Welcome to our focused troubleshooting series concerning software freezes and reboots on the Samsung Galaxy S4. If you own this particular model then you may want to bookmark this page to serve as your guide in the future if you experience the issues we will be discussing.
In this installment of the series we have picked four problems sent to us through email by our readers seeking assistance for the issue that their phones have. We will tackle these issues and provide a solution that will hopefully lead to a resolution.
If you own a Galaxy S4 or any other Android device for that matter then feel free to send us an email at mailbag@thedroidguy.com. We will be more than happy to assist you with any concern that you may have with your device. This is a free service we are offering with no strings attached. We however ask that when you do send us an email try to be as detailed as possible so that an accurate assessment can be made and the correct solution can be given.
If you would like to browse the previous parts in this series then check out this link.
Aside from sending us an email you may also reach us at our Facebook and Google+ social media accounts.
S4 Google Not Working
Problem: I am having an issue with my phone that I cannot fix. I rooted it months ago. But a few weeks later it attempted to update to 4.4.4 and I freaked and turned the phone off. It didn’t update but since them google doesn’t work. It says it can’t establish a connection. But that’s just one problem. It also says it’s rooted at times, and other times it says it’s not. I can’t get to fix. I be tried several different options. Please help!!!
Solution: Interrupting the update process may have corrupted your phone data which may be the reason why Google does not work in your phone. This may also be the reason why your phone is detected as being rooted and sometimes not.
The best way to deal with this issue is to backup your phone data then do a factory reset.
- Turn off the device.
- Press and hold the following three buttons at the same time: Volume Up key, Home key, Power key.
- When the phone vibrates, release the Power key but continue to press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home key.
- When the Android System Recovery screen appears, release the Volume Up and Home keys.
- Press the Volume down key several times key to highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset.’
- Press Power button to select.
- Press the Volume down key until ‘delete all user data’ is highlighted.
- Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
- When the master reset is complete, ‘Reboot system now’ is highlighted.
- Press the Power key to restart the device.
S4 Randomly Crashes & Restarts After Rooting
Problem: First of all, thank you for all you do for the android community. I bought my wife a Verizon/Straight Talk S4 on Ebay a few months ago. I rooted it to enable wifi tether but it has been automatically crashing/restarting ever since, especially when making or receiving calls. Is there any way to get it back to a factory reset or any fresh starting point for that matter?
Here are the current specs:
- Model # SCH-I545
- Android Version: 4.4.2
- Baseband Version: I545VRUFNG6
- Kernel Version: 3.4.0
- Build # KOT49H.I545VRUFNG6
- Hardware Version: I545.06
Feedback is much appreciated!
Solution: Before doing a factory reset try to wipe the cache partition of your phone first as this may resolve the issue.
- Turn off the device.
- Press and hold the following three buttons at the same time: Volume Up key, Home key, Power key
- When the phone vibrates, let go of the Power key but continue to press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home key.
- When the Android System Recovery screen appears, release the Volume Up and Home keys.
- Press the Volume Down key to highlight ‘wipe cache partition.’
- Press the Power key to select. The phone will automatically restart after the cache is wiped.
If your phone still crashes then proceed with the factory reset. Make sure to backup your phone data before performing this procedure.
- Turn off the device.
- Press and hold the following three buttons at the same time: Volume Up key, Home key, Power key.
- When the phone vibrates, release the Power key but continue to press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home key.
- When the Android System Recovery screen appears, release the Volume Up and Home keys.
- Press the Volume down key several times key to highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset.’
- Press Power button to select.
- Press the Volume down key until ‘delete all user data’ is highlighted.
- Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
- When the master reset is complete, ‘Reboot system now’ is highlighted.
- Press the Power key to restart the device.
S4 Stuck In Samsung Logo
Problem: Hello, My phone was working fine. It was on low battery and I plugged it into a wall socket. That evening it showed on the display, the android robot and a message that it was downloading software. The next morning, I tried to turn it on. It responds to the power button, shows the “Samsung Galaxy S4” and then shuts off. I tried to follow the online info to jump to safe mode but when I try to press the volume, it just powers off. Any advice would be appreciated. I’m trying to get 2 more months out of this phone before I upgraded my family.
Solution: The first thing that you need to do is to remove the microSD card of your phone if it has any installed. Next, connect your phone to its wall charger and let it charge for at last 20 minutes. Try turning on your phone.
If your phone still does not boot up then take out the battery. Press and hold the power button for at least a minute to completely discharge your phone. Reinsert the battery then try turning on your phone again.
If the issue still persists then try to replace your phone battery. This battery may not be holding enough charge to turn on your phone.
S4 Shuts Down On Its Own
Problem: Hi, I own a Samsung Galaxy S4 – got an update to Lollipop last week & was working fine. Another update happened yesterday (not sure what it was) and my phone started shutting off on it’s own. I managed to get it on twice and now it won’t turn on. If I pressed power button it would turn on/vibrate (never went to Samsung logo tho) and then was off. Did some researching on your website….tried soft reset – nothing. Tried holding volume up, power & home buttons – nothing. Battery is not warped or swollen. No lights are on. I’m not sure what to do at this point. I was trying to figure out how to determine if it’s a battery issue vs an update issue. I’m leaning towards update, but when it did the update to lollipop last week my phone got super hot. Typically it’s not hot & tends to hold a charge for an entire day. Any thoughts or suggestions are welcomed! Thanks for reading.
Solution: I suggest you try replacing your battery first as this may be the reason why this issue is happening. If you don’t have a new battery readily available you should connect your phone to its wall charger and let it charge for 20 minutes. While your phone is still connected to the charger try turning it on. If it turns on normally then remove the charger. If your phone switches off while the charger is removed then you may have a faulty battery that needs to be replaced.
Engage with us
Feel free to send us your questions, suggestions and problems you’ve encountered while using your Android phone. We support every Android device that is available in the market today. And don’t worry, we won’t charge you a single penny for your emails. Email us at mailbag@thedroidguy.com. We read every email but can’t guarantee a quick response. If we were able to help you, please help us spread the word by sharing our posts with your friends.
