How to fix your Samsung Galaxy Note 5 that’s showing “Unfortunately, Settings has stopped” error after the Android 7 Nougat update [Troubleshooting Guide]
- Understand why the error message “Unfortunately, Settings has stopped” shows up even in high-end smartphones like your #Samsung Galaxy Note 5 (#Note5) and learn how to troubleshoot your phone to continue using it like before.
While the error message “Unfortunately, Settings has stopped” basically mean that an app crashed, it has to be taken seriously for a couple of reasons; first, the Settings app is pre-installed, so when it crashes it might not be just a simple crash but firmware issue as well; second, the Settings app covers almost every setting of your phone’s features, services, apps, etc. You can always expect that when this error pops up, there could also be other error messages associated with it. That’s how important Settings is.
If you just recently updated your Galaxy Note 5 and this error started popping up, you should perform some troubleshooting procedures in a bid to fix the issue. Continue reading to know more about this error message, why it pops up and learn how to troubleshoot your device so you can continue using it without being greeted by it. As the owner, it is your job to try to fix it before you send it in for checkup and/or repair.
But before we jump right into our troubleshooting, if you have other problems with your phone, make sure you drop by our troubleshooting page for we have already answered a lot of problems with this device. Just find issues that are similar with yours and use the solutions or troubleshooting guides we suggested. If they don’t work for you or if you need more assistance, then fill up our Android issues questionnaire and hit submit to contact us.
How to troubleshoot Note 5 that shows “Unfortunately, Settings has stopped” error
While we’re troubleshooting your device that basically has an app problem, things may not work the way they should simply because Settings is more than just an app, it is a core process that handles the processes of other apps, services and features regardless whether they’re offered by third-party apps or pre-installed ones. With all that being said, here are the steps you can follow to try to get rid of this error and make your phone work again:
Step 1: Reboot your Note 5 into the Safe Mode and observe
Observation is key to fixing problems that occurred without apparent reason and there’s no better way to observe your device than to boot it up in safe mode to temporarily disable all third-party apps and services. As I said earlier, Settings covers almost everything in your phone including third-party apps. We are simply trying to rule out the possibility that the error is caused by an app you downloaded from the Play Store. So, follow the steps below to start your phone up in safe mode and then open Settings again to see if the error still pops up.
- Turn off the phone completely.
- Press and hold the Power key.
- Once ‘Samsung Galaxy Note5’ shows, release the Power key and immediately press and hold the Volume Down button.
- The phone will restart but keep the Vol Down button pressed.
- Once the phone has finished restarting, ‘Safe mode’ will be display in the lower-left corner of the screen.
- You may now release the Volume Down button.
Once the phone is in this state, it’s either the Settings app would still crash when you open it or not. If the problem got fixed and you could actually change some settings without being greeted by this error, then it’s confirmed that one or maybe a some of the third-party apps is causing the problem. You need to find that app and reset it or you may even uninstall it if it’s not really that important.
- From the Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
- Find and tap Settings.
- Under the ‘APPLICATIONS’ section, find and touch Application manager.
- Swipe to the left or to the right to display the appropriate screen but to display all apps, choose the ‘ALL’ screen.
- Find and tap the app that has issues.
- Touch Clear cache to delete its cached files.
- Touch Clear data and then OK to delete downloaded data, login information, settings, etc.
And, here’s how you uninstall apps…
- From the Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
- Find and touch the Play Store app.
- Once inside the Play Store, you can search an app by category, or if you know the name of the app, just type it in the search field.
- Once you found the desired app, tap on it.
- Now touch the Install button, and then Accept.
- For paid apps, tap the price and follow on-screen instructions.
- Depending on the size of the app and the speed of your internet connection, it may take a few to several minutes for the app to be downloaded and installed.
- The installation will be automated and you will be notified once finished, then you can use the app.
Finding the culprit is easier said than done so after uninstalling some of the apps you suspected and the problem remained, it’s better you backup all your data and files and then do the Factory reset. The process will delete all third-party apps, reset all the settings and delete every bit of data and files you saved in your phone’s internal storage.
- From the Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
- Find and tap the Settings icon.
- Under the ‘Personal’ section, find and tap Backup and reset.
- Tap Factory data reset.
- Touch Reset device to proceed with the reset.
- Depending on the security lock you used, enter the PIN or password.
- Tap Continue.
- Touch Delete all to confirm your action.
Step 2: Delete the system cache so it can be replaced with new ones
The system cache as well as other caches used by the system to make your phone run smoothly can easily get corrupted especially during and/or after firmware updates. Some may become obsolete the moment the new firmware is installed. The thing is, when the new system continues to use them, conflicts may occur between processes and thinks like this may happen or some other apps may crash.
Caches can be deleted without adverse effects on the phone’s performance. As a matter of fact, it is even recommended you wipe off the cache from time to time to maintain your device’s great performance. When deleted, the system will create new files to replace them but this time, they’re 100% compatible with the new firmware. So, I suggest that in this step, you try wiping the cache partition by booting up your device into the Recovery Mode:
- Turn off your Samsung Galaxy Note 5 completely.
- Press and hold the Volume Up and the Home buttons first, and then press and hold the Power key.
- Keep the three buttons pressed and when ‘Samsung Galaxy Note5’ shows, release the Power key but continue holding the other two.
- Once the Android logo shows, release both the Volume Up and Home buttons.
- The notice ‘Installing system update’ will show on the screen for 30 to 60 seconds before the Android system recovery screen is shown with its options.
- Use the Volume Down key to highlight the option ‘wipe cache partition’ and press the Power key to select it.
- When the process is complete, use the Volume Down key to highlight the option ‘Reboot system now’ and hit the Power key to restart the phone.
- The reboot may take a little longer to complete but don’t worry and wait for the device to become active.
Once your phone has rebooted successfully, try opening the Settings apps and change some settings to find out if the error still shows up. If the problem seems to have been fixed, then continue using it like you normally do but be observant enough in case the error would pop up again. It’s better that you take note of the apps you were using when the problem occurred so that you can tell if there’s a pattern or if the error shows up when using specific apps.
Step 3: Backup your data and perform the Master Reset
More often, bringing the phone back to its default configuration may fix a lot of problems including app crashes. But this procedure should come after you’ve done all necessary troubleshooting procedures I’ve mentioned above because, first, it’s a hassle backing up all your files and data and second, you will have to set up your phone again after the reset as everything will be deleted including your preferences and apps. So, after you’ve backed up your data and files, follow these steps to reset your phone:
- Turn off your Samsung Galaxy Note 5 completely.
- Press and hold the Volume Up and the Home buttons first, and then press and hold the Power key.
- Keep the three buttons pressed and when ‘Samsung Galaxy Note5’ shows, release the Power key but continue holding the other two.
- Once the Android logo shows, release both the Volume Up and Home buttons.
- The notice ‘Installing system update’ will show on the screen for 30 to 60 seconds before the Android system recovery screen is shown with its options.
- Use the Volume Down key to highlight the option ‘Yes — delete all user data’ and press the Power key to select it.
- When the process is complete, use the Volume Down key to highlight the option ‘Reboot system now’ and hit the Power key to restart the phone.
- The reboot may take a little longer to complete but don’t worry and wait for the device to become active.
Step 4: Bring the phone to a shot and have it fixed
As far as troubleshooting is concerned, you’ve done everything you could to try and fix the problem to no avail. So, it’s time you let the technician take care of the problem for you. Send it in or bring it to a local shop and have it checked.
Connect with us
We are always open to your problems, questions and suggestions, so feel free to contact us by filling up this form. We support every Android device available and we are serious in what we do. This is a free service we offer and we won’t charge you a penny for it. But please note that we receive hundreds of emails every day and it’s impossible for us to respond to every single one of them. But rest assured we read every message we receive. For those whom we’ve helped, please spread the word by sharing our posts to your friends or by simply liking our Facebook and Google+ page or follow us on Twitter.