Samsung Galaxy Note 2: Problems, Questions, Solutions, Fixes [Part 1]

We received hundreds of emails asking for solutions to the problems owners experienced with their Samsung Galaxy Note 2. While we want to answer every email we receive, we can’t. Instead, we will write posts like this to answer those emails 10 at a time, so you could expect to be reading articles like this every week. The problems cited in this post are the actual emails we received from our readers.

For those who might also have problems with their phones, feel free to email us at [email protected]. We read every email we receive but we can’t guarantee we could send a response back to those emails. If you want to get updated or if you’re waiting for answers to your questions, please subscribe to our newsletter.

Q1: Dear DroidGuy Team, I hope that you will be doing fine. Couple of days back I bought new Galaxy Note 2 and its screen flickers whenever I switch it on from idle state. I had read that its due to power saving so I tried that too but all in vain and the problem is still there. I am very worried about it. I would like you to please help me out in this issue. Thanks. — Umair

A:  Samsung Galaxy Note 2’s screen flickering problem is actually pretty much common. Disabling the power saving mode is one of the things you could do to actually fix it. As you probably know, high-end phones like this comes with an integrated graphics processor (GPU), in Note 2’s case it’s Mali-400MP. When not in use or if the phone is idle, the GPU runs in a very low frequency to save power especially when the Power Saving mode is enabled. That is why it is logical to turn the mode off. If that doesn’t work, try disabling the Smart Rotation feature: Display > Features > Smart Rotation. If the problem persists after that, try bringing the phone back to the store where you bought it and have it checked or replaced.

Also read: Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Random Screen Movements

Q2: Hey Droid guy, I currently use my gallery photos on the Photo wall as a live wallpaper option on my Note 2… (which is super cool, btw) but since my KitKat update if I restart my phone it reverts back to the stock photos on the phone….any ideas on how to stop this from happening?

A: For problems related to home screens and wallpapers, there’s one thing you could immediately blame when the phone reverts back to its original settings or stock photos–TouchWiz UI. In this case, the most sensible way to troubleshoot it is to clear TW’s cache and data. But I must warn you, doing so will delete all your custom home screens and reverts the phone back to the originals. It could be a compatibility issue between TouchWiz (Samsung’s proprietary skin) and Android 4.4 KitKat.

Q3: Hi, my Galaxy Note 2 shutdown automatically and it blinks when I press Power button. Could you please help? — Amin

A: First, there is no setting that would execute a shutdown command on the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 when the power button is pressed once for a second or two. When you do this, the phone actually goes to sleep or idle state and the screen turns black or turned off. The power button has a lot of functions aside from turning the phone on and off; it is also used to boot the phone into safe mode or recovery mode. That’s the reason why Samsung designed it that a user has to select the whether to turn the phone off or reboot normally or to other modes when it is pressed for more than three seconds. Try pressing the power button, the screen turns off. Then press the power button again, if the screen powers on, the phone didn’t shut down but went to sleep. But if what you’re saying is true, try having the phone checked by a tech.

Read: Quick Tips to deal with Five Common Display issues on Samsung Galaxy Note 2

Q4: Hi, I booted my Galaxy Note 2 to safe mode yesterday. When I booted it up normally, the Safe Mode is still there and I cannot connect to the internet or make phone calls. What do I do to disable Safe Mode? — Stacy

A: Well, it’s not the first time I heard of this problem. Smartphones today are actually, well, smarter. There is this “fail-safe” function that would boot the phone up into safe mode whenever it detects some problems with its core services. More often, this behavior of the phone is caused by a third-party app that may have gone rogue. So, if this problem happened to you after you downloaded and installed apps, try uninstalling those apps while in safe mode and see if that helps. You can also read the post written by my colleague here: Solution to Galaxy Note 2 Problem About Getting Stuck in Safe Mode.

Q5: I have Samsung Galaxy Note 2. It takes too much time to fully charge, approximately 8 hours. I charged this device in switch off condition and uses original charge, battery and cable. Please guide me what should I have to do. And also tell me the exact time to charge the note 2. Thanks. — Yashit

A: Well, 8 hours of charging is pretty much a long time to charge a phone with 3100mAh battery. One of the things I usually check whenever a new phone is available is the information on its charging unit. For Samsung smartphones, the charger would always say it has an output amperage of 2 Amperes. So, it would take about 2 to 3 hours to charge the phone. There are a lot of possible causes to this problem and it might even turn out that only the battery indicator has issues. But here are some of the articles you could read about to try to fix your problem:

• Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Slow Charging Problem [How To Fix]
• Samsung Galaxy S3 Charging Problem When Powered On
• Fixing Samsung Galaxy Note 2 That’s Not Charging [Troubleshooting Guide]
• Additional Solution to Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Slow Charging Problem
• Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Battery Indicator Problem

Q6: I have a quick question. Recently when I receive a call or make a call once the call is active it gets dropped. This is something that just started with my device. I cant understand why after having it almost year that this sort of issue would occur arbitrarily. What would your educated guess be on what the problem would be? Thanks so much. — Laurie

A: First, make sure you are in a place that has good signal; try transferring to an area in your house or office that may have good reception. Try to make a call and see if the problem persists. If it does, call your service provider. I am a technical support representative for a wireless service provider and we have a tool that fixes problems like this. I bet all carriers in the U.S. have a tool like ours so it’s worth calling them first if you currently are experiencing dropped calls. You might hate the idea of waiting on queue and talking to reps like myself but we actually have tools that cover almost all problems in a phone.

Q7: Hello, I have a similar issue with the sound on my Note 2. I don’t find the settings mentioned – on my Verizon version there is no “my device” setting I can see, and the sound options are limited to Stereo and Surround. Am I missing something? Thanks for your time. — Catherine

A: Features vary from carrier to carrier and settings depend on the features that your phone has. I’m not sure which version of Galaxy Note 2 doesn’t have ‘My Device’ setting. But have you updated your phone to the latest Android version? Don’t worry, I will dig more information about this issue and will email you personally when I found solution or explanation.

Q8: I have purchased two Note 2 phones and neither came with headphones. That’s why most people have to buy headphones. What is the best headphones for Note 2 then? — Angie

A: I am curious where you purchased your phones because headphones are supposedly included in “manufacturing costs” of the phone. Well, go back to the store and claim your “free” Samsung headphones. It’s absurd that a high-end smartphone like the Note 2 doesn’t come with free headphones. As to the question on what the best headphones for the Note 2 would be, well, it depends. For me, I use Bluetooth headsets all the time to eliminate compatibility problems between the phone’s receptor. Or, use the original Note 2 headphones that should come with the device in the first place.

Q9: Hello! I am on my 3rd…yes, third USB power cord for my Galaxy Note 2. I’m starting to think it is a deficiency with the phone or battery. The cords were brand new….and after a few months, they quit charging my phone. The first 2 acted in the same manner. At first, there wasn’t a problem. Then I would plug my phone in and….NOTHING. No beep to say charging. No lightning bolt. Nothing. I plugged it in with a different, new, cord and TADA! It charges. — Kristin

A: Well, if the problem was solved after getting your 3rd USB cord, then it might have been the first two cords that have problems after all. However, if the problem comes back every now and then, there could be problems with the charger or the battery. Try connecting your phone to a computer and see if you can transfer data “all the time;” copy files to and from your phone and see if you can do that every time. Now, if that’s not the case, I believe the problem is not with the cord but with the port or receptor on your phone. You need to have it checked by a tech.

Read: Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Problem in Connecting Via USB

Q10: Hi  Droid Guy. My question is why do I only get audio through one side of my earphones. I’ve tried different quality sets and only get slight sounds through  one side, if any. And normal sound through the other, it’s frustrating, this is the second Note 2  I’ve had and both of them have done it. Please help, I love my music, thanks. — Pat

A: My colleague actually answered this problem in this post: Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Audio Problem When Using Earphones. But I want to add a couple of ideas, too. I hope you’re not using apps that serve as audio equalizer because if you are, there could be a setting in that app that could have messed up the ‘balance’ in the left or right earphone. So, check this one first if you have installed audio-related apps in the past. Also, try using the headphone with other music players to know if both the left and right earphones stream the same audio volume. If they do, I bet you’re using a third-party headphones which has compatibility issues with the Galaxy Note 2.

Read: Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Headset / Headphones Not Working [How To Fix]

Engage with us

Feel free to send us your questions, suggestions and problems you’ve encountered while using your Android phone. We support every Android that is available in the market today. And don’t worry, we won’t charge you a single penny for your emails. Email us via [email protected] any time. We read every email but can’t guarantee a response. Lastly, if we were able to help you, please help us spread the word by sharing our posts with your friends or subscribe to our newsletter. Thanks.