How to fix Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus moisture detected problem?
Despite the fact that your Samsung Galaxy S8+ is dust and liquid resistant, you may still be bugged by problems caused by water every now and then and the most common would be the warning “moisture detected” which basically tells you the charger/USB port is wet.
When this problem occurs, it is almost certain that it’s due to water or any sort of liquid. However, there’s also a possibility that the error is triggered by some issues in the firmware especially if the problem started shortly after a firmware update. There were reports from some of our readers that suggest this problem might also be due to a bad update.
Regardless whether the warning is due to liquid or a firmware issue, your phone won’t charge and that’s what this problem is all about; charging is disrupted. The worse thing is you may notice your S8 Plus to be having this issue when its battery is almost drained out.
Continue reading below to know more about this problem and how to fix it. If you have other issue however, drop by our S8 Plus troubleshooting page or fill up our Android issues questionnaire and hit submit to contact us. We will be more than willing to help you with your problem.
Troubleshooting Galaxy S8+ with moisture detected problem
The course of our troubleshooting will be to make sure your phone isn’t suffering from liquid damage. Doing so will give us a clearer perspective on how serious the problem is as well as prevent more problems from happening if it’s indeed due to water damage. With all that being said, here are the things you need to do about this…
Check your phone for possible liquid damage
The first thing you have to do of course, is check the USB port to know if there’s indeed some traces of moisture in there. You may blow into the port to clean it out and get rid of debris and link if any. You may also use a cotton swab to clean around the area or insert a small piece of tissue paper to absorb the moist. Doing these things will immediately address the “moisture detected” warning you’re getting. You may then try to charge your phone to see if the warning still pops up.
In light to making sure it’s not liquid damage, you better check the Liquid Damage Indicator. Remove the SIM card tray and look into the SIM slot to find a small sticker that may tell you if your phone is suffering from liquid damage. If the indicator remains white, it means it’s not tripped and liquid damage is unlikely. However, it’s a different story if the indicator turned pink, purple or red. If this is the case, you have to bring the phone to the shop to be checked.
Turn off your phone and charge
As I said earlier, the immediate result of the “moisture detected” warning is not charging. I understand you may already have little juice left and you need your phone to charge so you can continue using and troubleshooting it. This procedure will be the first method you could use to bypass the warning.
Just turn your phone off and then charge it. Remember, the warning typically shows up when the phone is powered up while charging. Depending on how serious the problem is, you may be able to fully charge your phone while it’s powered down.
Restart your phone in Safe mode and charge
This is also another way of bypassing the warning and this is based on the suggestions of some of our readers who’ve encountered this problem. According to them, even if the warning pops up, you will still be able to continue charging your phone in safe mode. In this environment, the phone is running in its bare bones and charging may be possible. Here’s how you boot your S8+ in safe mode:
- Turn the device off.
- Press and hold the Power key past the model name screen.
- When “SAMSUNG” appears on the screen, release the Power key.
- Immediately after releasing the Power key, press and hold the Volume down key.
- Continue to hold the Volume down key until the device finishes restarting.
- Safe mode will display in the bottom left corner of the screen.
- Release the Volume down key when you see Safe Mode.
Make use of wireless charging
This isn’t really a fix but a workaround. So, assuming you really cannot charge your phone using its wired charger and you badly need to use it but it’s already running out of juice, then place it on top of the wireless charger. The warning won’t show up when you’re using a wireless charger as electricity doesn’t pass through the USB port.
Well of course, you need to borrow from a friend or buy a new wireless charger to be able to make use of this method. That is if you know for sure your phone hasn’t touched liquid but bugged by the moisture detected warning every time you plug it in to charge.
Clear data of USB Settings service
The moisture detected warning pops up when the USB Settings service detects moisture in the port. It may also trigger the warning if there’s a glitch in the system that disrupts the normal operation of the phone. Needless to say, resetting the service that handles the warning will prevent it from popping up but you should know this is a temporary solution and it’s just a matter of time before the warning would pop up again. But at least, you can give your device time to replenish its battery especially if you badly need to use your phone:
- From the Home screen, swipe up on an empty spot to open the Apps tray.
- Tap Settings > Apps.
- Find and touch USB Settings.
- Tap Storage.
- Tap Clear data and then tap OK.
So, there you have it! These are the things you can do to make your phone charge its battery even if it’s bugged by the “moisture detected” warning. If by any chance you’re not sure if your phone is suffering from liquid damage, it’s better to bring it back to the shop so that tech can do tests that will determine the problem.
I hope this troubleshooting guide can help you one way or the other.