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.

1. Download Samsung KIES and install into the computer.
2. Connect the phone to the computer and KIES detect it.
3. 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 

1. Press and hold the HOME button for few seconds and the Task Manager pops up.
2. Find Clear Memory button and tap on it.

Factory Reset 

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press and hold Power, Volume Up and Menu buttons together until it enters the recovery menu.
3. Choose Wipe Data/Factory Reset.
4. When prompted, select Yes–Delete All User Data.
5. 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

1. This should be the first thing you should check. Try to plug the device to a charger.
2. Leave your device plugged in for 5 or 10 minutes then try turning your phone on again.
3. If it still won’t turn on, the last thing you can do is do a Factory Reset.

Factory Reset

1. While your phone is off, press and hold the Volume Up, Power and Menu button.
2. Enter into the Recovery Mode.
3. Perform Wipe Data/Factory Reset
4. 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:

1. Turn on Auto Brightness.
2. Turn off Bluetooth, 3G and Wi-Fi if not in use.
3. 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.

1. Turn off your phone.
2. Plug in the charger and fully charge it.
3. Be mindful and wait for it to reach 100%. If it does, unplug the charger quickly.
4. 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.
5. Put the battery back.
6. Turn your phone on.

This is another workaround:

1. While your phone is turned on, fully charge your battery and leave it plugged for an hour.
2. Turn off your phone without unplugging the charger. Let it remain plugged for yet another two hours.
3. Take the battery off and let it rest for, at least, 5 minutes. Or, wait until it is not warm anymore.
4. 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 

1. This is the first thing you should do. Check every setting in your email app.
2. Go to Settings, Accounts & Sync and tap on the account that you are having problem with.
3. Make sure all information you needed synced are checked.

Clear Email Data 

1. Go to Settings.
2. Scroll down to find Applications Manager.
3. Tap on Email app.
4. Tap Clear Data button, then Force Close.
5. Launch Email app from your Home screen.
6. Enter credentials.

Re-setup Account

1. Settings
2. Accounts & Sync
3. Tap on your account.
4. Delete Account.
5. Reboot phone.
6. 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]