topic Re: Xperia Home - Empty app icon in 1 Series

Xperia Home - Empty app icon

jacek32w — Tue, 30 May 2023 18:59:27 GMT

Today I realised new app icon withing Xperia Home. It is completely blank (just a shade around) and app does not have any name.

Trying to open the app or holding on it and opening more info section lead to the same - Google play "something's went wrong" screen

Tried co clear cache for Xperia Home and restarting - no result. Same for Google Play Services and Google Play.

Installed 3rd party launcher to check if it will populate this icon as well - did not. Completed full scan off the phone with Bitdefender and it says that phone is safe. Any ideas what it can be and how to get rid of the thing?

Re: Xperia Home - Empty app icon

jumpsuit — Tue, 30 May 2023 19:09:07 GMT

Hi @jacek32w and welcome to the Community

Which phone are you using?

Also have you updated the phone at all recently?

Re: Xperia Home - Empty app icon

jacek32w — Tue, 30 May 2023 20:12:23 GMT

@jumpsuit it is Xperia 1 III. System has been updated recently and has security updates from May 2023.

Re: Xperia Home - Empty app icon

jumpsuit — Wed, 31 May 2023 12:06:00 GMT

Hi again

Have you tried a software repair yet?

(I know it may not be ideal but Sony Support would probably tell you to try that first.)

In case you're not aware of how to perform a software repair, have a look Here

With either a reset or a software repair you may lose some personal data though and for the repair you will need to know your google account name and password.

Re: Xperia Home - Empty app icon

milservuk — Wed, 31 May 2023 15:04:07 GMT

I have the same problem with my Sony Xperia 5 III - following the latest update in May. I am not prepared to risk a loss of data currently by using the repair function, hope the issue will be rectified by a future update. When I tried to rectify the issue, the messages you encountered were identical. My phone also seemed to get very hot during the operation of trying to remove the blank app, but has settled down now after a reboot.

Re: Xperia Home - Empty app icon

jumpsuit — Wed, 31 May 2023 15:21:02 GMT

Hi @milservuk and welcome to the Community

A member in the thread about heat issues and battery draining after the May update here

also had a blank icon problem but they performed the software repair and this solved all of their issues.

While performing the repair may not sound ideal to some, it seems its the only way to fix those problems at the moment. Its up to you

Re: Xperia Home - Empty app icon

jacek32w — Wed, 31 May 2023 15:25:27 GMT

I have not tried yet full reset and not very keen to do it again. Just couple of weeks ago has issue with unresponsive fingerprint scanner. It was software issue and reboot was fixing it. To make permanent fix had to do full reset... Loved my Xperia from day one, but recently started hating this phone.

Relating to the icon I assume that this is some issue with the Launcher itself. Tested since yesterday couple of 3rd party apps (like Nova Launcher and Microsoft Launcher) and any of them did not have this issue. For time being stayed with one of the alternatives and quite like it.

Re: Xperia Home - Empty app icon

jumpsuit — Wed, 31 May 2023 16:21:58 GMT

Hi @jacek32w

That's fair enough

Can I ask if your phone is overheating or the battery is draining faster than normal after the update?

Re: Xperia Home - Empty app icon

jacek32w — Wed, 31 May 2023 16:44:15 GMT

Hi @jumpsuit,

I had few occasions before update when top left corner of the phone was getting hot, but quite quick cooling down. Would say normal CPU thing.

Did not notice any issues with battery, however it seemed to drain a little bit faster after update. Since yesterday use alternative launcher and I am positively surprised with battery today.

Wonder what other app is Sony's launcher using in the background, because for me it looks like issue lays there. Yesterday cleared cache, which did not give any positive result. After tried with all launcher data, including my setting and still there was no difference (Apart of all my folders were gone and all apps mixed obviously 🤣).

On different forum seen a old thread relating to Xperia XZ and there issue was exactly like mine one and this solution apparently worked there.

Re: Xperia Home - Empty app icon

xperiaproiuser — Thu, 01 Jun 2023 15:28:45 GMT

Discussions on:

https://community.sony.co.uk/t5/x-series/battery-heat-issues-with-latest-system-update/td-p/3913701

and:

https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/how-to-remove-an-empty-app-icon.4591307/

Quick (but possibly needing to be repeatedly done) fix:

"Try disabling play store, then long press on that app, it should disappear. Then enable play store again"

Possibly permanent (but need to backup all data first and set phone up from scratch again afterwards) fix:

https://youtu.be/2YQ23k11NFc

Re: Xperia Home - Empty app icon

milservuk — Thu, 01 Jun 2023 16:48:38 GMT

I have managed to remove the blank app surround by:

1. Force stop Play Store app

2. Disable Play Store app, then re-enable it

(the blank app still appeared but had a blue surround)

3. I then decided to clear the Cache and Storage on the Play Store app... and hey presto the blank app has disappeared.

4. Phone remains slightly warm in general use, but nowhere near as hot as previously experienced.

Hope this helps other readers.

Re: Xperia Home - Empty app icon

xperiaproiuser — Thu, 01 Jun 2023 16:54:00 GMT

@milservuk

Thanks for your report.

I did the same although I didn't clear Play Store's cache or storage.

Instead I just long pressed the blank icon, which got rid of it and also stopped the very quick battery drain and intense heat issue. Phone might still get a little warm at times but not alarmingly so as it did before getting rid if this icon.

Re: Xperia Home - Empty app icon

milservuk — Sun, 04 Jun 2023 17:13:19 GMT

I thought I had sorted this issue without resorting to a return to factory settings... not so though. Following a reboot of the Sony Xperia 5 III, the 'rogue' blank app circle reappeared, as did the excessive heat/battery drain issue, making the phone almost unusable. The only resolution was to return my phone to factory settings this afternoon, spending a not insignificant amount of time 'reinstalling' my apps and reviewing all the permissions. At least the phone is now 'back to normal'. Whoever released this software update with such a glitch should be ashamed of themselves.

Re: Xperia Home - Empty app icon

xperiaproiuser — Sun, 04 Jun 2023 17:21:01 GMT

@milservuk

Yes, someone posted on the original XDA-Dev thread where this fix originated that the blank app icon came back.

Did you try performing the same procedure again?

Re: Xperia Home - Empty app icon

grumpfuttock — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 20:54:33 GMT

Xperia 1 mk4.. (bought new in Jan 2023).

I have had the same problems since the update, phone getting very hot, excessive battery consumption, a blank app icon, also my Google Playstore icon on my Home page also disappeared. I read on the Sony UK forum last night that one could get rid of the blank app icon by disabling the Google Playstore app, then holding ones finger on the blank app would make it disappear. It did, so I enabled the Playstore app again. All was fine, before I went to bed, but first thing today the blank app had re-appeared, although the battery percentage was only 3% less than when I went to to bed, but I do turn off my WiFi at night.

So I disabled the Playstore again, held my finger on the blank app icon. it disappeared, and I have left the Google Playstore app disabled all day and despite using my phone quite a lot, during the day, the battery level only dropped by mere 12% and the phone stayed cool.

Having read your advice about clearing the Playstore cache and storage, I have now tried that, and re-enabled the Playstore app and now ½ an hour later the phone is cool, the battery level is the same, and there is at the moment no sign of the dreaded phantom app.... I am now crossing my fingers that it stays that way.

Thanks to everyone here for your helpful advice, I was really puzzled for a few days why my my phone was getting so hot and having such a high Battery consumption !

Re: Xperia Home - Empty app icon

JammyJr — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 13:14:20 GMT

@jumpsuit wrote:
Hi again

Have you tried a software repair yet?
(I know it may not be ideal but Sony Support would probably tell you to try that first.)

In case you're not aware of how to perform a software repair, have a look Here
With either a reset or a software repair you may lose some personal data though and for the repair you will need to know your google account name and password.

I am worried about my personal data. I would like to ask. What kind of personal data can be lost without being returned? I would make sure it is kept securely.

Re: Xperia Home - Empty app icon

JohnnyP — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 15:00:08 GMT

Disabling Play Store then long press on the empty icon and enabling Play store romved the icon. Thank you!

Re: Xperia Home - Empty app icon

grumpfuttock — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 21:40:31 GMT

Replying to JohnnyP :-

@JohnnyP wrote:
Disabling Play Store then long press on the empty icon and enabling Play store romved the icon. Thank you!

Hi JohnnyP welcome to the forum.

You may find like I did, that just disabling the Google Playstore and holding your finger on the blank App icon, will cause it to go away and battery consumption to drop, but if you don't empty the Playstore cache and delete the storage, it is highly likely it may return to haunt you. If that happens, just disable the Playstore again and empty the cache and delete the app storage, hold you finger on the blank icon again, and when it has disappeared if all goes well, as in my case, it will not return, and your battery consumption should have returned to normal. Then you can re-enable the Playstore app, and all should be fine. Should the phantom app insist on returning to haunt you, then a system repair or factory reset may be necessary, which thankfully, I have never had to do !

Re: Xperia Home - Empty app icon

JammyJr — Thu, 08 Jun 2023 11:07:40 GMT

@grumpfuttock wrote:

You may find like I did, that just disabling the Google Playstore and holding your finger on the blank App icon, will cause it to go away and battery consumption to drop, but if you don't empty the Playstore cache and delete the storage, it is highly likely it may return to haunt you. If that happens, just disable the Playstore again and empty the cache and delete the app storage, hold you finger on the blank icon again, and when it has disappeared if all goes well, as in my case, it will not return, and your battery consumption should have returned to normal. Then you can re-enable the Playstore app, and all should be fine. Should the phantom app insist on returning to haunt you, then a system repair or factory reset may be necessary, which thankfully, I have never had to do !

It looks like some kind of virus. Why are applications like this even allowed?

Re: Xperia Home - Empty app icon

jumpsuit — Fri, 09 Jun 2023 09:55:39 GMT

Hi all we have some news

This is still being investigated but the work around for it is as follows:

Empty the Play store storage and cache.
Disable the Play store.

Restart.

Enable play store.