How to fix your Galaxy S9 that won’t install apps and Google account won’t sync

Welcome to another troubleshooting article for this day! In this post, we cover four #GalaxyS9 issues reported to us by some of you. If you have a similar experience to one of the cases mentioned below, be sure to also check the troubleshooting steps included in the problem descriptions so you can try them as well.

If you are looking for solutions to your own #Android issue, you can contact us by using the link provided at the bottom of this page. When describing your issue, please be as detailed as possible so we can easily pinpoint a relevant solution. If you can, kindly include the exact error messages you are getting to give us an idea where to start. If you have already tried some troubleshooting steps before emailing us, make sure to mention them so we can skip them in our answers.

Problem #1: Galaxy S9 Plus won’t turn off, randomly restarting on its own

Galaxy S9 Plus turning off on it’s own with battery fully charged.  Powers down when it goes to sleep. If I keep using it, it is ok. Does the same in safe mode.  Soft reset, no good. Wiped the cache partition, same thing. Backed up, factory reset, reloaded.  Now it does not power off, but it keeps rebooting on its own. Put it in safe mode, monitoring. Please advise?  Frustrated, getting weak, almost ready to sell out and go back to the dark side….. (Apple) :0 Thank you. 

Solution: Majority of software-related issues in Samsung Galaxy devices are fixed by a factory reset. Because we don’t know the full history of your device and the current state of its hardware, you can assume that the issue may not be fixable on your end. It can be firmware coding issue, which you can’t do anything about, or an unknown hardware malfunction. It’s our first time to encounter this issue on an S9 so it’s also safe to say that it may be an isolated one. The most that you can do now is to check if the issue occurs even when there are no third party apps installed after a factory reset. Try wiping the phone again thru factory reset and let it run for a few days without adding any app. If the problem remains in that state, there’s nothing more that you can do. We suggest that you contact Samsung so they can look into this unusual case.

Problem #2: How to fix Galaxy S9 Bluetooth issue: won’t allow music control when connected to in-vehicle Bluetooth

My Samsung Galaxy S9 connects to the Bluetooth in my Toyota however as of a few days ago I can no longer control my music through my car. I cannot fast forward songs using my steering wheel as I had been able to in the past, I can do it through my phone but not the controls and the car. I have attempted to on peer the device and also restart both the phone and the system in the vehicle but I am still having issues. My iPhone’s connect and work just fine. Again to be clear it is connecting in the music is coming through however I cannot use the controls in the car only the phone.

Solution: Bluetooth issues are mostly due to incompatibility. Such situations occur after a phone has been updated with the latest operating system. Some system updates upgrade Bluetooth support in phones leaving older systems found in vehicles incompatible. Because in-vehicle Bluetooth usually don’t get updates as often as other portable gadgets like phones, incompatibility issues tend to become permanent. Some of these incompatibility issues can be as simple failing to pair or connect while others entail total loss of a major function.

When faced with Bluetooth issues, there’s only so much that an end user can do. The most common troubleshooting step that must be done first is to see if re-pairing the devices help. If you haven’t tried it yet, make sure to delete all pairings in both systems before reconnecting.

If re-pairing won’t work, you can then attempt to update your in-vehicle Bluetooth system. Some car manufacturers may use Bluetooth that can be updated (most remain as they are though). Try checking with your car dealership if there’s a way to do that. You can also try to consult your car’s manual to see if there’s a way to remotely update your car’s Bluetooth.

If both troubleshooting won’t work, or if you’ve already tried them ahead of time, you’re out of luck. Unlike the software in your phone, Bluetooth code in gadgets are designed to remain as they are so tweaking them, aside from their usual settings menu (if available) is impossible. Try working with your car dealership to get options for an upgrade, or you can use other smartphones that may still be fully compatible.

Problem #3: How to fix your Galaxy S9 that won’t install apps and if Google account won’t sync

Hello. I have been experiencing problems with my Samsung Galaxy S9.  It started with applications which would stop working. When I uninstalled them and wanted to re-install them the Google Play Store would give me information that “There is no device.” Just a couple of days ago I got notification to update Viber, and when I wanted to do that I wasn’t able and got “Error retrieving information from server. [RH-01]. I lost all my apps (Uber, Via, Viber) and can’t re-install/update them.  

Also, the google account can’t sync.  I am using AT&T and people at the shop couldn’t help me. It looks like nobody knows what the problem is.  

Solution: The cause of the problem is probably related to your Google account. Here’s what you need to do to check:

Verify your Google account

First, you want to ensure that you can log in to your Google account. Open a web browser and sign in to any Google service such as Gmail. Make sure to use the same account in your phone.

Delete and add Google account in device

Once you’ve verified that you are able to sign in to your Google account, delete your Google account from your phone by following these steps:

1. Open Settings app.
2. Tap Cloud and accounts.
3. Tap Accounts.
4. Tap your Google account that you want removed.
5. Tap Remove account button.

After deleting the account, restart the phone and add it back.

1. Open Settings app.
2. Tap Cloud and accounts.
3. Tap Accounts.
4. Tap Add account.

Delete data of Google Services Framework app

If re-signing to your Google account won’t help, clearing the data of an important Google app called Google Services Framework may do the job. To clear an app data, follow these steps:

1. Open Settings app.
2. Tap Apps.
3. Tap on More settings at the upper right (three-dot icon).
4. Select Show system apps.
5. Find and tap your app.
6. Tap Storage.
7. Tap Clear Data button.
8. Restart your S9 and check for the problem.

Reset all software to defaults

If all else fail, don’t hesitate to do a factory reset. Doing so will force all software information to be returned to their defaults. Be sure to back all irreplaceable personal data first before doing it.

1. Turn off the device. This is important. If you can’t turn it off, you’ll never be able to boot to Recovery Mode. If you are not able to shut the device off regularly via the Power button, wait until the phone’s battery is drained. Then, charge the phone for 30 minutes before booting to Recovery Mode.
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 data / factory reset’.
5. Press Power button to select.
6. Press the Volume down key until ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted.
7. Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
8. When the master reset is complete, ‘Reboot system now’ is highlighted.
9. Press the Power key to restart the device.

Problem #4: How to fix Galaxy S9 texting issue: cursor jumps randomly when texting, sent messages disappear after sending

After recent software update, phone has been all kinds of weird. While texting, the bar will randomly find a new spot and next thing i know , im texting in the middle of what was previously texted. Very huge delay in button response before words even show up. As if a ghost is typing instead. Lastly, after sending messages and it shows its sent, i would close it go back in and my messages that i sent will no longer be there. None of this has ever happened. Its highly annoying already.

Solution: Sorting issue on text messaging apps can happen if the system date and time are incorrect. Be sure to use your network’s date and time or set the correct date and time on your device manually to resolve the problem.

If the problem remains after you’ve set the correct date and time, there may be a bug with the text messaging app. Return it to its default settings by clearing its data. Refer to the steps above (Problem #3) on how to delete an app’s data.

Another good troubleshooting step to do in this situation is to clear the device’s settings. This is a good step to try before doing the more drastic factory reset. To clear all settings on your S9:

1. Open Settings app.
2. Tap General management.
3. Tap Reset.
4. Tap Reset settings.
5. Tap RESET SETTINGS button to confirm.
6. Restart your S9 and check for the problem.

Some app bugs may take time to get fixed. To see if the problem lies on the text messaging app itself and clearing its data won’t resolve it, try using another messaging app. There are many such apps that you can install from the Play Store. Google’s own Android Messages is a good one to start with.

Finally, if the problem persists after doing all the suggestions above, you should try a factory reset. Refer to the steps above on how to wipe your S9.

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