Galaxy S9 clock issues: time on status bar keeps freezing, changes time forward on its own, alarm on clock app won’t go off

Some #GalaxyS9 and #GalaxyS9Plus owners have reported date and time issues on their devices lately so this article is our way of helping them. We hope you’ll find this troubleshooting post helpful

Problem #1: Galaxy S9 time on status bar keeps freezing, alarm on clock app won’t go off

The time on status bar freezes or lags (before catching up). However when I swipe down the notifications curtain, the time is always correct. Tried rebooting, clearing the cache, setting the time from ‘auto’ to ‘manual’ but the time freeze continues. The main problem seems to affect the time when I set my alarm in the CLOCK app. The alarm will not go off due to this issue. Any ideas? — Fmw27

Solution: Hi Fmw27. If clearing the cache partition did not help at all, then it’s either an app problem or a software bug. To fix your issue, follow our suggestions below.

Reset app preferences

This solution option works by returning all apps to their default configuration. Specifically, these are the things that happens when you reset app preferences:

1. re-enables previously disabled apps and services
2. resets default apps for actions
3. turns off background data restrictions for apps
4. return app permissions to their defaults
5. unblock app notifications

Sometimes, apps like Clock may stop working if an associated app they depend on are disabled or restricted. If there’s a stable application in Samsung devices, the clock app is one of them. We don’t know what you may have done on your device so anything can actually happen. If you are fond of tweaking settings and disabling apps and services, then this solution may help you fix the issue.

To reset app preferences on your S9:

1. Open Settings app.
2. Tap Apps.
3. Tap More settings (three-dot) icon at the upper right.
4. Tap Reset app preferences.

Reset all settings

Another good solution that you can try is to reset all settings of your S9. While this may not affect personal data (won’t delete your photos, videos, documents, etc.), it will return all software settings to the way when you first unbox the device. In a word, your phone’s software will be reset to their defaults though this won’t affect the security, language, and account settings.

To reset all settings on your S9:

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

Observe the phone in Safe Mode

Third party apps, especially those that are poorly coded, can sometimes interfere with the operating system and other apps. To know if one of the installed apps is causing the clock app from working properly, you should run the phone on safe mode.

In this mode, only pre-installed apps will be able to allowed to work. If clock and status bar time work fine on safe mode, then one of the installed apps is behind the trouble.

To run your S9 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. Let your S9 run in this mode for several hours and check for the problem.

Don’t forget, safe mode will only give you a general direction but won’t identify the exact app. If you think that an app is causing the problem, you must invest more time in uninstalling and observing the phone. Basically, what you want to do is to uninstall an app and check for the problem on normal mode for some time. If the problem remains, proceed to the next app. Simply keep up the cycle until you’ve identified the culprit.

Factory reset

Finally, if all three solutions won’t fix the issue at all, you should consider wiping the phone to return everything back to their defaults. This should fix whatever software bug is causing this trouble. To factory reset your S9:

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.

Problem #2: Galax S9 clock changes time forward on its own

The clock on my Galaxy S9 has changed the time forward one hour 4 days in a row now. My alarms are not going off which I need desperately for work. I have turned my phone off and back on again and the time is set correctly. It is happening in the afternoons between 1 and 2 p.m. I called Sprint; they did something on their end and sent me the Sprint protect app but that did no good.

Also, my battery heats up and doesn’t last long at all. I bought new chargers thinking that was the problem. It helped for a while but then the problem is back. two issues here that I would be very thankful if you could find a solution for me. Sincerely. — Gale Flora

Solution: Hi Gale. As regards your clock issue, we think it’s similar to what Fmw27 is experiencing so be sure to follow our suggestions above. It’s most likely caused by a third party app so you can skip directly to safe mode and see how your alarm works. Be sure to let your phone run in safe mode for at least 24 hours to know the difference. Also, we strongly suggest that you use Automatic date and time option to set your system’s clock. This will see to it that your device uses your network’s date and time settings, which are always accurate. If you opt to use manual date and time setup, make sure that you use the correct time zone. This is often the main reason why devices running incorrect time zones are delayed or ahead for an hour or so.

For your battery overheating issue, it can either be a software bug or a hardware malfunction. The most important thing that you can do here is to see if there’s a difference how the battery performs after a factory reset. This is the most that you can do to try and fix a possible software problem. Sometimes, the battery may perform poorly if there are many apps and services  running in the background for too long. To see if software has something to do with the battery overheating issue, you must wipe the phone via factory reset. This is the only way to know that. Be sure to let your S9 run for a minimum of 24 hours after a factory reset. Also, avoid installing any app during the observation period. This will keep third party apps from interfering with the software.

If nothing changes and the battery remains problematic after a factory reset, then you can assume bad hardware is to blame. Your phone’s battery may have a manufacturing defect  and is now starting to act up. Or, if you were not careful and let the phone sustain physical damage, or left it under direct sunlight or near a heat source, the Lithium-ion battery may had been permanently damaged at this time. To fix the issue, your phone’s battery has to be replaced.

In other cases, unstable voltage or current during charging may damage the power management chip. This can lead to erratic charging behavior or battery malfunction. If this happens, the only chance to fix the issue is by replacing the motherboard.

Under any of these circumstances, it’s best if you let Samsung do the repair for you.

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