Hello and welcome! Today’s troubleshooting article addresses #GalaxyS9Plus calling issues. We know that many people are having a hard time with their S9 devices when using it for voice calling so we address some of the specific issues in this post. We’ll be doing similar posts in the coming weeks so be sure to revisit our blog.
Problem #1: Galaxy S9 Plus calls keep dropping
The S9 plus call drop is widespread and is not a network issue. Please note that this is neither an isolated issue. I have had it for 40 days now. People are on their 3-7th replacements. As per our discussions it seems that the S9 and S9 Plus are having compatibility issues with the network here. For example in australia the s9 plus is working fine with the telstra network but drops call on almost every other network. Not everyone is facing the issue but there are many many like me. Please refer the link below. https://eu.community.samsung.com/t5/Galaxy-S9-S9/S9-speaker-phone-cutting-out-on-call/td-p/451835/page/59. — Div Jyot Singh
Solution: Hi Div. Calls can drop for different reasons. This issue can also occur in whatever phone or operating system so isolating the causes is really the main hurdle in addressing it. Since the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus were released, we’ve been getting anecdotal reports about calls being dropped on this device but even until now, we still can’t establish a pattern. We’ve contacted Samsung about it and so far they’re yet to comment on the issue. We understand some users affected by the issue would like Samsung to help them out but we don’t think it’s a phone issue at all. While we can’t totally eliminate the possibility that there may be some S9 devices with defective radios or network defect, historical data from years of experience would tell us otherwise. Based on our years of experience dealing with calling problems, 95% of documented cases are caused by network issues. This means that almost all of the problems are fixed after working with operators or carriers.
Common causes of call drop issues include the following:
- inefficient tower switching
- no signal or poor cellular reception
- signal interference
- outages or unplanned maintenance
- SIM card-related glitch
If you’re positive that you’ve already eliminated these possible causes (by working with your carrier), then that’s the time that you should consider troubleshooting the phone for phone-side causes. To help you, kindly refer to our previously posted troubleshooting guide for the S9:
How to fix Galaxy S9 that keeps dropping calls [troubleshooting guide].
Keep in mind that we don’t work for Samsung and our data regarding defective Samsung devices are limited to our own collection and research methods. If you want to officially get an answer from Samsung, you must contact them directly.
Problem #2: Galaxy S9 dropping calls after network upgrade
Dear Sir, I’m experiencing severe connection problems and dropped calls with my unlocked Samsung Galaxy S9 after T-Mobile upgraded their towers. However, I have no issues with using Internet. Display shows 4G icon but there is no LTE sign. The phone software is up-to-date. It is set up to LTE etc. mode and connects to T-Mobile network but the signal bar is extremely low, if there at all. I rebooted the phone several times but it did not resolve the problem. At the T-Mobile store they offered to purchase a new phone… of course. I’m a medical interpreter, and having a good working phone is extremely important. Thank you in advance! Best Regards. — Leonard. [email protected] Prologue
Solution: Hi Leonard. As much as we would like to help, your case appears to be network-related so the best team that can help you is your operator only. You should ask them if the area where you spend most of your day is still affected by the upgrade. If that’s the case, the only thing that you can do is to wait until all services are back to their normal working condition.
If you can’t get a straight answer from your carrier about the status of their network services, you can try to borrow a different SIM (for another network like AT&T) from a friend (if your S9 is unlocked) and see how calling works. If the problem is non-existent when using another SIM of another carrier, that means that your carrier is probably still upgrading and their services are not fully up yet.
Keep in mind that most carriers still use 2G and 3G for voice calling services. Even if your phone detects that 4G or LTE network is up and running, 2G or 3G may actually be experiencing problems at this time. Unless you use VoLTE, voice calling will still be routed to older network modes and will continue to have problems unless T-Mobile fixes their issues.
To ensure that your S9 is properly configured to switch to older networks modes during voice calls, consider resetting its network settings. Here’s how:
- Open Settings app.
- Tap General management.
- Tap Reset.
- Tap Reset network settings.
- Tap RESET SETTINGS button.
- Restart your S9 and check how it works during calls.
Problem #3: Galaxy S9 can’t make calls or send texts at random
Hello. So this just happened out of the blue a few days ago. My phone had no issues outside of storage issues every once in a while (some apps couldn’t run because I had no room on my phone), but otherwise no problems. Now however, my phone will not send texts or make phone calls. Half the time it says “emergency calls only (and this is in places I had service before). The other half of the time it looks fine but won’t send texts and will drop the call before it even rings (it won’t even tell me I don’t have service, it just never connects the call). Half the time, the call/text will drop but I’ll still be able to browse the internet, the other half of the time everything shuts down (no internet, no calling, wifi works but nothing relating to my service does). A restart fixes everything. Emergency calls only goes away, phone will send texts and calls, data comes back and I can browse back to full speed. While I am using my phone this is not a problem. Calls won’t drop, and if I’m actively texting, messages will go through. This usually happens when I’m not using my phone for say like an hour or so. If I only browse without text/call, I lose that. If I text/call but don’t browse, I lose my browsing. Restarting is the only way to fix this. It’s very annoying, and I don’t understand why I have this issue. It doesn’t appear to be a service issue since everything works while I am using it, and I don’t know if it’s a phone issue, since restarting my phone fixes everything. Any ideas? Anyone else have this issue? Also, I have Walmart Family plan with T-mobile. — Sam
Solution: Hi Sam. For a case that shows multiple related symptoms like the ones you have, it’s best if you can factory reset the phone right away. Doing so will save you a lot of time and effort since there’s no clear pattern from where we can base our troubleshooting. By wiping the phone and returning its software to defaults first, you can have a baseline from which to compare each succeeding troubleshooting steps that you’ll do. We know for a fact that a factory state software have limited to no network issues at all. So, if the problems you mention here today won’t occur once you’ve returned the software to its defaults, that means one of the following is true:
- there’s a bad third party app involved
- a software bug developed overtime causing the problems
- a bad network configuration was present
To factory reset your S9 Plus:
- Create a backup of your personal data.
- From the Home screen, swipe up on an empty spot to open the Apps tray.
- Tap Settings > Cloud and accounts > Backup and restore.
- Tap the following sliders to desired setting: Back up my data, Automatic restore.
- Tap the Back key (bottom right) until you reach the main Settings menu.
- Tap General Management > Reset > Factory data reset.
- Scroll to the bottom of the screen, then tap RESET > DELETE ALL.
- If you have screen lock turned on, enter your credentials.
- If prompted to verify your Samsung account, enter the password, then tap CONFIRM.
- Wait for the device to finish the reset sequence.
If the issues continue after resetting your S9 (and even when there are no third party apps installed), that can mean that you have a bad phone. It’s radio may need a firmware update so if there’s a pending update at this time, make sure to install it. If you’re lucky, it may bring a fix. Otherwise, you need to let Samsung check the device so they can determine whether it can be repaired or replaced.
Problem #4: Person on other end can’t hear when using Galaxy S9 for calls
Hi. I have a problem with phone calls. I can hear the person on the other end perfectly fine, but sometimes they can not hear me at all. I’ll be talking and it will go silent on their end. This happens on both calls that I make and receive. I found somewhere online that it may be the proximity sensor, but I can’t find where to turn that off on my Samsung S9. Can it be turned off on this phone? Do you have any other ideas/suggestions? My carrier is US Cellular. Thank you for your help! Erin_krueger
Solution: Hi Erin. The proximity sensor determines when your device turns the screen or not during calls and has nothing to do with how sound is handled. It’s a sensor found at the top near the ear speaker. During calls, it detects whether your face is nearby or not. If it is, it tells the screen to turn off to avoid accidental screen inputs (touches). The main reason why your voice fades or becomes non-existent during calls may be one of the following:
- faulty microphone
- a software error
- unknown network bug
To check if your S9 has a microphone problem, you want to record yourself speaking for a couple of minutes. Here’s how:
- Find and open Samsung Voice Recorder app.
- Tap the red Record button to start recording. Try to speak to your phone as if you’re in a call for a few minutes.
- Tap Stop (square) button.
- Save the recording.
- Listen to the recording you just created and see if you there are stretches of silence. If there is, then that means you have a defective microphone.
If the recording appears normal, try resetting your network settings and do a factory reset (steps provided above). If the problem persists after that, consider sending the phone in to Samsung so it can be repaired.