GIF option missing on Galaxy S7 Samsung keyboard, preview SMS on lock screen, other issues

Welcome to another #GalaxyS7 post for today as we bring you 10 more issues and their corresponding solutions. We hope that this material will also be helpful to other S7 users experiencing similar problems.

Below are the specific topics discussed here today:

  1. Galaxy S7 edge mobile data not working
  2. Galaxy S7 speaker plays sound for a second then fade
  3. Galaxy S7 from UK rebooting by itself in New Zealand
  4. Galaxy S7 edge can’t connect to the internet via mobile data
  5. Galaxy S7 cannot access company OWA after updating to Android Nougat
  6. Galaxy S7 can’t make or receive calls
  7. Galaxy S7 edge screen is cracked and randomly becomes unresponsive
  8. How to show options to call, mark as read, or reply for SMS in Galaxy S7 lockscreen
  9. How to preview SMS on Galaxy S7 lock screen
  10. GIF option missing on Galaxy S7 Samsung keyboard

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 edge mobile data not working

I hope you can help me. I have had a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge for about 6 months without any problems until this morning. I am unable to open any internet pages using mobile data. Nor can any app that links you to articles on the internet open pages. I constantly get the web page is unavailable error message. I have cleared my phones cache, turned it on and off multiple times & also wiped the cache partition using your instructions but I’ve had no luck. Please, please can you help? — Colinjbriggs1

Solution: Hi Colinjbriggs1. First of all, your issue is best addressed by your network rather than by third party support teams like us. That’s because only them has access  to information relevant to troubleshoot any account-related issue you may have.

And speaking of account issues, there’s a big chance that the main reason for your problem is account related. If you haven’t yet, we recommend that you talk to your carrier’s technical support team so they can double check the status of your account and whether or not it’s been properly setup to allow mobile data connection. You must do this before you perform any device troubleshooting. A lot of mobile data connection cases are account related so calling your carrier is a must do step.

Insert SIM card to another smartphone

Another good way to check if you have an account-related issue at hand is by checking if mobile data works on another device if you insert your SIM card to it. This is of course applicable only if you are on a GSM network and not on CDMA.

Wipe the cache partition

If you are 100% positive that your account is fine, the first device troubleshooting that you want to do is to wipe the cache partition. This will force the phone to refresh the system cache by deleting the current one and replacing it with a new one. Here’s how to do it:

  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.

Make sure apps are up-to-date

A lot of Android users encounter software problems simply because an app is creating a conflict with the operating system. Such an issue can easily be mitigated first of all by updating all apps, and secondly, by making sure that you only install compatible and malware-free applications. If you set your Google Play Store to let you manually install app updates, be sure to regularly check if there’s any pending app updates.

Observe the phone in safe mode

With so many free and easily downloadable apps around, it can sometimes be difficult to effectively screen what to install and what’s not to. Thus, there’s always a chance of experiencing problems due to a bad app. For this reason, we suggest that you try to observe the phone to safe mode and see if mobile data works in this mode. Safe mode blocks third party apps and services so it’s a good way to know if a third party app is involved. Here’s how to do it:

  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.

Do a full wipe with factory reset

If mobile data continues to fail after doing all the troubleshooting above, you must do the more drastic possible solution of factory reset. Here’s how it’s done:

  1. Create a backup of your important files such as photos, videos, etc.
  2. From the Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
  3. Find and tap Settings and then touch Backup and reset.
  4. Tap Factory data reset and touch Reset device.
  5. If you have screen lock feature turned on, enter your password or PIN.
  6. Touch Continue.
  7. Tap Delete all to confirm your action.

Problem #2: Galaxy S7 speaker plays sound for a second then fade

Hello. Any sound coming from my speaker (using speakerphone, music/video, alarm clock, etc.) plays for only a second then fades out. The call doesn’t die or the video or whatever app playing the sound is still active, there’s just no sound. On a call, I can switch back to regular phone mode and hear just fine but that speaker will only work for a second. I can put in ear buds and hear just fine as well. I’ve done research but can’t find anything that helps with this. — Michael

Solution: Hi Michael. An issue like this is more likely caused by a malfunctioning hardware so the only software troubleshooting that we suggest is factory reset. This will eliminate possible software bug that may have developed over time. We are not aware of any specific bug that can lead to the exact issue you’re having so this may also be an isolated case. If factory reset won’t fix the problem, you can bet bad hardware is to blame. In this case, you want to send the phone in so it can be repaired or replaced.

Problem #3: Galaxy S7 from UK rebooting by itself in New Zealand

My wife has recently bought an imported S7 here in NZ and has been having some power issues with the device. The phone was originally from the UK and on the Virgin network and works great on our NZ network. The problem is that it has now shut down several time on its own and can’t be revived unless doing a “battery pull”. On only one occasion has the blue light been flashing, the others it has been completely dead. The battery has always had plenty of charge. A couple of questions:

  1. The phone is running MM and is quite out-of- date (security patch shows August last year with no OTA updates available) whereas my own NZ issued S7 is running Nougat without problems. Could it be possible the out-of-date firmware could be causing issues?
  2. I copied some pictures from her old phone (Nexus 5X) to the SD card in her S7. Could that cause an issue? Should I reformat the SD card a (Samsung Evo+)?
  3. Do you think changing the CSC of the phone to NZC like my own and flashing the latest firmware available might do the trick? (I’m not new to tinkering with firmware, rooting etc. But as we use NFC payments the firmware has to be stock unrooted!) Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. — Alex

Solution: Hi Alex. Let’s answer your questions one by one.

  1. There are a lot of Android phones and Galaxy S7 in particular that still runs older Android versions without experiencing boot problems so we don’t think having Marshmallow is an issue here. It’s always recommended though that you install the latest updates to minimize security  threats and run the latest in Android technology. We understand this phone can no longer be updated by air (OTA) because it’s not from a New Zealand network. If you want to update it, you really have to manually flash Android Nougat to it either via Samsung Smart Switch, or Odin.
  2. We’ve seen some random reboot cases caused by a bad SD card so yeah, you can definitely consider the SD card as a possible cause. Simply reformat it using the S7 in question and observe the phone for a few days to see if it continues to shut down on its own.
  3. As mentioned above, we don’t think this is a firmware issue but so updating Android to the most recent one may not make a difference. We want you to focus troubleshooting the other possible factors though by doing a cache partition wipe, installation of all app updates, and factory reset. Prior to resetting the phone, you can also try to observe the phone in safe mode first to see if a third party app is causing this trouble.

Problem #4: Galaxy S7 edge can’t connect to the internet via mobile data

I have an AT&T unlocked Samsung Galaxy S7 edge phone. I changed the carrier to T-Mobile. The data is not working on the phone. I set the APN to the required one and cleared the cache on the phone. Still data and internet is not working. Please help. Thanks. — Remya

Solution: Hi Remya. Your issue is similar to Colinjbriggs1 above so please refer to our suggestions for him.

Problem #5: Galaxy S7 cannot access company OWA after updating to Android Nougat

After I upgraded to Android seven version, I couldn’t access my company OWA account. The application require me for device administrator activation. However, it prompt me for the device encryption with an option to continue. The whole system was stucked there and not allow me to access to the following page. — Irene

Solution: Hi Irene. This is an issue that only your company’s IT department can shed light on. This can be a phone firmware issue, or a problem with your company’s security policy.

As far as device troubleshooting is concerned, you are only limited to the basic ones such as wiping the cache partition, clearing the email app’s cache and data, and factory reset. If these three procedures won’t help, there must be an external factor that prevents your phone from accessing your company’s email service.

We’ve provided the steps above on how to wipe the cache partition and do a factory reset. If you don’t know how to clear an app’s cache and data, 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 6.0.
  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. These are all clickable items. You’ll want to click on Storage.
  5. You should now clearly see the Clear Data and Clear Cache buttons for the application.

Problem #6: Galaxy S7 can’t make or receive calls

My Galaxy S7 will not make or receive phone calls. The carrier is Straight Talk with service on Verizon towers. This happened before when I was traveling I65 north through Kentucky and is doing the same thing now, again while I’m in Kentucky on i65 north. My phone number is 334-429-1712…HELP PLEASE! — Ricky

Solution: Hi Ricky. We’re afraid there’s nothing that we can do to help except to suggest some basic device troubleshooting such as the following:

  • restart
  • manually changing network modes
  • wiping of cache partition
  • factory reset

The best people that you want to talk about this problem though is your carrier’s technical support team. This is especially true if your phone is showing good signals but can’t avail of voice call service.

Problem #7: Galaxy S7 edge screen is cracked and randomly becomes unresponsive

My Samsung Galaxy S7 edge screen seems to be split with a line about a centimeter from the top bezel and below that line my screen is very twitchy. My screen also only turns on every couple minutes and stays not responsive for several minutes. I haven’t dropped it recently but the screen is cracked. I think it is a software issue. — Satvik912

Solution: Hi Satvik912. There is no software issue that can crack a screen so if you didn’t drop the device ever, you should seriously consider sending it in so the hardware can be checked. The only problems end users can fix on your end are software-related so if you really think software is to blame, do a factory reset. If the screen continues to behave similarly afterwards, let a professional examine your phone so you’ll be advised on what to do next.

Here are the steps on how to factory reset your S7:

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

Problem #8: How to show options to call, mark as read, or reply for SMS in Galaxy S7 lockscreen

Hi. The issue I’m having with my Samsung S7 is I am no longer given the option to reply to a text whenever I get a new message. I use to be able to hit clear, view or reply when I got a message but since the update it’s not even an option in settings anymore. Thanks for your time. — Jenn

Solution: Hi Jenn. If you are missing the options to call, mark as read, or reply to a shown message in your lock screen, that’s because Google did it by design. To show the options, you must tap the shown message in your lock screen and gently pull it down.

Problem #9: How to preview SMS on Galaxy S7 lock screen

Hey, Just like the other people, I can not preview my messages at all. I followed the directions that you gave last time but couldn’t complete them because I do not have a preview button at all. I have look in every setting and it doesn’t exist. What should I do to fix the problem? — Bharper228

Solution: Hi Bharper228. In order to preview an incoming SMS while on the lockscreen, you must do the following steps:

  1. Open Settings app.
  2. Tap Applications.
  3. Select Messages.
  4. Select Notifications.
  5. Tap On lock screen.
  6. Select show content.

Problem 10: GIF option missing on Galaxy S7 Samsung keyboard

I was using my GIF’s last week on my Samsung keyboard and now the option is no longer available when I hold down the Mic Key next to the space bar. I cannot find any options to change to be able to access the GIF’s that are preloaded. I do not want to get an app in the store to support this. I also checked, and my phone says it has the latest updates. — Laura

Solution: Hi Laura. We don’t use GIF that much in our Galaxy S7 but we can’t find the same option you’re missing in at least two of our Galaxy S7 as well. We can confirm that we had GIF option when using Samsung keyboard before so Samsung must have stopped supporting the feature in Android Nougat. We are still looking for a confirmation for this change from other sources so we’ll update this post once we have an accurate information.

As a workaround, try to use another keyboard app that may provide GIF at this time.

 


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