How to fix a Samsung Galaxy Note 8 that keeps losing signal (easy steps)
Network problems including intermittent network connection or signal drops can occur to any device at any time. Problems like this are usually inflicted by network errors from base towers or network systems on your carrier’s or service provider’s end. Environmental factors like tall building structures and distance from the network tower can also cause pertinent issues. But in most cases, signal drops in smartphones are attributed to software glitches. Just like what has occurred to some devices after installing new updates. Some updates may contain bugs that would cause network functions to become unstable or erratic. Device issues including network errors that are attributed to the software can be resolved at home. Highlighted in this context are possible solutions and suggested workarounds that can be used to deal with a relevant issue on the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 smartphone. Feel free to refer to these walkthroughs whenever you will encounter the same problem in which your Note 8 keeps losing signal due to software errors.
Before anything else, if you have other issues with your device, try to browse through our troubleshooting page as we’ve already addressed several issues with this device. Odds are that we’ve already published a post that tackles similar problems. Try finding issues that have similar symptoms with what you currently have and feel free to use the solutions we’ve suggested. If they don’t work for you or if you still need our help, then fill up our questionnaire and hit submit to contact us.
First solution: Reboot your Galaxy Note 8 (soft reset).
One of the first steps in troubleshooting software-related issues in mobile devices is a soft reset. It can resolve issues like random crashes, device locks up, unresponsive apps and other relevant symptoms without affecting data and personal information stored on your phone. Here’s how it’s done:
- Press and hold the Power button until the Power off prompt shows up.
- Tap Restart from the menu options.
- Tap Restart again to confirm.
Give your phone up to 90 seconds to complete the reset. After that, check and see if your phone is already getting stable signal.
RELEVANT POSTS:
- Why is my Samsung Galaxy Note 8 unable to open or view email attachments and how to fix it? [Troubleshooting Guide]
- How to fix Galaxy Note8 that has “Network not available, but please try again later” error
- How to fix Samsung Galaxy Note 8 WiFi that keeps dropping / disconnecting (easy steps)
- Why does my Samsung Galaxy Note 8 won’t connect to Wi-Fi and how to fix it? [Troubleshooting Guide]
- How to fix your Samsung Galaxy Note 8 that keeps prompting a SIM card not inserted error (easy steps)
Second solution: Boot into safe mode and diagnose apps.
Booting into safe mode can help you determine if the problem is caused by third-party apps. Safe mode puts your device in a diagnostic state or default settings, allowing you to determine if a third-party app is causing your device to keep losing signal. Here’s how to enable safe mode on your Galaxy Note 8:
- Press and hold the Power button until the Power off prompt appears on the screen.
- Touch and hold the Power off option until the Safe Mode appears and then release.
- Tap Safe Mode to confirm.
- The process may take up to 45 seconds to finish so just wait patiently. Upon reboot, a Safe Mode label appears in the bottom left corner of the Home screen. This means that safe mode is activated.
With safe mode enabled, test your device and app functionality. If the problem does not occur or your device is not losing signal while running in safe mode, then it means a third-party app is the trigger. Try to recall which app you’ve installed recently or before the problem started. You may need to uninstall that app to fix the problem.
Third solution: Remove and reinstall SIM card.
Signal drops can also be attributed to SIM card issues and likewise can be resolved by removing the SIM card from your phone. Here’s how it’s done:
- Power off your device. Removing the SIM card while the device is turned on may damage the SIM card or the device itself.
- With your phone turned off, insert the insertion/removal tool (or a paperclip) into the provided slot to loosen and pop the tray out.
- Gently remove the card tray with your phone display facing up.
- Remove the SIM card from the tray by carefully lifting it. You can use the opening on the opposite side of the tray to dislodge it.
- Examine the SIM card for any visible signs of damage like scratches or dents. If there’s none, insert the SIM card back into the tray with the gold contacts facing down.
- Ensure the card fits into place.
- Insert the card tray then press in on the tray to lock it into place.
Turn on your phone when again and see if that fixes the problem.
Fourth solution: Reset network settings on your Galaxy Note 8.
The problem can be remedied by resetting network settings on your phone. This is usually needed if your device started to experience signal drops following a new software implementation or update. Some updates may tend to override settings automatically including network options, which then could lead to certain errors. To rule this out, you can perform a network settings reset to clear all your network settings and then reconfigure options manually. Here’s how:
- Swipe up or down from the center of the Home screen to access the apps screen.
- Tap Settings.
- Tap General Management.
- Tap Reset.
- Select the option to Reset network settings.
- Review the message then tap Reset settings to continue.
- If prompted, enter your device password, PIN or pattern.
- Then tap Reset Settings to confirm.
Wait until the reset is finished and your phone restarts. You will need to set up and connect to your Wi-Fi network afterwards.
Fifth solution: Reset your Galaxy Note 8 to factory defaults (master reset).
If the problem persists and you already run out of options, then you may consider opting for a master reset to wipe everything from your phone system including bugs and malware that might have caused you this problem. Don’t forget to back up all important data beforehand as they will also be wiped out in the process. Whenever you’re ready, follow these steps to reset your Galaxy Note 8 to its factory defaults:
- Swipe up or down from the center of the Home screen to access the apps screen.
- Tap Settings.
- Tap General management.
- Tap Reset.
- Select Factory data reset from the given options.
- Review the information then tap Reset to continue.
- If prompted, enter your device credentials.
- Tap Delete All
- Wait until the factory data reset is finished and your phone reboots.
After it reboots, set up your device as new. Oftentimes, complex software issues including the ones associated with network functions are resolved after performing a factory data reset. If the problem continues, then your device needs service.
Seek further assistance
Contact your carrier or network service provider for further assistance and recommendations if your Galaxy Note 8 continues to lose signal or signal drops. Network problems on your carrier’s end or network provider including outages can also be the underlying cause so you can ask them to check their outage board or system for that matter. If the problem started after installing a new software update and it persisted, then you may also escalate the issue to Samsung Support so that they can make further assessments to consider it among other post-update issues to address in the next update.
Connect with us
We are always open to your problems, questions and suggestions, so feel free to contact us by filling up this form. This is a free service we offer and we won’t charge you a penny for it. But please note that we receive hundreds of emails every day and it’s impossible for us to respond to every single one of them. But rest assured we read every message we receive. For those whom we’ve helped, please spread the word by sharing our posts to your friends or by simply liking our Facebook and Google+ page or follow us on Twitter.
You may also check out these posts:
- What to do with your new Samsung Galaxy Note8 with a screen flickering issue [Troubleshooting Guide]
- How to fix Galaxy Note8 if touchscreen is slow or unresponsive to touch or S Pen (randomly showing touches)
- “Unfortunately, Camera has stopped” error keeps popping up on Samsung Galaxy Note 8 [Troubleshooting Guide]
- How to fix Samsung Galaxy Note8 that keeps showing “Unfortunately, Messages has stopped” error [Troubleshooting Guide]
- Samsung Galaxy Note 8 keeps popping up “Unfortunately, Phone has stopped” error [Troubleshooting Guide]