How To Fix Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 Problems and Errors

We have received hundreds of emails from Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 owners about some problems they have encountered. That is why I decided to start a series dedicated for the tablet.

There could be a lot of articles like this for the Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 in the following weeks.

Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 won’t turn on

I’m not sure if it’s a manufacturing issue or something but there were owners who complained that the new tablet would not turn on after it has drained it’s battery completely. Considering this issue more often happens to new units, it’s really alarming to know that problems like this may occur without warning. The worse thing is it won’t charge when you plug it in leaving owners thinking the tablet has totally been damaged.

One owner suggested to charge the phone using a desktop computer or a laptop for about two hours before plugging it into its original wall socket. I’m not sure what’s the rationale behind this procedure but he said it works all the time. Do this in case the tablet won’t power even if you pressed and held the power key for 10 to 15 seconds.

Another workaround to this problem is to remove the back cover to expose the battery. Then, disconnect the battery cable from the circuit board and reconnect it after a few seconds. Once finished, plug the charger in and the table would charge. Once the battery accepts charge from the charging unit, it would come back on.

Tab 3 says ‘starting download’ but nothing happens

This is an issue with the Play Store but it’s not as obvious as the ‘download error’ problem. Basically, they’re pretty much the same, however, they’re triggered differently. The thing about it is that you’ve already triggered the download button and have accepted the app’s ToS and on the notification bar, you can see an arrow pointing down, which indicates that the download would begin momentarily but minutes later, the arrow is still on the notification bar and the download never started.

Clearing Google Play Store’s cache and data would fix this problem, or at least, that’s the most logical thing to do before you proceed with more complicated troubleshooting procedures. In case it wouldn’t work, then proceed by uninstalling Play Store’s updates. If the second procedure still wouldn’t work, then check your internet connection. It could be that it was interrupted the moment you started to download the app. There are also times when Google’s servers are down and the best thing you could do is wait until they’re up.

Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 and OTG feature

I heard one interesting story of a man who bought a Galaxy Tab 3 thinking he can just plug his thumb drive into it and open or manage his files. Together with the main unit, he also bought OTG (on the go) adapters. However, when he plugged his thumb drive to the tablet, there wasn’t any reaction from the device. So, he called Samsung. He was told that he needs to download drivers so his thumb drive could be recognized by the tablet. Well, that’s one of the most depressing information you can get from the manufacturer of the device.

I already received a couple of emails asking if the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 supports USB OTG. So, I will make it clear to everyone who can read this. Tab 3 7.0 does not support OTG feature, at least, not yet. Bigger Tab 3s like 8 and 10.1 inches support it. I don’t get why Samsung didn’t include it as one of the features but I hope that KitKat update would make it available for the tablet.

Gallery shows identical pictures

I’ve received a few emails about duplicate pictures in the gallery. According to owners, the pictures have identical file names in the gallery but there’s only one copy in the microSD card. Basically, these duplicate pictures were saved in separate storage and it does not necessarily mean local storage.

The Gallery app manages multimedia files found in the phone’s local storage devices as well as those that are saved somewhere in the cloud. For users who may have just bought a microSD card, you may want to check your phone’s internal for copies of these files. You may transfer all your pictures saved in your phone’s internal memory to the external one.

Just for the sake of fixing this problem, try to turn off sync in the Gallery. You may have turned on the syncs for Facebook, Google+, Instagram, etc. Once finished, try to check if you still have duplicate photos. If so, clear the gallery app’s cache and data. Don’t worry, your pictures will remain safe and intact once you do that.

Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 having problems connecting to computer

There a few emails I’ve received complaining about a problem connecting the tablet to a Windows computer. Our reader said he already tried installing the drivers but the computer still having a hard time recognizing the device.

The thing about wired connection is that something could go wrong. There is a possibility that the USB port on the computer is damaged, there’s a break in the cable, the microUSB port of the phone is loose, the correct driver isn’t installed, etc.

Hardware issues could seldom happen to devices that’s being taken care of properly. So, if you think your devices are all good in terms of their hardware conditions, focus on troubleshooting on the software side. To make sure you get the correct and updated drivers for your Samsung devices, I would suggest you download and install Samsung KIES. That is, so far, the most effective way to address driver issues. Also, try to reboot your computer after you installed KIES or any drivers.

Unknown icons on the notification bar

Some Tab 3 owners complained about some unfamiliar icons on the notification bar of their tablets. According to them, they don’t know how they got there and to make matters worse, there isn’t a notification they can swipe away when they pull the notification panel. So, basically, it is impossible to remove the icons from the notification bar unless you know the app it is attached to and uninstall it.

In other words, the icons you see on the notification bar are push ads. While you may be very careful with apps you install, these ads are often attached to apps, so you need to find them first. Start from the most recent ones you installed. If you’re fond of sideloading apps, start with them.

Now, there are times when malware or push ads are installed in a directory that cannot easily be reached by normal uninstallation method. If you’ve already did what you can and the icons are still in the notification bar, perform factory reset.

‘Download complete’ error keeps popping up

It does not just happen on the Galaxy Tab 3 7.0, it is actually common to other Android devices especially the ones that were recently updated. But don’t worry, it is a minor glitch in the Download Manager app. To solve this, follow these steps:

From any Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
Tap Settings.
Tap Application manager.
Swipe left or right to display All tab.
Tap Download Manager.
Tap Clear data and then tap OK.
Tap Clear cache.

Sometimes you need to reboot your device to get all things working again.

Apps run very slow on Tab 3 7.0

Sooner or later your Android tablet’s performance will deteriorate especially when you installed a lot of apps already. Of course, the immediate remedy is to get rid of the apps you don’t use anymore to free up some storage space as well as to ease on the RAM. But what would you do if the device’s performance remains but apps become slow?

Factory reset is the right thing to do but that’s a more general solution; wiping the cache partition is just as good but you don’t have to go through the hassle of backing up all your data. Here’s how:

Press and hold the Power/Lock key, tap Power off, and then tap OK to turn off the tablet.
Press and hold the Power/Lock key and Up Volume key at the same time.
Release the Power/lock key when the Samsung logo appears.
Release the Up Volume keys when the Android image appears.
When the menu appears, press the Down Volume key to select Wipe cache partition.
Press the Power/Lock key.
Once the message, “Cache wipe complete” appears on the screen below the menu, Press the Power/Lock key to select Reboot system now.

Of course, if this doesn’t work continue with factory reset. At least, you tried.

Wi-Fi disconnects when Tab 3 goes to sleep

Basically, it’s not really a problem like any other issues, however, owners who are not yet familiar with their devices may consider it a big concern. What happens is that, when the tablet’s screen turns off, the Wi-Fi disconnects, which is not ideal for people who are downloading videos or other big files off the internet. You just need to manage the tablet’s Wi-Fi sleep policy. Here’s how…

From the Home menu go to > Applications > Settings > WiFi Settings
Tap on the Menu button > Advanced
Tap on “Wi-Fi sleep policy”
You can either choose between: When screen turns off (automatically disable Wi-Fi in standby mode) and Never when plugged in (Wi-Fi will on when device is plugged-in)
Or simply leave it to default settings (Never)

Cannot download apps off the Play Store

Among all Google Apps, users are most likely to encounter problems with the Play Store because it is one of the most popular applications in Android world. Millions of users download apps everyday giving stress to Google’s servers but that’s not actually the issue here considering the company is prepared to handle bandwidth demands. The issue is sometimes users cannot download apps from the market, which may have resulted from a lot of factors.

If this happens to you, keep trying to download apps because there are times when glitches happen. However, if you still cannot download apps after several attempts, you should try to clear cache and data of the app. You may have to setup your account after that but it’s worth it. If that fails, uninstall updates. That should do it.

Tab 3 7.0 keeps rebooting

Boot loops may be a result of firmware glitch or issue with a hardware. But either way, you have no other options but to perform factory reset hoping it would fix the problem. To make sure you can do the procedure properly, perform factory reset in recovery mode:

Press and hold the Power/Lock key, tap Power off, and then tap OK to turn off the tablet.
Press and hold the Power/Lock key and Up Volume key (closest to the Power/Lock key) at the same time.
Release the keys when the Android image appears.
When the menu appears, press the Up Volume key to select wipe data / factory reset.
Press the Power key to select.
Press the UpVolume key to scroll to Yes – delete all user data.
Press the Power key to select.
Press the Power key to select reboot system now.

If factory reset fails, bring the phone to a technician and have it checked.