If you have an LG phone and use T-Mobile, you might have noticed your device is, for lack of a better word, broken. Many LG users have reported a recurring error message that reads “Unfortunately, LG IMS has stopped.” The message pops up again shortly after closing it, making these devices virtually unusable. If this sounds like your experience, worry no longer: There’s a way out.
Traditional workarounds like a turning the phone off and back on or reinserting the SIM card haven’t been solving the issue. Airplane mode does seem to stop the notification from being delivered, but that’s obviously no longterm solution. Luckily, there’s a fix out right now that should patch the issue for good.
The solution? Reboot your phone again. I know, I just said that didn’t work, and you’ve probably tried that already if you are dealing with this problem. But now that there’s actually a software patch that nixes this bug, a fresh reboot should allow it to bring your phone back into working order.
If you don’t reboot your phone, the fix should reportedly still apply itself within the day. However, if for some reason this patch doesn’t make it to your phone for one reason or another, there is another proven workaround you can use to regain control of your phone. Reddit user Tmashadi shared the fix in a Reddit thread about this issue.
First, enable airplane mode on your phone, then head to Settings > Apps & notifications > App info. Tap the three dots in the top right, then choose Show system > com.lge.ims.rcsprovider. Clear your cache, then clear storage, then choose “Force stop.” If this sequence doesn’t work the first time, try it a few more times. Tmashadi says it took them three or four tries until kicked in.
While this issue isn’t a good thing by any means, I have to admit, it’s nice to see LG phones in the news for something. The tech company exited the smartphone market last year, retiring as one of the big players in the “phone wars.” LG was never at the top of the smartphone heap, but its lineup always featured something unique, whether that was the best audio experience via built-in DACs, or being an early-adopter of the wide-angle camera we see on almost all phones these days. Hopefully, the next time I see LG phones in my newsfeed, it will be for something more positive than, well, this.
[Slash Gear]
