Samsung Galaxy S2 errors, problems, solutions and workarounds
There are still millions of people who own the Samsung Galaxy S2 so it’s not too late to publish a blog that tackles with Galaxy S2 errors and problems. Pretty sure, after the recent Jelly Bean update, many users experience an error or two with their device.
In this post, we presented five most common problems a Galaxy S2 owner can experience. While we know that the solutions and workarounds used herein work, we are open for more suggestions. So, feel free to email us at [email protected] for your recommendations or questions.
Galaxy S2 Jelly Bean OTA Update Failed
Samsung has recently rolled out the biggest Jelly Bean update in Android history for the Samsung Galaxy S2. Yes, the update is bigger than the Galaxy S3 upgrade and part of the reason is that, the device wasn’t built to natively run Ice Cream Sandwich or Jelly Bean, rather it was released with Android 2.3 Gingerbread.
Samsung wanted the users to experience its latest innovation so some of the features found in Galaxy S3 and the Note 2 were added to the firmware. Unfortunately, some users reported the OTA update fails and could complete. If this happens, there are two ways to install the update into the device.
Samsung KIES
If over-the-air update fails, users are advised to use Samsung KIES to pull down the update from the company’s servers and be made available for installation.
- Download Samsung KIES and install into the computer.
- Connect the phone to the computer and KIES detect it.
- Click your device on KIES and find Firmware Upgrade button. Click on it and follow on-screen instructions.
Manual Installation
If, for some reason, you cannot update your device over-the-air and via the Samsung KIES, you should flash the official firmware manually so you can enjoy Jelly Bean in your Galaxy S2. We have already published our step-by-step guide on how to manually install the official Jelly Bean update to the S2.
Galaxy S2 Severe Crashing/Rebooting
If you’re a Galaxy S2 owner, you must have experienced your phone suddenly rebooted and when it came on, you couldn’t use it because of the lags and freezes. These problems occurred when the device received an upgrade to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Samsung didn’t release a fix because while the problems were annoying for users, they were not serious. In fact, there were several workarounds that have remedied the problems. Now that Jelly Bean has recently been rolled out, users may be able to experience these problems again. Here’s how you fix them:
Clear Memory
- Press and hold the HOME button for few seconds and the Task Manager pops up.
- Find Clear Memory button and tap on it.
Factory Reset
- Turn off the phone.
- Press and hold Power, Volume Up and Menu buttons together until it enters the recovery menu.
- Choose Wipe Data/Factory Reset.
- When prompted, select Yes–Delete All User Data.
- Reboot System Now.
Galaxy S2 Won’t Turn On
Aside from the crashing, rebooting, freezing and lagging, another problem users complaint about was their phone wouldn’t turn on. Of course, the first thing that would come to mind is whether there is enough battery to power the whole device with its Super AMOLED display. The battery was always to take the blame if power problems occur. But for Galaxy S2, there are some errors in the system preventing the device from turning on.
Check Battery
- This should be the first thing you should check. Try to plug the device to a charger.
- Leave your device plugged in for 5 or 10 minutes then try turning your phone on again.
- If it still won’t turn on, the last thing you can do is do a Factory Reset.
Factory Reset
- While your phone is off, press and hold the Volume Up, Power and Menu button.
- Enter into the Recovery Mode.
- Perform Wipe Data/Factory Reset
- Reboot System Now
For a Galaxy S2 that will not turn on, Factory Reset often resolves the issue. If you can boot your device into the Recovery Mode, you’re lucky.
Galaxy S2 Battery Drain Problem
Some Samsung Galaxy S2 users complain about having a battery that drains faster. The problem first occurred shortly after the rollout of the Ice Cream Sandwich update. Samsung didn’t release a fix for it. Even today, the problem is still on-going for some users. Luckily, there is a workaround to fix it.
Good Practice
To minimize battery drain, do the following steps:
- Turn on Auto Brightness.
- Turn off Bluetooth, 3G and Wi-Fi if not in use.
- Force Close some apps running in the background that you are not using.
Alternatively, this is what you can do to fix battery drain problems.
- Turn off your phone.
- Plug in the charger and fully charge it.
- Be mindful and wait for it to reach 100%. If it does, unplug the charger quickly.
- Remove the battery and let it rest unused for at least 5 minutes. This will also ensure chips inside the device will be cleared of stored energy.
- Put the battery back.
- Turn your phone on.
This is another workaround:
- While your phone is turned on, fully charge your battery and leave it plugged for an hour.
- Turn off your phone without unplugging the charger. Let it remain plugged for yet another two hours.
- Take the battery off and let it rest for, at least, 5 minutes. Or, wait until it is not warm anymore.
- Put the battery back and turn your phone on.
Galaxy S2 Email Not Syncing
The syncing issue is Android-wide, meaning other Android users often experience this problem. That said, there are a few effective ways to solve it:
Check Settings
- This is the first thing you should do. Check every setting in your email app.
- Go to Settings, Accounts & Sync and tap on the account that you are having problem with.
- Make sure all information you needed synced are checked.
Clear Email Data
- Go to Settings.
- Scroll down to find Applications Manager.
- Tap on Email app.
- Tap Clear Data button, then Force Close.
- Launch Email app from your Home screen.
- Enter credentials.
Re-setup Account
- Settings
- Accounts & Sync
- Tap on your account.
- Delete Account.
- Reboot phone.
- Go to Accounts & Sync again, add account.
There are a lot of ways to solve email errors depending on the nature of the problem.
Mailbag
We will be answering more questions, so stay tuned. If you have concerns, don’t hesitate to email us at [email protected].
The best way to reach us would be to post your questions or comments on our forum at forums.thedroidguy.com. Simply register for an account and post your issues or questions, we will try our best to answer as much as we possibly can.
[image credit: Pocket-lint]
Samsung Galaxy S2 — During call, squelching noise occurs after variable time then call drops out
While rooting samsung galaxy S2 mobile it’s crash and showing only this picture ?? plz help me .
While rebooting mobile crash and showing only?? this picture.
Plz help how to fix it
when i go to update the phone it says software update has been scheduled to be initiated when the handset returns to U.S cellular© network i use my wifi and it doesnt work though
Sir my mobile samsung S2 So Many Ads open & battery charging Down In 4Hours sir What is The Problerm How Can Solve This Problerm
my samsung note2 wont switch on for the first time ever what can i do its not the battetry i put a new one in
AFTER A YEAR BETTER TO FIND A NEW PHONE.
[[[[I have had my s2 more than two years.The phone is good with all its feature;the ]]]]
FIRST PROBLEM-OVER HEATING(I had found within two days).
SECOND PROBLEM-CAMERA SCRATCH(If u nvr usd back cover ,definitely it will occur).
THIRD PROBLEM-PROCESSOR DAMAGED WITH OUT ANY LOGICAL REASON AFTER 2 YRS
HI FRIENDS IN MY GALAXY S2 THERE ARE A PROBLEM IS THAT MY POWER BOTTON IS NOT WORKING ON, AND THE SIM IS NOT REGESTERD HOW CAN I SOLV IT?????
After updating my phone to 4.1.2 my virgin mobile s2 was getting hot, eating up my battery and constantly rebooting. I did the factory reboot which helped for one day, then more of the same. Then I remembered reading on one of the threads about the SD card, so I shut it off and removed my SD card. Phone booted up and worked perfect no over clocking or rebooting . Thank god I was about to slam this thing. When I got home today I loaded my SD card in my laptop to try to format it but my computer keep saying there is no card in the slot, so I guess it was fried and seemed to be causing all my problems. Installed a new card and have not had a problem since. Hope this helps someone else with a similar problem. So if you decide to upgrade your phone might be a good idea to remove your sd card before.
Samsung galaxy S II is junk.