How to fix Samsung Galaxy J3 with “Unfortunately, the process com.android.phone has stopped” error [Troubleshooting Guide]

Processes are actually small apps that are running in the background and assist apps. The error message “Unfortunately, the process com.android.phone has stopped” basically notifies the user that one of the core processes has crashed. More often, this kind of error is triggered by apps that use it. In this case, it’s the dialer or phone application that triggers the error.

In this post, I will tackle this error message with the Samsung Galaxy J3 as the subject of our troubleshooting. We will try to rule out each possibility that may have caused the problem. Please note that the error is often just a symptom or a sign that something isn’t working properly in the background. So, if you own this device and are currently being bugged by the same issue, continue reading below so you would know what to do.

Before we jump right into our troubleshooting, if you have other issues, drop by our Galaxy J3 troubleshooting page for we have already addressed many issues with this phone since we started supporting it. Try to find problems that are similar with yours and use the troubleshooting procedures or solutions we suggested. Should you need further assistance from us, fill up our Android issues questionnaire and hit submit. Don’t worry, it’s free.

Troubleshooting Galaxy J3 with error “Unfortunately, the process com.android.phone has stopped”

As the owner, you should take a little of your time to try and fix the problem but since we really cannot pinpoint what the cause is, we need to troubleshoot your phone to know why this problem occurs and what needs to be done to get rid of the error message as well as fix the real problem for good. But just be go to the steps, here’s one of the problems from our readers that best describes this error…

Problem: Everytime I dial a phone number there is a box that pops up saying “Unfortunately, the process com.android.phone has stopped.” It started showing up about a couple of days ago but prior to that, I noticed by phone to have slowed down a bit and then there were instances that it would freeze for a second or two. I don’t quite understand why it’s doing this and I understand it might be an app crashing but there’s no app with that name in my phone. Oh by the way, my phone is a Galaxy J3 and I bought it brand new in February. It’s frustrating because I cannot dial a number without being greeted by this error. Please help. Thanks.

Troubleshooting: It’s not the first time that we’ve encountered this problem. In fact, since we started providing support to our readers, we’ve already seen a lot of complaints that are similar to this one. It doesn’t only happen to the Galaxy J3, other Android owners, regardless of the brand and model of the phone, may still encounter this kind of error as it is more of a core android process that’s crashing. That said, here’s what you need to do to troubleshoot your phone plagued by this error:

Step 1: Reboot your Galaxy J3 in safe mode and try making a call

Let’s try to isolate the problem immediately to know if it’s caused by one or some of third-party apps installed on your phone or if it’s an issue with the firmware itself. Booting your phone in safe mode means you’re running it in its diagnostic mode, which disables all third-party app. This is how you start your J3 in safe mode…

1. Power off your Galaxy J3. Press and hold the Power key, tap Power off and then touch POWER OFF to confirm.
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’.

If the problem still occurs while the phone is in this mode, then it might be an issue with app or the firmware itself. However, if it’s fixed, then there’s one or two third-party app that’s causing it. You have to find that app and uninstall it to fix the problem. I understand it’s easier said than done but begin your search from app installations that happen to be in the same timeline as the problem started to occur. You may uninstall more than one app but if that’s what it takes to fix this problem, then it’s worth it.

Step 2: Clear the cache and data of the process and app that’s using it

We need to reset both the process that’s crashing as well as the app that’s using it. So, in this case, we will be clearing the cache and data of both the process com.android.phone and the Phone app. But before you actually do that, make a backup of your contacts as well as your call logs if necessary, then follow these steps:

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

Just follow the same steps in resetting the phone app but look for Phone instead of com.android.phone. After resetting them, restart your phone to normal mode to refresh its memory. If the problem still occurs, then do the next step.

Step 3: Delete the system cache so they’ll be replaced

We’ve seen a lot of times that system caches get corrupted for some reason and it often occurs when the firmware is updated to a new version. They can also be corrupted when the phone suffers other firmware issues that have impact on the performance of the phone. That’s why it’s better to delete them more often so the system will replace them.

Since you don’t have access to individual caches, you should boot your phone in recovery mode and wipe the cache partition from there. Don’t worry, none of your data will be deleted. Here’s how you do it:

1. Power off your Galaxy J3. Press and hold the Power key, tap Power off and then touch POWER OFF to confirm.
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.

It may take a little longer for the phone to boot up after this but wait until the device becomes fully active and then try to make a call to see if the error still shows up and if so, then you have no other option but to do the next step.

Step 4: Backup your data and reset your phone

At this point, you really need to reset your phone as the problem might be caused by a firmware issue that just started. Backup all your personal files and data such as your contacts, pictures, videos, etc., then disable anti-theft by following these steps:

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

Now, you’re ready to reset your device…

1. Power off your Galaxy J3. Press and hold the Power key, tap Power off and then touch POWER OFF to confirm.
2. Press and hold the Volume Up button and then press and hold the Home key. While holding both, press and hold the Power key.
3. When the Android logo appears on the screen, release all three keys. It may take a minute before the Android recovery screen appears.
4. While on Android recovery screen, use the Volume Down key to highlight options, in this case, highlight the option ‘wipe data/factory reset.’
5. Press the Power key to choose the highlighted option.
6. Press  the Volume Down key until ‘Yes — delete all user data’ option is highlighted.
7. Press the Power key to confirm the reset.
8. Once the reset is complete, press the Power key to choose ‘Reboot system now.’
9. The phone will restart a little longer than usual and the reset is finished.

The error message “Unfortunately, the process com.android.phone has stopped” might also be a sign of corrupt firmware. So, if the error still shows up after the reset, then the firmware has to be reinstalled. Bring the phone to the store or shop and let the tech take care of it for you.

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