How to fix a Samsung Galaxy S7 that keeps dropping calls [Troubleshooting Guide]

There are quite a lot of #Samsung Galaxy S7 (#GalaxyS7) users who are complaining of dropped calls. Many said the issue occurs randomly but happens everyday while others reported to experience it every few days or so. The thing is there are several factors that may lead to this issue; it could be a network problem, a weak signal reception, a problem with the phone’s hardware (specifically the antenna), or a firmware problem that may have occurred after an update.

Knowing the cause is the best way to fix the problem and the key to determining what the cause is by keen observation on when the calls are dropped and how the handset behaved after the call got disconnected. There are times when the Phone app crashes or the firmware freezes. These cases will definitely lead to this kind of problem. Then, there is the hardware problem that may leave the phone unresponsive or cause it to reboot randomly.

We’ve seen this issue many times before and it doesn’t just happen to the Galaxy S7 but it’s widespread across Android platform. Many of our readers reported similar cases so we are actually obliged to answer them and probably provide a solution or a troubleshooting guide, at least, so that they can try a thing or two to see if the issue gets fixed or not.

So, in this post, I will tackle the problem with the Samsung Galaxy S7 that’s dropping some of its calls for no apparent reason. But if you have other concerns, make sure you visit our troubleshooting page for we have already provided solutions to many problems our readers reported since the release of this device. Odds are that there are already existing solutions to your problems and all you need to do now is find them. If you need further assistance, however, feel free to contact us by completing our Android issues questionnaire.

Troubleshooting dropped calls on Galaxy S7

Basically, the purpose of this troubleshooting guide is to know what the culprit is and once we determine that, we’ll know whether you need to have to see a technician about it or do some procedures that can fix it. Again, keen observation is important to knowing the real issue here. That being said, here’s what I think you should do…

Step 1: Check the signal right away after the call got dropped

Naturally, when the phone loses signal during a call, it will be disconnected. So, once the call got dropped, immediately check the signal bars at the status bar. If the signal got lost, then there are questions you need to answer;

• Is the reception poor in your area?
• Were you in a closed area (i.e. room or building surrounded by thick walls or glass) during the call?
• Was it the first time the call got dropped?

Just by looking at the status bar, you can immediately tell if your handset it getting a poor reception. If the signal bars indicate you’re getting 3 bars and lower, then that might be the reason calls drop from time to time. Your provider may have a solution for it or, at least, a workaround on how to improve the coverage in your area.

On one hand, if you were in a closed area when the call dropped, the handset may have lost signal for a couple of seconds that’s why you were disconnected from the one you were talking to. This kind of problem is beyond our control but you can do something about it for sure and I think I don’t have to explain further.

If it was the first time the problem occurred, then continue to observe your phone and try to find a pattern on how or when the problem occurs. However, if it has already been happening for some time and if your phone has a really good reception, then try to do the next steps.

Step 2: Call your service provider and inquire about the following information

First off, tell the representative what your real problem is. If you already encountered the problem a lot of times, tell him/her that. It would also be very helpful if you include your observations like when the problem occurs or how long the call usually lasts before you’re disconnected.

Second, inquire about possible upgrades or downtimes in your area especially if the problem started recently. Also ask the rep if other subscribers reported the same issue because if so, then it’s probably a problem on the network and you can rest assured your phone is fine. Outages happen all the time and if they weren’t scheduled, your provider may not tell you about it until the problem is fixed.

Third, inquire about the status of your account. It should be in good standing so that you can enjoy the services your provider is offering. Should there be any bars on your account, ask the rep what you need to do to bring it back to good standing.

Lastly, ask whether there are things you need to change (i.e. settings) in your phone so that it will conform with the network settings. There are times when your provider changes some settings to optimize the services it offers and while these things should be implemented over the air, problems happen all the time.

Step 3: Try to delete system cache and do the master reset if the problem persists

After calling your provider and you verified there’s nothing wrong with the network, then turn your eyes back to your phone and do some serious troubleshooting. If the problem started after an update, it’s possible the cause of the problem is corrupt system caches.

While these files are necessary to make your phone run smoothly, they often get corrupted during updates or they might be incompatible with the current firmware. Deleting them is the best thing to do as the new system will just create new files that are compatible with it. Since you cannot delete them one by one, you need to wipe off the entire directory that contains them and here’s how…

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.
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.

There’s no guarantee the problem can be fixed by wiping the cache partition so if it fails, the next thing you need to do is master reset. However, you have to backup all your data and files before actually doing it as they’ll all be deleted.

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.

Why is reset necessary?

To rule out the possibility that the problem is caused by a firmware issue. Bringing the phone back to its factory defaults is the best way to know if the system has something to do with it. Besides, if this procedure fails, you are left with no other choice but to send the phone in for repair and the reset is necessary to clear off  your personal information.

I am hoping that you can fix your problem without visiting a shop, although, I strongly suggest you seek help from a technician if all else fails.

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