Galaxy Note 4 S Pen not working properly [troubleshooting guide], other issues

This post addresses more #GalaxyNote4 issues so if you’re looking for answers to your own Note 4 problem, this may be of help.

Note 47

Below are the specific topics we’re covering for your today:

  1. Verizon Galaxy Note 4 MMS won’t work in Metro PCS network
  2. Galaxy Note 4 keeps restarting on its own
  3. Galaxy Note 4 S Pen not working properly
  4. Galaxy Note 4 keeps repeating words and sentences when typing
  5. Galaxy Note 4 not compatible with Fanduel app
  6. Galaxy Note 4 not receiving SMS from Google and Outlook
  7. Galaxy Note 4 shuts down when battery is below 50% | Galaxy Note 4 not receiving text messages
  8. Galaxy Note 4 freezes and randomly shuts down by itself

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, or you can install our free app from Google Play Store.

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.


Problem #1: Verizon Galaxy Note 4 MMS won’t work in Metro PCS network

Hi. I have a Galaxy Note 4. I’m a customer with Metro PCS. I bought an unlocked phone, it’s through Verizon. I called them and they put me on a T-Mobile network for the signal I guess, but I’ve researched, changed, redone, put back to default, restarted my phone, put new APN settings in. I’ve made sure all power saving is off, made sure airplane mode is off, data is enabled with 4G LTE. I’ve gone through every step that I can find and still cannot send a picture text. I can use the internet, make calls, send texts everything but send or download MMS. Please help me. — Allyson

Solution: Hi Allyson. The exact settings on how to make MMS work on your phone depends on the firmware. If we are assuming correctly, you have a Verizon phone, which means that the firmware may also be from Verizon. Based on our experience and reports from other users, Verizon firmware may be problematic when it comes to changing MMS settings of other networks. We don’t have the exact information how MMS should be configured in your current network so we recommend that you work with the technical support representatives of your carrier to fix it. Keep in mind that there’s a chance that you may not be able to make MMS work at all, unless you probably root the device and change some relevant network settings buried deep inside the firmware. As of now, we’re not aware of any available method how to modify Verizon firmware to make MMS work but if you really want to make this work, we suggest that you visit forums that talks about modding and firmware customization. Try to post your issue in such forums and hopefully someone from the modding community will come to your aid. This type of modification requires time and effort to do so we hope that there’s someone out there who can share an effective hack. A good place to start would be XDA Forums but you can also use Google to look for alternate sites.

Problem #2: Galaxy Note 4 keeps restarting on its own

Hi. I have a Note 4 for 2 years now and as soon as the 2 year contract was up I started getting issues such as “Touch Wiz not responding.” I did the usual clear cache and still getting this error.

A few weeks later my phone now freezes randomly, lags and turns off and back on without me even touching it. It can be on charge and then I look at my phone and see it has restarted for some reason.

I have started the phone in safe mode and it still lags and restarts. I have done a full factory rest and I still get the same problem, lag, screen freezes, apps stop responding and turns off and on. I have even rooted my phone now and taken off all Samsung Bloatware and still my phone freezes randomly and I have no idea what is causing it. I have followed every walk through and my phone is still (excuse my French) FUCK.

Any ideas on what’s causing this issue would be a massive benefit. However I’m not that hopeful and think i need to buy a new phone. — Ojnoj_bam

Solution: Hi Ojnoj_bam. A problem like this is not only caused by software. We can see that everything that you’ve done so far only addressed possible software issues (booting to safe mode, factory reset, etc.) Since nothing changed after a factory reset and rooting, that’s a clear indication that hardware may be to blame. Unfair it may seem but two years can be considered old age for an electronic gadget that you use day in and day out. Such length of time may sound short in terms of lifespan compared to other electronic gadgets such as a digital camera, smart TV, or other similar devices but it’s actually long enough for a smartphone. A smartphone is basically a mini computer that runs continuously for 24 hours  every week for 12 months. If your phone has been around for 2 years now, it’s possible that some of its components may have simply reached their end-of-life, causing them to malfunction.

For example, the lithium-ion battery in your phone may no longer working properly at this time because it has lost significant capacity to hold a charge. The chemical reaction inside it may now become inefficient causing it to fail to produce sufficient power all the time. Such a situation can lead to random reboot. To see if the phone’s battery is to blame, try to inspect more closely at first. If you see a bulge in the sides, that’s a sign of malfunctioning battery. Sometimes, the bulge will be subtle and difficult to discern so try to spin the battery on flat surface like on a glass table. If the battery spins easily, that means that the side is flat and there’s no bulge. If it doesn’t spin at all, that’s an indication that the side is uneven and the battery needs replacement.

If you have another Note 4 with a good battery, try to borrow its battery and Insert it to your own Note 4. Oobserve the phone for some time (a few days) to see a difference. If you’re lucky, replacing the old battery may solve the issue for you.

On the other hand, if nothing changes after replacing the battery, the issue must be coming from the logic board itself. In this situation, you must send the phone in so it can be examined, assessed, and repaired if necessary. Better still, consider asking a replacement.

Problem #3: Galaxy Note 4 S Pen not working properly

Two issues when using S Pen:

  1. It makes some very illogical choices when deciphering my handwriting eg. “D” often deciphers as 1), 4 goes as ↳even though it is between other numbers. It also often give me “words” that do not exist in the dictionary. Is there any way to “lock” the accessible words to dictionary entries only?
  2. I often find that Wacom will repeat several lines of text which in Facebook or other app where only a few lines are visible means a non-sense message is sent. — Capblanc51

Solution: Hi Capblanc51. A Note 4’s S Pen can be affected by both software and hardware glitches so troubleshooting it does not vary much when troubleshooting the phone itself. That said, we suggest that perform the usual dose of software troubleshooting for the phone first. Below are the things that you can do:

Install software updates

We assume that your Note 4 is running the official Samsung or carrier-provided firmware. If you receive OTA (over-the-air) from time to time, your phone must be running official software.

If you rooted the device and installed custom firmware on it, it’s your responsibility to ensure that said firmware does not have issues with S-Pen functionality. Each custom firmware is unique so you must do your own research if it’s problematic when it comes to S-Pen feature or not. There’s nothing that we can do to help you in this case.

Wipe the cache partition

Your Note 4 uses a special set of cache when loading apps called system cache. Sometimes, updates or installation of Android and apps can corrupt it so the old one must be deleted to make way for a new one. Here’s how to do it:

  1. Turn off the Galaxy Note 4 completely.
  2. Press and hold the Volume Up and the Home keys together, then press and hold the Power key.
  3. When the Note 4 vibrates, release both the Home and Power keys but continue holding the Volume Up key.
  4. When the Android System Recovery shows on the screen, release the Volume Up key.
  5. Using the Volume Down key, highlight the option ‘wipe cache partition’ and press the Power key to select it.
  6. When the wiping of the cache partition is finished, highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and hit the power key.

Restart in safe mode

A least known method to fix app-related problems is safe mode. Not all apps are created equal and sometimes, problematic or incompatible apps can affect other features of a phone. To see if that’s the case in your phone, you must restart it in safe mode. Safe mode blocks third party apps and services so your S-Pen will work normally, that’s proof that one of the installed apps must be causing the problem. Here’s how to boot your Note 4 to safe mode:

  1. Turn off the phone completely.
  2. Press and hold the Power key and the Volume Down key.
  3. When the phone starts to boot, release the Power key but continue holding the Volume Down key until the phone finished restarting.
  4. Safe mode will be display at the lower left corner; you may release the Volume Down key now.
  5. Observe how S Pen works.

Wipe the phone via factory reset

The S-Pen’s functionality depends on the Note 4’s abilility to work properly. If there’s a software glitch that causes a conflict with the S-Pen feature, doing a factory reset may fix it.

To factory reset your Note 4, kindly do these steps:

  1. Turn off the Galaxy Note 4 completely.
  2. Press and hold the Volume Up and the Home keys together, then press and hold the Power key.
  3. When the Note 4 vibrates, release both the Home and Power keys but continue holding the Volume Up key.
  4. When the Android System Recovery shows on the screen, release the Vol Up key.
  5. Using the Volume Down key, highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset’ and press the Power key to select it.
  6. Now highlight ‘Yes — delete all user data’ using the Vol Down key and press the Power key to begin the reset.
  7. When the master reset is complete, highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and hit the Power key.
  8. The Note 4 will restart but it will be longer than usual. When it reaches the Home screen, then begin your setup.

NOTE: Factory reset will wipe the internal storage device so make sure to back your important files up before doing it.

Remove third party products that may affect S-Pen sensitivity

If you recently installed a screen protector, try removing it to see if it’s affecting the function of the S-Pen.

The same is true for third party cases that may be using a magnet that’s too strong, causing the device to malfunction.

Replace the S Pen tip

If the tip of the device has become worn out, try replacing it with a new one to see the difference. Try to use tweezers to pull out the old S Pen tip, then insert the new  pen tip and press it until it clicks in place.

Problem #4: Galaxy Note 4 keeps repeating words and sentences when typing

Well amongst 500 other issues with this deviceWell amongst five hundred other issues with this device will amongst 500 other issues with this device well among five hundred other issues with this device well amongst 5 hundred other issues with this device which I did not experience with my Note 3, the main issue I have now is that which I did not experience with my Note 3 and the main issue I have now is that which I did not experience with my Note 3 in the main issue I have now is that which I did not experienced with my Note 3 the main issue I have now is that which I did not experience with my note three the main issue I have now is that it continuously stops every third word it continuously Stops every third word it continuously Stop’s every third word and when I say one sentence it will reword the sentence several hundred different ways and when I say one sentence it will reward the sentence several hundred different ways and when I say one sentence it will rework the sentence several hundred different ways and when I say one sentence it will reorder the sentence several hundred different ways and when I say one sentence it will record the sentence several hundred different ways. Period if I say five single words it will reworded 30 or 40 different ways. If I say 5 single words it will reworded 30 or 40 different ways. If I say 5 single words it will reward it 30 or 40 different ways. If I say five single words it will reward it 30 or 40 different ways. If I say five single words it will reword it 30 or 40 different ways. in addition the pull-downs do not work in addition the pulldowns do not work in addition the pull Downs do not work in addition to pull-downs do not work in addition to pull Downs do not work so it has taken me more than 3 days to complete this form. so it has taken me more than three days to complete this form. So it has taken me more than 3 days to complete this form it. it basically I have clicked on the word United States and typed in the word United States for 22 hours it basically I have clicked on the word United States in typed in the word United States for 22 hours I basically I have clicked on the word United States and typed in the word United States for 22 hours I basically I have clicked on the word United States in typed in the word United States for 22 hours basically I have clicked on the word United States and typed in the word United States for 22 hours Straight and no matter what when I click on the word it will not put it inside your little box here. Straight and no matter why when I click on the word it will not put it inside your little box here. Straight and no matter what when I click on the word it will not put it inside your little box here period Strait and no matter what when I click on the word it will not put it inside your little box here. Straight and no matter why when I click on the word it will not put it inside your little box here period. — Arlene

Solution: Hi Arlene. The problem description is undoubtedly a hard read but it looks like you’re having trouble typing or composing messages. That can be due to a bad app or software so there are only things that we suggest.

The first one is wiping the cache and data of the keyboard and messaging apps you’re using.

If your Galaxy Note 4 is running Lollipop or below, follow these steps on how to wipe an app’s cache and data:

  1. Go to Settings.
  2. Proceed to Applications.
  3. Select Manage Applications.
  4. Tap the All tab.
  5. Choose the name of the app that has been going rogue.
  6. From there, you will see the Clear Cache and Clear Data buttons.

If your Galaxy Note 4 is running Marshmallow or Nougat, follow these steps on how to wipe an app’s cache and data:

  1. Open the Settings menu either through your notification shade (drop-down) or through the Settings app in your app drawer.
  2. Navigate down to “Apps”. This may be renamed to something like Applications or Application Manager in OEM skinned versions of Android 6.0.
  3. Once in there, click on an application.
  4. You’ll now see a list of stuff that gives you information about the app, including Storage, Permissions, Memory Use, and more. These are all clickable items. You’ll want to click on Storage.
  5. You should now clearly see the Clear Data and Clear Cache buttons for the application.

We think that wiping the keyboard app’s cache or data will fix the issue but if that’s not happening, consider wiping the phone via factory reset.

  1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
  2. Launch Settings and scroll to ‘User and Backup’ section.
  3. Tap Backup and reset.
  4. If you want, you can tick the checkboxes next to Automatic restore and Back up my data.
  5. Tap Factory data reset.
  6. Touch Reset device.
  7. You may be asked to enter your PIN or Password.
  8. Tap Continue and then Delete all.

Problem #5: Galaxy Note 4 not compatible with Fanduel app

I’m having an issue with my Fanduel app. Before, it would freeze and have issues so I uninstalled it and reinstalled it and it fixed that issue. Now I have an issue that when I’m in the app and hit the home button to say maybe look at another app or website, then go back and click on Fanduel, it takes me right to the homepage. Previously I didn’t have this issue, it would have been where I left off. Just curious if you guys might know of any solutions. I have a Galaxy Note 4 and I’ve also been working with Fanduel on trying to come up with a solution, so far they think it’s my device.  Thank you. — Bradalbano48

Solution: Hi Bradalbano48. If the developer of the said app can’t help you, neither can any third party support group like us can. A problem like this is most likely due to inefficient or poor coding so if it continues to fail in your device, you either must continue working with Fanduel, or simply uninstall it for good.

Problem #6: Galaxy Note 4 not receiving SMS from Google and Outlook

Hey, I have had my Android phone for a while now. I have noticed that I am having some trouble receiving some text messages. These are generally automated messages from providers like Google and Outlook. I do not receive them. I send it on my computer and after 5 minutes nothing arrives. I know this isn’t a problem with Google because it works on my old phone “HTC Desire.” I don’t understand why it isn’t working. I have tried nearly everything from a quick reboot to a factory reset and nothing happens. it remains the same and the problem persists. I have never experienced this with any phone and I haven’t talked to anyone that has had this problem. I don’t know how to resolve it. Thanks a lot, if you require anymore info from me I will happily give you it. — Thomas

Solution: Hi Thomas. We don’t think we fully understand the problem here. We don’t know what you mean specifically by “These are generally automated messages from providers like Google and Outlook. I do not receive them. I send it on my computer and after 5 minutes nothing arrives.”

If you think you’re missing messages from these service providers, the problem must either be due to a restriction on the network-level, or that these service providers  are not sending you text messages at all. In any case, we doubt that the problem has something to do with the phone. The only thing that you can do on your end is to ensure that your device or messaging app does not block messages from these service providers. To do that, head over to the settings of the messaging app you’re using and see if you set any blocks.

Also, make sure that your inbox is not full.

If these steps won’t help, contact your carrier or the service providers involved.

Problem #7: Galaxy Note 4 shuts down when battery is below 50% | Galaxy Note 4 not receiving text messages

I have a Samsung Galaxy Note 4. I’ve had it for over a year now. And I’ve been having trouble with having the phone turn off on me when the battery hits 50-40%.

I love Samsung, but i also have been missing text messages from certain people. I get some text messages, but then I don’t get them all. It’s a real struggle when I use my phone for my business. I’ve tried to turn it on and off, and restarting the phone. Should I go to the store and just get a new phone? It’s really making me mad not receiving important text messages from certain people. Please help! — Kim

Solution: Hi Kim. For your first issue, make sure that you calibrate the battery first to help retrain the operating system to detect actual remaining battery level. Here’s how it’s done:

  1. Use the phone by playing games or doing tasks to hasten power discharge, until the phone turns itself off.
  2. Turn the phone on again and let it turn itself off.
  3. Charge the phone without turning it back on.
  4. Wait until the battery says it fully charged to 100%
  5. Unplug the charger and turn the phone on.
  6. If the phone says it’s not 100% anymore, turn it off, plug the charger back in and wait until 100% charge is reached.
  7. Unplug the charger the turn the phone on again.
  8. Use the phone until you drain the battery down to 0.
  9. Repeat the cycle once.

If nothing changes and the phone continues to shut down when battery level reaches a certain point, consider doing a factory reset (steps provided above).

If that won’t fix the power issue either, get a new battery and see if that will fix it.

For the second issue, the problem can be phone-related or an issue with your wireless carrier’s system. Try to wipe the cache and data of the messaging app first (steps provided above). If nothing works, do a factory reset.

If the factory reset option won’t help fix the issue, contact your carrier for support.

Problem #8: Galaxy Note 4 freezes and randomly shuts down by itself

Note 4. Reboots by itself, freezes, shuts down by itself. Turned it in and was given refurbished unit. Transfered data, 2nd phone doing same. They did factory reset. Working pretty well, minor issues, but am now getting same, Virus warning, with error, us.8t7lcoqa.top “download this app to clean virus and gives instructions. I have not complied. Did search for free app virus cleaner 4.5 rating and shows no virus. Message of potential virus continues to pop up.        — Robinjeter2

Solution: Hi Robinjeter2. if the same problem is happening on the replacement unit, that’s an indication that:

1) you’re reintroducing it to the system yourself either by re-installing the same set of bad apps, or

2) you’re doing the same unsafe behavior that compromised the first phone in the first place (like browsing booby-trapped sites, downloading files from third party sources, or using custom firmware).

Do a factory reset and observe how the phone works without apps and updates. If it works normally when there are no apps or updates, that means that one things mentioned above is happening. Make sure that you install safe apps only. How to do that depends on you as only you knows where you get your apps and if they’re built by reputable developers.

 


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