Galaxy S6 mobile data keeps dropping, mobile hotspot not working, other internet issues

Hello Android community. Welcome to another #GalaxyS6 post for the day. We discuss some connectivity issues in this one so we hope you’ll find our suggestions helpful.

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 S6 edge mobile data not working

Hello. My data connectivity is not working on my Samsung Galaxy S6 edge here in the US. It was working properly in Algeria. FYI: I bought this phone from New York store on 12/15/2016. I have to use wifi otherwise my data connection is not working. Can you please advise. Thanks. — Khelil

Solution: Hi Khelil. There are a number of things that you want to check to solve the issue. The first one is to ensure you have an active mobile data subscription with your carrier in the US. If you are in a CDMA network like Verizon or Sprint, your carrier will have to reprogram your phone in order to make this work. Depending on your phone model, this may or may not work. If you have a CDMA phone from a different carrier, there’s a chance that some of the phone’s functions may not work when you use it in another CDMA network. For example, if your phone was originally built for Verizon but you’re now using it in a Sprint network, mobile data may not work. The same is true if you are in a GSM network. You have to talk to your carrier to check whether or not their mobile data service will work in your particular phone model.

Secondly, you have to make sure that the device’s APN settings are configured correctly. Again, you want to contact your carrier so they can walk you through the steps in setting it up properly.

Thirdly, there’s a chance that your phone’s hardware may have different operating frequencies for data connectivity. Each carrier operates in a certain set of frequencies and only devices that are compatible with said frequencies can pick them up. Try to Google the specifications of your phone and compare it with the operating frequencies of your carrier in your area. You may have to get firsthand information from your carrier about this as well. Keep in mind that frequencies in a phone cannot be changed. If your device is not compatible with your carrier’s network, you’re out of luck.

Problem 2: Galaxy S6 edge wifi portal very slow

I am facing issues with my Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge + device. when I am trying to connect over to a Wifi Connection the Captive Portal comes up very slow and asks me to sign in. Usually with other Device it doesn’t take much time but with Samsung Edge S6 + it takes 20+ seconds for the page to come up. I have this question of why the captive portal comes very slow. — Vikram Rao

Solution: Hi Vikram. It can be anything. The causes can range from a browser bug, an operating system glitch, or an issue with the router. Try to wipe the cache and data of the default browser in your phone and see how it works.

Open the Settings menu either through your notification shade (drop-down) or through the Settings app in your app drawer.
Navigate down to “Apps”. This may be renamed to something like Applications or Application Manager in OEM skinned versions of Android 6 or 7.
Once in there, click on an application.
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.
You should now clearly see the Clear Cache and Clear Data buttons for the application. Try clearing the cache first. If that won’t work, delete the app’s data as well.

As an alternative, you can also install a different browser and make it as the default. This will help you determine if the current browser is buggy or not.

To set an app as the default, follow these steps:

Open Settings app.
Tap Apps.
Tap More options in the upper right hand side (three-dot icon).
Tap Default apps.
Tap Browser app.
Nominate your preferred browser app.

To see if the problem is caused by an unknown operating system bug, make sure that you do a factory reset should the two steps above won’t work. Here’s how:

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

Problem 3: Galaxy S6 mobile data keeps dropping

Hi! I got some mobile data connectivity issue with my S6 edge +. The mobile data connection keeps on dropping even if I am in a 4G/LTE area. I went to mobile connection mode and turned on 4G/3G/2G(auto connect), 4G showed up but after few seconds it switched to 3G(H+) and sometimes 2G(H) which greatly has affected my internet connection. I don’t know what caused this because when I checked my colleagues data connectivity they’re on 4G and I’m on a 3G mode and yet we have the same data provider. I hope you can help me. — Vince

Solution: Hi Vince. First, you want to see if this is due to a third party app. Start the phone in safe mode to block third party apps and services and observe the phone for as long as you can while mobile data is on. If the problem won’t occur, then one of the apps is to blame. Here’s how to boot to safe mode:

Press and hold the Volume Down and Power keys for 20 to 30 seconds.
Once you see the Samsung logo, release the Power key immediately but continue pressing the Volume Down key.
Your phone should continue booting up and you will be prompted to unlock your phone as usual.
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.

Install Android and app updates

If the issue continues despite having booted to safe mode, your next move is to ensure that you install the latest Android update for your device. Sometimes, Android updates can fix network issues especially if they are caused by a modem bug. Also, you want to ensure that all your apps are up-to-date and compatible with the current Android version. You can do this by checking the download page of apps in Play Store and checking if the developer indicated that the app works fine with a particular Android version and phone model. If you install apps outside of the Play Store, it’s your responsibility to update it by contacting the source.

A lot of people suffer from mobile connectivity problems because they run unofficial firmware and/or apps in the device. You have to keep in mind that carriers often only support official Samsung firmware and apps usually found in the Play Store. If you are the more adventurous type who uses custom firmware, roots the phone, and install apps from other sources, you should expect to encounter hiccups that may not be fixed using official channels.

Reset all settings to factory defaults

If your phone is already running the latest firmware and app updates and you did not do anything different before noticing the problem, the cause of the problem may be Android-specific. Make sure to factory reset your device to fix it. Refer to the steps above on how to do this solution.

Problem 4: Galaxy S6 edge plus mobile hotspot not working

I’ve upgraded from a Samsung Note 4 to an S6 edge+. I usually use my Note 4 as a hotshot for my laptop, but I can’t do the same with the S6 edge +. I’ve tried syncing via WiFi & Bluetooth. The laptop can detect the Bluetooth device (no cables), but that’s about it. Can’t detect WiFi, which negates the phone’s primary value as a hotshot. Any help would be appreciated Regards. — Nikki

Solution: Hi Nikki. Mobile hotspot is a carrier value added service, which means that you may need to pay extra in order for it to work in your device. Some carriers don’t usually offer mobile hotspot as a free, default service because it tends to bloat a user’s data consumption significantly. Kindly talk to your carrier and see if this service is available under your account. If it’s not, then they will have to add it under your current subscription for a fee.

Problem 5: Galaxy S6 Google Ads app keeps popping up

My Wife and I both give me any information about Google, have the same phone. Hers is doing it and mine does not. hers will suddenly blast an ad even when she isn’t using it and when we check it, there will be an app open called Google ads. Now she does not have an app on her phone called Google ads. I have read over your forum and well and several others and none of them is giving me any information about an app called Google ads causing the issue. I am hoping you can help me. this has been going on for a couple of weeks now. We are both in I.T. I have scanned the phone with Malwarebytes for Androids, Secure any where, and Webroot, none have found anything. I even went through my only browser settings for Google to see if there was anything I could see that might fix it. I really hope you can help me. — Matthew Christian

Solution: Hi Matthew. You’re right. There’s no such thing as Google Ads app. Though Google deals with advertisements, they don’t publish a specific app in order to push ads in Android. We think your wife’s phone may be infected with malware so the best thing that she must do right now is to factory reset the device via Recovery Mode. Once she’s done that, observe the phone for a few hours to see if the said Google Ads app returns. Be sure not to install anything during this time to see any difference.

Keep in mind that malware infection in Android usually occurs when a user is not careful with apps they install. Some apps may pose as legitimate ones at first but would later on transform into its malicious version after an update. Make sure that you only install apps from trusted sources or developers.