How to fix screen flickering issue on Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus (easy steps)
The screen flickering issue on your Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus could be just a result of a minor glitch in the system or hardware. Such was the case with some of the issues we encountered with the S9’s predecessors. There were also cases wherein the flickering was due to an issue with the screen. Physical damage is often the cause of any screen-related issues especially if the phone got dropped on a hard surface.
Unless there’s an obvious sign of physical damage when this problem started, we have to assume that it’s just a minor issue with the software either it’s with the an app or the firmware. For a brand new phone, a flickering screen is unusual, so all we have to do is to rule out the possibility that it’s a minor issue with the firmware and after that if the problem continues, then you always have the option to bring it back to the store and have it checked by a technician or have it replaced.
Before going further, if you found this post because you were trying to find a solution to your problem, then try to visit our Galaxy S9 Plus 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.
What to do if your Galaxy S9 Plus has a flickering screen
The following are things you can do about your phone with a screen problem specifically a flickering display. Try to see if one of the solutions will work for you…
First solution: Reboot your phone
I personally encountered a screen flickering issue with one of my phones a few months ago and all I did was reboot it. I knew for a fact my phone didn’t have physical and/or liquid damage and it was the first time the problem actually manifested so I thought it was just a glitch somewhere. It was indeed a glitch because after I rebooted my device, the issue didn’t occur again even until now. That’s what I want you to do first especially if your phone hasn’t been dropped on a hard surface or got submerged in water for a long time.
If the normal reboot couldn’t fix it, try doing the forced restart procedure: press and hold the volume down and power keys together for 10 seconds or more until the device restarts. This is more effective than the normal reboot as it simulates battery disconnect which refreshes your phone’s memory, reloads all core services and functions and close apps running in the background. However, if the problem can’t still be fixed by this, then try doing the next procedure.
Second solution: Run your phone in Safe mode and continue using it
There are also apps that may cause the screen to flicker especially CPU and GPU intensive games. So the next thing you should do is run your phone up in safe mode to temporarily disable all third-party apps because if one of them is causing the problem, it shouldn’t occur while 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.
While the phone is in this environment, continue using it so you can closely observe if the problem is still happening. Assuming it’s fixed, it’s obvious that there’s a third-party app that’s causing it. Find out which app it is and then 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.
You may have to uninstall more than on app to fix this problem so be patient and keen observation is key to resolving this problem.
On the other hand, if the problem is still happening while in safe mode, it means that the problem could be in the firmware. The next two procedures you would have to do is for the system itself.
Third solution: Wipe cache partition
This is to rule out the possibility that the flickering is due to some corrupt system caches. By doing this, you’re deleting all system caches but once the phone reboots after they’re deleted, those caches will be replaced with new ones.
- 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. Don’t be alarmed if the phone gets stuck on the logo for a minute or two after this just don’t turn it off so that what were deleted will be replaced successfully. If the screen flickering continues, then it’s time to reset the phone.
Fourth solution: Backup your files and reset your phone
This the last thing you need to do but if the problem still continues after this, then you really have to bring it back to the store to have it checked and/or replaced. Now, before you actually reset your phone, make sure to backup your files and data as they will be deleted and you may no longer retrieve them if that happens. After the backup, remove your google account from your phone so that the Factory Reset Protection will be disabled and you couldn’t be locked out after the reset.
Here’s how you reset your Galaxy S9 Plus…
- 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.
I hope that this troubleshooting guide can help you one way or another. If you have other concerns you want to share with us, feel free to contact us or leave a comment below.
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