How to fix Galaxy Note8 notification issues: ringtones and notification sounds not working

Hello and welcome to another #GalaxyNote8 troubleshooting article. We’ve decided to address one common question we receive about notifications not working after an update. We also answer two other related issues so hopefully you find this post helpful.

Problem #1: How to fix Galaxy Note8 notification issues: ringtones and notification sounds not working

My phone will not ring. It just vibrates when I have an incoming call. I was told to adjust the ring tone on the phone /contacts screen as well as settings. I’ve done both. Somehow it automatically changes back to silent. I also have a RING doorbell and I do not receive notifications from it either and the ring tones are set correct within that app as well. I just connected my FITBIT and it too will not get notification when I get a call. I was finally able to get it to chime when I receive a text message. I had to go to the text screen and in setting to choose the tone for that and it worked. It’s just so very frustrating when I continually miss calls. Please assist if you can.

Solution: With Android Oreo, notifications no longer work exactly the same as in Android Nougat. If you nominated custom or non-default tones for your notifications, they may no longer work. Make sure that you use system or default tones that came with the operating system.

Reset app preferences

If you’ve already tried using default or system ringtones or notifications sounds before contacting us, then you need to do more troubleshooting steps to fix the issue. The first of such steps is to reset app preferences. This will ensure that all default system apps are enabled. Here’s how to do that:

Open Settings app.
Tap Apps.
Tap More settings (three-dot) icon at the upper right.
Tap Reset app preferences.

Reset all settings

If resetting all app preferences won’t help, the next troubleshooting step that you want to do is to return all software information back to their defaults. This is usually an effective way to fix unexplained bugs caused by incorrect system settings. Here’s how to do that:

From the Home screen, swipe up on an empty spot to open the Apps tray.
Tap General Management > Reset settings.
Tap Reset settings.
If you have set up a PIN, enter it.
Tap Reset settings. Once complete a confirmation window will appear.

Clear data of BadgeProvider app

BadgeProvider app is one of core system apps in Samsung devices that manages notifications, among other things. Sometimes, corrupted data of this app may lead to notifications to mess up. To see if the issue is caused by bad BadgeProvider app, here’s what you need to do:

Open Settings app.
Tap Apps.
Tap on More settings at the upper right (three-dot icon).
Select Show system apps.
Find and tap your app.
Tap Storage.
Tap Clear Data button.
Restart your Note8 and check for the problem.

Factory reset

Lastly, you need to wipe the phone to revert all settings and software information to their factory state. This troubleshooting step will erase all your files so be sure to back them up ahead of time.

To factory reset your Note8:

Create a backup of your data.
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.

Problem #2: What to do if Galaxy Note8 date and time are not working properly

The Android update that installed last night transported my phone into the future. The calendar date is now August 28 and the time is behind 1.5 hours. I am unable to glean a lot of information from it and I’m a very techy person, which is even more frustrating. The system updates says “Software updated to G930VVRS4CRG2 – Applied August 28, 2018 at 12:46 AM” Many of my apps are now malfunctioning. A synch with central time clock still gives the incorrect time. Any assistance is appreciated! BTW, your dropdown box doesn’t give S7 as an option so I selected S8.

Solution: Try restarting the phone to safe mode and observe how system time and date works. In this mode, no third party apps will run. If one of your apps is causing the problem, system time and date should work properly.

To restart your Note8 to safe mode:

Turn the device off.
Press and hold the Power key past the model name 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.
Safe mode will display in the bottom left corner of the screen.
Release the Volume down key when you see Safe Mode.
Check date and time. If it’s incorrect, change it under Settings > General management > Date and time. Be sure to use the Automatic date and time option so the phone uses the network date and time.

Remember, your goal in restarting your device to safe mode is to check if a third party app is causing the trouble. Make sure to let the phone run in this mode for some time to notice any difference. If date and time works normally in safe mode but goes back to their problematic state once you boot back phone to normal mode, you can bet there’s a bad app causing it. To identify which of your apps is causing the trouble, you should boot the phone back to safe mode and follow these steps:

Boot to safe mode.
Check for the problem.
Once you’ve confirmed that a third party app is to blame, you can start uninstalling apps individually. We suggest that you begin with the most recent ones you added.
After you uninstall an app, restart the phone to normal mode and check for the problem.
If your Note8 is still problematic, repeat steps 1-4.

Problem #3: Galaxy Note8 Samsung apps not working

Hello there, I am contacting from Mongolia, (i chose US because there were no option for Mongolia, if you could add Mongolia, many would appreciate). To the main thing.

I own samsung galaxy Note8. Samsung apps, like, samsung pay, samsung health etc, are not working. Besides that I have no other issue.

Also how can I update my android version to the latest, tapping system updates does not show any reaction at all. Appreciations, Kind Regards.

Solution: First, you want to make sure that you’re logged in to your Samsung account. Be sure to go under Settings > Cloud and accounts > Accounts to do this. If you’re not logged in, this may be the reason why your Samsung apps are not working as expected. Make sure to log out and log back in.

Clear cache and data of apps

If you’re already signed in to your Samsung account, the next troubleshooting step for you would be to clear the cache and data of your apps in question. Refer to the steps above on how clear an app’s cache or data.

Reset all app preferences

Open Settings app.
Tap Apps.
Tap More settings (three-dot) icon at the upper right.
Tap Reset app preferences.

Wipe the phone with factory reset

If both suggestions won’t work at all, then make sure to factory reset the device. This will force the phone to return all software information to their factory state. Refer to the steps below on how to factory reset your Note8. Again, be sure to back your files before doing this solution.

From a Home screen, swipe up or down from the center of the display to access the apps screen. These instructions only apply to Standard mode and the default Home screen layout.
Go to Settings.
Tap General management.
Tap Reset.
Tap Factory data reset.
Review the info then tap RESET. If presented, enter the current PIN, password or pattern.
Tap DELETE ALL. Allow several minutes for the factory data reset and reboot processes to complete. If applicable, set up your device.

For your second question, the answer depends on your device and whether or not you’re using it in its home network. If you have a carrier-branded Note8 but uses it in a different network, you can’t update its software over said network. That’s because each carrier has its own firmware version. So, for example, if you have a Verizon Note8 but uses it on AT&T, you won’t be able to receive any update notifications from AT&T at all. If you wish to update the firmware, you have to do it manually. The procedure to do that is called flashing. It’s a risky procedure and can potentially brick your device if not done properly. Be sure to do some research before doing it.

If your Note8 is running on the network it’s build to work with, then you can either wait for the latest update or you can contact your carrier to get information relating to your question.