How to fix your Samsung Galaxy A3 that frequently / randomly shuts down on its own [Troubleshooting Guide]

Power related issues don’t occur in smartphones unless there’s something going on in either the firmware or hardware. Some of our readers that use the Samsung Galaxy A3 have contacted us about a problem wherein the phone frequently or randomly shuts off on its own. Some said the issue started after an update while others reported the issue just popped out of the blue without apparent reason or cause.

We will look into this problem for the benefit of our readers who reached out to us and for those who may encounter it sooner or later. This isn’t the first time that we encountered it so we already know a thing or two that can help fix this problem and make your phone work perfectly again. If you’re one of the owners of this device and are currently bugged by a similar issue, read on as you may find this post helpful.

For those who are looking for a solution to a different problem, drop by our A3 troubleshooting page for we have already addressed some of the most common issues with this phone. Browse through the page to find issues that are similar with yours and use the solutions we suggested. If they don’t work for you or if you still need our help, contact us anytime through our Android issues questionnaire.

Troubleshooting Galaxy A3 that frequently powers down by itself

In this guide, I will walk you through in determining what the problem is all about by ruling out one possibility at a time until we can pinpoint the issue. By then, we’ll be able to try a thing or two that may fix the problem. With that said, here’s what I suggest you do about it…

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Observe your phone in Safe mode

I’ve personally experience this problem with my phone before and it was due to one app that I installed. I didn’t get the app from the Play Store which means I manually sideloaded it. The shutting down wasn’t really that frequent but it was annoying because you don’t know exactly when the problem would occur.

There were also cases that I’ve looked into that involved apps from the Play Store. The same thing happened; the phone turns off randomly. I don’t know if the problem with your phone is the same as the one I’ve personally encountered but that’s where we begin.

Run your device in Safe mode to temporarily disable all third-party apps. If the problem doesn’t occur in safe mode, then it’s clear that there’s a third-party app that’s triggering the problem. Before I tell you what you should do next in this case, follow these steps to run your Galaxy A3 in safe mode:

  1. Turn the device off.
  2. Press and hold the Power key past the screen with the device name.
  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.
  6. Safe mode will display in the bottom left corner of the screen.
  7. Release the Volume down key when you see ‘Safe Mode’.

Assuming the problem doesn’t occur in safe mode, the next thing you that should do is find out which of the apps you installed is causing the problem. You may not be able to pinpoint it immediately so begin your search from apps you recently installed. If you already have some suspects, uninstall them one by one:

  1. From any Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
  2. Tap Settings.
  3. Tap Applications.
  4. Tap the desired application in the default list or tap Menu icon > Show system apps to display preinstalled apps.
  5. Tap Uninstall.
  6. Tap Uninstall again to confirm.

However, if the phone still shuts down randomly on its own while in safe mode, then move on to the next step.

Observe your phone while it’s connected to its charger

One of the reasons why the phone restarts or shuts down on its own is when its battery fails. I understand that the problem still occurs even if the phone is in safe mode but instead of going after the pre-installed app or the firmware itself, it’s best that you try to see if it’s an issue with the battery.

Connect the charger to a working wall outlet and connect your phone to it using the original USB cable. The phone will charge as soon as it detects electric current flowing through its circuits from the power adapter. Continue using the device but be very mindful to know if it still shuts down on its own.

If the problem doesn’t occur when the phone is charging, then it’s possible that the problem is the battery. The Galaxy A3 doesn’t have a removable battery so you really have to bring the phone to the shop to have it replaced. However, if the issue still continues to bother you, try to see if it’s due to liquid damage.

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Check your phone for possible liquid damage

Unlike physical damage, liquid damage is subtle. Even if the Galaxy A3 (2017) has the IP68 rating which certifies it to be water-resistant, it’s still possible that the phone will be damaged by liquid.

To check if your phone has it, look into the USB port first to see if you can find some traces of moisture in there. To make sure its dry, you may use a cotton swab to clean around the area or insert a small piece of tissue paper into it to absorb the moist.

You may also check the Liquid Damage Indicator (LDI) by removing the SIM card tray and looking into the SIM slot. If the LDI is still white then it’s not liquid damage that’s causing the problem. However, if the LDI turned to red, pink or purple, then it’s positive. In this case, you should still bring the phone to the service center so the tech can clean it up for you.

On the other hand, if you’re sure it’s not liquid damage that’s causing the problem, you should do the next procedures as it might be a firmware issue.

Boot the phone up in Recovery mode and wipe the cache partition

It’s possible that one or some of the pre-installed apps is the one causing this problem but instead of looking for it, it’s better that you go after the firmware itself since pre-installed apps are deeply embedded in it. The next thing you should do is delete all system caches so they’ll be replaced with new ones. You can do so by booting the phone up in Recovery Mode and wiping off all contents of the cache partition. Here’s how you do that…

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

This procedure may take only about a minute or two so wait for your phone to become active and then continue your observation. If the problem hasn’t disappeared, the next procedure may fix the problem.

Backup important files and do the Master reset

After wiping the cache partition and the problem continues, the next thing you should do is to reset your device. If the problem is due to a firmware issue, then a reset will take care of it. However, make sure you that make a backup of your important files and data as they will be deleted during the process. After which, disable the Factory Reset Protection (FRP) by removing your google account from your phone so you won’t be locked out of your device after the reset.

  1. Back up data on the internal memory. If you have signed into a Google account on the device, you have activated Anti-theft and will need your Google credentials to finish the Master reset.
  2. Turn off the device.
  3. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home key, then press and hold the Power key.
  4. When the device logo screen displays, release only the Power key
  5. When the Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
  6. Press the Volume down key several times key to highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset.’
  7. Press Power button to select.
  8. Press the Volume down key until ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted.
  9. Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
  10. When the master reset is complete, ‘Reboot system now’ is highlighted.
  11. Press the Power key to restart the device.

Should the problem continue to bother you after the reset, then it’s not just a minor firmware issue but there could be a serious problem with the hardware. It’s time to bring it to the service center so it could be properly checked by the tech.

I hope that this troubleshooting guide can help you one way or another. If you still need our assistance after this, contact us anytime.

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