How to fix Galaxy S7 bug that blocks Whatsapp sound message notifications

Like any other apps, Whatsapp is not immune to bugs. Today’s troubleshooting guide will help fix a reported trouble with Whatsapp as experienced by one Android user in his #GalaxyS7. We know that there was a reported hitch with this app as well about a month back but Facebook confirmed that it was already fixed in an update. The new issue we will tackle below is either an isolated case or a newly emerging one. If you’re having trouble with your own Whatsapp app, make sure to take a glimpse of our solutions below.

Problem #1: Galaxy S7 won’t boot up after installing Android Oreo

My Samsung Galaxy S7 non-edge recently received a notification asking me to install Android 8.0 Oreo (my phone was originally Vodafone but has since been unlocked). I installed the update but now my phone won’t boot up, it’s stuck on the “Samsung” screen. I’ve tried to soft reset it but to no avail, it won’t even bring up the system recovery options. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. — Calum

Solution: Hi Calum. Normally, carrier-branded phones like your S7 from Vodafone have a system in place to prevent installation of OTA (over-the-air) updates when being used in anohter network. If your S7 downloaded and installed a non-Vodafone firmware, that’s not only weird but can also be very risky. That is also the most probable reason why your device no longer boots up normally at this time. We can’t say for sure why it continued to install the non-Vodafone firmware but if it did occur, the only possible solution that you try is to manually install the stock Vodafone firmware. This means that you’ll need to flash the original firmware that came with the device when you got it from Vodafone. While this may possibly resolve the issue, it will also lock the phone back to Vodafone network. Be ready to unlock the phone again after you flash the stock firmware.

Flashing a stock firmware can be done without rooting the device so what you need right now is a good guide on how to do it. You can look for reputable flashing guides from web sites like XDA Developers Forum. Don’t forget, flashing is a risky procedure. If not done correctly, it may brick your phone for good. Do it at your own risk.

Problem #2: How to fix Galaxy S7 bug that blocks Whatsapp sound message notifications

For the last couple of days, my Whatsapp app stopped making notification sounds when I receive a whatsapp message. The settings for notification sound is ON, including in whatsapp settings. I get notification sound for all my other apps, excluding whatsapp, even after updating the app to the latest version. It does however ring if I get a telephone call on whatsapp.. only for messages there is no sound. How can I fix this? — Eddie

Solution: Hi Eddie. There’s a number of possible causes why Whatsapp does not display its message notifications. Let’s deal with them one by one.

Verify if Whatsapp is permitted to show notifications under Android settings

The first thing that you want to do in this case is to ensure that you do set the app notification settings correctly. If you’re positive that Whatsapp’s message notification are already set up correctly under its own settings menu, it’s time to also check the Settings under Android. Here’s what you need to do:

Open Settings app.
Tap Apps.
Find and tap Whatsapp.
Make sure that Allow notifications is enabled by sliding it to the right.
Check if Show silently is enabled or not. If this option is enabled, this is the reason why you won’t be getting any notifications when there’s incoming Whatsapp messages. Be sure to turn it off.
If you want to show message notifications when your phone’s screen is locked, select Show content under On lock screen.
If you regularly use Do not disturb, message notifications from apps may be blocked. To ensure that Whatsapp message notifications will be allowed, enable Set as priority.

Clear Whatsapp cache

If doing our first suggestion above won’t work, the next good thing to do is to clear the app cache. Outdated or corrupted app cache can sometimes result to app not working properly. Be sure to clear your Whatsapp cache by following these steps:

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 Cache button.
Restart your S7 and check for the problem.

Clear Whatsapp data

Should clearing your app’s data won’t work at all, the next good thing to do is to delete its data. By doing this you’re basically reverting the app to its factory version and logging your account out. Here’s how to do clear Whatsapp data:

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 S7 and check for the problem.

Reset app preferences

Apps need other apps and services in order to work. Sometimes, important apps may be disabled by a user intentionally or by mistake, causing a chain of issues when other apps are used. To ensure that all necessary default apps are up, try to reset all app preferences by following these steps:

Open Settings app.
Tap Apps.
Tap on More settings at the upper right (three-dot icon).
Select Reset app preferences.
Restart your S8 and check for the problem.

Reinstall the app

In many app-specific cases, reinstalling the app usually fixes problems. If you haven’t tried reinstalling Whatsapp yet, we strongly recommend that you do. To do that, just go to your home screen, press and hold Whatsapp, and drag it to Uninstall portion at the top. Alternatively, you can use Play Store app to remove it from your phone.

Some Galaxy S7 phones may include Whatsapp as a pre-installed app, or as part of Facebook app so you can only disable it. To disable Whatsapp:

Open Settings app.
Tap Apps.
Find and tap your app.
Tap DISABLE.
Tap Disable to confirm.

Report the bug

Should all our suggestions above won’t work, you can report the issue to Whatsapp developer team by opening your WhatsApp app > Menu Button > Settings > About and help > Contact Us.

When reporting the trouble, make sure to be as detailed as possible. Try to include the changes you’ve made prior to noticing the problem as that might help Whatsapp engineers narrow down the possible causes.