Nokia 2.2 common issues and how to solve them

In quick succession, Nokia HMD got a lot of Android One devices in various price segments. The successor to Nokia 2 (and, later, Nokia 2.1), Nokia 2.2, is the basic entry device that offers good build quality, slick design, and clean Android for an affordable price. And, today, we made sure to list all Nokia 2.2 common issues and help users around the world tackle them head-on.

Note: All the issues mentioned in this article are individually reported cases, which doesn’t mean any of the problems will occur on other devices. If you’re looking to buy this phone, DO NOT consider these problems.

Table of contents:

1. Sluggish performance
2. Battery draining
3. The dia pad disappeared from the Phone app
4. Camera issues
5. Proximity sensor issues
6. Wi-Fi issues on Nokia 2.2
7. Slow face unlock
8. Display issues in certain apps
9. Slow charging
10. Nokia 2.2 stuck on a factory reset
11. Overheating
12. Multi-touch not working properly
13. Common troubleshooting steps for Nokia 2.2

1. Sluggish performance

We can all agree that 12GB or even 8GB of RAM is a tad too much, however, 2GB (3GB is, obviously, better) in the modern smartphone era is only for bareboned entry devices. Paired with a sub-par Mediatek chipset, Nokia 2.2 is by no means a snappy device, even in its price range. At least when it comes to gaming and extensive multitasking.

This, of course, doesn’t explain why some users are experiencing slow app transitions, sluggish animations or frequent screen freezes. The clean, close-to-stock Android OS shouldn’t be like that. Now, the problem is more in the software optimization than in the lackluster hardware. Hopefully, the Android 10 update (when it comes out) will fix these flaws.

In any case, here’s what we suggest to speed up your device and reduce stutters:

• Restart your phone.
• Reduce animations in Developer options from 1 to 0.5.
• Limit the number of background apps in the Developer options.
• Clear cache and data from the Quickstep launcher in Settings > Apps.
• Reset the device to factory settings.

2. Battery draining

We already mentioned that the Mediatek chipset is not the greatest but it is, at least, power-efficient and it doesn’t put a big strain on the 3000 mAh battery. That, along with a moderately-sized display (by today’s standards, at least) and clean Android, should get you through the day with 6-7 hours of Screen-on Time.

However, some users reported heavy battery drainage as their Nokia 2.2 barely made it for a couple of hours before needing to recharge.

We suspect that a monthly update broke the device, although some background apps might be draining the battery in the background.

The first thing you should do is check our tips for preserving battery on Android. If that doesn’t help, follow these steps to improve battery life on Nokia 2.2:

• Disable Face unlock.
• Disable Adaptive brightness and set the brightness manually.
• Turn off the “Mobile Data always active” option in the Developer options.
• Turn off Bluetooth and Location if they are not used.
• Restrict background usage for third-party apps.
• Disable Wi-Fi auto scan.
• Reset the device to factory settings.

3. Dial pad disappeared from the Phone app

There are multiple reported bugs with the pre-installed default Phone app. The most prominent problem is the disappearance of the dial pad. This happens during calls so users are unable to utilize a dial pad for some services.

If you have a hard time with this, make sure to try the steps we suggested below and fix the Phone app on the Nokia 2.2:

• Open Settings > Apps > All apps > Phone. Clear cache and data from the app.
• Navigate to the same path and uninstall updates from the Phone app.
• Reset your device to factory settings.

4. Camera issues

Some users have had a hard time with the stock Camera app. Namely, it seems that the back camera is not working at all, with weird RGB results showing in the viewfinder upon accessing the app.

Based on reports, third-party camera apps work just fine. This confirms that the problem isn’t in hardware but rather the Camera app is broken.

With that in mind, here’s how to troubleshoot camera issues on Nokia 2.2:

• Clear cache and data from the Camera app.
• Uninstall Camera updates.
• Reset your device to factory settings.

If you still can’t resolve the camera issues, consider installing Google Camera. It’s not in the Play Store, as Google only officially allows it on Pixel devices. However, there’s a Gcam port you can install, and it works great. Check out this article to find out more about installing and using a Gcam port on your device.

5. Proximity sensor issues

Another issue closely related to calls has a lot to do with the proximity sensor. As reports state, the proximity sensor is not working for some users and, when they answer the call, the screen doesn’t turn off. The screen is on during calls which shouldn’t happen.

This issue usually occurs due to a badly optimized sensor but it might be a hardware problem, as well.

Here are some troubleshooting steps you can try to fix proximity sensor issues on the Nokia 2.2:

• Run the diagnostic in Service mode. Open dialer and enter *#*#372733#*#*. Scroll down to Proximity Test and test the Proximity sensor.
• Remove the screen protector.
• Check the steps in this article to disable adaptive brightness and, hopefully, address the proximity sensor issues.
• Reset your device to factory settings.

6. Wi-Fi issues on Nokia 2.2

Among many other issues, there are reports about Wi-Fi not working, even when it says that the device is connected to Wi-Fi. It breaks for a couple of minutes and then, apparently, continues working like before.

For this and all related Wi-Fi issues, we recommend taking these steps:

• Reboot your device and router/modem.
• Delete the SSID from the list of networks and connect again.
• Disable Bluetooth temporarily.
• Update the firmware.
• Reset Network Settings.

If none of the solutions above resolved the problem, check our article about Wi-Fi issues on Android for more workarounds.

7. Slow face unlock

The close-to-stock Android experience on the Nokia 2.2 has a lot of advantages, keeping all that bloatware some OEMs bring at bay. However, besides the obvious advantages of clean Android, it misses some built-in features, like Face Unlock. It does support Google’s face recognition, which is rather slow for some users.

There’s nothing you can do with it, at the moment, except to try and remove/enroll your face again. Other than that, you can wait for the optimization that’s, allegedly, coming with Android 10.

8. Display issues in certain apps

Some users said that in the dedicated forum, the display on Nokia 2.2 is behaving strangely in certain apps, with the yellow stripe on the side of the screen. Many suggested disabling adaptive brightness.

However, if this doesn’t work, we can only recommend resetting your device to factory settings. If this glitch re-appears even after this action, make sure to take your device to service and ask for a replacement.

9. Slow charging

Slow charging is another frequently mentioned problem. The out-of-the-box 5W charger is not ideal, but that’s nothing unexpected at this price point.

If you are experiencing slower-than-usual charging, try enabling Airplane mode while charging the device.

10. Nokia 2.2 stuck on factory reset

Many software problems require a factory reset. And, thanks to cloud storage, backing up and restoring your files and settings is much simpler. However, what to do if the ultimate solution fails you? A few users got stuck on factory reset while trying to reset their handsets.

If that happens, you can only try and access the factory reset again from the Recovery menu.

Quick note: If you’re not entirely sure what you’re doing, check our article about resetting an Android phone to factory settings.

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Press and hold the Power button to turn off your device.
2. While Off, plug a Micro USB-to-USB cable into your PC.
3. Press and hold Volume down and connect your phone to the PC while still holding the Volume down key.
4. Keep holding the key until the Android Robot appears.
5. Press together Volume up and Power.
6. Once you’ve gained access to Recovery, use the volume keys to navigate to Wipe data/factory reset and tap Power to select it. Tap Power again to confirm the reset.

11. Overheating

Besides slow charging, the Nokia 2.2 tends to heat during charging sessions more than it should. At least, based on reports of a few users. We need to remind you to stick to a stock charger and, if you need to replace the adapter or cable, make sure to replace it with the original one.

You might reduce overheating by removing the protective case from the back of the phone and avoiding using the device while it’s charging.

12. Multi-touch not working properly

Besides the display issues in apps we already mentioned, multi-touch is also not working properly for some users. Some of them suggested enabling GPU rendering (the Disable HW overlays option) in the Developer options.

If that doesn’t help, you can also test the device in Safe mode. Finally, if multi-touch issues on the Nokia 2.2 persist, resetting your device to factory settings is our best bet to resolve them.

13. Common troubleshooting steps for Nokia 2.2

Hard-reset the device

Press and hold the Power button and the Volume Up key until the device restarts.

Access Developer options

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap System.
3. Choose the About Phone.
4. Tap on the Build Number 7 times until the Developer options menu is available.
5. Get back to the About phone section and Developer options should be there.

Reset Network Settings

Note: If you’re not sure where will this get you, learn more with our article about resetting network settings on Android.

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap System.
3. Choose Reset options.
4. Tap Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth.
5. Confirm selection.

Boot in Safe Mode

1. While the device is on, press and hold the Power button until the Power menu appears.
2. Tap multiple times in succession on the Power Off option until the “Restart in safe mode” prompt appears.
3. Choose to restart in Safe mode.

Reset to factory settings

1. Remove the SD card and back up your data.
2. Open Settings.
3. Tap System.
4. Choose Reset options.
5. Select Erase all data (factory reset).

That’s all. Thank you for reading and don’t forget to share additional issues we missed or alternative solutions for the listed ones. You can do so in the comments section below.

Editor’s note: This article was initially published in March 2020. We made sure to revamp it for freshness and accuracy.