Samsung Galaxy S2 Problems and Easy Ways To Fix Them [Part 3]

Welcome to the third edition of our Samsung Galaxy S2 Problems and Solutions series. At least, ten problems were addressed in this post, so take a little time browsing it to see if your concerns were addressed. After the break, you can find links to the first two parts so feel free to read them.

#1. Phone won’t turn on, very hot

Problem: My wife’s one year old Samsung Galaxy S2 won’t turn on. The battery is completely charged and after being on for less than 1 hour, the screen went completely black and the phone itself was very hot. She tried to turn the phone back on, but nothing happened. After being off for a few hours, she tried to turn it on again, but still nothing happened. What do we do?

Solution: Pop the back panel open and remove the battery. Leave the phone without battery for about a minute and then re-insert it. Attempt to turn the phone again. If it doesn’t come back on, plug the charger and try to see if the charging icon shows up. If you can’t find that anywhere on the screen, then there are two possibilities; either the charger is busted or the battery was damaged. Connect the phone to your computer or laptop using the original cable, if it doesn’t show the charging icon, please buy a new battery kit.

#2. Can’t hear people on the other end

Problem: I have an ATT GS2 i777 with AOKP 4.2.2. I am unable to hear anyone on the other end and they cannot hear me even though the connection is there. All other sounds are good. I have checked all settings and everything is OK. Thanks, Robbie.

Solution: You failed to mention when this problem started or if the phone was working fine with the stock firmware. But the thing is, I’m not familiar with AOKP ROMs and we cannot use the standard troubleshooting here because you’re using a custom ROM. There is always a possibility that it’s a ROM issue more than anything else. But try to double-check all your settings and use a headset when making or receiving a call. If you can hear the other person using a headset, the earpiece of your phone may have been busted.

#3. Screen froze, won’t turn on

Problem: Dear Droid guy, I have been happily using a Galaxy S2 for 18 months. I plug it in each night to power it up. Yesterday I received a call and everything was fine. Minutes later I checked to see if I had a contact number but the screen was frozen and wouldn’t move. I turned it off to see if that would help but was unable to turn it back on again. I have removed the battery and reinserted it several times but all I have is a black screen. Can you please help. Kind regards, Sue.

Solution: Sue, to rule out the possibility that it’s just a drained battery issue, please plug the charger in. The main problem is that the phone won’t come back on so try to boot to other modes like Safe Mode, Recovery Mode, Download Mode, etc. If you can boot the phone to either one of the modes, then at least we know it’s not a hardware issue. Otherwise, you need to have the phone checked by an authorized technician as soon as possible.

#4. Possible Power button issue

Problem: Hey! I seen your website and thought I would share my problem with you. I don’t know if it is something you can fix by doing something or not, but it is irritating me. So, My Samsung S2 is having major difficulties. The on/off button is not working. AT ALL. I press the off button to try to get it to go to sleep and it wont so then I let it set until it gets dark, but then when it goes dark it wont turn back on, or wake up. It is really bothering me. I don’t know if I just need a new phone but I have seen so many problems with this kind of phone it isn’t cool anymore. I am getting upset because I have only had it a year. I do not want to keep buying phones after phones because the phone is a piece.

I have a question, What kind of phone would you recommend for me? I am kind of rough on it, outside a lot. I am on it all the time. I hate when the batteries go dead in half a day and I most importantly I want something that will last 2 years for my contract. I am on Chat Mobility because of where I live and it is the only plan that gets service good down where I live. Thank you do much for your time!:) — Dalli

Solution: Dalli, it is a possible Power button issue and while I want to help you with it, there’s nothing I can do when it comes to hardware issues. Well, I could if the phone is in my hands. So, please, have the phone checked by a tech in your area. Well, as to the phone that would fit your lifestyle, I think the new HTC One M8 would be just fine for you. It has an aluminum casing and all.

#5. Screen comes back on

Problem: Hi, I have an S2 that shuts down the screen, then after awhile it comes back on. At other times, it freezes and needs to be reset. Any ideas? — Ski

Solution: Ski, there could be some apps or services that wake the phone up every now and then. They often result to fast battery drain and other related problems. My suggestion, download Wakelock Detector from the Play Store and run a test to detect those ‘wakelocks’ and get rid of them.

#6. Cannot go to the Home screen

Problem: Hi, need some help and advice on my galaxy s2, It won’t go into the home page, it shows the “s” and the make then does it again and again etc, but will not go into the menu/home screen?! The battery is fully charged and will charge when plugged in. I’ve tried plugging it into my laptop to access the photos and contacts, but nothing shows up!

If I reboot the phone will I lose all photos and contacts that are stored on the phone? I don’t want to lose my photos, is there an external way to access them, bearing in mind I’ve already tried the USB cable and I never downloaded or access lies either. I hope you can help or give me advice on rebooting or getting my pics back! Thank you, Traci.

Solution: No, reboot doesn’t delete your data, reset does. So, if you haven’t restarted your phone yet, please do because that might fix the problem. I don’t know where you can find the “S” symbol but if reboot won’t fix the problem, try booting the phone to Safe Mode.

Also, in your computer, install Samsung KIES and backup your data because if the problem won’t be fixed, you may need to perform factory reset just for the sake of bringing the phone back to its working state.

#7. Straight Talk firmware update

Question: Will there ever be a chance that this phone, currently running Gingerbread, will get an upgrade thru Straight Talk? And would it be worth the effort?

Answer: If it’s a Straight Talk variant and the company has rolled out updates for that phone, then yes, it may be updated to the recent Android version. But have you already tried pulling down updates using the Samsung KIES? You may also want to call ST’s hotline and ask about an update just to know if there are available updates.

#8. Insufficient storage space

Problem: Hello guys, it’s just recently that I started to get a warning about insufficient storage space. So, I immediately backed up all my data including pictures and videos and delete them from my phone. I uninstalled apps I don’t use anymore but I’m still getting the same error message. How can I fix this?

Solution: This solution came from one of our readers:

I had the same problem. Couldn’t update anything due to insufficient memory. Tried a zillion sites, wasted hours and hours. The only thing that worked was “You need to clear the logging files. Dial *#9900# and select delete dumpstack” as indicated in an earlier post. Freed up almost a GiB of space.

Go to the dialer, and type EXACTLY star pound 9900 pound (*#9900#). The menu automatically comes up (no need to send or anything). Select the delete dumpstack option (second one down on my phone).

I could just scream at Samsung for having wasted so much of my time, when such an idiot simple solution was available. I got all kinds of idiotic advice about reinstalling firmware, moving photos to SD card, etc. None of that worked. *#9900# and select delete dumpstack.

#9. Turning off talkback feature

Problem: Suddenly, get a voice announcing “page 2 of 7” and the like every time I go from one page to another. No obvious way to turn it off. Any ideas? — Allan

Solution: It is the talkback feature turned on, you can turn it off by going to Settings > scroll down to Accessibility using two fingers> under Services, DOUBLE TAP on TalkBack > DOUBLE TAP the ON button > choose OK. That should do it.

#10. Firmware reinstallation

Problem: Hi there, would appreciate your advice on what’s the best way to revive an S2 if the OS had failed and require a fresh install from scratch. Thanks and Regards.

Solution: Here’s a step-by-step procedure:

1. Download the popular ODIN flashing tool, which is available on the internet for free.
2. Download the stock firmware for your device.
3. Boot the phone to Download Mode (Power + Home + Volume Down).
4. Run ODIN from your computer.
5. Connect the phone to your computer using the original USB cable.
6. Let ODIN detect your phone.
7. Start flashing the firmware to your phone.

I hope this helps.

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