How to fix Samsung Galaxy S7 that can’t boot up successfully, stuck on logo [Troubleshooting Guide]

Firmware issues happen a lot and many #Samsung Galaxy S7 (#GalaxyS7) owners reported having encountered symptoms like the device won’t successfully boot up and gets stuck during the booting process. Others reported to have experienced boot loop wherein the device continuously restarts on its own. There were also owners who claimed theirs can’t get past the logo during bootup.

These are the two issues I will address in this post. Actually, we’ve already addressed similar issues before but it seems like many of our readers are still experiencing the problem. So, we’re obliged to provide support for those who contacted us. Read on to understand more about these issues and learn how to fix them.

For those who have other issues, make sure you visit our S7 troubleshooting page for we have already answered hundreds of problems with this device. Odds are that there are already existing solutions to your problems. Take time browsing the page and find issues that are similar with yours. If you need further assistance, you can always contact us by computer our Android issues questionnaire.

Galaxy S7 won’t boot up successfully or keeps rebooting

Problem: Hi guys. I have a problem with my Samsung Galaxy S7. I got this 4 months ago and so far, it hasn’t been physically damaged although there were instances that it was submerged in water for a short period of time to take underwater pictures. For a couple of days now, more often, the phone can’t boot up successfully like it just stay on the black screen for too long and then I decide to turn it off and do it again. But in doing so, the issue may happen again or the device keeps rebooting. Apparently, I don’t know what to do to fix this problem and I need your help. Thanks.

Answer: We’ve seen cases wherein the Galaxy S7 (and Edge) won’t boot up due to physical and/or water damage and it’s basically just the same symptoms when the problem is with the firmware. The device may reboot randomly, gets stuck during boot up or keeps on restarting endlessly until the battery is drained. Having said that, it is imperative you do the basic troubleshooting to determine what the problem is and to be able to come up with a solution or a temporary fix that will let you work around it. Below are some steps you can follow to try to fix the problem…

Step 1: Determine whether the Liquid Damage Indicator is tripped

As you’ve said, the phone was used in taking underwater pictures and while it is clear it’s still working fine, there’s alway a chance that some liquid residue somehow got into the phone. Moist can also cause a lot of issues including random reboots and other problems that may seem like firmware-related.

To check the LDI, pop the SIM/SD card tray all the way out and then look into the slot. You should be able to find a little sticker in there. If it’s white, it means that water wasn’t able to get into your phone, however, if it turned pink, purple or red, then the cause of the problem might be a slight liquid damage. Serious liquid damage causes the phone not to power on and it may even lead to overheating and short-circuiting, which is, by the way, very dangerous as the battery may explode if prolonged.

Assuming that the LDI was tripped and given the condition of your phone right now, it is best if you try to fix it on your own. Basically, you just want to get rid of water residue inside because moist has difficult time escaping from the inside. All you need to do is bury the phone in a bowl of rice seated in an upright position. Leave it buried in the grains of rice for a couple of days. That should be enough to absorb the moist from the inside.

On the other hand, if the LDI wasn’t tripped or if the problem still persists even after burying the phone in a bowl of rice for a couple of days, then it’s time to troubleshoot the firmware. At least at this point, the phone is still working fine with all its hardware powering up, so it must be the firmware that has some issues–that’s what we have to assume now.

Step 2: Find out if the S7 can boot up successfully in Safe Mode

So, your phone gets stuck during boot up. You’ve already tried to dry it out as it was used to take underwater pictures but to no avail. At this point in time, we need to find out if your third-party apps and services have something to do with the problem. By simply booting the phone up in safe mode, you’ll be able to tell if third-parties contribute to the problem because if the device can boot up successfully into its diagnostic state, then it’s obvious that one of the downloaded apps and/or third-party services is causing the problem. Here’s how you restart your S7 in safe mode:

1. Press and hold the Power button.
2. When Samsung Galaxy Logo appears on the screen, release the Power button and immediately hold the Volume Down key.
3. Continue to hold the Volume Down key until the device finishes its rebooting.
4. Now, if “Safe Mode” appears on the bottom left corner of the screen then, you can release the Volume Down key.

If it happens that your S7 can reach the home screen in safe mode and that you can actually use it normally, then it confirms our suspicion that some third-parties are causing the problem. The best way to go about it is to find the culprit by uninstalling the most recent apps you installed but I know that’s easier said than done. So, if you don’t want to spend much time finding the app, then I suggest you backup your data and then do the Factory Reset:

1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
2. Find and tap Settings and then touch Backup and reset.
3. Tap Factory data reset and touch Reset device.
4. If you have screen lock feature turned on, enter your password or PIN.
5. Touch Continue.
6. Tap Delete all to confirm your action.

With this, the problem should already be fixed at this point. However, if the problem still persists, then it’s time to try another troubleshooting procedure.

Step 3: Boot the device in recovery mode and try to delete the system cache

If your phone, can power up but gets stuck somewhere during the boot up process, it may be able to boot up in recovery mode especially if it has booted successfully in safe mode. This must be the next thing you should do and try to wipe the cache partition. The procedure is simple and that it will actually make your phone run faster as old caches will be deleted and replaced with new ones not to mention that it may fix the problem. Here’s how you do it…

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press and then hold the Home and Volume UP keys, then press and hold the Power key.
3. When the Samsung Galaxy S7 shows on the screen, release the Power key but continue holding the Home and Volume Up keys.
4. When the Android logo shows, you may release both keys and leave the phone be for about 30 to 60 seconds.
5. Using the Volume Down key, navigate through the options and highlight ‘wipe cache partition.’
6. Once highlighted, you may press the Power key to select it.
7. Now highlight the option ‘Yes’ using the Volume Down key and press the Power button to select it.
8. Wait until your phone is finished wiping the cache partition. Once completed, highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and press the Power key.
9. The phone will now reboot longer than usual.

For minor firmware issues, this procedure is really effective so it’s worth your time and effort. However, if it fails, then the next step is necessary.

Step 4: Perform Master Reset on your Galaxy S7

If you’ve followed steps 1 through 3 and the problem remained, then you have no other option but to try to reset the device. Your data and files will be lost so you need to back them up prior to doing the steps below. Based on your description, it seems like a minor one so this should fix the problem. It goes to the end of the list of procedures due to the hassle a user may experience in backing up data and setting the phone up from scratch after the reset. Here’s the effective way to reset your S7…

1. Turn off your Samsung Galaxy S7.
2. Press and then hold the Home and Volume UP keys, then press and hold the Power key. NOTE: It doesn’t matter how long you press and hold the Home and Volume Up keys, it won’t affect the phone but by the time you press and hold the Power key, that’s when the phone starts to respond.
3. When the Samsung Galaxy S7 shows on the screen, release the Power key but continue holding the Home and Volume Up keys.
4. When the Android logo shows, you may release both keys and leave the phone be for about 30 to 60 seconds. NOTE: The “Installing system update” message may show on the screen for several seconds before displaying the Android system recovery menu. This is just the first phase of the entire process.
5. Using the Volume Down key, navigate through the options and highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset.’
6. Once highlighted, you may press the Power key to select it.
7. Now highlight the option ‘Yes — delete all user data’ using the Volume Down key and press the Power button to select it.
8. Wait until your phone is finished doing the Master Reset. Once completed, highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and press the Power key.
9. The phone will now reboot longer than usual.

I hope these procedures help because if they don’t, you need help from a technician.

Galaxy S7 can’t get past the logo during boot up

Problem: Droid guy, I need your help. I am not sure what happened to my device but one morning when I noticed it was turned off, I tried turning it on but it only displayed the logo and couldn’t get past that. I left it in that state for the entire day as I went to work but when I got home, the phone was turned off and won’t turn on. So, I did charge it but when I tried booting it up again, the same thing happened–it was stuck on the logo. How can I fix my device? Any helpful suggestion will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Answer: Basically, it’s the same as the first problem although I’m not sure what caused it. If the phone suffered physical or liquid damage, then don’t bother yourself to troubleshoot. Instead, send the phone for repair or checkup. However, if the problem occurred out of the blue without apparent reason, then you have to do some basic troubleshooting and without further adieu, here’s what you need to do:

Step 1: Try booting the phone into safe mode. This will put it in diagnostic state wherein only pre-installed apps and built-in services are running. If the problem is caused by a third-party, then the phone should be able to start in safe mode.

Step 2: Wipe the cache partition. Wiping the cache partition is effective with this kind of problem especially if it started after a firmware update. It actually deletes the system cache and creates new caches to make the phone run faster and smoother.

Step 3: Perform master reset. If the first two procedures didn’t work, then this must be done. You will lose the files saved in your phone’s internal storage as well as your data, apps, contacts, etc. so make sure you make a backup of them before the reset.

Step 4: Send the phone for repair. If the phone is still stuck on the logo after the reset, then you have no other option but to send it for checkup and/or repair. The technician may flash the firmware to fix the problem.

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