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What to do about your Samsung Galaxy Note8 with a screen flickering issue [Troubleshooting Guide]

Even the premium phones like the Samsung Galaxy Note8 that comes packed with impressive specs can experience the screen flickering issue as it might be caused by a firmware or hardware problem. When the screen starts to flicker, we won’t be able to tell immediately what the problem is especially if it’s the first time you’re seeing such problem. That’s the reason why you need to troubleshoot your phone to determine what the problem really is all about.

In this post, I will walk you through in troubleshooting your Galaxy Note8 with a screen flickering issue. We will try to consider every possibility and rule them out one by one until we can determine the issue. It’s only then that we’d be able to formulate a solution that might fix it for good. If the problem persists, however, don’t worry because as long as it isn’t due to physical or liquid damage, the store may replace it with a new one.

If you’re looking for a solution to a different problem, then take time to visit our Galaxy Note8 troubleshooting page for we have already provided solutions to some common issues with this device. Try to find problems that are similar with yours and use the solutions and workarounds we suggested. If you can’t find something similar and you badly need help, consider contacting us by filling up our Android issues questionnaire. Make sure to provide us with the information we need so that we can help you better. Don’t worry, it’s free.

How to troubleshoot your Note8 with screen flickering issue

We will have to determine first if there’s a third-party app that’s causing it, then we’ll move on to troubleshooting the firmware. We only have to determine if this is the kind of problem we can fix on our own because if not, then it’s a tech’s job to fix it or recommend your phone for replacement. That being said, here’s what you should do when your Note8 has a flickering screen.

Step 1: Run your phone in Safe Mode

This will tell us outright if the problem is due to a third-party app you installed. When in safe mode, all third-party elements are temporarily disabled so if one of those apps causes the problem, the screen won’t flicker. Here’s how you run your Note8 in safe mode:

  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.

Assuming the screen flickering disappeared in this mode, then it’s clear that one of the apps is causing the problem. Try to update those that need to be updated first…

  1. From the Home screen, swipe up on an empty spot to open the Apps tray.
  2. Tap Play Store.
  3. Tap the Menu key and then tap My Apps. To keep your apps automatically updated, tap the Menu > Settings then tap Auto-update apps to select the check box.
  4. Choose one of the following options:
    • Tap Update [xx] to update all applications with updates available.
    • Tap an individual application and then tap Update to update a single application.

If you’re already suspecting an app or two, try clearing their caches and data by following these steps…

  1. From the Home screen, swipe up on an empty spot to open the Apps tray.
  2. Tap Settings > Apps.
  3. Tap the desired application in the default list or tap 3 dots icon > Show system apps to display pre-installed apps.
  4. Tap Storage.
  5. Tap Clear cache.
  6. Tap Clear data and then tap OK.

Or, uninstall them from your phone so that you would have a clearer idea if they’re really the cause…

  1. From the Home screen, swipe up on an empty spot to open the Apps tray.
  2. Tap Settings > Apps.
  3. Tap the desired application in the default list or tap 3 dots icon > Show system apps to display pre-installed apps.
  4. Tap the desired application.
  5. Tap Uninstall.
  6. Tap Uninstall again to confirm.

However, if finding the culprit is much harder to do, I suggest you backup your files and data now that just do the Factory Reset. This is an easier way to get rid of the app that’s causing the problem…

  1. From the Home screen, swipe up on an empty spot to open the Apps tray.
  2. Tap Settings > Cloud and accounts.
  3. Tap Backup and restore.
  4. If desired, tap Back up my data to move the slider to ON or OFF.
  5. If desired, tap Restore to move the slider to ON or OFF.
  6. Tap the back button to the Settings menu and tap General Management > Reset > Factory data reset.
  7. Tap Reset.
  8. If you have screen lock turned on, enter your credentials.
  9. Tap Continue.
  10. Tap Delete all.

On the other, if the screen is still flickering even in safe mode, then move on to the next step.

Step 2: Wipe cache partition

It’s possible that the cause of the screen flickering issue is corrupt caches as we’ve already encountered similar problems before that started after an update. So, the next thing you should do is rule out this possibility and booting your phone up in Recovery mode and wiping the cache partition. This procedure will delete all files stored in the cache directory. Once the phone reboots, those files will be replaced so that your phone will have a newer set of caches…

  1. Turn off the device.
  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 cache partition’.
  5. Press Power button to select.
  6. Press the Volume down key until ‘yes’ is highlighted and press the Power button.
  7. When the wipe cache partition is complete, “Reboot system now” is highlighted.
  8. Press the Power key to restart the device.

If the problem persists after this procedure, you have no other choice but to do the next step.

Step 3: Backup your files and data and reset your Note8

You’re a step away from bringing your phone back to the store but this procedure is a very effective method in fixing firmware-related concerns. You need to rule this possibility out first before bringing the phone back to the store and have it replaced. It’s also necessary to delete all your personal information but make sure you make a backup of your important files and data. Then disable the Factory Reset Protection so that you won’t be locked out of your device after the reset.

How to disable Galaxy Note8 Factory Reset Protection

  1. From the Home screen, swipe up on an empty spot to open the Apps tray.
  2. Tap Settings > Cloud and accounts.
  3. Tap Accounts.
  4. Tap Google.
  5. Tap on your Google ID email address if multiple accounts are setup. If you have multiple accounts setup, you will need to repeat these steps for each account.
  6. Tap 3 dot icon.
  7. Tap Remove account.
  8. Tap REMOVE ACCOUNT.

How to perform the Master Reset on your Galaxy Note8

  1. Turn off the device.
  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.

If the problem continues to bug you after this procedure, then it’s time to bring the phone back to the store and have it replaced.

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One Comment

  1. Entering safe mode and then restarting my phone, cured this very annoying Red Border problem on my mobile. Many Thanks for your help.

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