Android 4.4.4 KitKat Problems Plaguing Nexus Users

Last week, Google started pushing out the Android 4.4.4 KitKat update for Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 7, and Nexus 10 just days after it issued its highly anticipated Android 4.4.3 KitKat update. And while Android 4.4.4 KitKat and Android 4.4.3 KitKat were both aimed at fixing KitKat issues, it looks like Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 7, and Nexus 10 users are dealing with an assortment of Android 4.4.4 KitKat problems.
In the buildup to June, we heard quite a bit about Google’s Android 4.4.3 KitKat update, a bug fixer for the company’s Android 4.4.2 KitKat update that rolled out in November. Android 4.4.3 KitKat was all but confirmed ahead of launch by a series of leaks and Google finally delivered on June 4th, the same day that Apple announced its iOS 8 update for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

During that week, Google pushed out the Android 4.4.3 KitKat update to the Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 10, and Nexus 7. The update also landed for owners of a number of Google Play Edition devices, the Moto X, the Moto G, and the Moto E. Many figured that Android 4.4.3 KitKat would be Google’s last update to KitKat before its next major Android update but that is not the case.

In a bit of a surprise, Google pushed out an Android 4.4.4 KitKat update to the Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 7, and Nexus 10 at the tail end of last week. Android 4.4.4 KitKat replaces Android 4.4.3 KitKat as the company’s most current version of the software and it delivers security fixes that were not included on Android 4.4.3 KitKat. And while Android 4.4.4 KitKat does fix issues, it appears that it brings some problems of its own.

Nexus users have taken to Google’s Nexus product forums to complain about a series of Android 4.4.4 KitKat problems impacting the Nexus 7, Nexus 10, Nexus 5, and Nexus 4. We saw complaints emerge at the end of last week but now that the smoke has settled a bit, the complaints have grown in number and include several problem areas.

Android 4.4.4 KitKat problems include issues with certain applications like BBC iPlayer. Nexus users claimed that the application broke down after the upgrade to Android 4.4.3 KitKat and it appears that the issue is, unsurprisingly, still existent inside Android 4.4.4 KitKat. There is no apparent fix though we suspect that it will be up to BBC’s engineers to solve the app’s problems inside the two new versions of KitKat.

Nexus users remain vocal about Android 4.4.3 and Android 4.4.4 KitKat battery life problems with several reporting abnormal battery drain that didn’t exist prior to these two updates. We continue to hear about problems with Exchange email service. Nexus users have been complaining about KitKat Exchange issues since the release of KitKat back in November.

Some Nexus 4 users are dealing with a Contact Sync error after installing the new Android 4.4.4 KitKat update and some are also complaining about dead buttons after the install. This comes after several users reported ghosting issues after receiving Android 4.4.3 KitKat. We’re also seeing Nexus 5 users continue to complain about flaky GPS.

Nexus 5 owners have been complaining about unstable GPS since the device’s arrival back in November. And while many were hopeful that Android 4.4.3 KitKat and Android 4.4.4 KitKat would alleviate those issues, it appears that the issue still exists inside of Android 4.4.4 KitKat, at least for some users.

With Android 4.4.4 KitKat being so new, it just started landing for the Nexus 7 yesterday, most complaints are still in regard to Android 4.4.3 KitKat. And because the two are so similar, we expect that most of these issues will linger inside of Google’s Android 4.4.4 KitKat upgrade.

Most of the issues that we’ve brought up don’t have temporary or permanent fixes. Nexus users are advised to boot the device in safe mode in order to isolate Android 4.4.4 KitKat problems. Often times, a third party application will cause trouble after a significant update. Nexus users who are desperate can also try a factory reset though users will need to back up their information before wiping the phone or tablet.

It’s still not clear what’s next for Android users though rumors point to the arrival of a Nexus 8, an 8.9-inch tablet that could potentially arrive at Google I/O or in July as rumors suggest. Nexus hardware always delivers new Android software so we could potentially see a new Android update, with Android 4.4.4 KitKat bug fixes in tow, arrive in the near future.