Galaxy Note8 apps keep going back to the top of the page when browsing, won’t tilt in a game

Hello Android fans! Today’s troubleshooting episode will answer some questions regarding some issues for the #GalaxyNote8. To be exact, we want to address three issues that we think is happening to more than one Note8 users out there. We don’t know how common these issues are but hopefully, this post can help a lot of people out there.

Problem #1: Galaxy Note8 apps keep going back to the top of the page when browsing

When i am browsing online through Google or on an app. If i click on an item to view the item and then go back to the first page, it goes all the way to the top of the page. For example, if i am on amazon shopping for a phone case amazon will show me all results for phone cases. However, if i click on a specific one to get a better look at it and review the details when i go back to the results page it takes me all the way to the start of the results not on the item i last viewed. If i am scrolling down the page of a website when i get close to the bottom the screen goes back yo the top. Its all apps and websites not specific ones. — A.molina06

Solution: Hi A.molina06. If this same issue happens on all apps, it may be caused by a software bug rather than by an individual app bug. To fix the issue, here are the possible solutions that you can try:

Wipe the cache partition

Android uses a system cache, which is stored in the cache partition, to load apps quickly. Sometimes, this cache gets corrupted during and after an update, or for some other reasons. While this may sound harmless, a corrupted cache can eventually cause performance issues as well as a bunch of other minor annoyances. To ensure that your phone’s system cache is fresh, you can wipe the cache partition. This will force the phone to delete the current cache and replace it with a new one over time.

To wipe the cache partition on your Note8:

1. Turn off the device.
2. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby key, then press and hold the Power key.
3. When the green Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
4. Press the Volume down key several times to highlight ‘wipe cache partition’.
5. Press Power button to select.
6. Press the Volume down key until ‘yes’ is highlighted and press the Power button.
7. When the wipe cache partition is complete, “Reboot system now” is highlighted.
8. Press the Power key to restart the device.

Reset app preferences

Resetting app preferences is oftentimes overlooked in many Android troubleshooting articles but when it comes to an issue like yours, it might help a lot. It’s possible that one or some of your default apps may not be set correctly, causing this glitch to occur. Because there’s no way to know if this guess is true, what you need to do is to simply ensure that all default apps are turned on. Here’s how to do that:

1. Open Settings app.
2. Tap Apps.
3. Tap on More settings at the upper right (three-dot icon).
4. Select Reset app preferences.
5. Restart your Note8 and check for the problem.

Reset all settings

This procedure is separate from the previous one as it covers all settings of your Android device and not just the apps. To do this, follow the steps below:

1. From the Home screen, swipe up on an empty spot to open the Apps tray.
2. Tap General Management > Reset settings.
3. Tap Reset settings.
4. If you have set up a PIN, enter it.
5. Tap Reset settings. Once complete a confirmation window will appear.

Update app and Android

Whether you encounter issues or not, it’s always a good idea to keep everything — apps and operating system — updated. So, if you’ve been holding off app and Android updates for some reason, be sure to do something about it now. Updates can sometimes fix issues on their own aside from the fact that they also bring other under-the-hood improvements.

To check for updates for apps, you can use the Play Store app. Here’s how to do that:

1. Open Play Store app.
2. Tap More settings at the upper right.
3. Tap My apps & games.
4. Tap UPDATE ALL button if you have multiple updates.

Make sure to always keep all apps up-to-date in order to minimize the chance of another app causing problems in the system.

To check for Android updates, you can go under Settings > Software update.

Factory reset

Lastly, try to wipe your phone and return all software settings back to their defaults with a factory reset. This is an inevitable solution that you should do if all our suggestions above won’t help. To factory reset your Note8:

1. Create a backup of your data.
2. Turn off the device.
3. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby key, then press and hold the Power key.
4. When the green Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
5. Press the Volume down key several times to highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset’.
6. Press Power button to select.
7. Press the Volume down key until ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted.
8. Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
9. When the master reset is complete, ‘Reboot system now’ is highlighted.
10. Press the Power key to restart the device.

Problem #2: Galaxy Note8 S Pen not working properly, only half of the screen works randomly

My S Pen is malfunctioning. There are times that i can use it in whole screen but most of the time only half of my screen can be touched by it. My phone is only 1 month old and Samsung is not doing its job. I want my phone to be replaced but they’re slow on servicing. — Rianne_red7

Solution: Hi Rianne_red7. If you’ve already tried troubleshooting the device for possible software issue, like doing a factory reset on it, then the problem might be on the S Pen or on the screen of your phone. You should indicate all the software troubleshooting steps that you’ve done to Samsung so they can take a look at your phone’s hardware and replace whatever is not working right. Factory reset almost always fix any software issue that involves the S Pen so it’s a good potential solution to do in this case. If you’ve already done that without any positive result, phone replacement may be needed. Refer to the steps above on how to factory reset your Note8.

As far as Samsung servicing performance is concerned, there’s really nothing much that we can do about it. We don’t work for them and we can’t for sure why your local Samsung Service Center may not seem to be doing a good job in handling your situation. For replacement cases though, it’s normal for Samsung to get it done for several days after a user requested for it. There are even cases that replacement unit may only be fulfilled after two weeks. Availability and other logistical concerns vary by location so you should talk to your local Samsung to get an estimated replacement turnaround.

Problem #3: Galaxy Note8 won’t tilt when playing a game

My Samsung Note 8 works perfectly fine until one time I was playing my usual game and my phone wont tilt. I tried turning on and off the rotation screen lock. I have factory reset the phone too. I don’t know if its because my auto-update is always turned on. Thanks! — Alaisah

Solution: Hi Alaisah. If this problem is only happening when playing one game, the issue may specific to that app only. To fix it, here’s what you can do:

Force reboot

Sometimes, this simple procedure can fix bugs that developed after the system has run for a long time. By manually forcing your Note8 to reboot, you’re basically simulating a battery pull, which, in older mobiles with removable battery packs, was an effective way to refresh the system. If you haven’t tried this one yet, here are the steps that you can do:

1. Press and hold the Power + Volume Down buttons for approximately 10 seconds or until the device power cycles. Allow several seconds for the Maintenance Boot Mode screen to appear.
2. From the Maintenance Boot Mode screen, select Normal Boot. You can use the volume buttons to cycle through the available options and the lower left button (below the volume buttons) to select. Wait for up to 90 seconds for the reset to complete.

Reset app preferences

We’ve already provided a brief explanation about this above. Kindly follow the steps above on how to do it.

Clear app data

Wiping an app’s data is often an effective way to fix account-related issues that might hamper app’s performance. This will basically delete return the app to its factory version and delete the account associated with it. Some games may allow saving of your achievements in the cloud so if you’re concerned about losing your items, achievements, and other similar stuff, try to check if there’s a way to save them somewhere. Online games usually tie up game or level progress to a Google account or to any other social network account you use to log in so try to see if you can use it to save your stuff.

To clear your game app’s data:

1. Open Settings app.
2. Tap Apps.
3. Tap on More settings at the upper right (three-dot icon).
4. Select Show system apps.
5. Find and tap your app.
6. Tap Storage.
7. Tap Clear Data button.
8. Restart your S9 and check for the problem.

Reinstall

If this game is a third party app, which means it’s not part of the pre-installed package that came with the operating system, you can try to delete and reinstall it. This is a logical follow through if deleting the app’s data won’t work.

Factory reset

Should nothing work at all, don’t hesitate to restore all your phone settings back to their defaults. Check the steps above on how to factory reset your Note8.

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