How To Fix Note10 Calling Issues After Android 10 Update

There have been complaints from some Samsung Galaxy Note10 owners about their device having calling issues after installing Android 10. Naturally, these people blame the new software right away.

From our standpoint, this may not necessarily be caused by the new Android OS. There can be other factors behind each and every case.

In this troubleshooting post, we’ll explore the other possible reasons for your calling issues.

Causes of calling issues after Android 10

There are many possible reasons for your calling issues. Some of the common ones we identify include the following:

  • Minor Phone app bug
  • Network-side glitch
  • Poor or weak signal
  • Corrupted system cache
  • Unknown software bug
  • Bad third party app
  • Incompatibility issue
  • Coding error

Solutions to calling issues after installing Android 10

Below are the potential solutions that you need to do to fix your calling issues.

Check other services (to see if they’re affected too)

Other network services like texting and mobile data runs on the same facilities as calling services. If these two services are not working normally as well, there may be an issue on the network-side.

Try checking how the signal bar indicator behaves. If there’s poor or weak signal, even if you’re in a known, good spot, that can be another sign of a network problem.

If you are inside a building, try moving out to a more open space where the signal is strong and see if that will fix the problem.

If you are travelling and in a less densely populated area, the signal may be weak and not strong enough to support voice calling. Wait until you reach a city or area with higher population and check the signal again.

Reboot device and refresh the system

This is a basic troubleshooting step and one that can likely fix the issue without asking you to do complicated things. Any electronic device can benefit from a system restart so be sure to do this at this point.

Try restarting your Note10 normally first by pressing the Power button to access the boot menu. Then, select Restart option and see if that works.

Another way to restart the device is by pressing and holding the Volume Down button and the Bixby/Power key at the same time for 10 seconds or until the device’s screen turns on. This simulates the effect of having disconnected the battery from the device. If this works, this may unlock the device.

If doing the regular restart won’t help, then try this:

  1. Press and hold the Volume Down button first and don’t release it.
  2. While holding it down, press and hold the Power key.
  3. Keep both keys held down for 10 seconds or more.

The second restart procedure tries to simulate the effects of removing the battery pack. On older devices, disconnecting the battery is often an effective way in fixing unresponsive devices. If nothing changed though, proceed to the next suggestions.

Rebooting your device regularly at least once every week can be beneficial. If you tend to forget things, we suggest that you configure your phone to reboot on its own.

You can schedule it to do this task.

To set up Auto-Restart on Galaxy Note10:

  1. Open Settings app.
  2. Tap Device Care.
  3. Tap the 3-dot at the top.
  4. Select Auto restart.

Fix calling issues by troubleshooting Phone (Dialing) app

If you have calling issues after updating to Android 10, the cause of that may be the Phone or Dialing app that you’re using. Since most Samsung Galaxy owners use the default Phone app for calling services, this guide will walk you through on what you need to do for this app.

If you’re using a third party dialing app, that’s fine too. You can still follow the same exact steps to do the following:

  • Force quit app
  • Erase app cache
  • Reset to defaults
  • Update the app

Force quit Phone app

Just like in rebooting the device, restarting the app can be an effective way to get rid of bugs. A device reboot does not refresh the apps running in the background so you’ll need to manually close Phone app then re-open it. If you haven’t tried this yet, be sure to do this now. Below are the two ways to force quit an app.

Method 1: Close an app using Recent Apps key
  1. On your screen, tap the Recent Apps soft key (the one with three vertical lines on the left of the Home button).
  2. Once the Recent Apps screen is shown, swipe left or right to look for the app. It should be here if you managed to run it previously.
  3. Then, swipe up on the app to close it. This should force close it. If it’s not there, simply tap the Close All app to also restart all apps.
Method 2: Close an app using App Info menu

Another way to force close an app is by going within the app’s settings itself. It’s a longer way compared to the first method above but it’s equally effective. You want to use this method if you plan on doing other troubleshooting for the said app like clearing its cache or data. Here’s how it’s done:

  1. Open Settings app.
  2. Tap Apps.
  3. Tap the More settings icon (three-dot icon, upper right).
  4. Tap Show system apps.
  5. Find and tap the app.
  6. Tap Force Stop at the bottom.

Clear Phone app cache

If Phone app is still crashing, the new Android 10 update on your Note10 may not be entirely to blame. Sometimes, some app issues are caused by a corrupted cache within the app itself. This happens if there’s a sudden system-wide change like an update, or if the app has not been updated for a long time.

Should a forced app reboot won’t help, the next good thing that you can do is to delete the cache of the app.

To clear an app’s cache:
  1. Go to the Home screen.
  2. Tap Apps icon.
  3. Open Settings app.
  4. Tap Apps.
  5. If you’re looking for a system or default app, tap on More settings at the upper right (three-dot icon).
  6. Select Show system apps.
  7. Find and tap the appropriate app.
  8. Tap Storage.
  9. Tap Clear Cache button at the bottom.

Reset the Phone app

This one is going to return the settings of the app to its factory defaults. This is often effective in fixing problems if a recent app update is causing a problem.

To clear an app’s data:
  1. Go to the Home screen.
  2. Tap Apps icon.
  3. Open Settings app.
  4. Tap Apps.
  5. If you’re looking for a system or default app, tap on More settings at the upper right (three-dot icon).
  6. Select Show system apps.
  7. Find and tap the appropriate app.
  8. Tap Storage.
  9. Tap Clear Data button.

Reinstall the app

If the app in question did not come pre-installed, meaning it was not included in the original set of apps, you can reinstall it instead of clearing its data.

Below are the steps to delete or uninstall an app on Galaxy Note10:
  1. From a Home screen, swipe up or down from the center of the display to access the apps screen.
  2. Open Settings app.
  3. Tap Apps.
  4. Ensure All is selected (upper-left).  If necessary, tap the Dropdown icon (upper-left) then select All.
  5. Locate then select the appropriate app. If system apps aren’t visible, tap the More options icon (upper-right) then select Show system apps.
  6. Tap Uninstall to delete an app.
  7. Tap OK to confirm.

After you’ve deleted the app, make sure that you restart the phone before reinstalling it.

Update Phone app

Part of your app troubleshooting for this situation is to ensure that the Phone app is fully updated. If you deleted the app’s data, make sure that you manually check for an update.

Here’s how:
  1. Open Phone app.
  2. Tap More settings icon (three dots in the upper right).
  3. Tap Settings.
  4. Tap About Phone.
  5. Tap Update button. If there’s no available update button, that means that the app is fully updated.

If you continue to have calling issues, just ignore this suggestion and proceed to the next.

Check for modem firmware updates

In some rare cases, voice calling or texting issues may be caused by a fault in a device’s firmware. If the issue is affecting a significant number of customers, a carrier will usually release an update for the firmware to fix the problem. This takes the same form as any system update so if there’s any available update in your notification bar right now, be sure to install it right away.

Lessen bugs by updating all apps

Keeping your apps up-to-date is just one way of minimizing the chances of having problems in your device. Many Android users don’t usually check for app updates after an Android OS update, which can be a mistake. Outdated apps may encounter bugs with the new software as soon as you begin using them.

If your Note10 has calling issues right after an Android 10 installation, it’s not a bad idea to ensure that you update the rest of your apps.This is to make sure that the apps are in their latest version to work with the new Android 10.

To check for Play Store app updates on your Galaxy Note10:

  1. Open Play Store app.
  2. Tap More settings icon at the upper left (three-horizontal lines).
  3. Tap My apps & games.
  4. Tap Update or Update All.

If you are on Cellular Data connection, we suggest that you update via wifi only to avoid additional charges. This is for you to avoid unnecessary data charges.

To update apps via wifi only:

  1. Open Play Store app.
  2. Tap More settings icon at the upper left (three-horizontal lines).
  3. Tap Settings.
  4. Tap App download preference.
  5. Select Over wifi only (select Over any network if you don’t have wifi).
  6. Tap Done.

Make sure to also keep your apps updated all the time by enabling auto-update option. This is going to save you time if you are the type who is constantly on the go.

To enable auto app update:

  1. Open Play Store app.
  2. Tap More settings icon at the upper left (three-horizontal lines).
  3. Tap Settings.
  4. Tap Auto-update apps.
  5. Tap Over wifi only (select Over any network if you don’t have wifi).
  6. Tap Done.

If you have apps taken from outside the Play Store, you may need to update them by installing an updated APK. Work with the app developer to know exactly what to do.

Reset network settings

Some calling and texting problems are caused by incorrect network configuration. This can happen from time to time after a system wide change like an update. Some bad apps may also change some settings in the background. If you have calling issues following an Android 10 installation, try to reset the device’s network settings.

This is how it’s done:

  1. On the Home screen, tap Apps icon.
  2. Open Settings app.
  3. Tap General management.
  4. Tap Reset.
  5. Tap Reset network settings.
  6. Tap Reset settings to confirm.

Troubleshoot the SIM card

If calls are still not working, the next good move for you is to troubleshoot the SIM card. There are three basic things that you can do:

  • Reseat the SIM
  • Clean the SIM
  • Replace the SIM

Reseat the SIM card

Removing the SIM card from the device sometimes fix some types of network issues. Be sure that you do this as well.

You want to turn off your Note10 first before you take out and insert the SIM card in.

Clean the SIM card

Before you put the SIM card back in, be sure that you wipe it with clean, soft cloth. If the copper connectors are rusty or dirty, make sure that you wipe them clean.

Replace the SIM

Some carriers offer free replacement of SIM cards. If you suspect that there’s a SIM problem and you have an opportunity to get a free replacement without changing your number, go ahead and do so.

Ensure default apps are enabled (Reset app preferences)

All apps don’t work alone. Each one needs another app or service in order to perform tasks. This is no different for the Phone app. Sometimes, a default app that’s required by another app may be disabled by mistake by a user, or by another app. At times, system-wide changes like when installing a new update may affect some apps.

To ensure that all default apps needed by your system are enabled, follow these steps:

  1. Open Settings app.
  2. Tap Apps.
  3. Tap on More settings at the upper right (three-dot icon).
  4. Select Reset app preferences.
  5. Restart your device and check for the problem.

Refresh the system cache

If you noticed that your calling issues started after Android 10 update, the system cache may had been corrupted. Major software updates can sometimes lead to this situation.

To check if you have a bad system cache issue, you can clear the cache partition where this cache is stored. This will delete the current cache. Your device will rebuild this cache over time.

Clearing the system cache won’t delete your personal data.

Follow these steps to clear the cache partition:

  1. Turn off the device.
  2. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby / Power key.
  3. When the green Android logo displays, release both keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
  4. The Recovery screen menu will now appear. When you see this, release the buttons.
  5. Use the Volume Down button until you are highlighting ‘Wipe cache partition.’
  6. Press the Power button to select ‘Wipe cache partition.’
  7. Use Volume Down to highlight Yes.
  8. Press the Power button to confirm the action to clear the cache.
  9. Wait for a second as the system wipes the cache.
  10. Press the Power button again to reboot the device. This will return the device to the normal interface.
  11. That’s it!

Fix calling issues by checking for rogue apps

One other possible reason why you are unable to make or receive calls on your Note10 is a bad third party app. To check if that’s the case, you can boot the device to safe mode.

In this mode, all third party apps are blocked (greyed out) so they can’t run. If Instagram runs normally and won’t crash on safe mode, that means that you have a bad app at hand.

To restart to safe mode, follow these steps:

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

Don’t forget: safe mode blocks third party apps but it won’t tell you which of them is the real cause. If you think that there’s a rogue third party app in the system, you must identify it. Here’s what you need to do exactly:

  1. Boot to safe mode.
  2. Check for the problem.
  3. Once you’ve confirmed that a third party app is to blame, you can start uninstalling apps individually. We suggest that you begin with the most recent ones you added.
  4. After you uninstall an app, restart the phone to normal mode and check for the problem.
  5. If your Galaxy Note10 is still problematic, repeat steps 1-4.

Wipe software and restore to defaults (Factory reset)

If you retain your calling issues even after doing everything above, there may be an unknown software bug in Android 10 that causes it. In this situation, you’ll have to perform a factory reset. This is often effective in fixing problems with software-related causes. At this time, we can assume that the issue is within the device so returning the software to its defaults may probably help.

This reset will erase your personal data such as images, videos, documents, contacts, etc., so be sure to back them up ahead of time.

Below are the two ways to factory reset your Galaxy Note10:

Method 1: How to hard reset on Samsung Galaxy Note10 via Settings Menu

This is the easiest way to wipe your Galaxy Note10. all you have to do is to go under Settings menu and follow the steps below. We recommend this method if you have no trouble going under Settings.

  1. Create a backup of your personal data and remove your Google account.
  2. Open Settings app.
  3. Scroll to and tap General management.
  4. Tap Reset.
  5. Select Factory data reset from the given options.
  6. Read the information then tap Reset to continue.
  7. Tap Delete All to confirm action.

Method 2: How to hard reset on Samsung Galaxy Note10 using hardware buttons

If your case is that the phone is not booting up, or it boots but Settings menu is inaccessible, this method can be helpful. First, you need to boot the device to Recovery Mode. Once you successfully access Recovery, that’s the time that you begin proper master reset procedure. It may take some tries for you before you can access Recovery so be patient and simply try again.

  1. If possible, create a backup of your personal data ahead of time. If your problem prevents you from doing that, then simply skip this step.
  2. Also, you want to make sure that you remove your Google account. If your problem prevents you from doing that, then simply skip this step.
  3. 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.
  4. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby / Power key.
  5. When the green Android logo displays, release both keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
  6. The Recovery screen menu will now appear. When you see this, release the buttons.
  7. Use the Volume Down button until you are highlighting ‘Wipe data/factory reset.’
  8. Press the Power button to select ‘Wipe data/factory reset.’
  9. Use Volume Down to highlight Yes.
  10. Press the Power button to confirm factory reset.
  11. Follow the rest of the instructions to finish the task.

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 Get help from us

Having Issues with your phone? Feel free to contact us using this form. We’ll try to help. We also create videos for those wanting to follow visual instructions. Visit our Youtube page for troubleshooting.


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