How To Fix Samsung Galaxy S2 Problems and Errors [Part 4]

This is the fourth edition of our Galaxy S2 Problems and Solutions series and I have addressed about fifty user-reported problems already. We receive hundreds of emails from S2 owners so you can expect to be reading posts like this every week. Now, if you have concerns with your phone right now, please browse this post to see if I already addressed them. If you cannot find your problems in this post, try the first three parts of this series:

Samsung Galaxy S2 Problems and Solutions [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3]

How To Fix Samsung Galaxy S2 Problems and Errors

#1. Laptop can’t recognize Galaxy S2

Problem 1: Hi there, I’ve just browsed your website and seen all three parts on the Samsung S2 issues that many people are having. The problem that I’m facing is when I connect the phone to my laptop the USB is not recognised and I have over 3000 pictures which I want to save on my laptop. Only a few weeks ago did the sign come up on the phone telling me it was connected and use the storage. Now when I plug it in using the original cable lead it just keeps charging. Please could you help as I would hate to loose my photos. Thank you, Hema.

Problem 2: Hello, I am having probs hooking up my s2 phone to pc via the phones usb cable. I hooked up my kindle to same pc again via usb and had no probs. I use windows pro 7 .it did work several weeks ago but alas not now. Can you help please? — David

Solution: I’m sure it’s just a driver issue. Drivers are byte-size applications you install on your computer so devices connected to it can be detected and recognized. In your case, you just have to install them.

For now, get the model number of your phone and head to this link; this will bring you to Samsung’s download center where you need to enter the model number of your phone to download drivers. Or, you can download Samsung’s full-blown suite known as KIES, which also contains necessary drivers you need to have the phone recognized by your laptop.

#2. Cracked screen on Galaxy S2

Problem: Hey man I dropped my Samsung Galaxy S2, the screen has cracks and the screen won’t light up, only the touch keys light up, what should I do?

Solution: Odds are, the display panel was totalled due to the impact of the drop together with the digitizer (the outer glass that makes touch screen possible), or it could be just a loose connection. Either way, you need to have the phone checked by an authorized technician. There’s nothing we can do when it comes to damages on the hardware.

#3. Galaxy S2 turns off by itself

Problem: My name is Matt. I have the Samsung Galaxy S2 and I turn it on and after its on for a minute it starts to turn itself on and off by itself.

Solution: Hey Matt, I don’t know the history of this phone but I would assume it doesn’t have any physical or liquid damages. But the first thing you must do is boot it to safe mode to see if the it still reboots. If the problem persists even in Safe Mode, perform factory reset. If not, then find the third-party app that’s causing the problem.

#4. Phone crashes after long period of use

Problem: I have a Galaxy S2 and if you use it for a long period it crashes and you have to take the battery out for a minute or two put it back in and it works for a while. I’ve tried putting in a new battery doing factory reset and nothing seems to work any ideas would l love to hear from you with new ideas.

Solution: If the phone heated up when it crashed, then the phone is overheating. If this was the case, the crashing was the fail-safe. However, if the phone doesn’t overheat, then there’s a problem with the processor or, at least, one of its components. You need to have it checked.

#5. Galaxy S2 won’t charge

Problem: I found your article accidentally and love the info! My quandary: I have a Samsung galaxy S2 from straight talk. I was having battery draining issues before my phone took a toilet dive about a month ago. Amazingly enough it dried out and worked fine until about two weeks ago. It shut off and nothing I do seems to get it to turn back on. I’ve plugged into the wall, computer and car to no avail. I took the battery in to be swapped and found the old one was still at 3.7V, which I was told should be enough to power it on. Is it repairable or should I consider a new phone?

Solution: I’m not sure how wet the phone when it took the dive but the thing about liquid damage is that the phone could still work fine until the day it just decides to give up. I think the problem is with the USB port, it is replaceable, though. But please, let a technician check what the problem really is.

#6. Galaxy S2 will not boot up

Problem 1: Hello! I am at my wits end, saw your page and I am HOPING you can help me. I have a T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S2 and it will not get past the point where the green android flies away. I have tried holding volume buttons up and down while turning power button on to no avail. The phone keeps flashing Samsung at me when I try to turn it on, nothing will get it to do anything. Please tell me there is a way to fix this? Thank you in advance, Courtney.

Problem 2:My boyfriend’s Galaxy S2 won’t turn on. When he tries the phone just constantly says Samsung Galaxy S2 over and over. Have already tried removing the SD card and battery. He’s running on an unrooted Straight Talk Galaxy S2.

Solution: I am almost certain that booting to recovery mode and wiping the cache partition will fix this problem. I’m not sure what version of Android your phone is running on but this is how you boot to recovery mode:

1. Turn off the device.
2. Press and hold both Volume Up and Volume Down keys at the same time.
3. Press the Power key only until the phone vibrates once, then release only the Power key.
4. Continue to hold the Volume up and Volume Down keys until the Android System Recovery screen appears.
5. Press the Volume Down key to highlight wipe cache partition.
6. Press the Home (GB only) or Power (ICS only) key to select.
7. Make sure Reboot System Now is highlighted and press the Home or Power key to reboot.

If wiping the cache partition won’t work, perform factory reset via the recovery mode.

#7. Can’t send/receive text messages

Problem: Hi, I have a Samsung Galaxy S2 and it isn’t sending or receiving texts, I’ve talked too Rogers and they told me everything is working properly. I’ve tried resetting my phone back too the factory settings and it did nothing. I also tried clearing my cache but it had nothing on it so I couldn’t clear anything. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. — Jake

Solution: Okay, so there is a possibility that it’s a hardware problem especially when the phone can’t get good service even if you are in the area where coverage isn’t an issue. However, if the phone is getting good coverage, it’s not a hardware problem. The thing is that even if there’s only 1 bar of signal available in the area and as long as your account is in good standing with credits left, you can still send and receive messages.

Long before MMS and mobile data were integrated into phones, cellular service already reached its peak. So, if you cannot send / receive text messages, it’s a network problem. So, call your carrier and have the rep walk you through setting up the correct Message Centre number on your phone.

#8. Battery drain question

Question: I have a question about Samsung S2. When ever I charge it to 100% and I shut down the phone, 5 minutes later I turn it back on the battery drains till 70%-50%. I should keep it turned on so the battery won’t drain again for now. Any solution? Thank you very much that would help a lot!

Answer: Either the battery can’t hold the charge or the power adapter can’t provide required amperage to charge the battery. Another possibility is that the battery indicator isn’t accurate. I never encountered this problem before, but if it’s not hardware-related, then wiping the cache partition should fix this issue.

#9. Problem with S2 sound

Problem: I bought my Samsung Galaxy S2 yesterday and everything was fine but now my sound will only work when the headphones are plugged in. I have checked all the settings and can’t find why it won’t work. Please help.

Solution: Unless the loudspeaker burst, there’s no reason for the phone not to sound off a day after it was bought. So, I believe it’s just a messed up setting. To fix this, of course, check for the volume settings. The phone is new, so performing factory reset isn’t that much of a hassle. At least, by doing so you would know if it’s a hardware problem or not as early as now. If the issue is more serious than you think, then have it replaced.

#10. Galaxy S2 can’t send email

Problem: Hi, I have a Samsung Galaxy S2 and for the past week or two I have been unable to send emails from my main account (gmail account sends okay!)   Whenever I try to send an email from my main account, it just sits in the outbox and eventually will show that the send failed. I would appreciate any help you can provide as without having access to this email the phone isn’t much good to me. Thanks, David.

Solution: By ‘main account’ you mean corporate email, right? Please check your outgoing server settings and make sure all fields contain correct data. Of course, I assume you have an active internet connection. If all settings are correct, please call your service provider or your company’s IT department to inquire about the problem.

#11. Cannot turn Galaxy S2 on

Problem: I am the owner of one unit Samsung Galaxy S2, my problem of my unit is I cannot turn on my cellphone, always low battery, I already change the battery, the same problem. I brought this CP to a technician, according to him the problem is the battery that’s why I bought a new one. Please help me. — Carlota

Solution: Well, bring the phone back to the technician who said it’s a battery problem and tell him the new battery didn’t solve the problem. I don’t what kind of tests he did on the phone to come up with a conclusion that it’s a battery issue when it’s not. By the way, did you try recharging the new battery? When you plug the charger in, can you see the usual charging icon? If not, then there is a possibility that the battery was just totally drained. Try plugging the phone to a computer or laptop to know if it charges fine.

#12. Menu button problem

Problem: I have a Galaxy S2 on Virgin Mobile. I have a problem where the menu button (and now the search button is starting this problem) will randomly fire. It comes and goes. Sometimes it’s to the point that I can’t do anything, and I just wait and watch the menu pop up, minimize, pop up, minimize, over and over. I have since redeemed my warranty and got a new galaxy s2, and the same problem emerged two days after I got it. It’s to the point where I can hardly use the phone because I can’t get anywhere on the screen before the menu button will start going crazy. I have tried reformatting the phone but no luck. Thank you! I read all your “samsung galaxy s2” problems, pages 1-3, and did not see this one listed. — Patricia

Solution: Okay, so the problem returned two days after you got the new replacement phone. That’s about the time you’re finished installing apps you previously had with your first Galaxy S2, right? Ma’am, I have reason to suspect this is an app-related issue, so try backing up all your data and doing factory reset. I am almost certain this will fix the problem.

#13. Apps cause freezing, phone hanging

Problem 1: Hello I have a galaxy s2 and I have several applications that do not load anymore. Facebook, slacker radio, csi to name a few. The app opens but when loadung the phone will freeze up and a non responding alert comes up. This has been going on about a week. Do you have any fixes or suggestions. Thank you.

Problem 2: Hi, it’s Vivek. I’m using Samsung Galaxy S2 since 2 years with no problem. But since month its hangs too much. Every time, I have restart it by pressing power button. I’m using stock Android 4.1.2. Help me out please. Thanks in advance, Android guy!

Solution: The immediate remedy to this problem is to uninstall or disable apps that freeze the phone. But I think there’s more problem than what you’ve discovered. So, I suggest you backup your data and do the hard reset. After that, install problematic apps one-by-one.

#14. Galaxy S2 overheated, won’t come on

Problem: Good Morning, my mother has a Samsung Galaxy S2 and yesterday the phone got extremely hot and shut down. I have taken out the battery and reinserted it but it still won’t come on. I plugged in 2 separate chargers to see if it will read, and it does not. I suggested to her to buy a new battery as the other one probably burnt up. Was that the correct solution, or is her phone shot? Thanks, Teresa.

Solution: Yes, that was the right advice. However, if the new battery still refuses to charge, then there’s a big possibility the circuit that holds the USB port is the problem. So, the phone still has to be checked by a technician. It’s too early to say if the phone would become just a paper weight but that’s a possibility depending on the magnitude of the overheating.