Xperia 5 iii - Android 12 Update, Xperia Home keeps stopping/restarting

[scdonal97]

If you run into this upon updating your Xperia 5 III to Android 12 this is what I got back from Sony  Support & it does seem to have worked .

Thank you for contacting Sony support.
We are sorry to learn that you are facing issues with your Sony Xperia 5 III after the Android update.
In an attempt to resolve this issue, kindly follow the steps below:
- Go to Settings > Apps & Notifications > See All Apps / App Info > tap on the 3 vertical dots at the top right corner > select Show System > find and tap on ' Xperia Home ' > Storage and Cache > Manage Space > Clear All Data.
Go back one step > tap on Clear Cache > Force Stop.
- Restart the phone and test it.

If the issue remains, please proceed with the steps in the link below:
https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/support/articles/00237681
If the above steps do not solve the issue, kindly reply with answers to the questions below in order to raise the case for further investigation:
· What is the current Software Version and Android Version installed on the device? Please write the exact version.
· Who is the Network Operator / Mobile Network Provider? (Orange, Vodafone, Proxiumus .. etc.)
· When has the issue started to occur?
· What feature or application were you using when the issue happened?
· What was the latest app you installed recently?
· If you use any third party device please mention it.
· Kindly attach a short video showing the issue.
Should you have any further questions, please feel free to reply to this e-mail.
Thank you for your enquiry.
Yours sincerely,

[Preytheon]

This goes down as a "semi-fix": There is still something VERY wrong with the Xperia Launcher on Android 12. 

Thanks for the advice, not wanting to sound ungrateful as it does make the phone usable, but only so far that it will get you back and working in an emergency: you'll be able to get into the phone enough to do some basics - like download a new launcher and switch off Xperia Launcher permanently.

Overall, it not a very professional solution and a real worry that Sony are fairly late to the Android upgrades and have made such a mess of it.

Main concerns with this "fix" are:

1) it will wipe all your presets and you have to start setting up the icons and folders all over again - so just a plain nuisance.

2) the search bar and persistent apps tray continues to dip up and down constantly - which just makes me feel like it is crashing and restarting silently - annoying, worrying and a constant reminder of what a mess this upgrade was: I'm assuming this constant churn of crash+recovery activity will be hammering the battery life, but I haven't left it on for long enough to find out - switched to a new launcher now.

[scdonal97]

It worked for me.

re. 1) I totally agree. What really irks me is that this behaviour for some users apparently goes back years & years with Xperia Home e.g. https://community.sony.ee/t5/other-general/unfortunately-xperia-home-has-stopped-working/td-p/326218... but you can find similar for all sorts of generations of phone.

It did the same in Safe Mode on my 5 iii  so it wasn't 3rd party apps. causing the issue.

2) I did have the tray bobbing but it either settled down or a restart cured it (suspect the latter but can't remember ). Been fine since.

I already had MS Launcher installed (which I don't like tbh) so was quite happy to be able to get Xperia Home back.

Reading elsewhere lots of other phone companies seem to have been having assorted issues with the move to Android 12

[EMS_MO72]

Hi all,

As far as I know Sony got the android 12 issue under investigation to solve the Xperia Home app issue.

And the steps for clearing data for Xperia home app worked with a lot of people as a work around until the update is released.