How To Fix Samsung Galaxy S9 Not Downloading Group Text Messages After Software Update

Welcome to another installment of our troubleshooting series where we aim to help our readers who own the #Samsung #Galaxy #S9 fix the issues that they are experiencing with their phone. This a a flagship device released last year which is popular among consumers due to the number of excellent features that it has. Although this is a solid performing device there are instances when certain issues can occur which we will be addressing today. In this latest installment of our troubleshooting series we will tackle the Galaxy S9 not downloading group text messages after software update issue.

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How To Fix Samsung Galaxy S9 Not Downloading Group Text Messages After Software Update

Problem: Samsung S9 phone.  Samsung recently did a forced software update overnight (02/01/19).  Hate it when that happens. Now some text messages come in as in this example: No Subject; Message size: 2KB; Expires: 10:20 AM, Feb 8.  There is a link with an arrow pointing down. When I click on the arrow, I get the message “Error: Network error occurred.” This seems to be happening only on messages to/from group addressees.  Other messages from senders to my single address seem to be working fine. My phone is on Xfinity Mobile. I took it by an Xfinity store yesterday, spent an hour waiting around while they tried to find the issue and finally left with a case # and the promise that someone would call me back within 72 hours. Please let me know if you need additional info.  Any help appreciated.

Solution: Before performing any troubleshooting steps on this phone it’s best to make sure that it is running on the latest software version. If an update is available then I suggest that you download and install it first.

Since the problem only occurs when receiving a group message then you should make sure that you have an active mobile data subscription. The phone should also have a strong mobile data signal.

It’s also likely that the APN setting of the phone got deleted during the software update. Try checking if your phone has the correct Xfinity APN settings.

To access the phone APN:

• From the Home screen, swipe up on an empty spot to open the Apps tray.
• Tap Settings > Connections > Mobile networks > Access Point Names.
• If available, tap the Xfinity APN
• If not available, tap ADD.
• Verify and update the following settings for the Data APN:

The Xfinity APN Settings are as follows:

• Name: Xfinity Mobile
• APN: COMCAST.RSLR.VZWENTP
• Proxy: Not Set
• Port: Not Set
• Username: Not Set
• Password: Not Set
• Server: Not Set
• MMSC: Not Set
• MMS Proxy: Not Set
• MMS Port: Not Set
• MCC: 311
• MNC: 480
• Authentication Type: Not Set
• APN Type: default
• APN Protocol: IPv4
• APN Roaming Protocol: IPv4
• Bearer: Unspecified
• MVNO Type: None
• MVNO Value: Not Set

Once your phone has the correct APN settings try to check if the issue still occurs. In case it does then proceed with the troubleshooting steps listed below.

Perform a soft reset

The first thing you will have to do in this case is a soft reset which is usually done when a phone becomes unresponsive but is also recommended in this particular case.

• Press and hold the Power and Volume down key for up to 45 seconds.
• Wait as the device restarts.

Once the phone restarts check if the issue still occurs.

Clear the cache and data of the text messaging app

There are cases when corrupt data within the text messaging app can cause this particular issue. If this is the case then clearing the cache and data of this app will help.

• 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.
• To display preinstalled apps, tap Menu > Show system apps.
• Tap Storage > CLEAR CACHE > CLEAR DATA > DELETE.

Check if the issue still occurs.

Check if the issue occurs in Safe Mode

There are instances when an app you downloaded and installed in the phone could be causing this problem. To check if this is the case you will need to start the phone in Safe Mode since only the pre-installed apps are allowed to run in this mode.

• Turn the phone off.
• Press and hold the Power key past the model name screen appearing on the 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.
• When Safe mode appears in the bottom left corner of the screen, release the Volume down key.

In case the issue does not occur in this mode then it’s likely that the problem is caused by an app you downloaded. Find out what app this is and uninstall it.

Wipe the cache partition of the phone

The phone system cached data is used to speed up the access to your phone apps. Sometimes this data can get corrupted which results in issues occurring on the device. To check if a corrupted cached data is causing the problem you will need to wipe the cache partition of the phone from the recovery mode.

• Turn off the phone.
• 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 keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
• Press the Volume down key to highlight “wipe cache partition.”
• Press the Power key to select.
• Press the Volume down key to highlight “yes” 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.

Check if the issue still occurs.

Perform a factory reset

One last troubleshooting step you should consider is a factory reset. This will revert your phone back to its original factory condition. Make sure to backup your phone data before doing the reset as it will be deleted in the process.

• Turn off the phone.
• 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.

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