How To Fix Common Samsung Galaxy S4 Problems, Errors and Glitches [Part 57]
Welcome to the 56th part in our series of troubleshooting articles dedicated to the Samsung Galaxy S4. If you have been following this series you may notice that this is the second time that we have featured this device this week alone. This is because we have been receiving quite a lot of emails recently concerning this model and we want to accommodate most of them as much as possible.
In this latest installment of the series we will tackle some of the latest emails that we have received. Most of the issues our readers face with this device are minor in nature that a simple reboot of the phone will do the trick. Other issues require several troubleshooting steps to be done.
If you own a Galaxy S4 or any other Android device for that matter then feel free to send us an email at [email protected]. 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 ty to be as detailed as possible so that an accurate assessment can be made and the correct solution can be given.
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S4 Not Charging
Problem: Good day, I bought a galaxy s4 but it won’t charge. I have change the charging port but it still not charging. Please advise.
Solution: There are several factor to consider as to why your phone will not charge. The first thing that you should do is to verify if the charger is indeed working. Try using your phone’s original wall charger and if that does not work then try using a different wall charger.
Make sure that the charging port of your phone and charger are free from any dirt or debris. If you spot any then clean it using a toothpick.
Another possible cause as to why your phone will not charge is because of the battery. If you have a faulty battery then you may not be able to charge your phone. If you have another battery with you then try inserting it in your phone.
Another possible scenario is that your phone is indeed charging but it doesn’t indicate that it is. In this case the issue may be with the phone software. You should consider doing a factory reset. Make sure to backup your 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 Screen Mirror No Sound
Problem: I was able to do Screen mirror with my S4 on Sony Bravia , with video clips I would get both video and audio but since last few days I can play the video but no sound from the TV? I have done a factory reset on my TV, I have restarted my phone a few times but still cannot get any audio? Any solution?
Solution: The first thing to check if no volume can be heard is the sound settings. Check the settings for both the TV and your phone.
Try playing different video files to verify if the problem is not file related. Play a particular video file on your phone without screen mirroring then play the same file with screen mirroring enabled.
Since you have already done a factory reset on your TV and restarted your phone you should proceed with wiping the cache partition of your phone. If this issue is caused by a corrupt temporary data then this procedure will resolve the issue.
- Turn off the phone.
- Hold the Volume Up, Volume Down and Power Key simultaneously.
- Release the keys when the Android recovery screen appears.
- Press the Volume Down key to highlight Wipe Cache Partition.
- Press the Power key or Home key (this varies based on the software version of your phone) to select.
- The phone will display Cache Wipe Complete after a few seconds.
- Press the volume keys to highlight Reboot System Now.
- Press the Power key to select.
If all else fails then you may want to consider using the wired mirroring option. You will need to use an AllShare cast dongle to connect your phone to the HDMI port of your TV for this feature to work.
S4 Does Not Complete Update
Problem: Hey, so I recently purchased an S4 second hand, but it hadn’t been updated to the 4.4.2 android software (currently on 4.3). Whenever I do try to update it, it only reaches around 25% of the update, before it fails. I have attempted to update via my phone, as well as through Kies, but the outcome is the same. Any idea how this could be fixed?
Solution: Have you tried getting the update using another Wi-Fi connection? This is to verify if the issue is not connection related. Try connecting your phone to another Wi-Fi network and then download the update. If the issue is still the same then you should consider doing a factory reset on your phone before updating its software. Just make sure to backup your phone data first as this will be deleted in the process.
S4 Apps Not Refreshing On Home Wi-Fi
Problem: Hi, Within the last 6 months or so, some of my apps haven’t been refreshing whenever I’m on my home wifi. So far I’ve noticed it with my Facebook, Yahoo Email and Weather Channel apps. The apps will open but will not refresh for new content/data. However when I’m on my carrier data or I’m on another wifi source, it refreshes just fine. I’ve tried reinstalling the apps and even reentering the wifi connection. Kind of at a lost what it could be. Running on version 4.4.4.
Solution: Since your phone apps refreshes normally when connected to another Wi-Fi network or through mobile data then the most likely cause of this issue is your home router. Try rebooting your router by unplugging its power source then plugging it back in after 2 minutes. Once your router has fully booted up check and see if your apps are able to refresh.
S4 Screen Blinking
Problem: I’ve had my s4 about a month .Recently the screen has started blinking off and on when not in use. Any ideas?
Solution: If the issue only occurs when you are not using your phone then it may be caused by certain third party apps. To check if this is he case you should start your phone in Safe Mode and observe if the screen blinking issue still occurs.
- Turn the device off.
- Press and hold the Power key.
- When ‘Samsung Galaxy S4’ appears on the screen, release the Power key.
- Immediately after releasing the Power key, press and hold the Volume down key.
- Continue to hold the Volume down key until the device finishes restarting.
- Safe mode will display in the bottom left corner of the screen.
- Release the Volume down key when you see Safe Mode.
If the issue does not occur in Safe Mode then it is most likely caused by a third party app. You should find out what that app is and uninstall it.
S4 No Sound
Problem: This is a recent problem which is now becoming annoying. I have lost all sound on the phone. This includes phone calls, notifications, ringtones, button tones, video. It is a complete loss of all sound. I’ve tried rebooting the machine and this fixes the problem temporarily…sound works on all functions for a minute or two and then it will go. All other aspects of the phone are fine…I can send and receive texts, access the internet and watch video without sound. The phone still works but obviously is of no use without sound. I’ve deleted some of my more recent apps but this hasn’t resolved the issue. I haven’t tried a factory reset yet. Can you help?
Solution: You should consider wiping the cache partition of your phone first as this issue looks like it is caused by some corrupt temporary data.
- Turn off the phone.
- Hold the Volume Up, Volume Down and Power Key simultaneously.
- Release the keys when the Android recovery screen appears.
- Press the Volume Down key to highlight Wipe Cache Partition.
- Press the Power key or Home key (this varies based on the software version of your phone) to select.
- The phone will display Cache Wipe Complete after a few seconds.
- Press the volume keys to highlight Reboot System Now.
- Press the Power key to select.
If the issue still persists then consider doing a factory reset. Just make sure to backup your phone data first.
S4 Notification LED Issue
Problem: Hi, I am using samsung S4 since last 6 months. When i bought it, notification and charging sensor was working perfectly(like while charging you have red light, for messages you have different color) but now this notification sensor is not working and there is no blinking of any color while charging or because of any kind of message since last two months. If i restart my phone, the notification sensor works for a while then again i face same problem. Could you please solve this problem.
Solution: Since your notification light works after you restart your phone then the issue may be caused by certain third party apps installed in your phone or by a corrupt temporary data.
To resolve this issue you should first try to start your phone in Safe Mode. If the issue disappears in this mode then it’s most likely caused by a third party app installed in your phone. Find out what that app is and uninstall it.
In case the issue still persists in Safe Mode then you should proceed with wiping the cache partition of your phone. This clears out any temporary data stored in your phone memory.
S4 Multiple Issues
Problem: Hello there: I currently own a Samsung Galaxy S4 and going on almost 2 years with it. I love this device because it is just the right size. Not too big & not too small. It used to run zippy and reliably until recently. I noticed several issues…
#1. Keyboard …
Simply put, the stock keyboard is quite ugly, but i loved the fact t that it could handle precise word predictions and allows me to write bilingual without having to change the input language, like most of the other keyboard apps out there do. Now it is far from doing the correct predictions and the emojis key is hidden. .. you actually have to press and hold the mic key for a few secs to get the option to come out. . And it gets stuck a lot. I found myself switching between Google keyboard, ikeyboard, a.i.keyboard plus and back to stock because a.i.keyboard plus predictions seem to be at the awful worst …
#2. Issues streaming Netflix …Lags falls behind then freezes and shuts down.. every time…
#3. Battery drainage. .. when not in use. Battery suction when in use. Can’t get to noon without being on at least 70% battery life and with hardly any use. Plenty of phone signal though.. AT&T SGH-1337 MODEL..
Any advice is greatly appreciated. Oh, and #4… contact opening lag. Thanks
Solution: It looks like your phone has several ongoing issues right now. Let’s go through them one at a time.
For the keyboard issue the interface has changed in the latest software update compared to the previous software version. If the keyboard gets stuck a lot then you should try wiping the cache of your messaging app.
- From the home screen, tap Apps.
- Scroll to and tap Settings.
- Tap More.
- Tap Application manager.
- Swipe left to view the All tab.
- Scroll to and tap the Messenger application.
- Tap Clear cache.
- You’ve now cleared the application cache.
For the Netflix issue you should first try connecting your phone to a different Wi-Fi network or through your mobile data network. If the quality improves then it may just be a connection related issue. If the Internet is slow then there’s a possibility that the videos will lag.
Another thing that you should do is to clear the cache of you Netflix app as the lag issue ca also be caused by temporary data.
- From the home screen, tap Apps.
- Scroll to and tap Settings.
- Tap More.
- Tap Application manager.
- Swipe left to view the All tab.
- Scroll to and tap the Netflix application.
- Tap Clear cache.
- You’ve now cleared the application cache.
For the battery drain issue you should try checking your phone settings and see if any services are active. Try switching off those that you are not using such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, and mobile data just to name a few as these tends to eat up battery life.
You should also check if an app is running in the background and constantly syncing since this too will affect the battery life of your phone.
Another thing to consider is the battery itself. If the battery is faulty then it will discharge quickly. Try replacing it with a new one.
Finally, for the lag in opening your contacts you should try wiping the cache of your Contacts app as this will resolve this issue.
- From the home screen, tap Apps.
- Scroll to and tap Settings.
- Tap More.
- Tap Application manager.
- Swipe left to view the All tab.
- Scroll to and tap the Contacts application.
- Tap Clear cache.
- You’ve now cleared the application cache.
S4 Not Receiving Text Messages
Problem: Hi, I have a Android Galaxy S4 phone and I know of two people whom I can send a text to and they receive it but when they text me back I don’t receive theirs. I just took it to US Cellular yesterday and told them this story and they did whatever they thought would fix it, but obviously it didn’t. Any solutions on what I can try next?
Solution: I assume that the guys over at US Cellular have tried rebooting your phone, starting your phone in Safe Mode , and doing a factory reset. If the issue persists then the problem may not be with the phone but with either the SIM or the account itself. Try using a different SIM on your phone and see if your phone can receive text messages.
S4 Randomly Turns Off
Problem: Hello Droid Guy, I hope you can help me! I have a Samsung Galaxy S4 that likes to randomly turn itself off. Most of the time this happens when the phone is jostled (no, I don’t mean dropped – I mean put down on a table from less than half an inch away for example). It doesn’t shut down, as far as I can tell. It just turns off abruptly. This happens at all battery levels though doesn’t seem to affect the battery life. It’s at the same percentage when I turn the phone back on. Nothing else seems to be wrong with the phone. It doesn’t happen all of the time either (which is why I said it ‘randomly’ happens… it’s possible that my “jostling” theory is just my way of explaining the problem away). I have done soft resets (removing the battery as well as the SIM card) in hopes that the problem would remedy itself to no avail.
Solution: To verify if this is caused by a glitch in the software you should do a factory reset. Make sure to backup your data first before performing this procedure. If after the factory reset the issue still persists then this may already be a hardware relate problem. You should bring your phone to an authorized service center for checking.
S4 Overheating
Problem: Hi. I would like to know how to resolve the issue of overheating when charging or simply browsing my Samsung Galaxy S4. Can MTP or OTA have anything to do with this?
Solution: There are many reasons why your phone is overheating. The first thing that you should check is the battery itself. Take it out of the phone and see if it is swollen. If it is then you will need to replace it immediately.
If the battery appears to be normal then your next step is to check for any software updates available for the phone software and apps. If there are updates then apply them. These updates come with improvements and bug fixes that may help resolve this issue.
Sometimes a phone overheating is caused by apps (usually when it syncs). To check if this is the case you should start your phone in Safe Mode. If your phone does not overheat in this mode then you should find out what app is causing the problem and either change its settings or uninstall it.
Another reason why your phone overheats is if there is a problem with the SD card. Take it out of your phone and see if the overheating problem still occurs.
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hello i am having problems with my phone signal i have contacted my network provider and they cover my area and theres no problems it is always on E not in 4g and its just getting worse.
The Netflix app keeps disabling screen mirroring on my wife’s S4, is there a fix for this? Running the latest app.
i have replac my battery and reformat my sd card but overheating still occurs.
what to do?
While on websites my S4 doesn’t fit-to-screen the text anymore when i double tap the display. It just zooms the print to be WAY oversized. How can i fix this?