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5 common Moto 360 problems, and how to solve them

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Moto 360 Watch motorola logo
Image used with permission by copyright holder
When the Moto 360 initially burst onto the scene in mid-2014, it made all the other smartwatches look decidedly square. However, although it has gone on to become the most successful device of the first wave of Android Wear devices, new device categories are especially dangerous waters for even the most renowned tech pioneers. We’ve seen a number of Moto 360 problems reported in support threads and forums, ranging from batteries woes to stuck pixels, some of which you can remedy. That said, here are some of the most common Moto 360 issues with ideas on how to workaround or fix them.

Problem: Battery life is poor

When the Moto 360 first came out, the big disappointment for many was the limited battery life. Ensuing software updates have dramatically improved the situation since, but if you find that you’re still suffering from rapid battery drain and your Moto 360 seemingly can’t make it through the day, then you should try the following:

Potential solution:

  1. Uninstall all Android Wear apps and watch faces including Motorola Connect.
  2. Make sure that your Moto 360 is fully charged.
  3. Go to Settings > Reset device.
  4. Restart and then install the Android Wear app on the device you want to pair.
  5. Make sure Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are on and load up the Android Wear app then Select device.
  6. Complete the software upgrade on your Moto 360 and complete pairing.
  7. Be careful about what you install and watch out for anything that seems to impact on the battery life.

Glitch: Image retention

Quite a few Moto 360 owners have been alarmed to find what looks like screen burn-in, but is actually image retention or ghosting, after leaving their watch charging overnight. This is because the Moto 360 displays the clock and charging status by default while it’s situated on the charging dock. Thankfully, you have a few options to get around the problem.

Workarounds:

  • Try using the free Slumber for Android Wear app. You’ll have to set it each night, but it will keep the screen dark until you tap the screen or pick up your Moto 360 in the morning.
  • Go to Settings > About on your Moto 360 and tap the build number seven times to unlock developer options. Now go to Settings > Developer options and disable Stay awake when charging. This hasn’t worked for everyone, but it’s worth a try.
  • Put the Moto 360 on the charger, open Android Wear on your phone, turn Ambient mode on and when the Moto 360 screen brightens and then dims, turn Ambient mode off.

Solutions:

  • The 5.0.1 Android Wear update allows you to press the Moto 360 button twice and the watch goes into Theater mode which mutes notifications and switches the screen off, though it will come back very dim. You won’t get any image retention if you do this each night.
  • If you have image retention then don’t worry it isn’t permanent. Leaving the Moto 360 off for a few hours should be enough to get rid of the problem. If the issue persists, then contact Motorola and they’ll likely replace your watch.

Issue: Stuck pixels

Many people have reported stuck pixels on their Moto 360 units. Stuck pixels don’t change regardless of the image on screen, and understandably, they can be very annoying. Stuck pixels can spontaneously “fix” themselves, sure, but there’s no telling when or if that might happen. Here’s what to do if you want to take direct action:

Potential solutions:

  • You could try the Stuck Pixel Fixer for Wear app, or you could install the Wear Internet Browser and visit a website such as JscreenFix.
  • If you have no luck with either of the aforementioned solutions, then you need to contact Motorola and request a replacement Moto 360. If the stuck pixels are clearly visible on your display, then they won’t argue.

Problem: Offline or disconnected

There have been a number of reports of people getting messages on the Moto 360 about the device being offline or disconnected when it should be online and connected. There are a few things you can try to solve this one:

Workarounds:

  • Try restarting your Moto 360 and your phone.
  • Check your phone and make sure that you don’t have a power-saving mode turned on.
  • If the problem is specifically with Google Now, then try deactivating it on your smartphone and setting it up again.

Potential solutions:

  • On your phone go into Settings > Wi-Fi and tap the three vertical dots for more settings. Afterward, choose Advanced and make sure that Keep Wi-Fi on during sleep is set to Always.
  • If it’s happening when you’re connected to your mobile network, then go to Settings > Data usage and tap the three vertical dots for more settings. Then, make sure that Restrict background data isn’t ticked. If you’ve set a limit and restricted data for specific apps, then you’ll need to reverse them individually.

Bug: Screen frozen

People often report the Moto 360 freezes while on the charging screen. If you find that your Moto 360 gets stuck on a specific screen and the touchscreen is unresponsive, then don’t worry, you can probably get it working again quite easily.

Solution:

  • Hold down the Moto 360 button for 30 seconds and it will power down. Now you can turn it on again and it should work normally.

That’s it for Moto 360 problems, but we’ll add more issues and solutions as we discover them.

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Simon Hill
Simon Hill
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Simon Hill is an experienced technology journalist and editor who loves all things tech. He is currently the Associate Mobile…
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