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How to fix Galaxy S7 edge white flickering screen issue after a drop, other issues

Welcome to another #GalaxyS7 troubleshooting article for the day. We bring you three more S7 issues that were reported to us. We hope that you’ll find this material helpful.

If you are looking for solutions to your own #Android issue, you can contact us by using the link provided at the bottom of this page.

When describing your issue, please be as detailed as possible so we can easily pinpoint a relevant solution. If you can, kindly include the exact error messages you are getting to give us an idea where to start. If you have already tried some troubleshooting steps before emailing us, make sure to mention them so we can skip them in our answers.

Problem 1: How to fix Galaxy S7 edge white flickering screen issue after a drop

I have dropped my Samsung Galaxy S7 edge on the pavement and a small chunk of the screen had shattered and some even dropped off. This happened over 2 months ago. At first there wasn’t much problem. However as time went on, the screen started to flicker a white screen, making it hard to see what was on the screen more and more for longer periods. I would remove this by facing the phone towards a bright light, changing the brightness removing this screen. However as time goes it is getting harder to clear the screen of this white flicker. Is there any way of fixing this without replacing the screen as it would be too costly? Many thanks. — Jamal Masood

Solution: Hi Jamal. A lot of people, including you unfortunately, seem to think that an electronic device can withstand a drop and still continue to work normally. Well, in a lot of cases that happens. But in a lot of cases, the opposite is true too! Electronic devices, despite how their makers sell the idea that they can sometimes be indestructible, are still vulnerable to unnecessary shocks from drops. If you’ve come across any exposed motherboard of any device, you’ll notice how fragile each component looks. That’s because they are. Every component in any board is basically unprotected from physical impact that can happen when a device is dropped.

Drops almost always result to repair

In many cases when a touchscreen phone is dropped, the first major component to get damaged is the screen. Yours is not an exception. If this flickering white screen issue was absent before you dropped the device, it’s a clear indication that the drop damaged the screen. Whether the damage is permanent or not is yet to be determined. The least that you can do right now is to send it in so a professional can physically check the phone. If you’re lucky and the issue is caused by a temporarily dislodged or disconnected contact, reconnecting it may fix                   the problem for good. Otherwise, you’ll most probably end up replacing the screen or the phone.

Auto adjust brightness

Your Galaxy S7 has a feature called Auto adjust brightness that automatically detects ambient light and adjust screen brightness on its own. For example, if you are outside with plenty of sunlight, your phone will automatically dial up screen brightness to give you what it thinks is a comfortable brightness level for you. If you enabled Auto adjust brightness feature before the phone was dropped, it may be the reason why the screen appears to change in brightness when you turn the screen towards a well-lit area. It doesn’t mean your phone’s software is able to fix the hardware issue for you.

Hardware damage can’t be fixed by software solutions

We understand repair may be a hard choice at this time for you but you really have no choice. Tweaking the software won’t help at all. There’s no amount of software troubleshooting, app installation, or factory reset that can fix the screen for good. Unless you are contented with how the screen works right now, the only way to resolve the issue is by having the device repaired. A broken screen assembly cannot be changed by wiping the software, or by reinstalling it.

Stopgap measures you can try

If the touchscreen still works (which means that your phone still recognizes your touches and there’s no lag at all), and the monitor continues to display the images fine, you may be able to stretch the usefulness of your phone until you’re ready to have it repaired. Below are the things that you can try:

Use tape or screen protector. This is a useful tip if the screen seems to work normally when a little pressure on the screen is applied. There may be some intermittent connection problem in one of the connectors so taping the screen and/or using a screen protector, depending on which is more effective, may be a cheap trick your can do.

In order to prevent widening the damaged screen, you can tape the part where it may have an positive effect on the overall function of the screen assembly. Doing so may hold the right parts together and prevent the crack from becoming bigger.

Using a screen protector may also keep the current condition of the screen until repair can be done. Most electronics shops that sell smartphones also have screen protectors so consider getting one.

Do some research on how to perform DIY repair. We don’t usually recommend do-it-yourself repairs as they tend to result to more problems than solutions but if you’re not considering repair at all, then might as well take some risks. Yes, DIY repairs are risky, especially for first timeers and amateurs but a lot of Youtube videos that provides step-by-step instructions on how to replace a screen often have cautionary tips with them. Just remember, if you are unsure on what to do, don’t hesitate to ask. Better still, consider contacting authors of guides you’re following. A lot of people who posts DIY repairs are more than happy to help those who may find their material confusing.

DIY repair of course is not free. The only actual portion of the repair that you can save from is the technician’s fee. The rest you need to buy. For example, you may end up replacing the entire screen assembly so that means buying the replacement part as well as the kit that you need for the job. And speaking of kits, make sure that you do proper research on what tools you need exactly. In most cases, even a DIY repair can still easily cost you between $150-$200.

Let a professional handle the repair

If you are not confident of doing self-repair, we recommend that simply save some money and avail of Samsung’s out-of-warranty repair (assuming you haven’t tampered with the hardware yet). As long as the phone warranty seals are still intact, Samsung will repair your phone for a fee. While this may certainly cost your something, you can at least get the assurance that a qualified technician handles the repair for you.

If Samsung repair is out of the question, bring your phone to your nearest repair shop.

Problem 2: Galaxy S7 won’t charge due to moisture detected error

Help! I have a Samsung Galaxy S7 and also a “lifeproof” case. However the lifeproof case charger port protector is broken and wont close (so the charger port can be exposed to water). I was at my friends pool and my Samsung Galaxy S7 fell in. I told him it was waterproof and so he threw it in again like an idiot. The phone worked fine until about 3 hours later when I went home to charge it. I put the charger in and the “check port: moisture has been detected” came up. I dried the port with a cotton bud (q tip) and used a hair dryer. The phone died and it won’t re-charge. What to do? PLEASE HELP! — Yash Anand

Solution: Hi Yash. If your phone appears to have stopped charging, that’s possibly because you did not let it charge long enough before attempting to turn it back on. To see if that’s the case, let it charge (using the original adapter and cable) for at least 30 minutes before attempting another boot up.

If that won’t work still, that’s probably because the charging port is still wet, or has traces of moisture in it. Dry the phone’s charging port using a hair dryer for at least 10 minutes but be careful not to heat it up too much. Too much heat can destroy the hardware so don’t overdo hair drying it. Water usually evaporates on its own but you can help hasten the process by vigorously shaking it. Just be careful not to let the phone slip of your hand when doing it.

And yes, putting it near an oven or direct heat source is a bad idea. Not only will it ruin the hardware in general but you may also be damaging the battery in particular. Remember, “check port: moisture has been detected” error does not mean the phone’s internal components  are damaged by water. It only means that the system prevents charging because the charging port is still wet. Your primary objective is to dry the charging port enough so the water sensor won’t be tripped the next time you charge.

Problem 3: Galaxy S7 won’t turn on unless connected to a charger

I have a Galaxy S7. It has been working fine up until this morning. When I woke up and took it off charge it just switched off, even though the battery was fully charged. It then proceeded to restart over and over again and now it won’t turn on unless it’s connected to the charger. And even when I eventually get it on it restarts suddenly. I have tried connecting it to different chargers and cables and starting it in safe mode. But nothing helped. 🙁 Can you help? — Stephen Steyn

Solution: Hi Stephen. We hope there’s no hardware issue involved here. To see if it’s just a software issue, below are the troubleshooting steps that you can do.

Recalibrate the battery

Android can sometimes lose track of true battery levels. To see if the operating system is no longer tracking your phone’s battery power correctly, you can try to calibrate it. If you haven’t tried it yet, follow these steps:

  1. Drain the battery completely. This means using your device until it powers down by its own and the battery level reads 0%. If you can’t take your phone away from the charger throughout this entire process, then let it be so.
  2. Charge the phone until it reaches 100%. Be sure to use original charging equipment for your device and let it charge up completely. Do not unplug your device for at least two more hours and also don’t use it while charging.
  3. After the elapsed time, unplug your device.
  4. Perform a warm restart by holding the Power and Home buttons simultaneously until the startup logo appears.
  5. Use your phone until it completely runs out of power again.
  6. Repeat steps 1-5.

Perform a factory reset

If you can’t calibrate the battery and the operating system, or if calibration won’t do any good at all, don’t hesitate to factory reset your device. It’s the last thing that you can do before sending the phone in for repair or replacement. In order to factory reset your S7 follow these steps:

  1. Turn off your Samsung Galaxy S7.
  2. Press and then hold the Home and Volume UP keys, then press and hold the Power key.
  3. When the Samsung Galaxy S7 shows on the screen, release the Power key but continue holding the Home and Volume Up keys.
  4. When the Android logo shows, you may release both keys and leave the phone be for about 30 to 60 seconds.
  5. Using the Volume Down key, navigate through the options and highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset.’
  6. Once highlighted, you may press the Power key to select it.
  7. Now highlight the option Yes — delete all user data using the Volume Down key and press the Power button to select it.
  8. Wait until your phone is finished doing the Master Reset. Once completed, highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and press the Power key.
  9. The phone will now reboot longer than usual.

 


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