How to fix your Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) with “Unfortunately, the process com.android.phone has stopped” error [Troubleshooting Guide]

The error message “Unfortunately, the process com.android.phone has stopped” is basically notifying you about a process called com.android.phone that keeps crashing. It’s difficult to determine what the problem really is all about just by reading this error but based on our experience, this is a kind of error that’s pretty easy to get rid of. However, we have to do some procedures that will help us figure out the problem and from there, we can try and fix it.

In this post, I will tackle this error message with the Samsung Galaxy A5 being the subject of our troubleshooting. We will try to look into the most common cause of this problem and rule each possibility out until we can determine what it’s all about. Once we’ve done that, we may be able to formulate a solution that will fix this problem. So, if you’re one of the owners of this device and are currently bugged by a similar concern, continue reading below as this post may help you fix it.

But before we go to our proper troubleshooting, if you happen to find this page because you were looking for solutions to a different problem, then I suggest you visit our Galaxy A5 troubleshooting page as we’ve already addressed the most commonly reported issues with this phone and you may find what you’re looking for in there. Feel free to use the solutions and workarounds we provided. If they don’t work for you or if you need further assistance, fill up our Android issues questionnaire and then hit submit and we’ll do our best to help you.

How to troubleshoot Galaxy A5 with “process com.android.phone has stopped” error

Problem: Can you guys please help me with my problem. I have a Galaxy A5 smartphone and about 3 days ago, there’s an error message that keeps popping up. It says “Unfortunately, the process com.android.phone has stopped” and it pops up when calls come in and there’s only OK and REPORT and neither fixes the problem. I called my provider but they said it’s not about the internet and they referred me to Samsung. Tried calling twice but only the machine answered me. Can you help me with this?

Troubleshooting: The process com.android.phone is being used by the Phone app itself. It’s just one of the many services used by the app to be able to make and receive calls. Since it’s crashing, there’s a chance that another service caused the crash or it could be the app itself. Without further adieu, here’s what you need to do about it:

Step 1: Clear cache and data of the Phone app

By resetting the app, you’re also resetting all its core services but clearing the cache and data does more than just a reset, it also deletes all possible corrupt caches and files that’s what makes it very effective in addressing app-related concerns. So, this must be the first thing you need to do to try and fix this problem:

1. From any Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
2. Tap Settings.
3. Tap Applications.
4. Tap Application manager.
5. Tap Phone.
6. Tap Storage.
7. Tap Clear cache.
8. Tap Clear data and then tap OK.

Reboot your phone after this procedure and then try to make a call to see if the error would still show up. If it does, then move on to the next step.

Step 2: Reboot your phone in Safe mode

Running your phone in safe mode will temporarily disable all third-party apps and run the phone in its bare bones. This means that it will isolate the problem to tell us if one of the apps you installed causes the problem or if it’s with the firmware that’s why it’s necessary you do this.

1. Turn the device off.
2. Press and hold the Power key past the model name screen.
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.

While in this mode, try making a call to see if the error still pops up, if it still does then move on to the next step, otherwise, you have to go through the procedures below:

Update apps that need to be updated

You may have some apps that have available updates so you have to do this first as it might be a compatibility issue.

1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps tray.
2. Tap Play Store.
3. Tap the Menu key and then tap My Apps. To keep your apps automatically updated, tap the Menu > Settings then tap Auto-update apps to select the check box.
4. Choose one of the following options:
   • Tap Update [xx] to update all applications with updates available.
   • Tap an individual application and then tap Update to update a single application.

Clear caches and data of suspected apps

If you are already suspecting some apps to be the ones causing the problem, then you must clear their caches and data. Try to trigger the error every after you reset an app:

1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps tray.
2. Tap Settings > Apps.
3. Tap the desired application in the default list or tap 3 dots icon > Show system apps to display pre-installed apps.
4. Tap Storage.
5. Tap Clear data and then tap OK.
6. Tap Clear cache.

Uninstall suspected apps

If clearing the cache and data didn’t fix the problem, then you should uninstall the apps you think are the cause of the problem.

1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps tray.
2. Tap Settings > Apps.
3. Tap the desired application in the default list or tap 3 dots icon > Show system apps to display pre-installed apps.
4. Tap the desired application.
5. Tap Uninstall.
6. Tap Uninstall again to confirm.

Step 3: Backup your files and reset your phone

If the error still shows up in safe mode, then you have no other choice but to do the ultimate fix for this issue–the reset. As I said earlier, this is a minor problem and can easily be fixed and I’m sure the reset will take care of it. However, you will have to go through the hassle of backing up your files and data as they will be deleted.

Prior to the reset, make sure you take note of your Google ID and password as you will be using that to setup your phone or better yet, disable the factory reset protection so you won’t be locked out after the reset:

1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps tray.
2. Tap Settings > Cloud and accounts.
3. Tap Accounts.
4. Tap Google.
5. Tap on your Google ID email address if multiple accounts are setup. If you have multiple accounts setup, you will need to repeat these steps for each account.
6. Tap 3 dot icon.
7. Tap Remove account.
8. Tap REMOVE ACCOUNT.

Then here’s how you reset your Galaxy A5:

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 Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds, then ‘No command’ before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
4. Press the Volume down key several times to highlight “wipe data / factory reset.
5. Press Power button to select.
6. Press the Volume down key until ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted.
7. Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
8. When the master reset is complete, “Reboot system now” is highlighted.
9. Press the Power key to restart the device.

You may now enjoy your phone.

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