How to fix a Samsung Galaxy A8 2019 smartphone that cannot make or receive phone calls [Troubleshooting Guide]

Many factors can affect calling functions on the phone. From account issues to network problems, invalid settings to faulty updates. All these are deemed among the underlying causes. Oftentimes, the problem is attributed to software errors. In worst case scenarios, a faulty hardware is to blame like bad SIM card or damaged SIM tray, antenna, and other relevant components on the device. Tackled in this context is a pertinent issue transpiring on the new Samsung Galaxy A8 2018 smartphone. Read on to find out what do if ever you cannot make or receive phone calls on this new Samsung device. I’ve mapped out a few helpful workarounds for you to try on before rushing to a service center. Feel free to refer to these walkthroughs when needed.

Before we proceed, if you’re looking for a solution to a problem with your phone, try to browse through our troubleshooting pages to see if we support your device. If your phone is in the list of our supported devices, then go to the troubleshooting page and look for similar problems. Feel free to use our solutions and workarounds. Don’t worry it’s free. But if you still need our help, then fill up our Android issues questionnaire and hit submit to contact us.

First solution: Quit the Phone app then restart your device.

If this is the first time you encounter problems in making or receiving phone calls on your Galaxy A8 2018 smartphone, then it’s likely a random glitch affecting the phone app. If that is so, you can try forcing the phone app to close and then restart your phone. Doing so will clear the app and phone system from any minor errors and glitches that might have halted the phone’s calling functions from working as intended. Here’s what you should do then:

  1. Launch the Recent Apps menu on your phone. A list of recently used apps will then show up.
  2. Find Phone from the app then swipe up to close.
  3. Do the same to the rest of the background apps.

After quitting the Phone app and any background applications, restart your device to clear the phone system and refresh the internal memory for smoother and better performance. Here’s how:

  1. Press the Power button until the menu appears and then tap the option to Power Off. After 30 seconds, you can press the Power button again until the device restarts.
  2. Alternatively, you can just press and hold the Power button and the Volume Down button on the side until the phone restarts.

Restarting the phone (soft reset) does not affect any data stored on the internal memory, hence won’t result to data loss.

Second solution: Wipe cache and data on your phone’s system partition.

Temporary files and data that are saved as cache in the phone’s system folders can also cause pertinent issues especially when they get corrupted. This is why it’s recommended to clear cache and data regularly. If you haven’t yet done it, then follow these steps to wipe cache and data from your Galaxy A8 2018’s system partition:

  1. With your device powered off, press and hold the Volume Up and Power buttons simultaneously for a few seconds.
  2. Release the buttons when the Android bot image appears and the phone loads in Android Recovery mode.
  3. Press the Volume Down button several times to scroll to and highlight Wipe Cache Partition from the given options then press the Power button to confirm selection.
  4. Wait until the phone has finished wiping cache from the system partition. You will then see the Reboot system now option highlighted.
  5. To restart your device, press the Power button.

Wait until the phone has finished restarting and then try to make a test call to see if it now goes through.

Third solution: Manage network settings.

Sometimes, the problem is due to invalid network settings and options selected. This is likely the case if you happened to modify something on your device incorrectly and that might have adversely affected the phone’s calling functions and relevant services. To rule this out, you can reset network settings on your Galaxy A8 2018 smartphone to restore the default network settings and values. This however will delete your Wi-Fi networks, Bluetooth and server settings on your device, so you’ll need to set them up again afterwards. Here’s how it’s done:

  1. Tap Settings from the Main Menu.
  2. Scroll to and tap General Management.
  3. Tap Reset.
  4. Select Reset Network Settings from the given options.
  5. Read the information and then tap the Reset Network Settings button to continue.
  6. Then tap Reset settings to confirm action.

After the network settings reset, reboot your phone to apply the changes and clear any glitches from the phone system. Then do a test call to see if it is already working as expected.

Fourth solution: Update your device software to the latest version available.

Software updates not only offer new features and enhanced functions but also contain fix patches to address existing device issues that are attributed to software bugs and malware. If bugs and malware are halting your phone from processing phone calls, then installing a new software update will likely fix it. To check for software (Android) update available for your device, follow these steps:

  1. Go to Settings.
  2. Tap About device.
  3. Tap Software update.
  4. Tap Update now or Download updates manually.

Before you download and install any update, back up your data for safekeeping. This is to ensure you won’t lose any personal information in the process. Also make sure that your phone is connected to Wi-Fi Internet and has enough power and memory space to continue with the update.

Fifth solution: Remove and reseat the SIM card on your phone.

Removing the SIM card can also help when dealing with problems on network-related services. It’s another way of restarting the phone’s network functions and likewise, ensuring that everything is good with the SIM card and the SIM card tray. SIM card issues like damaged cards or card tray are also among the possible reasons as to why calling functions aren’t working on the phone, so make sure you have that one checked as well. Here’s how it’s done:

  1. Turn off your phone completely.
  2. Insert the ejection pin into the tiny hole to loosen the tray.
  3. Gently pull out the tray from the slot.
  4. Remove the SIM card from the tray.
  5. Examine the SIM card and tray for any signs of damage like scratches or dents. If everything looks good, then place the SIM card back on the tray with the gold contacts facing downwards.
  6. Gently press the SIM card to the tray to secure it.
  7. Insert the tray back into the tray slot. Be sure to fully insert the tray back into the tray slot to prevent the liquid from enter the device.

When everything is secured in place, turn on your phone and then try to do a test call to see if the problem is resolved.

Other options

If you still cannot make or receive phone calls on your Samsung Galaxy A8 2018 smartphone after exhausting all possible solutions on your end, contact your network service provider or carrier to report the issue for further assistance and recommendations. Also verify that your account and service status are good. Sometimes the problem could be tied to account issues that need to be settled. You can also ask them to check their outage board for any ongoing outage that might have affected network-related services in your place.

Alternatively, you can take your device to a Samsung service center nearby and have it examined by an authorized technician for any indications of physical or liquid damage. Doing so will help rule hardware damage out from the underlying causes.

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