How to fix Galaxy Tab A Bluetooth issues | won’t pair, keeps disconnecting

This troubleshooting article will show you how to deal with Bluetooth issues on your Galaxy Tab A. Bluetooth problems can come in many forms. At times, an error may be displayed while in some, the connection may simply fail to materialize without any apparent reason. If you don’t know where to begin your troubleshooting, we’re here to help. Follow this guide and you should be good.

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How to fix Galaxy Tab A Bluetooth issues | won’t pair, keeps disconnecting

If you’re wondering how to fix Galaxy Tab A Bluetooth issues, this guide should help. Learn what you need to do by following our suggestions.

Galaxy Tab A Bluetooth issues fix #1: Check for errors

Error or error codes may sometimes accompany Bluetooth issues. If there’s a certain error code that shows when you try to connect via Bluetooth, you’ll want to see if there’s an available online solution for it. Try to do a quick Google search about the error and follow available potential solutions. If there’s no solution in the web, or if the ones you discover won’t work, continue with the rest of solutions below.

Galaxy Tab A Bluetooth issues fix #2: Toggle Bluetooth on and off

If you find Bluetooth issues on your Galaxy Tab A, one of the basic things that you want to do is to turn Bluetooth on and off. This often works for Bluetooth connectivity issues. Be sure that you toggle Bluetooth functionality on both devices that you’re trying to connect. 

Galaxy Tab A Bluetooth issues fix #3: Restart the devices

Another basic potential solution that you can do is to restart your tablet and the other device. Try restarting it normally first by pressing the Power button to access the boot menu. Then, select Restart option and see if that works.

Another way to restart the device is by pressing and holding the Volume Down button and the Power key at the same time for 10 seconds or until the device’s screen turns on. This simulates the effect of having disconnected the battery from the device. If this works, this may unlock the device.

If doing the regular restart won’t help, then try this:

1. Press and hold the Volume Down button first and don’t release it.
2. While holding it down, press and hold the Power key.
3. Keep both keys held down for 10 seconds or more. 

The second and third restart procedures try to simulate the effects of removing the battery pack. On older devices, disconnecting the battery is often an effective way in fixing unresponsive devices. If nothing changed though, proceed to the next suggestions.

Rebooting your device regularly at least once every week can be beneficial. If you tend to forget things, we suggest that you configure your phone to reboot on its own. You can schedule it to do this task by doing these steps:

1. Open Settings app.
2. Tap Device Care.
3. Tap the 3-dot at the top.
4. Select Auto restart.

Galaxy Tab A Bluetooth issues fix #4: Troubleshoot Bluetooth app

For Bluetooth issues on the Galaxy Tab A, it sometimes help if you troubleshoot the Bluetooth app directly. To do that, you must do three things:

• Force quit
• Clear app cache
• Clear Bluetooth data

Force quit Bluetooth app. Rebooting Bluetooth app may help if the cause of the problem is a minor bug. Follow the steps below on how to do it. There are two ways to force quit an app.

Method 1: Close an app using Recent Apps key

1. On your screen, tap the Recent Apps soft key (on the left of the Home middle button).
2. Once the Recent Apps screen is shown, swipe left or right to look for the app. It should be here if you managed to run it previously.
3. Then, swipe up on the app to close it. This should force close it. If it’s not there, simply tap the Close All app to also restart all apps.

Method 2: Close an app using App Info menu

Another way to force close an app is by going within the app’s settings itself. It’s a longer way compared to the first method above but it’s equally effective. You want to use this method if you plan on doing other troubleshooting for the said app like clearing its cache or data. Here’s how it’s done:

1. Open Settings app.
2. Tap Apps.
3. Tap the More settings icon (three-dot icon, upper right).
4. Tap Show system apps.
5. Find and tap the app.
6. Tap Force Stop.

Clear Bluetooth app cache. Another troubleshooting step that you can try in this case is to clear the Bluetooth app cache. This can help if the messaging app misbehaves due to outdated or corrupted cache. Here’s how it’s done: 

1. Go to the Home screen.
2. Tap Apps icon.
3. Open Settings app.
4. Tap Apps.
5. If you’re looking for a system or default app, tap on More settings at the upper right (three-dot icon).
6. Select Show system apps.
7. Find and tap the appropriate app.
8. Tap Storage.
9. Tap Clear Cache button.
10. Restart the device and check for the problem.

Clear Bluetooth app data. If clearing the app cache won’t help, the next good thing to do is reset the app to its defaults. THis is done by clearing its data. 

1. Go to the Home screen.
2. Tap Apps icon.
3. Open Settings app.
4. Tap Apps.
5. If you’re looking for a system or default app, tap on More settings at the upper right (three-dot icon).
6. Select Show system apps.
7. Find and tap the appropriate app.
8. Tap Storage.
9. Tap Clear Data button.
10. Restart the device and check for the problem.

Galaxy Tab A Bluetooth issues fix #5: Refresh system cache

A corrupted system cache can affect other apps. Try to clear the cache partition to ensure that the system cache is refreshed. Here’s how:

1. Turn off the device. This is important. If you can’t turn it off, you’ll never be able to boot to Recovery Mode. If you are not able to shut the device off regularly via the Power button, wait until the phone’s battery is drained. Then, charge the phone for 30 minutes before booting to Recovery Mode.
2. Press and hold the Volume Up button and the Power button at the same time for 5 seconds.
3. Release the Power and Volume Up buttons.
4. The Recovery screen menu will now appear. 
5. Use the Volume Down button until you are highlighting ‘Wipe cache partition.’
6. Press the Power button to select ‘Wipe cache partition.’
7. Use Volume Down to highlight Yes.
8. Press the Power button to go ahead with clearing of cache partition.
9. After clearing the cache partition, press the Power button again for Reboot system now.
10. That’s it!

Galaxy Tab A Bluetooth issues fix #6: Install updates

Bluetooth problems may also be caused by a software bug. Be sure to install system updates as they become available. To manually check for software updates, go to Settings > Software update > Download and install.

If the software runs that latest available update at this time, then make sure that the apps are fully updated as well. To check for Play Store app updates on your Galaxy Tab A:

1. Open Play Store app.
2. Tap More settings icon at the upper left (three-horizontal lines).
3. Tap My apps & games.
4. Tap Update or Update All.

If you are on Cellular Data connection, we suggest that you update via wifi only to avoid additional charges. Here’s how:

1. Open Play Store app.
2. Tap More settings icon at the upper left (three-horizontal lines).
3. Tap Settings.
4. Tap App download preference. 
5. Select Over wifi only (select Over any network if you don’t have wifi).
6. Tap Done.

Make sure to also keep your apps updated all the time by enabling auto-update option.

1. Tap Auto-update apps.
2. Tap Over wifi only (select Over any network if you don’t have wifi).
3. Tap Done.

Galaxy Tab A Bluetooth issues fix #7: Reset network settings

Some forms of Galaxy Tab A Bluetooth issues are caused by incorrect network settings. To check, try clearing the current network configuration with these steps:

1. Open Settings app.
2. Tap General management.
3. Tap Reset.
4. Tap Reset network settings.
5. Tap Reset settings to confirm.

Galaxy Tab A Bluetooth issues fix #8: Reset app preferences

Some apps, including system apps like Bluetooth, requires default system apps in order to work. Sometimes, these default apps may be turned off by other apps or after some system changes like after an update. To ensure that all default apps are enabled again, you can do these steps:

1. Open Settings app.
2. Tap Apps.
3. Tap on More settings at the upper right (three-dot icon).
4. Select Reset app preferences.
5. Restart your tablet and check for the problem.

Galaxy Tab A Bluetooth issues fix #9: Observe on Safe Mode

Sometimes, a third party app may cause problems or interfere with the Operating System. To check if a poorly coded or bad third party app is causing the incomplete connection error when charging, try restarting your S10 to Safe Mode. In this mode, no third party app should be able to run. So, if there’s no Contact has stopped error on safe mode, you can bet a bad third party app is to blame.

To restart to safe mode:

1. Turn off the device.
2. Press and hold the Power key.
3. When Samsung appears on the screen, release the Power key.
4. Immediately after releasing the Power key, press and hold the Volume down key.
5. Continue to hold the Volume down key until the device finishes restarting. This may take up to 1 minute. Just be patient to wait for it.
6. Release the Volume down key when you see Safe Mode on the device.

Don’t forget: safe mode blocks third party apps but it won’t tell you which of them is the real cause. If you think that there’s a rogue third party app in the system, you must identify it. Here’s what you need to do exactly:

1. Boot to safe mode.
2. Check for the problem.
3. Once you’ve confirmed that a third party app is to blame, you can start uninstalling apps individually. We suggest that you begin with the most recent ones you added.
4. After you uninstall an app, restart the phone to normal mode and check for the problem.
5. If your Galaxy Tab A is still problematic, repeat steps 1-4.

Galaxy Tab A Bluetooth issues fix #10: Restore Software to defaults (factory reset)

Consider wiping the device with factory reset if none of the solutions mentioned above has not helped. Be sure to create a backup of your personal data such as photos, videos, contacts, messages, and so on before wiping. 

Below are the two methods on how to hard reset or factory reset your Galaxy Tab A.

Method 1: How to hard reset on Samsung Galaxy Tab A via Settings Menu

Under normal circumstances, factory reset under Settings menu should be the primary way for you. It’s simpler to do and does not require pressing hardware buttons, which some users may find difficult to do.

1. Create a backup of your personal data and remove your Google account.
2. Open Settings app.
3. Scroll to and tap General management.
4. Tap Reset.
5. Select Factory data reset from the given options.
6. Read the information then tap Reset to continue.
7. Tap Delete All to confirm action.

Method 2: How to hard reset on Samsung Galaxy Tab A using hardware buttons

If your case is that the phone is not booting up, or it boots but Settings menu is inaccessible, this method can be helpful. First, you need to boot the device to Recovery Mode. Once you successfully access Recovery, that’s the time that you begin proper master reset procedure. It may take some tries for you before you can access Recovery so be patient and simply try again.

1. If possible, create a backup of your personal data ahead of time. If your problem prevents you from doing that, then simply skip this step.
2. Also, you want to make sure that you remove your Google account. If your problem prevents you from doing that, then simply skip this step.
3. Turn off the device. This is important. If you can’t turn it off, you’ll never be able to boot to Recovery Mode. If you are not able to shut the device off regularly via the Power button, wait until the phone’s battery is drained. Then, charge the phone for 30 minutes before booting to Recovery Mode.
4. Press and hold the Volume Up button and the Power button at the same time for 5 seconds.
5. Release the Power and Volume Up buttons.
6. The Recovery screen menu will now appear. 
7. Use the Volume Down button until you are highlighting ‘Wipe data/factory reset.’
8. Press the Power button to select ‘Wipe data/factory reset.’
9. Use Volume Down to highlight Yes.
10. Press the Power button to confirm factory reset.

Galaxy Tab A Bluetooth issues fix #11: Troubleshoot the other device

If your Galaxy Tab A still can’t connect to another device via Bluetooth after a factory reset, you can assume that there may be an issue with the second device. Consider troubleshooting the other device if the problem won’t go away. To verify if your tablet’s Bluetooth functionality works, try connecting it to other devices. If it only has an issue connecting to a particular device, the problem may lie with that device and your tablet must be fine.

 

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