We have readers that own the Samsung Galaxy S9 who reported that the Gallery app keeps closing its own when it’s opened. Some of them said the problem started after an update got downloaded and installed while others reported the problem started without apparent reason or cause. This might be just a problem with the app or it could be an issue with the firmware and the closing of the Gallery could be just one of the signs of such problem.
In this post, I will walk you through in troubleshooting your Galaxy S9 with this kind of issue. We will try to determine why it happens in the firmware place and try to formulate a solution that may fix it for good. This isn’t the first time I encountered this problem so I know a thing or two that could help us fix it. So, if you’re one of owners of this phone and are currently having similar issue, continue reading as this article may be able to help you one way or another.
Before we move on to our troubleshooting, if you are looking for a solution to a different issue, make sure you drop by our troubleshooting page as we’ve already addressed some of the most common problems reported by our readers. Find issues that are similar with yours and use the solutions we suggested. If you still need our help after that, then feel free to contact us by filling up our Android issues questionnaire.
How to troubleshoot Galaxy S9 with Gallery app that closes on its own
Based on my personal experience with this problem, it’s actually not a serious one as long as the firmware hasn’t been modified in any way. Gallery is a pre-installed application so if you tried to root your phone or installed a custom ROM and then this issue started, I’m pretty sure there’s an issue with the third-party firmware you installed. Reflashing the stock firmware will fix it but if the problem started without apparent reason or cause, then here’s what you should do about it…
Reboot your phone – before anything else, make sure you take time to reboot your phone especially if this is the first time the problem occurred because it might be just a minor issue with the firmware. Hit that power key to restart your S9 and if the problem continues after doing this, then you should try the Forced Restart to refresh the device’s memory. Press and hold the volume down and power keys together for 10 seconds or more. If gallery still crashes after this, then move on to the next procedure.
Find out if it’s due to a third-party app – while gallery is a pre-installed application, there are times when third-party apps may cause it to crash since the services it uses are also used by third-parties that off the same service like it does. To find out if it’s really the case, you just need to run your phone up in safe mode to temporarily disable all third-party applications and services. If gallery runs perfectly in this mode, then it means there really is a third-party app that causes it to crash. Find that app and uninstall it to fix the problem. However, if the issue continues even in safe mode, then move on to the next procedure.
Clear cache and data of Gallery – doing this will reset the app and bring it back to its default settings and configurations. If this is just an issue that concerns the app alone, then doing this procedure will fix it. Don’t worry, none of your files, pictures or videos will be deleted if you did this. You just have to go to Settings and into the Application Manager to be able to access Gallery and clear its cache and data. Should the problem continue after doing this, then try the next procedure.
Wipe cache partition – doing this will delete all system caches and replace them with new ones. This is important because there are times when system caches get corrupted or become obsolete that when the firmware continues to use them, problems like this may occur. You need to run your phone up in recovery mode for you to be able to wipe the cache partition. After doing this and the problem or the gallery continues to crash, then move on to the next procedure.
Backup your files and do the Master Reset – app issues are supposedly minor issues but the reason why you need to reset your phone if this problem continues after the previous procedures is because gallery is a pre-installed app and there’s always a chance that it crashes due to a firmware issue. A reset will address such problem but before you actually do that, make sure you make a backup of your important files and data as they will be deleted during the process.
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Here are the step-by-step instructions on how to do the procedures I mentioned above…
How to run Galaxy S9 in safe mode
- Turn the device off.
- Press and hold the Power key past the model name screen appearing on the screen.
- When SAMSUNG appears on the screen, release the Power key.
- Immediately after releasing the Power key, press and hold the Volume down key.
- Continue to hold the Volume down key until the device finishes restarting.
- When Safe mode appears in the bottom left corner of the screen, release the Volume down key.
How to uninstall an app from your phone
- From the Home screen, swipe up on an empty spot to open the Apps tray.
- Tap Settings > Apps.
- Tap the desired application in the default list.
- To display preinstalled apps, tap Menu > Show system apps.
- Tap UNINSTALL > OK.
How to wipe cache partition
- Turn off the device.
- Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby key, then press and hold the Power key.
- When the Android logo displays, release all three keys.
- An ‘Installing system update’ message will show for 30 – 60 seconds before the Android system recovery menu options appear.
- Press the Volume down key several times to highlight wipe cache partition.
- Press Power key to select.
- Press the Volume down key to highlight yes, them and press the Power key to select.
- When the wipe cache partition is complete, Reboot system now is highlighted.
- Press the Power key to restart the device.
How to do the Master Reset
- Turn off the device.
- Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby key, then press and hold the Power key.
- When the green Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
- Press the Volume down key several times to highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset’.
- Press Power button to select.
- Press the Volume down key until ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted.
- Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
- When the master reset is complete, ‘Reboot system now’ is highlighted.
- Press the Power key to restart the device.
I hope that this troubleshooting guide can help you one way or another. If you have other concerns you want to share with us, feel free to contact us or leave a comment below.
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