How to fix Samsung Galaxy Note FE that keeps freezing and lagging after Android 8 Oreo update (easy steps)

Shortly after Android 8.0 Oreo update was rolled out for the Samsung Galaxy Note FE, we received a barrage of complaints from our readers. Most of those complaints were related to the phone’s general performance. Many have reported that their devices started to freeze and lag after the update. They may still be able to use them but there was a noticeable decline in the performance of the phone. The Galaxy Note FE, previously Note 7, has a pretty impressive hardware specs so it’s expected to work smoothly like other premium phones by Samsung.

In this post, I will walk you through in troubleshooting your Note FE that started to lag and freeze after an update. We will try to determine every possibility and rule them out one by one until we can pinpoint what the problem is. That way, we can try to formulate a solution that may bring your phone to work smoothly as before again. So, if you’re one of the owners of this device and are currently bugged by a similar issue, continue reading as this post may help you one way or another.

Before going further, if you found this post because you were trying to find a solution to your problem, then try to visit our troubleshooting page as we’ve already addressed most of the commonly reported issues with the phone. We’ve already provided solutions to some of the problems reported by our readers so try to find issues that are similar with yours and use the solutions we suggested. If they don’t work for you and if you need further assistance, fill up our Android issues questionnaire and hit submit.

How to fix Galaxy Note FE that keeps freezing and lagging after an update

If you’re positive that the freezes and lags started after an update, then you can fix it on your own and don’t worry, it would be easy. One of the solutions below may be able to help you make your phone work perfectly again…

First solution: Reboot your phone

If you haven’t done it yet, it’s better to begin your troubleshooting with a reboot. It might be the only procedure you need to do to fix this problem. A reboot can refresh your phone’s memory and reload all the basic services. So, before anything else, hit the power key to restart your device. After the reboot, observe your phone closely to know if the freezes and lags still occur and if they still do, then try doing the Forced Reboot:

Press and hold the volume down and power keys at the same time for 10 seconds or more.

If the problem persists after this, then move on to the next procedure.

Second solution: Run your phone in Safe Mode

Rebooting your device in safe mode alone won’t fix the problem but it will tell you immediately if the problem is caused by some apps you installed. In this mode, all third-party apps are temporarily disabled so if one or some of them is causing your phone to lag and freeze, then your device should work properly in this environment. Here’s how you reboot your device in this mode:

Turn the device off.
Press and hold the Power key past the model name screen.
When “SAMSUNG” appears on the screen, release the Power key.
Immediately after releasing the Power key, press and hold the Volume down key.
Continue to hold the Volume down key until the device finishes restarting.
Safe mode will display in the bottom left corner of the screen.
Release the Volume down key when you see Safe Mode.

Assuming that the problem doesn’t occur in this mode, the next thing you should do is find out which app causes the problem and uninstall it.

From the Home screen, swipe up on an empty spot to open the Apps tray.
Tap Settings > Apps.
Tap the desired application in the default list or tap 3 dots icon > Show system apps to display preinstalled apps.
Tap the desired application.
Tap Uninstall.
Tap Uninstall again to confirm.

On the other hand, if the problem continues to bug you even in safe mode or even after uninstall some apps, then you should try the next procedure.

Third solution: Wipe cache partition

This will delete all the system caches which may have been corrupted during the firmware update. We have encountered similar cases in the past that were caused by corrupt caches. You can’t delete individual system cache so you have to delete all caches at once by running the phone in recovery mode. Here’s how you do it:

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 cache partition’.
Press Power button to select.
Press the Volume down key until ‘yes’ is highlighted and press the Power button.
When the wipe cache partition is complete, “Reboot system now” is highlighted.
Press the Power key to restart the device.

If the problem continues after this, then you have no other choice but to reset your phone.

Fourth solution: Backup your files and reset your device

A master reset or factory data reset can be regarded as the last option if none of the given solutions is able to fix the problem and that your Note FE screen flickering issue persists. It might be due to a more complex error in the phone system like bug-triggered firmware crashes that caused you this problem. And the only way to clear these errors is a full system reset. But it’s also worth noting that this reset will result to data loss as it will wipe everything out from your phone system including your personal information, customized settings, downloaded apps and files. That said, creating a backup would be necessary. If you’re willing to take a chance in this method, then back up your files and follow these steps to proceed with a master reset.

Press the Volume Up, Bixby, and Power buttons simultaneously for a few seconds.
When the Android logo appears, release all buttons and wait for the Android recovery menu options to display.
From the Android recovery menu, press the Volume Down key several times to highlight or select wipe data/factory reset option.
Then press the Power button to confirm selection.
Press the Volume Down key until Yes — delete all user data is highlighted.
Then press the Power button to confirm select. This will instigate the master reset.
When the reset is finished, the Reboot system now option is highlighted.
Press the Power button to restart your phone.

Alternatively, you can reset your Note FE through settings. Here’s how:

Swipe up on an empty spot from the Home screen to open the Apps tray.
Tap Settings.
Go to Cloud and accounts.
Tap Backup and restore. Doing so will allow you to create a backup of your important data before wiping them all.
After creating backups, go back to the Settings menu.
Tap General Management.
Scroll to and tap Reset.
Then select Factory data reset from the given options.
Tap Reset to continue.
If prompted, enter your credentials.
Tap Continue.
Then tap Delete all to confirm reset.

Wait until your phone completes the reset and restarts. By then you can proceed with the initial setup process.

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