Galaxy S6 keeps rebooting on its own, stuck in boot loop, other issues

In this post, we share to you another list of #GalaxyS6 issues. As usual, we want to let you know that these issues come from your fellow Android users. If you are experiencing any Android issue and you can’t seem to get rid of it, make sure that you let us know so we can publish it here and its solution.

s6 edge plus3

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

  1. Galaxy S6 keeps rebooting on its own, stuck in boot loop
  2. Galaxy S6 won’t turn back on
  3. Galaxy S6 not making sound notification when receiving SMS from one contact
  4. Galaxy S6 screen is blank and won’t charge
  5. Galaxy S6 has no signal in some areas
  6. How to access contents if Galaxy S6 won’t turn on
  7. Galaxy S6 speech-to-text feature not working properly
  8. Galaxy S6 edge stops charging, won’t charge

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: Galaxy S6 keeps rebooting on its own, stuck in boot loop

My phone, Samsung S6, is stuck in a reboot loop, stating an error message “e: can’t mount /cache/recovery/last_locale.” When it has power, it loads the Samsung screen, goes to the blue android screen, then shows the mount error on a black operating screen, before looping to the blue screen and back to the error, over and over. Here is the error in full: “No support SINGLE-SKU Supported API: 3 dm-verity error… Failed code : 0x02 E: failed to mount /cache (invalid argument) E: failed to mount /cache (invalid argument) E: failed to mount /cache (invalid argument) E: failed to mount /cache/recovery/last_locale.”

 Currently I am only able to reset with power and volume down, but this just returns it to the same state. I can also reset with power, volume down and home, which gives me the option to reinstall the OS (which I don’t have the tools or skill to do). Otherwise the phone just does this loop action. History: The issues started about 6 weeks ago, when it randomly rebooted a few times. gradually this got worse to the point where the reboot looped until the battery died after half a day. I’ve read a number of suggested fixes on your site, and have since factory reset the phone. Still after this the reboots happened, and once during when I was clearing the cache partition the phone crashes midway, and I believe it has now caused this subsequent reboot cache mount loop. From what I’ve read on your site, you’ll probably say I need to send it to a Samsung service for repair, however I am not back home for a month as I am travelling Colombia. So do you have any suggestions and have you seen this before? (P.S. I can send screenshots). — Henry

Solution: Hi Henry. The solutions a user can try in this case is very limited and it looks like you’ve already tried all of them. A bootloop issue is usually caused by a failed flashing procedure. In some cases, users have reported boot loop after an incomplete installation of a system or security update. If you can’t send the phone to Samsung at this time, consider flashing the bootloader first to see if that will fix the problem. Exact procedures on how to flash the bootloader can slightly vary so do a little research on how to do it on your phone model. In general, below are the steps that you can follow:

  1. Look for the correct firmware for your phone model and download it. Make sure that select the right one. It should be the same exact firmware that ran previously on your device. We assume that you list down the firmware version somewhere. If you did not take note of it before, there’s a chance that you may pick the wrong one. As you may know now, using an incorrect firmware can cause complications so good luck with that. A popular site to download official firmware from is Sammobile. Try that first.
  2. Let’s now say that you have identified the correct firmware. You then want to download it to your computer. The firmware file should have a bunch of files in it like AP_, BL_, CSC_, etc.
  3. Look for the file that starts with a label BL; this should be the corresponding bootloader file for this firmware. Once you’ve identified the bootloader file, copy it to your computer’s desktop or to any other folder that you can easily access.
  4. Proceed with the rest of the flashing procedure using the Odin program.
  5. In Odin, click on the BL tab and make sure to use the bootloader file you’ve identified earlier.
  6. Now, make sure that the “Device Added” status and its “ID:COM box” has turned blue before hitting the START button. This will initiate the flashing of your phone’s bootloader.
  7. Restart the phone once the procedure is finished.

If flashing the bootloader to stock won’t fix the problem, you can also try to flash the firmware. Again, the exact steps can vary so make sure that you look for a good guide by searching via Google. Flashing the firmware will wipe the phone’s data so all user data in the internal storage device will be deleted. As far as data recovery from your phone is concerned, there’s really nothing much that you can do about it. Sending the phone to Samsung will result to a full data wipe also so you’ll still lose unsaved data either way.

Problem #2: Galaxy S6 won’t turn back on

Hello. I read all I could about the issue that my phone was having, but none of the examples match my issue. I was driving with GPS (battery around 40%) and it told me the signal was lost and a few minutes later I checked and the phone was off, screen was black. I thought maybe it was being slow so I let it sit and tried again. Nothing. I tried turning the phone on because maybe it was dead. Nothing. The phone itself is non responsive. When I got home I plugged it in and nothing is showing on my phone and it still won’t turn on. Suggestions? Thank you for all your help! — Courtney

Solution: Hi Courtney. Try to start the phone to another mode if you can’t boot it normally. Below are the specific steps on what to do:

Boot in Recovery mode:

  1. Charge the phone for at least 30 minutes.
  2. Press and then hold the Home and Volume UP keys, then press and hold the Power key.
  3. When the Samsung Galaxy S7 shows on the screen, release the Power key but continue holding the Home and Volume Up keys.
  4. When the Android logo shows, you may release both keys and leave the phone be for about 30 to 60 seconds.
  5. Using the Volume Down key, navigate through the options and highlight ‘wipe cache partition.’
  6. You can either wipe the cache partition or do a factory reset when in this mode.

Boot in Download Mode:

  1. Charge the phone for at least 30 minutes.
  2. Press and then hold the Home and Volume DOWN keys, then press and hold the Power key.
  3. When the Samsung Galaxy S7 shows on the screen, release the Power key but continue holding the Home and Volume DOWN keys.
  4. Wait until the Download screen appears.
  5. If you can boot the phone in download mode but not in other modes, that means that your only way out may be to flash a stock or custom firmware.
  6. Use Google to look for a guide on how to do it.

Boot in safe mode:

  1. Charge the phone for at least 30 minutes.
  2. Press and hold the Power button.
  3. Once the ‘Samsung Galaxy S7’ logo appears, release the Power key and immediately press and hold the Volume Down button.
  4. Continue holding the button until the phone finishes rebooting.
  5. Once you see the text “Safe mode” at the bottom left corner of the screen, release the Volume Down button.
  6. The only difference of safe mode from normal mode is that the former prevents third party apps from running. If you can boot the phone in safe mode but not in normal mode, uninstall all apps until the issue (that prevents you from booting normally) is eliminated.

We’ve included follow up troubleshooting steps in each of these boot modes so make sure to do them if you can manage to power the phone back on. If nothing changes and the phone remains dead after trying all three alternate boot modes, send the phone  in to Samsung or to an independent service center.

Problem #3: Galaxy S6 not making sound notification when receiving SMS from one contact

For some reason when my wife sends a text my Galaxy S6 won’t sound an audible notification. Every other person who sends a text, no problem… I can use help a little. I use the Samsung text messenger by the way. Ok in the little window with my wife’s name there is a NO SOUND ICON, and I’m pretty positive this is the problem, but I’ve tried everything to rectify this and there is no setting that I can find for turning the sound notification for each individual. Any help would be extremely appreciated! — Victorconn

Solution: Hi Victorconn. To set custom or preferred sound notification for a single contact, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Phone app.
  2. Tap the Contacts tab.
  3. Tap the contact you want to modify.
  4. Tap Details.
  5. Tap Edit (on top).
  6. Tap View more at the bottom.
  7. Modify the Ringtone, Message tone, and Vibration pattern as desired.

The steps above are meant for devices running Android Nougat. If you have Marshmallow or lower, these general steps should work for you:

  1. Open contacts app
  2. Find the contact you need and open it,
  3. Tap on Edit.
  4. Scroll down and tap on add another field
  5. Tap on message tone.

Problem #4: Galaxy S6 screen is blank and won’t charge

I was using Snapcha on my phone. All of a sudden the phone froze. I left it for a while and the screen went blank. I tried all the soft and hard reset combinations so as to switch it back on to no luck. I left it for days so the battery can go off and try and recharge to see if it would help however no luck. When i try and charge it though, If I keep my ears near the earpiece, I hear a continuous soft clicking noise while charging with the original charger or the wireless pad. Can you help please? — Sunday

Solution: Hi Sunday. Kindly refer to our suggestions for Courtney above.

Problem #5: Galaxy S6 has no signal in some areas

I am losing signal all the time. It only works in certain places in the UK. For example it doesn’t work in my home but I get a signal 10 miles away at work. I traveled from Middlesbrough to Birmingham and it worked but never worked when I was in Stevenage. I never used to have any problems. I have reset my phone to factory settings and it didn’t work. It’s not my SIM as it works in other mobiles. Can anyone help? —         Kyle

Solution: Hi Kyle. An issue like this can only have two possible causes — either there’s a problem with your phone that randomly turns off cellular connection, or there’s a network issue in select locations you go to.

Because factory reset did not fix the issue, try to see if a third party app is causing it. Boot the phone to safe mode and observe how your phone works for some time. If it connects to your network fine in this mode, that’s proof that one of the apps is to blame. Below are the steps on how to boot your phone to safe mode:

  1. Press and hold the Volume Down and Power keys for 20 to 30 seconds.
  2. Once you see the Samsung logo, release the Power key immediately but continue pressing the Volume Down key.
  3. Your phone should continue booting up and you will be prompted to unlock your phone as usual.
  4. You will know if the phone successfully booted in safe mode if the text “Safe mode” is displayed at the lower-left corner of the screen.

If there’s no change when the phone is in safe mode, let your carrier know about the problem so they can help you directly.

Problem #6: How to access contents if Galaxy S6 won’t turn on

Hello. I fell and when I did my phone broke. It still worked and I set an app to go in and get the insurance I have on it to fix…however in the meantime it started to flicker and then it went black. I can receive calls (although I can not see from who). I can plug it in to my computer but it says it is locked. I tried to unlock it but the way to do it actually puts another lock on it.

Is there a way I can access my Samsung S6 edge plus through my computer download everything before sending it in to be fixed or traded? — Foxee

Solution: Hi Foxee. You need to have a good working touchscreen so you can give a command to the operating system to unlock the phone. Because the screen is obviously damaged, there’s no way to access your files at all. Even if your phone is connected to the internet in this state, there’s still no way to remotely access the contents using another device or via the internet. Have the screen replaced in your local service center first to gain access to your phone. Samsung will delete the contents of a device during repair as a standard procedure so try to avoid sending the phone to them if you have important files that needs to be recovered.

Problem #7: Galaxy S6 speech-to-text feature not working properly

When i am sending texts and I use the microphone to do speech to text it types what I say 3 times over. So an example is the text would look like this: Hello, how are you today? Hello, how are you today? Hello, how are you today? when it should only read Hello, how are you today? I have reset the settings and it still does it. No matter what application I am using if and when I try speech to text it types it out 3 times. — Yvette

Solution: Hi Yvette. Make sure that your phone is using an updated system cache at this time. Sometimes, a corrupt or outdated system cache can lead to all sorts of problems. To fix the issue, you can simply wipe the cache partition. Here’s how to do that:

  1. Turn off the device.
  2. Press and hold the following three buttons at the same time: Volume Up key, Home key, and Power key.
  3. When the phone vibrates, release the Power key but continue to press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home key.
  4. When the Android System Recovery screen appears, release the Volume Up and Home keys.
  5. Press the Volume Down key to highlight ‘wipe cache partition.’
  6. Press the Power key to select.
  7. When the wipe cache partition is complete, ‘Reboot system now’ is highlighted.
  8. Press the Power key to restart the device.

If refreshing the system cache won’t work, the next thing that you want to do is to install all pending app and system updates. Updates can sometimes fix known bugs and if you’re lucky, you may be able to solve the problem without doing much heavy lifting.

Because there’s a possibility that a third party app may be problematic, you also want to see what happens when the phone is in safe mode. Safe mode blocks third party apps and services from running. If speech-to-text works while safe mode is on, that’s a confirmation of our hunch that one of the installed apps is to blame.

  1. Press and hold the Volume Down and Power keys for 20 to 30 seconds.
  2. Once you see the Samsung logo, release the Power key immediately but continue pressing the Volume Down key.
  3. Your phone should continue booting up and you will be prompted to unlock your phone as usual.
  4. You will know if the phone successfully booted in safe mode if the text “Safe mode” is displayed at the lower-left corner of the screen.

If you think an app is the culprit, you must uninstall third party apps until the issue is gone. There’s no other way to identify which of your apps is to blame so this is the only way to do it.

If nothing changes while the phone is in safe mode, don’t hesitate to do a factory reset. This solution deals with software-level glitches that may have developed after some time. It should be your last resort to try and fix this issue. Here’s how to do it:

  1. Turn off your Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge.
  2. Press and hold the Volume Up, Home and Power keys together.
  3. When the device powers on and displays ‘Power on logo’, release all keys and the Android icon will appear on the screen.
  4. Wait until the Android Recovery Screen appears after about 30 seconds.
  5. Using the Volume Down key, highlight the option, ‘wipe data/factory reset’ and press the Power key to select it.
  6. Press the Vol Down button again until the option ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted and then press the Power key to select it.
  7. After the reset is complete, highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and hit the Power key to restart the phone.

Problem #8: Galaxy S6 edge stops charging, won’t charge

Hi. Not sure what else to do but I still can’t get my S6 Edge to charge:

– tried connecting phone to computer via factory charging cable

– tried charging phone using my wife’s blackberry charger

– tried hard reset of phone

– tried plugging phone into different wall outlets

– tried shut down / restart of phone

I’m getting an error from my computer saying the device is unrecognizable so I’m thinking it may be a device issue? Any ideas? Thanks. — Kevin

Solution: Hi Kevin. Majority of charging issues are usually due to charging port issues so we recommend that you do a closer inspection of the port with the aid of some magnification so you can check if there’s something out of place that prevents the charger from working properly. Sometimes, a bent pin or lint can block the charger causing erratic charging or total charging failure. This ocular inspection does not tell you what’s the true status of charging port under the hood though so, even if everything appears to be normal, there’s still a chance that a hardware malfunction is causing the problem. A battery that died prematurely for some reason can also appear to be charging issue. Because you can’t just remove the battery and insert a new one into your S6, you must let a professional open the phone and check the battery as well.  In some cases, a failing power IC can be the cause as well. If you can’t fix the problem by doing a factory reset, make sure to send it in so the hardware can be checked.

 


Engage with us

If you are one of the users who encounters a problem with your device, let us know. We offer solutions for Android-related problems for free so if you have an issue with your Android device, simply fill in the short questionnaire in this link and we will try to publish our answers in the next posts. We cannot guarantee a quick response so if your issue is time sensitive, please find another way to resolve your problem. 

If you find this post helpful, please help us by spreading the word to your friends. TheDroidGuy has social network presence as well so you may want to interact with our community in our Facebook and Google+ pages.


Posts You Might Like

Leave a Comment