How to fix Galaxy Tab S5e won’t send or receive SMS | troubleshoot texting issues

Having texting issue on an Android device is annoying. If your Galaxy Tab S5e won’t send or receive SMS recently and you have no idea why, you’ll need to do a series of troubleshooting steps to narrow down the causes. Follow the steps below on how to do it.

How to fix Galaxy Tab S5e won’t send or receive SMS

If your Galaxy Tab S5e won’t send or receive SMS, follow the solutions in this guide to fix it.

Tab S5e won’t send or receive SMS fix #1: Verify device has network signal

When troubleshooting any networking problem, the first thing that you must do is to check whether or not it’s a network problem. The simplest way to do that is to see if the device having the problem has no signal, or if the signal is intermittent. If any of these issues is present, then the reason why your Tab S5e  won’t send or receive SMS is on the network side. If there’s total absence of signal on your tablet, try to see if it has something to do with your location. Try moving to a more open area to get better coverage. If you’re already in an open area and it’s the same exact location where you previously had no issues with the signal or with any network functions, consider talking to your carrier right away. There may be a service interruption in the area that you’re not aware of.

Tab S5e won’t send or receive SMS fix #2: Confirm voice calling is working

SMS and voice calling usually use the same network mode so if one is not working properly, then the other may also have a problem. If voice calling keeps disconnecting, there must be something wrong with your network. At this point, you want to contact your network operator for help.

Tab S5e won’t send or receive SMS fix #3: Force quit messaging app

If your Tab S5e still won’t send or receive SMS at this point, there may be an issue with the messaging app. Try to force quit your messaging app and see if that will fix the problem. Below are the 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 (the one with three vertical lines on the left of the Home 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.

Tab S5e won’t send or receive SMS fix #4: Install update for messaging app

Updating apps is not usually known to fix problems but in fact it is. Known bugs are usually resolved by developers by releasing coding changes through updates. This means that updates not only bring cosmetic changes to apps but sometimes, solutions to known problems as well. If you are yet to install app updates, make sure that you do now.

If you are yet to update the default Samsung Messages, follow these steps to do so:

1. Open Samsung Messages app.
2. Tap More settings icon (three dots on upper right).
3. Tap Settings.
4. Tap About Messages.
5. Tap Update (if there’s no update available, this option will not be available).

Tab S5e won’t send or receive SMS fix #5: Force restart the device

Should force closing or restarting the messaging app won’t help, you should follow it up with a soft reset. This is basically a restart with the aim of clearing the system by simulating the effects of a battery pull. To do that, simply press and hold the Power and Volume Down buttons for about 10 seconds. Once the phone has restarted, release the buttons. This is usually effective in clearing bugs that developed when a system is left running for some time. We suggest that you restart your Tab S5e using this method at least once a week to lessen the chances of bugs.

For some Galaxy Tab S5e, there may be a slightly different way to arrive at the same method. Here’s how:

1. Press and hold the Power + Volume Down buttons for approximately 10 seconds or until the device power cycles. Allow several seconds for the Maintenance Boot Mode screen to appear.
2. From the Maintenance Boot Mode screen, select Normal Boot. You can use the volume buttons to cycle through the available options and the lower left button (below the volume buttons) to select. Wait for up to 90 seconds for the reset to complete.

Tab S5e won’t send or receive SMS fix #6: Reset network settings

Like any other network troubles, this issue may be resolved by resetting the network settings on your device. A bug in your phone’s network configuration may also be causing the problem. Make sure to include reset network settings in your list of troubleshooting to keep network settings in top shape. Here’s how you do that:

1. From the Home screen, swipe up on an empty spot to open the Apps tray.
2. Tap General Management > Reset > Reset network settings.
3. Tap Reset settings.
4. If you have set up a PIN, enter it.
5. Tap Reset settings. Once complete a confirmation window will appear.

Tab S5e won’t send or receive SMS fix #7: Clear cache of messaging app

Another possible reason for the problem may be a cache problem for the messaging app itself. To check, try deleting the cache of whatever app you’re using to send MMS and see what happens. Here’s how:

1. Open Settings app.
2. Tap Apps.
3. Find and tap the messaging app.
4. Tap Storage.
5. Tap Clear Cache button.
6. Restart the device and check for the problem.

Tab S5e won’t send or receive SMS fix #8: Reset messaging app

Should nothing happen after clearing an app’s cache, the next good thing that you can do is to clear the app’s data. Unlike the previous procedure, this one might delete important information or data within the app. For example, if you’re trying to address an issue with a messaging app, clearing its data will delete all your messages. For games, doing this may delete your progress. If you don’t want to lose important stuff, be sure to back them up ahead of time.

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.

Tab S5e won’t send or receive SMS fix #9: Clear cache partition

Sometimes, SMS or network issues may appear if your Galaxy Tab S5e’s system cache is corrupted or outdated. This usually occurs when the software is updated, or when there’s a new app installed. A corrupt system cache can cause performance issues as well as a bunch of other minor annoyances. To ensure that your phone’s system cache is fresh, you can wipe the cache partition. This will force the phone to delete the current cache and replace it with a new one over time.

To wipe the cache partition on your Galaxy Tab S5e:

1. Turn off the device.
2. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby key, then press and hold the Power key.
3. When the green Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
4. Press the Volume down key several times to highlight ‘wipe cache partition’.
5. Press Power button to select.
6. Press the Volume down key until ‘yes’ is highlighted and press the Power button.
7. When the wipe cache partition is complete, “Reboot system now” is highlighted.

Tab S5e won’t send or receive SMS fix #10: Check for rogue apps

Sometimes, a bad or poorly coded app may prevent MMS from working on Android. To check if that’s the case, try to restart the phone to safe mode then send an MMS. If it works fine, you can bet a bad app is behind the trouble. Here’s how to restart your device to Safe Mode:

1. Press and hold the Power button until the Power off window appears then release.
2. Touch and hold Power off until the Safe mode prompt appears then release.
3. To confirm, tap Safe mode.
4. The process may take up to 30 seconds to complete.
5. Upon reboot, “Safe mode” appears in the lower-left of the home screen.

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 Tab S5e is still problematic, repeat steps 1-4.

Tab S5e won’t send or receive SMS fix #11: Try another messaging app

If your Galaxy Tab S5e still won’t send or receive SMS at this point, it’s time to try using a new app. There may be an unknown software or app bug that prevents SMS from working when using the app you’re currently using. There are many apps that you can use in place of the current one with the problem. We suggest that you stick with official messaging app from reputable sources like that from Google. Try Google’s Messages app and see if this will allow you to send and receive SMS.

Tab S5e won’t send or receive SMS fix #12: Revert software settings to defaults

Wiping the device with factory reset is a good troubleshooting step to determine if there’s an unknown software bug behind your problem. Make sure to create a backup of your personal data first to avoid losing them. Below are the two ways to factory reset your Tab S5e:

Method 1: How to hard reset on Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e via Settings Menu

This is the easiest way to wipe your Galaxy Tab S5e. all you have to do is to go under Settings menu and follow the steps below. We recommend this method if you have no trouble going under Settings.

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 S5e 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 Bixby button at the same time.
5. While still holding the Volume Up and Bixby keys, press and hold the Power button.
6. The Recovery screen menu will now appear. When you see this, release the buttons.
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.

Tab S5e won’t send or receive SMS fix #15: Report to network operator

Should the problem continue after doing a factory reset, you need to contact your network operator for help. There must be an account- or network-related problem that only your carrier can fix. Make sure to give them a call so they can troubleshoot your issue further.

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