How to fix Samsung Galaxy S7 error “Unfortunately, Messages has stopped” & messaging app that randomly closes

• Understand why “Unfortunately, Messages has stopped” error occurs on your #Samsung #Galaxy S7 (#GalaxyS7) and learn how to fix it.

• Why does Messages app randomly closes on its own after an update and how can a user fix it?

The error message “Unfortunately, Messages has stopped” is often associated with lags and freezes when you open the native messaging apps on your Samsung Galaxy S7. The error simply means that the app itself has crashed and stopped working. Reports suggest that many users encountered such problem after an update, although there were also many cases wherein the error just popped out without apparent reason.

We’ve actually addressed this issue before but since we still have readers who need our assistance regarding this problem, we will be publishing another article for it because it might be a different issue this time that just resulted to the same error.

After I tackle this error, I will cite a few text-related issues below so be sure to check them out in case you have related concerns with your device. For those who have also other problems, take time to visit and browse through our S7 troubleshooting page as we’ve already addressed a lot of issues since the release of the device. Find ones that are similar or related to yours and use the solutions we suggested.

If you need further assistance, you can always contact us through our Android problems questionnaire. It’s a free service so don’t worry about anything but make sure you provide us with the necessary information about the problem so that we can give you more accurate solutions and troubleshooting guides.

Fixing “Unfortunately, Messages has stopped” error on Galaxy S7

There’s a chance it’s a simple app crash that’s why it’s wise to begin troubleshooting on the safer side of things. But before we do that, here’s the actual message we receive from one of our readers:

Problem: I don’t know if you’ve already answered this problem before but my Samsung Galaxy S7 seems to have issues sending / receiving text messages. In fact, I have problem opening the app itself as I’m greeted with the error message “Unfortunately, Messages has stopped.” Even when I reboot the phone, the error would still pop up by the time I open up the app. I don’t know what information I have to give aside from what I’ve given you already but if you know how to fix this, please help me. Thanks a lot! — Josie

Troubleshooting: Hello Josie! We’re wondering when and how the problem started because issues like this doesn’t just pop up without any reason at all. Things like firmware updates, app updates, overheating, etc. may result to this problem. Yours, however, seems like a simple app problem. Continue reading below to learn how to troubleshoot it.

Step 1: Reboot your phone

If this is the first time the problem showed up, then don’t do anything complicated yet. Instead, reboot your phone as it might be just a simple app glitch that can be fixed by doing a simple troubleshooting procedure such reboot.

Step 2: Boot your device in safe mode

This isn’t actually a solution but a way to learn why the error pops up. With this, you’ll be able to isolate the problem. It is important to know whether your downloaded apps have something to do with it or if it’s just an issue with the pre-installed apps and the firmware. So, try to follow the steps below to boot your device in safe mode and continue observing it:

1. Press and hold the Power key.
2. As soon as you can see the ‘Samsung Galaxy S7 EDGE’ on the screen, release the Power key and immediately hold the Volume Down key.
3. Continue holding the Volume Down button until the device finishes rebooting.
4. You may release it when you can see ‘Safe mode’ in the bottom left corner of the screen.

Step 3: Clear the cache and data of the Messages app

In case the problem still occurs in safe mode, try clearing the cache and data of the Messages app as it might be the only that has an issue. This procedure will reset the app to its factory defaults and it might be just what you need to fix it.

1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
2. Find and tap on Settings.
3. Touch Applications and then Application manager.
4. Swipe to ALL tab.
5. Find and touch Messages.
6. Tap Storage.
7. Tap Clear cache and then Clear data, Delete.

Step 4: Reset your phone to bring everything back to default settings

After doing steps 1 through 3 and the problem still remains, it’s time you reset your device to bring it back to its default settings and get rid of files, caches and data that might be causing the problem. While we already did a few things, we still don’t know what’s really causing the issue and this is your last resort.

1. Backup your data.
2. Remove your Google account.
3. Disengage screen lock.
4. Turn off your Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge.
5. 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.
6. When the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge shows on the screen, release the Power key but continue holding the Home and Volume Up keys.
7. 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.
8. Using the Volume Down key, navigate through the options and highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset.’
9. Once highlighted, you may press the Power key to select it.
10. Now highlight the option ‘Yes — delete all user data’ using the Volume Down key and press the Power button to select it.
11. Wait until your phone is finished doing the Master Reset. Once completed, highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and press the Power key.
12. The phone will now reboot longer than usual.

I hope that this guide can help you. If not, then it’s time you sent the phone in for repair.

Galaxy S7 Messages app closes randomly after the update

Updates are supposed to fix issues but it seems like they do bring new ones and this here is just one of those. Actually, this issue is just the same as above. The only difference is that there’s no error message. Here’s how our reader describes her problem:

Problem: I’m using the Galaxy S7. It update a few days ago and I thought everything was good after I downloaded it. I was still able to use other services of my phone like calls, facebook, twitter, music, internet, etc. but when I received a message and tried to open it, the app closed on its own. I opened it again and it opened but a few moments later, it closed again. I put the phone down and finished what I was working on. When I use the phone again and tried to text my son, the app closed the moment I hit send. In the evening, I asked my son if he received my message, he didn’t. So, what’s the problem with it?  

Troubleshooting: Based on your description, I think it’s the system cache that’s causing this. Caches get corrupted easily during updates and when the new system uses them, conflicts occur and this is just one of the results. So, for this, I suggest you delete all of the caches first by following these steps:

1. Turn off your Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge.
2. Press and then hold the Home and Volume UP keys, then press and hold the Power key.
3. When the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge 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.

Don’t worry, none of your files, apps or data will be deleted. It’s safe. But just in case the problem remains after that, then you have to follow the same troubleshooting procedure as above.

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