How to fix Galaxy S9 Plus won’t receive calls issue (calls won’t go through)

As detailed below, this post is about a Galaxy S9 Plus being unable to receive calls even when there’s good signal strength. If you encounter the same problem, learn how to deal with it below.

Problem: Galaxy S9 Plus won’t receive calls

I have an international Galaxy S9+ (model SM-G965F/DS) on T-mobile.  Occasionally people who try to call me report that they get an error message (this number is not in service) or the call will simply not go through.  I have observed this on occasion when trying to call it from my home’s landline. The phone is showing pretty good coverage (3 out 4 bars) but the call will not go through.  A few minutes later things may be just fine and calls we be received correctly without moving locations. I suspect some problem with the radio chip on the international version of the phone but I am not sure how to go about fixing it (if possible).  Thanks for any tips.

Solution: This concern happens from time to time but it’s a long shot to know the reason for a particular case. That’s because there’s a lot of moving parts involved in this problem. Yes, there’s a chance that it may be caused by your device’s modem but there’s no way directly check that. As an end user, you are limited to doing only the basic troubleshooting steps. That said, below are the possible solutions that you can try to lessen the chances of this issue from occuring again.

Restart the phone regularly

Restarting your device at least once a week can be beneficial for the system. Sometimes, bugs may develop if a phone has run non-stop for a long time. These bugs are usually temporary and may go away once a phone has been restarted. If you haven’t tried this one yet, here are the steps that you can do:

1. Press and hold the Power + Volume Down buttons for approximately 10 seconds or until the device power cycles. Allow several seconds for the Maintenance Boot Mode screen to appear.
2. From the Maintenance Boot Mode screen, select Normal Boot. You can use the volume buttons to cycle through the available options and the lower left button (below the volume buttons) to select. Wait for up to 90 seconds for the reset to complete.

Clear the cache partition

Just as regularly restarting the device has its benefits, wiping the cache partition can help too. The internal storage of your device is divided into partitions to allow tasks to be done efficiently. When it comes to loading apps or services, Android users previously indexed files calles system cache to do it faster. At times though, the system cache may become corrupted or outdated after an update or after doing some system changes. Problems can happen and in some cases, regular tasks may become slow or glitchy. To ensure that your device’s system cache is in good shape, you want to regularly clear the cache partition where it’s stored. Here’s how it’s done:

1. Turn off the device.
2. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby key, then press and hold the Power key.
3. 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).
4. Press the Volume down key several times to highlight ‘wipe cache partition’.
5. Press Power button to select.
6. Press the Volume down key until ‘yes’ is highlighted and press the Power button.
7. When the wipe cache partition is complete, “Reboot system now” is highlighted.
8. Press the Power key to restart the device.

Install updates

Some network bugs are only fixed by updates. As bugs become known, carriers or developers may release patches to fix them. If you’ve been holding updates off for whatever reason, make sure to try and install them as soon as possible. This is true for both your apps and Android Operating System. Sometimes, a device’s modem firmware (baseband) may also be updated but such changes are usually bundled with regular Android updates. This is a key reason why you want to keep the system running the latest available version at all times.

Reseat the SIM card

Temporarily disconnecting the SIM card may sometimes help in fixing network problems. If you haven’t tried it yet, make sure to do so at this point. To prevent corrupting network data, make sure that your phone is OFF before you take out the SIM. The same should be true when you insert it.

Reset network settings

This is a staple troubleshooting step for any networking issue. Be sure to do this before contacting your carrier. This step will do the following:

• Stored Wi-Fi networks will be deleted.
• Paired Bluetooth devices will be deleted.
• Background data sync settings will be turned on.
• Data restrictive settings in applications that were manually turned on/off by the customer will be reset to the default setting.
• Network selection mode will be set to automatic.

These are the steps to reset your network settings:

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

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:

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

Factory reset

In general, factory reset is a good overall solution for minor and sometimes major software problems. You want to wipe your device with this solution if you nothing has worked at this point.

Here’s how it’s done:

1. Create a backup of your data.
2. Turn off the device.
3. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby key, then press and hold the Power key.
4. 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).
5. Press the Volume down key several times to highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset’.
6. Press Power button to select.
7. Press the Volume down key until ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted.
8. Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
9. When the master reset is complete, ‘Reboot system now’ is highlighted.
10. Press the Power key to restart the device.

Talk to your network operator

In some instances, reporting a particular network trouble to a network operator can help. The  more customers report the same or similar issues, the more likely that it will be noticed by carriers. While not the most direct way to solve this problem, you may actually be doing good for you and other users by telling your carrier about this odd issue. Remember, they may not recognize it or even acknowledge the problem but it’s worth giving a try.

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