# We're in agreement right? Kitkat sucks!



## Nevermore0

I can't even comprehend some of the decisions they made. Like turning the lock screen in to a POS. I can no longer toggle vibrate mode, and the unlock buttons are way down at the bottom where it's really awkward to reach them. The new calendar is worse - I click on the day and it no longer shows what time my appointments are, just gives a rough picture of where they fall on the clock. I can't feel the haptic response at all anymore. The texting screen was uglified. It used to be a nice dark shade with different colors for me and the person I'm texting with. Now it's all plain white.

I thought that it had screwed me over when I first got it. All my ringtones, pictures, and music were just gone. They mysteriously came back once I plugged my phone in.

What do you think?


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## Masterchiefxx17

What type of phone are you running this on?


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## Nevermore0

Droid Razr HD.


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## Masterchiefxx17

I don't believe that runs stock Android.

Everything you have listed don't show on my Kitkat unit. Did the upgrade install correctly?


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## Nevermore0

Seems to work.


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## sobeit

works for me. Had a few issues but after I did a reset, the problems took care of themselves. I wish they would hurry up and release it for the original galaxy note 10.1 like they said they would. 

maybe you just need to do a phone reset.


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## Nevermore0

Like I said, it works fine. It's just that they made a bunch of really stupid changes.

I forgot one. The alarm. No longer can you just smack it to make it shut up. Now you have to touch and drag like when you unlock the phone.

I'm gonna take it to Verizon and see if they can roll me back to the previous version or something.


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## Masterchiefxx17

They won't downgrade you. They want you on the newest version, its a Google thing. Not Verizon.

Also it is a Motorola thing. This does not happen on other phones like A Galaxy S5 or HTC One M8.


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## Nevermore0

So none of the changes I mentioned were done by Google? They're all Motorola?


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## sobeit

you will NOT be able to go back to the Jelly Bean version of android. You are stuck with kitkat. 

Release Notes: DROID HD by Motorola - 183.46.10.XT926.Verizon.en.US

INTRODUCTION

We are excited to announce a new software update for DROID RAZR HD by Motorola. With this upgrade you get the latest version of the Android OS (Android™ 4.4.2 KitKat®,) as well as new features, enhancements and bug fixes for your DROID RAZR HD. For more information on Motorola updates and repairs, visit us at www.motorola.com/mydroidrazr.

NOTE: You cannot downgrade to a previous software version after installing this update.


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## Masterchiefxx17

Nevermore0 said:


> So none of the changes I mentioned were done by Google? They're all Motorola?


It's a combination of both companies.

Each phone made by Samsung, LG, Motorola, HTC, etc. have a custom version of Android. All a little bit different.


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## saintsatinstain

Which phone do you have NevermoreO. Your critique lacks context unless you tell us handset maker and model; perhaps the carrier might be helpful too. The wide differences in how each Android OS works according to the carrier, handset maker, and hardware is why I got a Nexus 4, soon to get a Nexus 5. They are near pure Android, no carrier skin, no carrier bloat and handset bloat. The 4 first phone I didn't feel tempted to remove apps.I have Nexus 7 also. I saw some tablets where you could write on the screen, so I tweaked out that feature for the 7. I just have rooted stock, so I could control more; also I relocked the bootloader, change Tamper back to unTamper, and turned off unneeded system services such as Telnet etc.
My phone with 4.4.2 works great. I figure you have a phone bought or so called given you by a carrier. If you have a Nexus may b you done something wrong. If you have a Nexus use the native email app, and as few beyond google ones as possible.


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## ebackhus

I have a cricKet Galaxy S4 and it was updated to KitKat a few months ago. Works wonderfully.


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## Vegassparky

Motoblur is a pretty light skin compared to vanilla AOSP. I just went from an ICS MAXX to a KK Moto X, and there are more than a few things I dislike. No stock android browser(Chrome, or 3rd party only), and the stock dialer has a terribly non intuitive GUI. There are some cool features too. Album art on lock screen when streaming, and better resource management resulting in a much quicker device.

Most of your issues can be addressed with 3rd party apps.


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## wolfen1086

Myine is M919TMBFNB4 running 4.3 Jellybean, I turned off automatic updates.
But then I kinda did "things' to my pnone
(rooted running TWRP recovery, Wicked Rom V10) 
But when I first got this phone it had M919TMBFNB4 and Jellybean, thats where I turned off OTA updates
I have heard nightmares of Kit Kat, and I've heard Heavenly angles about Kit Kat
My youngst son is on 4.4.2 Kit Kat with M919TMBFNB4 and has no problems and his phone is bone stock

Oh btw Galaxy S4 on Tmobile


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## Leo G

I'm in the Kitkat sucks category.

I don't like the white icons on the top. It was much nicer with some color. 

I don't like the fact that now to receive email I have to have the main sync on.

Since the update my data reception has been decreased substantially. I use to have poor to sporatic data in a particular room at work, now data won't activate at all in that room. In my shop it is much harder for it to connect to data. Most of the time I have to go outside and then come back in. Once it's connected it usually stays connected, but it won't connect inside the building.

I've had problems with the data not wanting to connect unless I turn airplane mode on, wait for it to activate and then turn it off. When it goes off I will get my data connection.

I had to reset all my reoccurring alarms because they stopped working. But once I did that things seemed better.

The GPS no longer uses GLONASS satellites.

The fact that 3rd party apps no longer have permission to use the SD card. Makes file explorers nearly useless. You can read but can't write. I use ES File Explorer and that app has fared better then most. But I still can't rename files and sometimes can't write to files I use to be able to. And yes I know I can just use the My Files app, but I don't want to have to switch back and forth.

The phone for the most part runs smoother. But as far as I am concerned Kitkat ruined my S4 phone.


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## wolfen1086

Update there is a person who hacks phones and modifies roms working on a version of Kit kat, So when its available ( if he can make it work right) I'll link to it in either this thread or I 'll start a new one


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## Leo G

It's available.

[HOW TO] [ROOT] [APK] Root for NC5 OTA (All Kitkat devices) without PC!!! - xda-developers


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## jimscreechy

Well, it doesn't seem like there is much agreement, but I like the chocolate bars... Put the phone down, sit back, take a load off, and 'have a break'.


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## sobeit

I think the biggest problem with kitkat is not that it is bad, but there is way too much custom install by the phone company and all the bloatware that both the service provider and phone maker adds to it. Most do not know what is kitkat and what is bloatware.


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## Leo G

Well I do know what bloatware is, and it really doesn't bother me that much. I put most of my stuff on the SD card. And that is why KitKat sucks. They eliminated 3rd party access to the SD card unless it specifically built that directory. Makes the 3rd party file managers kinda worthless because they can't completely manage your files.

Jellybean was much better, less restrictive. One of the reasons I went with the Android platform was customization. And now google is starting to lock phones down so hard you can't customize them like you want. It's starting to become like Apple where you get what they give you. 

I really don't understand what the big deal is by locking everything down. If you bypass stock with a custom rom then you violate the warranty and that's that. The manufacturer doesn't have to respond to you anymore. What's the big deal?

Bloatware and other things kill batteries. Some of the custom roms will let you have days of battery life while most stock give you about a day.


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## joeten

A possible solution here [HOW-TO] Full access External SD card on Kitkat WITHOUT ROOT - xda-developers


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## wolfen1086

Leo G said:


> It's available.
> 
> [HOW TO] [ROOT] [APK] Root for NC5 OTA (All Kitkat devices) without PC!!! - xda-developers


COOL! Its about time somebody gets it ready
Now to flash a 4.4.3 firmware on mine
If course I should probably use only a NB4 firmware.


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## Leo G

joeten said:


> A possible solution here [HOW-TO] Full access External SD card on Kitkat WITHOUT ROOT - xda-developers


Not exactly what I expected. It's an app that can access, not a process to fix what google did.


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## Leo G

I tried it and the first test failed. I tried to rename a file on my SD card and it can't do it.


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## joeten

That's a pity it looked promising.


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## sobeit

I have kitkat on my galaxy note and am able to move apps to the sd card without any problems. just go to the app manager in settings and do it there.


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## Leo G

sobeit said:


> I have kitkat on my galaxy note and am able to move apps to the sd card without any problems. just go to the app manager in settings and do it there.


That's never been the problem. Built in apps have the permissions to do that. It's 3rd party apps that can't do it. What good is a 3rd party file manager that isn't allowed to rename files? You have this great app that is far above the standard ho hum one that comes with the phone, and you need to use the ho hum one whenever google restricts it's use because the 3rd party app lacks permissions to do the most basic things.

It was never about it can't be done. It's about being forced to use a certain app instead of the app you have chosen.


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## Leo G

sobeit said:


> I have kitkat and have no problems moving apps to the sd card. I have a 128 gig micro sd card and just about all of my apps that can run from the card are on it. The feature is locked out on some phones but no because it is running kitkat - it is a decision made by the phone manufacturer or service provider.
> 
> It is just like when att had a gps issue on their note three because of the bloatware they installed. Other phone companies that sold the note three did not have the problem.


That is not correct. Google did this to push safety and security. The limited what 3rd party apps can do by only giving them permission to work on only files they created. They can't modify other files on the SD card that they didn't put there in the first place. The manufacturers may modify that to make it worse, but that's the baseline.


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