Galaxy S8 showing “slow charging … Use charger that came with the device.” error

Many #GalaxyS8 owners have already reported the “slow charging: Make sure charger is properly connected. Use charger that came with the device.” error here in our blog and in other Android forums but we are yet to get official recommendations from Samsung about it. In many cases that we’ve examined, it appears that the most common reason is a sudden malfunction of a charging cable though there are also many others who were able to successfully fix the problem by doing basic software troubleshooting. If you’re wondering how to fix this problem, read on.

Today’s problem: Galaxy S8 showing “slow charging: Make sure charger is properly connected. Use charger that came with the device.” error

I’ve had my S8 for less than a  year. I’ve only used the fast charger that came with the unit to charge my phone.  For the last few weeks, almost every time I plug into the charger, I get a notice saying slow charging, and to use the original charger.  Starting this morning, my phone wouldn’t charge at all. When I plugged it into my charger, after a couple hours, it was still only 4% charged.  The phone will power on; however, I cannot see anything. The screen is dark. I’ve tried your troubleshooting tips, with the exception of the soft reset because I can’t get the back off.  I don’t have insurance on this unit and cannot afford a new phone. Please help!! Tammy Walker

How to fix a Galaxy S8 that has “slow charging: Make sure charger is properly connected. Use charger that came with the device.” error

Like any other Android error, this problem can be caused by a software bug or bad hardware. In a lot of cases though, S8 slow charging issue is caused by a faulty charging accessory like a bad cable. In order to cover all potential causes, we want to proceed by checking out possible software issues first. If you’ve already exhausted all possible software solutions, then that’s a clear confirmation that hardware malfunction is causing the trouble.

To begin troubleshooting the issue, follow our steps below.

Solution #1: Verify fast charging is ON

For experienced Android users, checking if Fast Charging feature is enabled should be one of the first things that they would do. However, for those who are new to Android or Samsung Galaxy device, they may not be aware that Fast Charging feature must be enabled first before it can work. If you’re one of the users who haven’t used Android for a long time, be sure to verify that you’ve indeed enabled fast charging on your S8. Here’s how:

1. Open Settings app.
2. Tap Device Maintenance.
3. Select Battery.
4. From there, select the More settings (three-dot icon) in the top right corner.
5. Tap Advanced Settings and make sure that Fast Cable Charging is toggled ON.

Solution #2: Install app and Android updates

This issue has been around and there seems to be mixed reasons why they occur. In some cases, the problem comes from a faulty charging cable or adapter, while others due to software bugs. Since a lot of S8 users have already reported the trouble to Samsung, we would like to assume that Samsung has already attended to it by releasing a firmware patch (if the issue is indeed code-related). Just like most of issues, Samsung does not officially acknowledge problems nor do they say directly that a firmware patch has been released to fix an issue like this. As far as our knowledge about this issue is concerned, there was never any mention from Samsung that one of their S8 updates contained a fix for slow charging issue. Still, we recommend that you don’t miss on any app or Android updates though. Whether you have issues or not, it’s highly recommended that you keep the software aspect of your device running the latest version.

Solution #3: Clear cache partition

One of the perennial solutions to fixing any Samsung issue is clearing the cache partition. This case is no exception so if you haven’t done this yet, we suggest that you wipe the cache partition before doing any other solution. We know that a corrupted cache partition can lead to all sorts of trouble. Hopefully, clearing your device’s cache will bring an end to this slow charging issue.

To clear the cache partition of your S8, follow these steps:

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 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 to highlight “wipe cache partition.”
5. Press the Power key to select.
6. Press the Volume down key to highlight “yes” and 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.

Solution #4: Reset all settings

A lot of software issues are fixed by indirectly dealing with them. In your S8, this is accomplished by simply reverting software and app settings back to their factory defaults, without actually doing a factory reset. If you haven’t tried this one yet, follow these steps:

1. Open Settings app.
2. Tap General management.
3. Tap Reset.
4. Select Reset settings.
5. Tap on RESET SETTINGS button.

Solution #5: Charge while in safe mode

Did your S8 start acting up after installing an app? If you can still recall what app you recently install, consider removing it from the system to see if it’s causing the issue. Otherwise, just boot your S8 to safe mode and see how it charges. If fast charging feature works when it’s on safe mode but not in normal mode, you can bet that one of the downloaded apps is problematic.

Here are the steps on how to boot to safe mode:

1. Turn the device off.
2. Press and hold the Power key past the model name screen.
3. When “SAMSUNG” appears on the screen, release the Power key.
4. Immediately after releasing the Power key, press and hold the Volume down key.
5. Continue to hold the Volume down key until the device finishes restarting.
6. Safe mode will display in the bottom left corner of the screen.
7. Release the Volume down key when you see Safe Mode.
8. Uninstall apps that are causing a problem.

Solution #6: Factory reset

If the problem remains up to this point, you have no other choice but to perform a factory reset to wipe the phone. We know that fast charging feature works when the software is on factory version so this also eliminates the possibility of a software-related bug.

If you haven’t tried it yet, here are the steps:

1. Back up data on the internal memory. If you have signed into a Google account on the device, you have activated Anti-theft and will need your Google credentials to finish the Master reset.
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 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.

Solution #7: Get another charging cable and adapter

Some S8 users were able to successfully resolve this issue by using another set of charging accessories. To see if the charging cable or adapter has gone bad, use a known working cable for Samsung Galaxy S8 and see if that will work.

Solution #8: Contact Samsung support

Should the issue remain after doing all our suggestions above, that can mean two things — either there’s an operating system bug (coding issue) that causes it, or there’s a hardware malfunction. Since the most that you can do as far as software tweaking is concerned is to perform a factory reset, you have no choice but to get professional help. Let Samsung check the device so they can determine if it can be repaired, or if it needs replacement.

Workarounds that you can try

If you want to hold off sending the device to Samsung in the meantime, you can try some temporary remedies such as using a wireless charger to fast charge (still slower compared to fast cable charging), or you can turn the screen or device off while charging. Remember, using your device while charging it can dramatically slow down the charging rate. Try to let the device rest by shutting it down to get boost in charging speed.

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