How to fix Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus that freezes for a few seconds randomly (easy steps)

When it comes to performance issues with premium phones like the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus, it is almost certain they’re caused by either the apps in your phone or the firmware. But then again we’re just assuming here because there are other factors we need to consider. That’s the reason why you need to do some troubleshooting procedures even if they’re basic to know what the problem really is.

In this post, I will help you fix the problem with your phone. We will try to consider every possibility and rule them out one after another until we can determine what the real problem is and fix it. I will walk you through in doing some troubleshooting procedures that may fix this problem. So, if you’re one of the owners of this device or any Android smartphone for that matter, continue reading as this article 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 your Galaxy S9 Plus that randomly freezes for a few seconds

Random freezes are a minor issue but you may have to do a couple of procedures to be able to fix it. I will share with you the solution I’ve been using in order to address similar issues. Continue reading to see what works for you…

First solution: Run your phone in Safe Mode

This will temporarily disable all third-party applications and services. The purpose of this procedure is to find out if the problem is caused by a third-party app because if it is, then that makes it a lot easier to fix; you just have to figure out which app causes the problem and uninstall it. Now, here’s how to run your Galaxy S9 Plus in Safe mode:

Turn the device 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.

Continue using your phone in this mode and if the problem is fixed or doesn’t occur anymore, find out which app is causing it 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.
To display preinstalled apps, tap Menu > Show system apps.
Tap UNINSTALL > OK.

Determining which app actually causes the problem could be a challenge so if you’re not sure which one is the culprit, try going after the apps you installed around the time the problem started to manifest. However, if the phone still freezes and lags even in safe mode, then try the next procedure.

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Second solution: Delete the system cache

If you haven’t encountered performance issues before, you may not be able to appreciate the importance of this method but you should know that the system creates small temporary files called cache to make your device run smoother. These files get corrupted more often than you think and when it happens, problems like this may occur. That’s why the first thing you should do when you’re troubleshooting the firmware is to wipe the cache partition:

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.

Your phone will take a little time booting up after the cache partition is wiped off of its contents as it will rebuild or recreate those caches. Continue using your phone and closely observe it to know if the problem still occurs and if it still does, then you really have to reset it.

Third solution: Backup your important files and reset your phone

Any performance related problems that are caused by applications or issues with the firmware can be fixed by a reset. However, make sure that you make a backup of your important files and data especially ones that are saved in your phone’s internal storage because they will be deleted. After the backup, follow these steps to reset your Galaxy S9 Plus and fix the random freezes and lags.

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.

As long as the problem isn’t due to firmware modification of any sort, a reset will fix it. I hope that we’ve been able to help you one way or another. If you still have other concerns you want to share with us, contact us or leave a comment below.

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