Welcome to our #GalaxyS7 post for today. If you’re looking for solutions to your S7 issues, this article may help. We discuss 8 more S7 issues in this post so if you won’t find a fix for your own issue, don’t forget to visit our main Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge troubleshooting pages.

Below are the specific topics we’re discussing for you:

Galaxy S7 “Camera Failed” error, camera won’t work
Galaxy S7 with cracked screen won’t turn on
Galaxy S7 front camera photos looks not natural | Galaxy S7 front and back cameras are blurry
Galaxy S7 edge not detecting SD card
Galaxy S7 not making sound and text notifications after system update
Galaxy S7 edge screen turns black with small X at the bottom
Galaxy S7 fast charging feature not working
Galaxy S7 edge can’t install system update

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 S7 “Camera Failed” error, camera won’t work

My Samsung Galaxy S7 says “Camera Failed” whenever I try to use it. For about the past week, it would do it 4 or 5 times in a row but then it would work. Now it will not work at all. It pops up the Viewing camera modes screen and then the warming box Camera Failed pops up. I have tried clearing the cache and followed the first 4 steps you suggest on this site. I use the camera nearly everyday in my first grade classroom. I use it to post pictures on Class Dojo and for a game called Plickers within my classroom. Do I need to bring it in to a store to be looked at? I do not know how to tell what version it is for below. I have model number SM-G930V, Kernel version 3:18:31, hardware version REVo.6, Knox version 2.7.1, Build NumberNRD90M.G930VVRU4BQA2, baseband version G930VVRU4BQA2. Let me know what else you need. — Hollyjohnson2008

Solution: Hi Hollyjohnson2008. The first thing that you must do in this case is to delete the camera app’s cache and data. This will ensure that you eliminate possible app-level bug causing the problem. Here’s how to do it:

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 6.0.
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 Data and Clear Cache buttons for the application.

If wiping the camera app’s cache and data won’t work, you must then do a factory reset to deal with a possible software problem. Factory reset will erase everything in your phone’s internal storage device so make sure that you back your important files up first.

To factory reset your Galaxy S7, follow these steps:

From the Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
Find and tap Settings and then touch Backup and reset.
Tap Factory data reset and touch Reset device.
If you have screen lock feature turned on, enter your password or PIN.
Touch Continue.
Tap Delete all to confirm your action.

If factory reset won’t work either, send the phone in so the camera assembly can be examined. If possible, let Samsung handle the check up to avoid voiding the warranty.

Problem #2: Galaxy S7 with cracked screen won’t turn on

Hi Droidguy! I have a problem with my phone that has been going on for a while and recently it just decided to not ever turn on or charge. It all started from when a relative of mine cracked the screen and the phone begun to bootloop. It has been at least 2 months now and it has suddenly shutdown on me. I have tried to turn it on by pressing and holding the volume/power/and home button but it still won’t work. Would it be because I haven’t updated it for a while? Or could it be the cracked screen? Please Help! — Sarinakicks

Solution: Hi Sarinakicks. If the issue is isolated to the screen assembly only, the phone should still be able to turn back on although the screen should remain black. Some of the indicators that will tell you the phone still turns on includes the following:

phone sounds off or rings when notifications, messages, or calls come in
phone vibrates when you try to press the power button to turn it on
recent apps, Home, and Back buttons light up when you press them

If any of these things happen on your phone, that means that the phone is not dead and the problem may only be limited to a bad screen.

If nothing of in the above happens and the phone is totally unresponsive, you should try to boot it to other modes such as safe mode, recovery mode, and Download mode. For reference, here are exact steps on how to do each of them as well as their follow through steps that you can perform:
Boot in Recovery mode:

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

Boot in Download Mode:

Charge the phone for at least 30 minutes.
Press and then hold the Home and Volume DOWN keys, then press and hold the Power key.
When the Samsung Galaxy S7 shows on the screen, release the Power key but continue holding the Home and Volume DOWN keys.
Wait until the Download screen appears.
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.
Use Google to look for a guide on how to do it.

Boot in safe mode:

Charge the phone for at least 30 minutes.
Press and hold the Power button.
Once the ‘Samsung Galaxy S7’ logo appears, release the Power key and immediately press and hold the Volume Down button.
Continue holding the button until the phone finishes rebooting.
Once you see the text “Safe mode” at the bottom left corner of the screen, release the Volume Down button.
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.
If you’ve already tried them as well, that means that it’s not a screen problem and the phone itself does not boot up at all. In any of these case, make sure that you contact Samsung first so they can help you arrange a repair or replacement.

If the phone is no longer under warranty and the issue appears to be a malfunctioning screen, you bring the phone to an independent third party service center.

Problem #3: Galaxy S7 front camera photos looks not natural | Galaxy S7 front and back cameras are blurry

Issue is the S7 camera. It’s worse than my S5. I turned off all the settings and put it to 0. Not using filters but it feels like my face is NOT NATURAL. It feels like a doll or something. I don’t know how to describe. and it’s even worse at night. both front and back camera. just hopeless and super blurry. Is this issue hardware issue or software issue? Please advise as my home country, Fiji, won’t give me refund for this phone. i got it got 2100FJD.

Also, Snapchat photos are even more worse. Don’t know why. At least on camera app its less worse but on Snapchat it looks like a cartoonized picture. So annoying it’s totally unnatural. — Zeebran

Solution: Hi Zeebran. Pictures taken by the Galaxy S7 front camera do look unnatural. You can try to reduce the effects you don’t like by sliding the slider of, say, skin tone effect, to 0. If you still don’t like the look of the pictures taken by the front camera, try using other camera apps from the Play Store. The Galaxy S7 tends to process the photos taken so that selfie shots appear more good looking. The processing of pictures is done by software so using an app that shows a true look can remedy the situation. Try as many apps as possible to get the desired output the you want.

Photos taken at night or low light conditions can appear blurry even if you’re using other imaging devices like DSLRs. To minimize blur when photographing night or low light scenes, try to make the camera as steady as possible. If you have a tripod for your phone, try to use when taking nighttime photos and see if that improves the situation. We are also using a Galaxy s7 and S7 edge and both devices gives us very good photos in low light conditions even without a tripod. If your issue won’t be resolved by using other apps, consider having the phone replaced. You may have received a bad phone so replacing it should fix the problem.

Problem #4: Galaxy S7 edge not detecting SD card

Hi. Thank you in advance for your time and help. After a system update on my new Samsung S7 edge, my phone completely stopped detecting my SD card which was used before and worked. It’s by the way full of my travelling pictures which have not been backed up due to some system issue. Card is not recognized by my PC and other phones. I have contacted Samsung support to check Samsung cloud and so on. No problem solution. Same with Google. I have contacted Google support. Both supports recommended to contact you guys. I have tried whatever I could. Nothing works. Looks like I have lost all my important documents and a lot of my memories saved on pictures which somehow disappeared from both of my clouds after system updated done on my Samsung.

On your forum I have read that many people have same problem and you helped them. However your solutions given do not work on my S7. If you could advise me any solution I would really appreciate. — Kate

Solution: Hi Kate. If other devices like a PC or another smartphone can no longer read or access the contents of your SD card, it may be too late to do something about it. Any storage device — rotating hard drive, solid state drive, USB flash drive, or SD card — can fail any time. The reason why a storage device fails can vary although the most common includes physical damage and file corruption. In some rare cases, lucky users may still be able to recover some contents from a physically damaged storage device with the help of advanced techniques. However, such techniques requires expertise, advanced tools, and specialized software so there’s usually nothing a user can do on their end. Needless to say, data recovery is expensive but if you think it’s worth spending several hundred dollars to save important files, you can try to ask help from professionals in this field.

Based on the circumstances you mention above, we think it’s pointless to attempt any recovery at this time. If you want to try your luck though, Google may be able to give you suggestions for data recovery services in your area.

To prevent losing valuable data in the future, always create back up on a regular basis.

Problem #5: Galaxy S7 not making sound and text notifications after system update

I worked in telecommunications for 16 years and have Samsung Galaxy phones exclusively since the S2 came out. After my phone ran the most recent software update about a month ago, it no longer makes any noise alert or visual alert when I have a text message. Games and other apps still do. I’ve done PRL and profile updates. I’ve changed the actual alert sound. Turned the device on and off after changing the settings, everything I can think of and it’s driving me crazy! Any suggestions?? — Joselynsue7

Solution: Hi Joselynsue7. The first thing that you want to do is to wipe the cache partition to ensure that the system cache is updated. Sometimes, app and system updates can corrupt the system cache so deleting the old is necessary. Here’s how to wipe the cache partition:

Turn off your Samsung Galaxy S7.
Press and then hold the Home and Volume UP keys, then press and hold the Power key.
When the Samsung Galaxy S7 shows on the screen, release the Power key but continue holding the Home and Volume Up keys.
When the Android logo shows, you may release both keys and leave the phone be for about 30 to 60 seconds.
Using the Volume Down key, navigate through the options and highlight ‘wipe cache partition.’
Once highlighted, you may press the Power key to select it.
Now highlight the option ‘Yes’ using the Volume Down key and press the Power button to select it.
Wait until your phone is finished doing the Master Reset. Once completed, highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and press the Power key.
The phone will now reboot longer than usual.

Now that the phone has a new system cache, try to observe the phone for a few hours by using it the usual way.

If nothing changes after wiping the cache partition, your next step would be to ensure that all your apps are updated and compatible. Go over your list of apps and make sure that all of them are compatible with the new operating system. You also want to update them to minimize bugs. If you are not sure if an app is compatible, contact its developer.

Finally, if nothing changes after wiping the cache partition and installing app updates, you must do a master reset. Here’s how:

Turn off your Samsung Galaxy S7.
Press and then hold the Home and Volume UP keys, then press and hold the Power key.
When the Samsung Galaxy S7 shows on the screen, release the Power key but continue holding the Home and Volume Up keys.
When the Android logo shows, you may release both keys and leave the phone be for about 30 to 60 seconds.
Using the Volume Down key, navigate through the options and highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset.’
Once highlighted, you may press the Power key to select it.
Now highlight the option ‘Yes — delete all user data’ using the Volume Down key and press the Power button to select it.
Wait until your phone is finished doing the Master Reset. Once completed, highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and press the Power key.
The phone will now reboot longer than usual.

NOTE: Factory reset will wipe all data in your phone’s internal storage device. Be sure to back irreplaceable files before you proceed.

Problem #6: Galaxy S7 edge screen turns black with small X at the bottom

Have a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge which suddenly randomly turns screen black with one small white X at the bottom left corner. This lasts for about 5 seconds the screen returns to normal but it will also have turned Auto screen rotation back on even if had it off. Running Android 7 with all latest updates and security patches installed. Tried safe mode and still it happens. — Kfchidakwa

Solution: Hi Kfchidakwa. We’ve documented a similar problem before but that was due to Samsung VR-related issue. If you installed any Samsung VR or Oculus app installed, try to uninstall or Force Close them to fix the problem. If that won’t fix it, try a factory reset.

Problem #7: Galaxy S7 fast charging feature not working

My phone won’t fast charge with my fast charger. I’m using my original charger that came with the phone and it won’t fast charge. At first sometimes it says that it is fast charging but some seconds later it will say “charging will take longer because not using original charger.” This is really annoying because it takes hours to charge completely. When fast charging it may take a hour or less to charge when on about 20%. I left my phone last night with 10% battery charging with the message of not using the original charger and next day after I woke up (like 8 hours later) it was barely on 77%. — Adrian

Solution: Hi Adrian. Almost all fast charging issues are due to charging port problems so you want to do a closer inspection of the said port to see if there’s a visible physical damage. Sometimes, a bent pin inside can cause erratic charging behavior. If possible, try to examine the charging port with the help of some form of magnification to see if something’s amiss.

If everything looks normal and there’s no visible lint or dirt that may cause poor contact with the charger, try to do a factory reset to see if the problem is caused by a software glitch. Factory reset will revert all software settings to their defaults thus it’s a good way to determine if a software glitch is causing a problem or not. Be sure not to install anything right after a factory reset so you can compare how the phone works without apps and updates installed.

If fast charging continues to fail during the observation period, have the phone repaired or replaced.

Problem #8: Galaxy S7 edge can’t install system update

I’m using Samsung Galaxy S7 edge. My phone currently running Android 6.0.1 marshmallow. But it shows some security and performance improvement updates from the several months. Update is about 539MB. Everytime i download these updates….my phone restarted to install these updates. But don’t know why update installation failed at 28% and dead Android logo appeared. Please give me some suggestions to this issue. Thanks. — Romeo

Solution: Hi Romeo. There are a number of reasons why a phone fails to install an update. Below are usual causes:

not enough available storage space
the phone is running unofficial firmware
System cache is corrupted
there’s an unknown software glitch blocking installation of new system update

To fix the issue, the first thing that you want to do is to clear the cache partition to refresh the system cache.

Once you’ve cleared the cache partition, check the remaining storage space. Make sure that you have at least 1GB of available internal storage space before attempting the installation.

If there’s more than enough space and wiping the cache partition won’t change anything, do a master reset (steps provided above).

If the problem persists after a factory reset, there may be a problem with the update file itself. Be sure to let your carrier know of the problem so they can take a look at it.

If you happen to root your device and installed a custom ROM, make sure that revert the software back to stock first. There may be a setting in the current ROM that prevents installation of an OTA update.

Sometimes, a carrier will not allow a rooted or customized device to install an official update so return everything to stock first before you install any Android update.

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Galaxy S7 edge can’t install system update, not detecting SD card, other issues