Hello #GalaxyA5 owners! Welcome to our new Galaxy A5 troubleshooting article. Today we cover some wifi and mobile data issues so hopefully you’ll have the time to browse through them.
If you are looking for solutions to your own #Android issue, you can contact us by using the link provided at the bottom of this page.
When describing your issue, please be as detailed as possible so we can easily pinpoint a relevant solution. If you can, kindly include the exact error messages you are getting to give us an idea where to start. If you have already tried some troubleshooting steps before emailing us, make sure to mention them so we can skip them in our answers.
Below are specific topics we’re bringing for you today:
Problem 1: Galaxy A5 mobile data won’t automatically work when wifi is not in range
Status: both Wifi and Mobile data enabled. When moving away from Wifi the 4G is indicated in status bar but no data connection is made. If you switch off Wifi and restart device 4G connects and mobile data is available. It would seem that Android has issues switching from Wifi to mobile data on the fly. Do you have a solution for this? Data connection is verified with Whatsapp connection and Google Play Store. — Jury.coetzee
Solution: Hi Jury.coetzee. There may be a third party app or operating system bug causing the problem as the Smart network switch feature is part of core Android suite of functionalities. Try to restart the phone to safe mode first and see if there’s a seamless transition from wifi to mobile data. If there is, then a third party app must be to blame. To restart the phone to safe mode, do these steps:
- Turn the device off.
- Press and hold the Power key past the screen with the device name.
- 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.
Now that the phone has been set to safe mode, you must then observe how it works by replicating the situation. If mobile data still fails to turn itself on when wifi in not in range, you should consider wiping the phone clean.
To wipe the device and restore all software settings back to their defaults, follow these steps:
- Create a backup of your important files using Smart Switch.
- Turn off the device.
- Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home key, then press and hold the Power key.
- When the device logo screen displays, release only the Power key
- When the Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
- Press the Volume down key several times key to highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset.’
- Press Power button to select.
- Press the Volume down key until ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted.
- Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
- When the master reset is complete, ‘Reboot system now’ is highlighted.
- Press the Power key to restart the device.
Problem 2: Galaxy A5 mobile continues to run even when mobile data button is off
When i turn the mobile data off, i have no data plan and use wifi only which has been a huge problem on this cell but i have used your fixes so i’m crossing my fingers on that one. But with the data button turned off, i am still incurring huge data charges as apparently that doesn’t stop background data. So i went through all 80 apps and turned off background data on each one. Couldn’t find an easier way but then still incurred data charges as apparently the 80 apps all had the ability to change my system settings. uggg over a $100 bucks in data. And i can’t turn it off at my provider as i need to use the data randomly when i get lost or have to look something up or send a pic. Is Samsung in cahoots with the cell providers to use more data? My last Samsung S4 mini was wonderful and easy to turn off data with one button and on when i needed it. But sadly it is outdated and can’t be used properly anymore as it won’t update anymore. Am i doing something wrong? Should i complain to Samsung or exchange this piece of junk? I have 14 more days left to exchange. Is the samsung xcover 4 any easier for these issues? or i was offered a few different LG phones as well but I’ve never had one. Please please please advise. Thanks in advance, Carolyn.
P.S. on a small pension and can’t afford data plan. — Carolyn Simpson
Solution: Hi Carolyn. There’s just one and only one way to turn mobile data on and off in a Galaxy A5 and that is via the mobile data button. If you are 100% positive that your phone continues to use data even when the mobile data icon or button is not green (inactive), then something’s definitely wrong with your device. Try to factory reset it (see steps above) and see how it goes. After a factory reset, your phone should run a known working software which includes a bug free mobile data button. If nothing changes after a factory reset though, you should contact Samsung or the retailer where you got the phone from and demand for a replacement.
Also, it’s good if you can discuss the situation with your carrier so they can offer their own troubleshooting and solutions. If you received the phone from them as part of your subscription package, they may also reimburse you for the excess data you’ve accumulated in the past.
Problem 3: Galaxy A5 mobile data won’t work with another SIM card in another country
Just returned from the USA where I got a SIM card added with my Emirates SIM card. In the USA both were working great. When I arrived in Dubai, I switched the cards since I was told to do that. Now emirates card is sim1, USA sim2. Unfortunately data works only in WiFi area. I went to phone company requested a new card. Went to Samsung shop and I did not get my issue resolved. I need help. — Nawfal62
Solution: Hi Nawfal62. After you switched the SIM cards to different slots, did you also configure SIM card manager to reflect the changes? For example, if you intend to use Emirates card for mobile data, you must ensure that you SIM card manager is set accordingly. If you haven’t checked it yet, here’s how:
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap Connections.
- Tap SIM card manager.
- Tap Mobile data.
- Select the right SIM card.
Also, make sure that the right SIM card is set to receive the right network signals under General settings by doing the following:
-
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap Connections.
- Tap SIM card manager.
- Tap SIM 1 (or SIM 2).
- Tap Network mode.
- Select LTE/3G/2g (auto connect) if available. Otherwise, simply pick the fastest network mode available like 4G or 3G, depending on the options available.
Of course, the suggestions above are provided under the assumption that you’ve already talked to your original carrier in the USA on what you need to do. We also assume that they’ve already instructed you on how to re-configure your device, if necessary, especially the roaming aspect of your account and how to change the correct APN settings. If you are not aware of any of these things, you should contact them again so they can walk you through everything.
Keep in mind that there’s also a chance of your phone being incompatible with the available network services where you are currently located. Be sure to contact your carrier if your particular phone model can work with existing network infrastructure. Not all phones can work with all networks in the world so be accurate from your carrier is necessary.
Problem 4: Galaxy A5 disconnects from wifi randomly
Good Evening. I have tried all the troubleshooting as instructed in your site (https://thedroidguy.com/how-to) but still i cant connect and authentication error always pops up. There are times that i can connect when i’m near the router but when im 5 meters away it disconnects. and sometines i can connect but no internet connection while my other devices has a connection. — Venzky110527
Solution: Hi Venzky110527. The mentioned article already provides an exhaustive set of software troubleshooting for any wifi issue any user may encounter. If your phone continues to experience the same problem, especially after performing a factory reset, you can assume bad hardware must be to blame. There may be an issue with its antenna, networking chip, or the motherboard in general. Since hardware troubleshooting and diagnostics is beyond our scope of support, you should consider contacting Samsung or an independent service center so hardware can be checked.
If you’re only experiencing a problem with one wifi network all the time, it’s also possible that the issue is router-related. In that case, try to troubleshoot the router or simply replace it.
If the problem occurs with multiple wifi networks though, go ahead with repair or replacement.