[Q] Scroll lags and stuttering with Android 4.4.2

ontheair · Aug 27, 2014

Hello,

my Samsung Galaxy S4 mini stutters / lags when scrolling. This appears in every app, systems setting, when scrolling in a browser or a menu or just going through the home screens (original TouchWiz). But games are running smoothly and also videos / youtube are free from stuttering.

So this is not a very big problem, but its making the use of the device not as enjoyable as before. To be honest: Its really annoying.

Some information about the devices / firmwares history:
- Bought the device originally from a market (not branded by a service provider) with stock ROM and Android 4.2.2.
- Used the phone for some months in its original condition. Not rooted, not removed TouchWiz, no custom kernels, etc. Everything was fine.
- Some weeks before the phone offers me the update to Android 4.4.2. Update was executed without any problem. Still no stuttering.
- Because of the new permissions for SD-cards in 4.4.2 I rooted the phone with towelroot and used "NextApp SDFix". No stuttering, SD-card ok.
- For backup purposes I installed Titanium backup (after SuperSU and BusyBox). Everythings fine.
- But some days later, without a clear reason, the stuttering / lags occurs and is there since then. Rebooting does not help.

What I have tried:
- Removed all newly installed apps.
- Temporarily unrooted, temporarily removed SuperSU, temporarily removed BusyBox.
Nothing helped.

Then I had done a factory reset. The phone started up like a newly bought device with Android 4.4.2. But still with lags / stuttering when scrolling!

A question to all the Pro's here:
- Which information can I tell you about the phone to give you a better view of the problem?
- May it be a problem in the kernel - so that changing the kernel would help?

I am also thinking about installing CyanogenMod, but if not necessary I would like to avoid it. I am happy with the look and feel of the stock ROM (I am simply used to it) - apart from the stuttering.

Model: GT-I9195
Android version: 4.4.2
Kernel version: 3.4.0-1646188 / dpi@SWDD5815 #1 / Fri May 23 19:52:02 KST 2014
Build: KOT49H.I9195XXUCNE6
SE for Android Status: Enforcing / SEPF_GT-I9195_4.4.2_0016 / Fri May 23 19:52:40 2014
Secure boot status: Type: Samsung

Thank you for any help!

nunein · Aug 27, 2014

Have you tried to flash your currently installed firmware again with Odin so far?

Sent from my black pearl using Tapatalk

ontheair · Aug 27, 2014

nunein said:
Have you tried to flash your currently installed firmware again with Odin so far?

No, I have not tried that. So you would suggest the following (just to be sure to understand you correctly):

- Do a full backup with Titanium backup (for example).
- Get the stock ROM containing the Samsung flavour of Android 4.4.2 for Galaxy S4 mini.
- Flashing the device with Odin.
- Rooting again with towelroot, installing SuperSU and BusyBox.
- Install Titanium backup and restore my apps and settings.

Is this right?

nunein · Aug 27, 2014

ontheair said:
No, I have not tried that. So you would suggest the following (just to be sure to understand you correctly):

- Do a full backup with Titanium backup (for example).
- Get the stock ROM containing the Samsung flavour of Android 4.4.2 for Galaxy S4 mini.
- Flashing the device with Odin.
- Rooting again with towelroot, installing SuperSU and BusyBox.
- Install Titanium backup and restore my apps and settings.

Is this right?

Don't know if it will help, but it's not much effort and at least it will not hurt.

Full backup should not be necessary (data partition will not get wiped - if you do no factory reset), but is always recommended before flashing firmware.
Very important is that you will be flashing exactly the same stock firmware (with same CSC) as currently installed. In that case no data should get lost, no Knox tripped and so forth.
But as you mentioned, you will have to re-root (Towelroot + SuperSU) and run SDFix.

ontheair · Aug 27, 2014

Thank you very much for your help and all these informations!

nunein said:
Very important is that you will be flashing exactly the same stock firmware (with same CSC) as currently installed.

On sammobile.com is just one ROM for Galaxy s4 mini containing Android 4.4.2, for my language, without carrier branding. So I suggest this is the right one...

Or are there any other ways how to additionally check if its the right stock firmware? Sorry for these questions, but I dont want to run into problems just because I picked the wrong firmware...

nunein · Aug 27, 2014

ontheair said:
Thank you very much for your help and all these informations!

On sammobile.com is just one ROM for Galaxy s4 mini containing Android 4.4.2, for my language, without carrier branding. So I suggest this is the right one...

Or are there any other ways how to additionally check if its the right stock firmware? Sorry for these questions, but I dont want to run into problems just because I picked the wrong firmware...

"Phone INFO ★Samsung★" is a nice app to check the phone status, it will show for instance CSC and firmware details.

From your information in the OP you run the same firmware as I do (the file name of my download was 'I9195XXUCNE6_I9195OXACNE6_I9195XXUCNE6_HOME.tar.md5').

ontheair · Aug 27, 2014

nunein said:
"Phone INFO ★Samsung★" is a nice app to check the phone status, it will show for instance CSC and firmware details.

Thats great, thank you! I compared the informations provided by this app with the firmware on sammobile.com and its identically. So I will download the firmware now and flash it to the device (after the backup is ready).

I will keep you updated if the stuttering is away then!

In the meantime: Thank you very much for your help!

ontheair · Aug 27, 2014

Finally I flashed the current stock firmware via Odin again. After flashing, the phone booted up correctly (in a non-rooted condition, of course).

But the problem is still present: When scrolling through any apps, lists or even the home screens, the movement stutters.

Are there any other things to check in order to get rid of this? A factory reset (done before) also achieved no improvement. That's really weird...

nunein · Aug 27, 2014

ontheair said:
Finally I flashed the current stock firmware via Odin again. After flashing, the phone booted up correctly (in a non-rooted condition, of course).

But the problem is still present: When scrolling through any apps, lists or even the home screens, the movement stutters.

Are there any other things to check in order to get rid of this? A factory reset (done before) also achieved no improvement. That's really weird...

Sorry to read that.Since you did a factory reset before I don't think it makes sense to do another one.

This is clutching at straws, but: is the issue still present if you remove your SD card?

ontheair · Aug 28, 2014

nunein said:
This is clutching at straws, but: is the issue still present if you remove your SD card?

I have tried this now:
- Removing the SD card
- Removing the SIM
- Used another battery without NFC
- Temporarily used a CPU tuner app and switched the CPU temporarily to highest level.

But the problem is still present.

Additionally I found another new problem beside of the stuttering:
- Two heavily used apps doesnt react anymore and needed to be started again (Threema Messenger and Viber messenger). Seems like the system was under high load / low RAM and stopped the apps. But RAM consumption of the device is moderate.
- In YouTube sometimes videos are shown in a damaged way and just in black/white. After restarting the video it is shown correctly.

Im thinking of two last chances:
- Is there a way to create log files of the system and is there somebody who is able to find the problem seeing these logs?
- Or the last way: Switching to another ROM. In this case I can not use the backups created by Titanium, right?

nunein · Aug 29, 2014

ontheair said:
I have tried this now:
- Removing the SD card
- Removing the SIM
- Used another battery without NFC
- Temporarily used a CPU tuner app and switched the CPU temporarily to highest level.

But the problem is still present.

Additionally I found another new problem beside of the stuttering:
- Two heavily used apps doesnt react anymore and needed to be started again (Threema Messenger and Viber messenger). Seems like the system was under high load / low RAM and stopped the apps. But RAM consumption of the device is moderate.
- In YouTube sometimes videos are shown in a damaged way and just in black/white. After restarting the video it is shown correctly.

Im thinking of two last chances:
- Is there a way to create log files of the system and is there somebody who is able to find the problem seeing these logs?
- Or the last way: Switching to another ROM. In this case I can not use the backups created by Titanium, right?

With regards to your second question:
Of course you can restore user apps and related data from one ROM to another. And for instance contacts, SMS and call logs can be saved and restored with MyPhoneExplorer. Restoring data of system apps may work but may cause issues.

ontheair · Aug 29, 2014

Ok! Thank you very much for your help!

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[Q] Scroll lags and stuttering with Android 4.4.2

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