Thread: HTC Desire S 2.3.5 Update - serious call handling bug/problem.

Hi, I've been having a serious problem with my HTC Desire S ever since updating to the new 2.3.5 software. The problem is actually two tailed with different issues. Firstly, whenever I receive a call when the phone is locked to engage the new "upgraded" Sense UI, and I drag down the accept call button over the lock ring, I get an error message appear with "com.android.phone has stopped unexpectedly... etc..." like any other program/app crash message and I can't receive the call obviously which is INCREDIBLY annoying as it's the most basic function of a phone and from looking on google, I'm far from the only person who has the issue so this SHOULD have been picked up in testing the software.

But not only that, if I get a call under the same circumstance with the phone being "locked", and I choose to drag the do not accept button over the lock ring, my phone then locks up and continues to cycle the ring tone for 5 minutes without allowing me to do anything on the phone, the screen just freezes exactly at that point and does not respond to anything, can't even turn the volume down or try to turn the phone off with the power button, yet my phone doesn't actually "crash" in this scenario like it does when I try to answer the call, it just locks and is unusable for 5 mins whilst blaring my ringtone on full volume (no matter what volume it's set to).

The phone seems to handle calls fine if it's not on lock, but with how quickly the battery runs out if you don't lock your smart phone it's impossible to be able to keep it off lock.

Under Software Information I have:
Android version 2.3.5
HTC Sense version 3.0
Software number 2.13.206.1

Anyone have any ideas/help?

I was also having serious problems with the signal being terrible at times on this phone before the update although it's been too soon to comment on whether this has been fixed in the update or not (in an area which had 3 O2 receivers overlapping in the area, so wasn't a network signal issue), and I've also had the whole loose battery random reboots issue I've had to fix myself before too. The phone COULD be brilliant, but I'm really starting to be very unimpressed by HTC's lack of testing and the lack of fixing problems which makes me want to never buy a HTC again. Being able to answer calls is the most BASIC of functions for a phone and I can't believe that this huge bug wasn't addressed before the software was released, and that it hasn't been fixed yet!

I cant help but I am also having issues after downloading the recent update to 3.0 and 2.5.3, I no longer have the power menu options, airplane mode restart etc. Also hen trying to sync with exchange its asking to change my password which I have done but every time I try to sync it asks me to change the password again very frustrating. are you also seeing these problems?

I don't have any of those problems so I suggest you start your own thread.

In relation to my own problem I have noticed that when I try to answer the call and the app crashes, the phone also loses ALL signal from my network and reports 0 bars of signal with a cross by the bars. My network signal comes back roughly 20 seconds later after the crash. Something is seriously wrong with the software of the upgrade.

Keithyboy, I'm having exactly the same problems after the software update!! So annoying! But it only seems to be when 1 certain person calls!?!?! If I drag to accept the call, I get the error and I can't answer the call. If I drag to dismiss, the phone freezes & continues to ring and I can't do anything!?!

Anyone found a fix for this?

Also having the signal issue where my signal just shows "x", Signal will come back if i make a call though. Havent seen this happen since the software update yet though.

Ok well after just doing some quick testing, it seems it could be related to contacts that are linked with FB accounts. I tried calls with a number that I just had a normal contact for (no facebook linking or anything) and the call handled fine when the phone was locked, I was able to accept or decline the call normally.

So try unlinking your contacts from their FB accounts (you'll lose their contact picture and status updates etc, but these weren't even syncing properly for me anyway). Seems HTC have some seriously bad coding in their FB integration. How a software bug between contact handling and FB even manages to completely cut out network signal is beyond me.

Really hope they release a patched update very soon, I won't be buying HTC again at this rate. Seems like loads of people have this problem from other threads I've looked at and no one from HTC is commenting or helping. Really don't know how something so obvious wasn't found in their testing.

Right, totally fixed my phone calls now (fingers crossed). Just deleting the Facebook links in People contacts didn't work. I found that Facebook had decided to re-add itself to my Sync Accounts without telling me, so I deleted that, then I went into the Facebook and Facebook for HTC Sense apps under the Applications-Manage Applications options in settings, and deleted all the Cache as well as all the Data stored for both. This has left both apps still on my list of applications but without any data for the Facebook for HTC Sense app, and only 2.52MB of installation for the Facebook app. It also primarily wiped out all the Facebook data linked to my contacts, but finally I lost all the old statuses that were listed under their names which hadn't updated in months. I got a call from one of them later in the night and answered successfully without any problem, so this seems to have fixed the issue. I'm just not going to reopen the Facebook app until a patch is released, to avoid it stealthily deciding to readd itself to anything. I'll be using the web browser for Facebook from now on. So if anyone is still having problems and found the unlinking not to work, try what I did.

This is not a good experience for me, phone (Desire S) was all working fine on 2.3.3 till I followed the HTC guidance to update to 2.3.5 / Sense 3.0, since then the phone is soooo unreliable and I am thoroughly fed up with HTC... all they could say was to try a Factory Reset.
Anyway, this trail does make sense, it does always seem to be the Facebook'd contacts which hang.
C'mon HTC you really ought to do better that this, how many HTC users use facebook, errr like most of them. This is surely schoolboy testing stuff
I will try deleting face app/contacts and see if it resolves my problem and repost

OK, so following experiences on this trail, cleared out all data and broke links on Facebook/People - Still same problem even after restart.
Then broke a Tango link, this fixed it Yahaaaay - Don't have to do a factory reset like HTC suggested.
Looks like any contact link 'could' present a problem - but I haven't done any specific testing.
I have now taken ALL linked contacts out and won't be re-linking until HTC fix this.
Very very poor marks for HTC on this... I know testing of these type of things are difficult BUT remember that Facebook is packaged with 2.3.5/Sense 3.0 so it should have been tested properly.

Anyone with an HTC Desire S who loves the phone... like I "did"
I would advise DO NOT UPDATE TO 2.3.5 - I would suggest you check out someone elses Dsire S and see if you like it, it introduces some really annoying features and is not a step forward. it is a step backward IMHO
eg The new Lock-screen is trying to be way too clever and broke a great Alarm/Snooze feature of 2.3.3 / Sense 2 and turned into something that is just a PITA.
The stupid whirling home screen(s) are just a useless waste of time and CPU.

Please HTC Give me back my old Phone, I hate this 2.3.5, it wasn't tested and it doesn't make any sense - I want a downgrade!!

I'm having the same problem. Whenever I try to answer a call using the drag to unlock function, I get an error message and can't answer it. I'm seriously shocked how an HTC released update could render my phone useless.

HTC answer us and tell us what you're going to do about it!