if I didn't think it had anything to do with the phone operation like that) and something on the list must have been the culprit because it's working now.

 

[Sajo]

Alright, so I reenabled all the things I had disabled (even if I didn't think it had anything to do with the phone operation like that) and something on the list must have been the culprit because it's working now.

Awesome! Glad you figured it out. That's way easier than another FDR.

 

[94lt1]

@94lt1 - I am not convinced that the grey hairs I'd save would not be exceeded by those of setting up the phone again. I was not speaking hyperbolically about the 15 hours.

OK... Lol.. At 15 hours I'd have been done.. Just sayin..

 

[94lt1]

We probably have a list of "safe to disable apps" in the droid maxx/ultra section... Have a look around