How to fix Galaxy S9 Plus calling issues: can’t hear other party when both phones are on speaker

Today’s troubleshooting article for the #GalaxyS9Plus talks about calling and sound issues. We cover three cases that we thought are some of the best ones to demonstrate majority of these cases. We hope you’ll find our suggestions helpful.

Problem #1: How to fix Galaxy S9 Plus calling issues: can’t hear other party when both phones are on speaker

I have a had this issue with all Samsung phones calling other Samsung phones on speakerphone. I have noticed, that when I call someone on speakerphone and they answer on speakerphone, they cut out or are impossible to hear. If I hit the mute button, I can hear them clearly.

Also, if I ask them to switch off of speakerphone and I stay on speakerphone, I can hear them. It’s only speakerphone to speakerphone and its been with several models. I’ve had an S6 and now I’m on an S9 Plus and calling out to an S5 and an S7 and the issue happens. I also have a friend who has an iPhone and the problem never happens if he’s on speaker and I am on speaker as well.

Solution: The problem may be firmware- or network-related. If you’ve been on the same network while using other devices that experienced the same issue, the best thing that you can do right now is to report the bug to your network operator or carrier. We can’t replicate your issue in several of our Samsung Galaxy devices so it’s best if you work with your carrier on this one. We don’t think it’s a Samsung issue at all but just to be sure, you can also try to do some basic device troubleshooting on your end before you talk to your carrier.

Cache Partition wipe

All sorts of issues can occur if a device’s cache partition is corrupted. To ensure that your phone has a good working system cache, you can refresh its cache partition with these steps:

Turn off the device.
Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby key, then press and hold the Power key.
When the Android logo displays, release all three keys.
An ‘Installing system update’ message will show for 30 – 60 seconds before the Android system recovery menu options appear.
Press the Volume down key several times to highlight wipe cache partition.
Press Power key to select.
Press the Volume down key to highlight yes, them and press the Power key to select.
When the wipe cache partition is complete, Reboot system now is highlighted.
Press the Power key to restart the device.

Reseat SIM card

One of the basic troubleshooting steps that can be done in this case is to disconnect the SIM card, then reconnect it. Some users were able to fix network issues by doing this simple step. If you are on CDMA network though, this may not work at all, even if your device has a SIM card for 4G LTE connection. Only try this step if you are on GSM network.

Reset network settings

Another good troubleshooting step to do is to clear the device’s network settings. This will force it to reconfigure all cellular network configurations. This will also delete wifi and Bluetooth settings.

If you haven’t tried it yet, follow these steps to delete your S9’s network settings:

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

Factory reset

To address the possibility of a software glitch, you can also try to factory reset the device. Doing so will wipe your files and return all software information to their defaults. If the reason for the problem is a temporary bug, this may help.

To factory reset your S9 Plus:

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.

Work with your network operator

As mentioned earlier, the most likely reason for the issue is firmware (operating system) or network bug. If the device troubleshooting steps above won’t fix the problem at all, be sure to contact your carrier for support. There may or may not be a solution that they can offer but at least they can create a ticket for it. If other subscribers are experiencing the same or similar problems in their network, your ticket should be proof for such a weird bug. If it’s due to a coding bug, they may need to release an update so be sure to also install whatever updates that may become available.

Problem #2: Galaxy S9 Plus Bluetooth issue: car head unit volume won’t work properly

I recently bought a Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus. I also have an old Note 5. When the S9 is connected to my car via bluetooth and is playing music (usually Pandora), the volume knob on my car does not work and I have to adjust the volume using the S9’s volume keys, which is annoying. This does not happen with the Note 5 is connected to my car via bluetooth and playing music, i.e., I can adjust the volume with the knob on the car. Does anyone know how to fix this? I’m not sure it matters, but the car is a 2017 Mercedes GLS450. Thanks in advance.

Solution: If this is an issue with your Galaxy S9 Plus only, the most probable reason must incompatibilty. Your Galaxy S9 Plus has the latest Bluetooth version available so if your car’s head unit is not compatible with it, this can be the cause why the volume knob is not working as expected.

To see if this issue can be fixed, try to update your car’s head unit. If you can’t or don’t know how, call your car dealership to see if they can help. Some head units can be updated so if you happen to have this type, there’s a chance that the problem can fixed easily. If the head unit is already up-to-date, or if there’s no way to update, you’re out of luck. You either need to replace your car’s Bluetooth system, or just accept the fact that you have an issue that’s beyond your ability to fix.

In case you haven’t tried it before contacting us, make sure to delete all Bluetooth pairing from your car and your S9 Plus to see if that will work. This can sometimes work for simple Bluetooth bugs.

Problem #3: Google S9 Plus can’t use custom notifications and ringtone

Hi and thank you for providing this opportunity to have android questions answered! Biggest problem: Can’t change ringtone from T-Mobile jingle. There is a list of ringtones, i can tap and preview, but there is no “DONE” tab or area to select and make the change.

I’m afraid to do a factory reset and lose all the data i worked so hard to transfer over from my old phone. I dont know the android version of this phone either.

Solution: With the latest Android version (Android Oreo), Samsung has removed the support for using custom ringtone and notification sounds for its stock Messaging app. If you want to use custom ringtone or notifications when receiving text message notifications, we suggest that utilize third party messaging apps like Google’s Android Messages or any other third party messaging app.