Galaxy S7 SMS won’t send to and receive from one contact, sent MMS are scrambled, other texting issues

Texting issues with #GalaxyS7 devices are not that many compared to other issues but since we are still getting a significant amount of reported cases everyday, we want to address some of them today. We hope you’ll find this post 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 S7 sent MMS are scrambled

Sometimes when I send picture messages (MMS), the picture ends up scrambling on the receiving end. I only know of this issue so far with my wife’s iPhone as the receiver. It divides the photo into sections and shifts them around, kind of like a picasso painting. I think this has only happened with a weak mobile signal while connected to wifi and wifi calling and texting on. Has anyone else reported this before? Thanks! — Tom Whitney

Solution: Hi Tom. An issue like this can happen from time to time but there’s no clear   reason for it. We think it’s a network issue but it can be anything really.

Sometimes, if a sender’s or recipient’s system time and date are not correct text messages and MMS can also be received in a different order. Make sure that both devices run the correct system date and time and see if this is the cause of the problem.

You also need to check if there are other recipients getting scrambled MMS from you. If more than one device experience the same, that means that it’s either an issue on your end or there’s a bug in the transmission of your messages.

To ensure that there’s no problem in your device, consider wiping the cache and data of the messaging app you’re using. Here are the steps:

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 or 7.
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.
5. These are all clickable items. You’ll want to click on Storage.
6. You should now clearly see the Clear Cache and Clear Data buttons for the application.
7. Once you’ve cleared the app cache and data, send a test MMS to both your own number and to your wife’s.

Alternatively, you can also try to use a different messaging app like Facebook Messenger or Google Hangouts to use as default messaging app. Afterwards, you must do another test message.

If the problem remains, doing a factory reset is not a bad idea. Refer to the steps below on how to factory reset your phone.

Problem 2: Galaxy S7 SMS won’t send to and receive from one contact

I just got the Samsung Galaxy S7 and realized it seemed to be my boyfriend’s number was the only one who did not download into my contacts. So I added him. I then tried texting him and he told me he never got a text from me. So he tried texting me and I never got a text from him. It seems like this is only happening with his number. He is able to text other people though. — Lizzie

Solution: Hi Lizzie. To fix your issue, follow these steps:

Restart your phone. Sometimes, bugs can develop if a phone has run for a long time without stop. The simple step of restarting your device might help.

Make sure that the contact’s number if formatted correctly under Contacts. Delete the current contact from your contacts list and re-add it.

Check for blocks. Make sure that your boyfriend’s number is not blocked. To do that, follow these steps:

1. Open Messages app.
2. Tap More options icon at the upper right hand side (looks like a three-dot icon).
3. Tap Settings.
4. Tap Block messages.
5. Tap Block numbers. If your boyfriend’s number appear in the list, make sure to remove it by tapping the red minus sign on the right. Tap Back key to return to the previous menu.
6. Tap Block phrases.
7. Tap Blocked messages. If you set your phone to block messages before, there should be a list of blocked messages in this screen. Make sure that you remove your boyfriend’s number under Block numbers section to unblock his messages.

Delete old message thread. If you were able to send and receive SMS to and from your boyfriends number and there’s an existing conversation thread in the app, make sure to delete that old thread. Afterwards, try to send and receive SMS again.

Factory reset your device. You should do this drastic solution only when all the suggested steps above won’t work. Be sure to create a backup of your imporatnt files and data first before doing it. To factory reset your S7, follow these steps:

1. Turn off your Samsung Galaxy S7.
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 data / factory reset.’
6. Once highlighted, you may press the Power key to select it.
7. Now highlight the option ‘Yes — delete all user data’ using the Volume Down key and press the Power button to select it.
8. Wait until your phone is finished doing the Master Reset. Once completed, highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and press the Power key.
9. The phone will now reboot longer than usual.

Contact your carrier. If the issue remains, call your carrier’s technical support team and let them know about it. There may be an issue in their end or in your boyfriend’s carrier.

Problem 3: Galaxy S7 new text messages and responses appear at the top of the old conversation thread

Hi, I have the Samsung Galaxy S7. For the last two days I’ve been having a problem with the stock messenger app where everytime I send a text, the other persons reply will appear above my own text, and then any subsequent texts will continue that pattern so that any texts I received will appear at the top and all my texts appear at the bottom. I’ve had this phone for two months and haven’t downloaded any updates since buying it. — Shaira Brownlee

Solution: Hi Shaira. First, make sure that your phone’s time, date, and timezone are set up correctly. This is the often common reason why text messages are sorted differently.

If the device has the right date and time all along, you can then try to wipe the cache and data of the messaging app. There may be a bug in the app that causes such unusual behavior. Steps are provided above on how to wipe an app’s cache and data.

Keep in mind that clearing the messaging app’s data will delete your conversation threads. If you want to create a backup of your messages, use Smart Switch.

Problem 4: Galaxy S7 can’t send text messages unless restarted

I see I am not the only one with this problem. I can’t send text messages. It requires that I turn off and on my phone now every time I try to send. And as of today not even that works every time. Signal is fine. Phone calls are fine. Text is a mess. Please help! — Karen Barber

Solution: Hi Karen. Did you do something different like install an Android or app update prior to noticing this problem? Try to remember as best as you can the thing that might cause such an issue, provided that your text messaging service fine before.

If there seems to be no change in your device before this issue started happening, you can then proceed to the usual set of troubleshooting steps such as:

1. wiping of the cache partition
2. clearing messaging app’s cache and data (steps provided above)
3. using another messaging app
4. observing the phone in safe mode
5. wiping the phone via factory reset (steps provided above)
6. installation of Android and app updates

To wipe the cache partition, follow these steps:

1. Turn off your Samsung Galaxy S7.
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. Once highlighted, you may press the Power key to select it.
7. Now highlight the option ‘Yes’ using the Volume Down key and press the Power button to select it.
8. Wait until your phone is finished doing the Master Reset. Once completed, highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and press the Power key.
9. The phone will now reboot longer than usual.

Aside from the rest of the possible solutions that you can try, make sure that you observe how text messaging works when you restart the phone to safe mode. Safe mode blocks third party apps from running. If text messaging works normally when device is in safe mode, one of your apps is to blame. To boot to safe mode, follow these steps:

1. Turn your Galaxy S7 off.
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.

Also, make sure that your phone runs the latest Android update. Some network issues are fixed by simply installing updates.

 

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