How to fix a Galaxy J7 wifi not connecting issue [troubleshooting guide]

Despite not considered a high-end phone, the #GalaxyJ7 is generally a bug-free device. With millions of this phone being in active circulation around the world, it surprisingly has low reported issues compared to the more expensive Galaxy S and Note lines. However, the J7 is not perfect as well and one of its common flaws is about its wifi function. There’s a significant number users reporting about their J7 wifi not working properly or at all. To address this issue, we come up with this troubleshooting guide. We hope this will help.

Solution #1: Soft reset

Regardless of the issue you’re having, doing a soft reset must be one of the first things you should try. Some bugs can only run in a temporary state and as long as the current operating system session is up, they may continue to exist. If you haven’t yet, make sure that you simulate a “battery pull” on your J7 device to clear the system and RAM properly. Here’s how to do it:

1. Press and hold the volume down button and don’t release it.
2. Then, press and hold the power key while holding down the volume button.
3. Keep both keys held down for 10 seconds or more.
4. Let the phone restart.
5. Check for the problem.

Alternatively, you can simply turn the phone off and/or remove the battery to achieve the same effects.

Solution #2: Cache partition wipe

Every Android device uses partitions to do tasks efficiently. When it comes to improving loading times of apps, your Galaxy J7 utilizes a special cache called system cache. This cache is basically a set of temporary files like images, links, videos, APKs or app installers among other things. Your device builds up the system cache over time.The items that composed the cache are collected in order for Android to readily access them when they’re needed. This mechanism is more efficient than reloading them from the internet every time. For example, if Android detects that you regularly use Facebook app, frequently needed files and items for this app will kept as part of the system cache so the next time you launch FAcebook, the system no longer needs to get them from the web.

The thing is, the system cache can get corrupted sometimes or outdated. This can cause slow downs instead of speeding up the loading process. In worse cases, other apps may be affected and their functions may not work as intended. To check if you have a cache problem, you need to clear the cache partition. Here’s how:

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 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).
4. Press the Volume down key several times to highlight ‘wipe cache partition’.
5. Press Power button to select.
6. Press the Volume down key until ‘yes’ is highlighted and press the Power button.
7. When the wipe cache partition is complete, “Reboot system now” is highlighted.
8. Press the Power key to restart the device.

Solution #3: Check your wifi connection speed

Sometimes, slow connection problem can be mistaken for no internet connection at all. As you’ve probably realized by now, each of them is different from each other. It’s possible that you’re actually having slow connection issue so be sure to check it if that’s the case. To do that, you need to do a speed test on your device. If you installed a speed test app before like the one from Ookla, run it to see what’s your current wifi connection speed. If you don’t have such an app installed, you can use your web browser and visit any of the speed test sites like speedtest.net or fast.com. If your internet connection speed is way below the normal speed you should be getting, contact your Internet Service Provider so they can help you.

Solution #4: Verify if other devices can connect to the internet on your wifi network

Another simple way to know if you have a wifi issue or a phone issue is to check if another device has a connection when using your wifi. Connect another phone or laptop to your wifi and see if its internet works. If it does, then the problem lies on your phone. If it’s the other way around, talk to your ISP for further support.

Solution #5: Forget wifi connection

If other wireless devices can connect to your wifi but your J7 can’t, you should focus your troubleshooting on your device. One of the best things that you can do then is is to disconnect from your wifi network. It’s done by forgetting your network. To forget your S8 from your wifi network is easy. Here’s how:

1. Pull down the status bar from the top.
2. Press and hold on wifi.
3. Press and hold on the wifi network you’re connected to right now.
4. Select Forget network.

Now that you’ve forgotten the wifi network, connect to it again and see what happens.

Solution #6: Use static IP

In some cases, switching to static IP can fix a wifi bug. By default, wifi connections are set to use DHCP. This procedure requires some knowledge about router configuration though so if you don’t know how to check your router user interface, simply skip it.

If you want to give static IP a try though, here’s how to do it:

1. Pull down the status bar from the top.
2. Press and hold on wifi.
3. Press and hold on the wifi network you’re connected to right now.
4. Select Manage network settings.
5. Make sure that Show advanced options is checked.
6. Under IP settings, select Static.
7. Once you’ve done that, other fields below will become available so you can configure them. These fields include the IP address, Gateway, Network prefix length, DNS 1, and DNS 2.
8. Make sure to enter a valid IP address and Gateway IP.

Solution #7: Use other DNS

Another good thing that you can try in this case is to use another set of Domain Name Servers or DNS. DNS is short for Domain Name Server. Sometimes, if your carrier’s DNS is not working properly, it can cause slow connection problems, or worse, even prevent loading of web pages or apps. Testing for a possible DNS issue can be done easily by loading a website’s IP address instead of its domain. For example, instead of typing Google.com in the address bar, you can substitute it with Google’s IP address (74.125.68.139) instead. If Google website loads when using the IP address, then you have a DNS problem. DNS simply translates the alphabetical domains you type in the address bar into IP addresses so if this translator experiences problems, it may also affect connection performance. To check if you have a DNS problem, you can try to change the DNS 1 and DNS 2 of your device’s wifi settings, just like when you change from DHCP to static.

To change the DNS servers:

1. Pull down the status bar from the top.
2. Press and hold on wifi.
3. Press and hold on the wifi network you’re connected to right now.
4. Select Manage network settings.
5. Make sure that Show advanced options is checked.
6. Under IP settings, select Static.
7. Once you’ve done that, other fields below will become available so you can configure them. These fields include the IP address, Gateway, Network prefix length, DNS 1, and DNS 2.
8. Enter the new DNS servers you want. We suggest that you use Google’s own DNS servers as they more reliable and faster than any other DNS servers out there. For DNS 1, enter 8.8.8.8 while for DNS 2, use 8.8.4.4.

Solution #8: Check for rogue apps

One of the possible causes of your problem is a bad app. Not all apps out there are up to the current standard Google wants so some of them may be problematic when installed. To check if you’ve added a bad app, run your J7 on safe mode. Here’s how:

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. Check for the problem.

Don’t forget that restarting to safe mode is not technically a solution. Instead, it’s a tool that should help you determine whether or not the issue is being caused by an app. If you won’t experience slow wifi connection when on safe mode only, that means one of the apps is causing a problem. In that case, you want to uninstall apps until you’ve identified the culprit. Here’s what you need to do exactly:

1. Boot to safe mode.
2. Check for the problem. If wifi is not slow at all, proceed to the next steps below.
3. Uninstall an app. Start with the most recent ones you installed or updated.
4. After uninstalling an app, restart the phone to normal mode.
5. Check for the problem. If the issue remains, repeat steps 1-4.

Do the cycle until you’ve identified which of the apps is problematic.

Solution #9: Network powercycle

One of the simplest things that you can do in this case is to restart your networking devices in a sequential manner. It often fixes common networking bugs and performance issues. Basically, what you must do is to turn off your modem, router, and connected devices in turn. If you’re using a modem, try to turn it off first, followed by the router, and your phones or gadgets. Then, once everything is off, you want to wait for 30 seconds before turning the modem back on first. Wait until the modem has fully initialized, turn on the router and wait for it to initialize as well. Afterwards, you want to reconnect your wireless devices and check for the problem.

If you don’t have a modem, just restart the router in the same manner.

Solution #10: Reset network settings

One of the most effective ways to fix wifi issues on a Galaxy J7 is to reset its network settings. It basically deletes the current network configuration of your device, including the wifi settings. Once you’ve cleared the settings, there’s a chance that the bug causing your wifi to not work properly may go away too.

To reset the network settings on your J7:

1. Open Settings app.
2. Tap General management.
3. Tap Reset.
4. Tap Reset network settings.
5. Tap RESET SETTINGS button.
6. Restart your S8 and check for the problem.

Solution #11: Factory reset

In most cases similar to yours, there’s no need to do a factory reset at all. But, if the problem still exists at this time, you must be one of the unlucky few who has a more severe form of slow connection issue. Remember, the suggestions above already covered a lot of possible angles, so if nothing has worked so far, then you need to address the chance of a possible operating system problem.

To factory reset your S8, follow these steps:

1. Create a backup of your personal data.
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 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).
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.

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