How to fix Galaxy S9 not getting text message from one contact issue

Sometimes, text messages may not arrive as expected. There are many factors that might cause such a problem. In this post, we show you how to troubleshoot your Galaxy S9 that does not receive SMS from one contact only.

Problem: Galaxy S9 unable to receive text message from one contact

I have just purchased a new samsung S9 and discovered I am not receiving all my text messages. I have tried opening in Safe Mode and still unable to receive a text from one of my friends, despite the fact she is receiving mine and replying. I read your solution and it mentioned identifying an app I may have uploaded that may be interfering however I don’t know how to work out if an app is doing this. Please help. Many thanks.

Solution: Knowing if an app is blocking a message from one contact is simple. You just need to restart the phone to safe mode and check if the problem occurs. If you are positive that that contact did send you a message while your S9 is on safe mode and nothing reaches you, then it’s not a third party app issue. There must be something else other than a bad app causing it.

Unable to receive SMS from an iPhone?

Did you recycle your current phone number when you switch from an iPhone to Android? If the answer to that is yes, then the most probable reason for your problem is the fact that your friend may be sending a text message via iMessage. This is only possible of course if he or she is also an iOS user. If this is the case, you need to deregister your number from Apple’s iMessage service first. Texts thru iMessage uses Apple’s own proprietary messaging system and if your number is still registered for it, all incoming messages from iPhones or other iOS devices will be sent to your iMessage account. By deregistering, those incoming text messages will then be routed to regular cellular network.

Check for blocks

Another possible reason why you are not receiving a text message from a single contact may be the fact that said number is blocked. This can unintentional on your part so what you can do is to check your messaging app. If you’re using the stock Samsung Messages app, here’s what you can do to check:

Open Samsung Messages app.
Tap More settings icon at the upper right (three-dots).
Tap Settings.
Tap Block numbers.
Check for the numbers you blocked and see if one of them is the contact you’re not getting messages from.
Return to the previous menu and this time, tap Block phrases.
Check for the items in the list and see if there’s anything associated to the contact in question.
Return to the previous menu and this time, tap Block messages.
Check for the items in the list and see if there’s anything associated to the contact in question. To unblock a number sending a message, tap on EDIT > select the messages in question > Tap More settings at the upper right > Select Unblock number. If you want to restore a message so it goes back to your inbox, just tap and hold it, then Tap More settings, and hit Restore.

The steps above only applies to Samsung Messages app. If you’re using a non-Samsung app, go under its settings and look for similar steps to unblock a number or contact.

Delete old conversation

If you were able to text without issue this contact previously, it’s possible that there’s a problem with old thread, or your messaging app is running out of space. To address both possibilities, delete the old conversation you have with this contact as well as other non-essential threads to make space. Then, send another text message to the contact and check for the problem.

Delete cache of messaging app

There may be an issue with the cache of the messaging app you’re using. To check that out, follow 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 S9 and check for the problem.

Return messaging app to defaults

One other possible solution to try at this point is by restoring the default settings of the messaging app. This is often effective when there are issue receiving and sending texts or MMS. The steps below will delete your conversations so be sure to back them up ahead of time. If you’re using the Samsung Messages app, you can use Samsung’s Smart Switch app to store your messages to your computer. Or, you can back them up in the cloud using Samsung’s cloud account. You can check out Settings > Cloud and accounts > Backup and restore > Back up data.

Once you’ve taken care of your backup, revert the messaging app to its defaults with 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 messaging app.
Tap Storage.
Tap Clear data button.
Restart your S9 and check for the problem.

Reset app preferences

Resetting app preferences is oftentimes overlooked in many Android troubleshooting articles but when it comes to an issue like yours, it might help a lot. It’s possible that one or some of your default apps may not be set correctly, causing this glitch to occur. Because there’s no way to know if this guess is true, what you need to do is to simply ensure that all default apps are turned on. Here’s how to do that:

Open Settings app.
Tap Apps.
Tap on More settings at the upper right (three-dot icon).
Select Reset app preferences.
Restart your S9 and check for the problem.

Factory reset

Try to wipe your phone and return all software settings back to their defaults with a factory reset. This is an inevitable solution that you should do if all our suggestions above won’t help. To factory reset your S9:

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.

Use another messaging app (optional)

This is an optional solution that you can do if factory reset won’t restore the normal function of the messaging app. There are many free messaging app that you get from the Play Store. A good app to try first is Google’s own Android Messages app.

Get help from your carrier

All the suggestions that precede this are meant to address any possible bug or problem on the device. However, if nothing has worked so far, we highly suggest that you work with your network operator so they can, in turn, help you troubleshoot further.