Welcome to the 43rd part of our Samsung Galaxy S4 Problems series. In this post I’ve addressed 4 problems, answered 4 questions and tackled 3 errors. I suggest you take time reading or skimming through this page to find out if your concern has already been addressed here. If you cannot find your issues in this page, I strongly suggest you browser our Samsung Galaxy S4 Troubleshooting page as we created an index of all issues we addressed since we started publishing these kinds of articles.

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Meanwhile, click any of the links below to jump to that specific problem…

• GPSD Service Draining Galaxy S4 Battery Quickly
• How To Update Galaxy S4 To KitKat Using KIES
• Galaxy S4 Touch Screen Doesn’t Respond Intermittently
• Galaxy S4 Stuck After Firmware Update
• Insert SIM Card Error On Galaxy S4
• Gallery Has Stopped Error On Galaxy S4 Zoom
• Error Logging In To Facebook On Galaxy S4
• Galaxy S4 Red LED Notification Glows
• Galaxy S4 Unrooting Questions
• Water Damaged Galaxy S4 Doesn’t Display
• Galaxy S4 Active Application Question

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Problems

GPSD Service Draining Galaxy S4 Battery Quickly

Problem: Good day, I have this problem with my phone battery usage on my Galaxy S4. I charge my phone fully in the evening before going to sleep. I then switch off wifi gps and end any apps that may be running as well as clear the memory. When i wake up in the morning, about 6 hours later, my phone battery is less than 50%. If I look at the battery usage on my phone there is a listing called gpsd. This service has used the largest percentage of the battery.

By about 8 o’clock in the morning, my phone is already at 10%.

I have tried a factory reset twice already, there is no improvement. My Galaxy S4 is currently on Android 4.4.2. It running the original vendor software. How can i solve or troubleshoot this problem. Thanks. — Mustafaa

Solution: Good day, Mustafaa. Thanks for providing the details. The GPSD service runs when an app uses any location service available in the device. This issue is common to both Galaxy S4 and S3. Apparently, this service continues to run even if GPS is disabled or turned off so basically, it has nothing to do with this service but Google Maps app does.

When Maps app continues running in the background, GPSD becomes active. The best way to deal with this problem is to force close the app. I’m not sure if this issue would be fixed if you updated your firmware to 4.4.4 but it’s worth a try. Meanwhile, if you’re not using Maps, disable it.

1. From any Home screen, tap the Menu key.
2. Tap Settings.
3. Tap the More tab.
4. Tap Application manager.
5. Swipe left or right to go to the All tab.
6. Tap Maps.
7. Tap Force Close.

How To Update Galaxy S4 To KitKat Using KIES

Problem: Ok so I have Galaxy S4 that doesn’t have an update spot in the setting. I would like to update it to a newer OS but I can’t. I’ve tried to figure out how to do on the computer but couldn’t figure it out. My wife’s S4 has the software update on it but mine doesn’t. So how can I do it?

Solution: I am not going to delve into why your phone doesn’t have an “update” option in the Settings. Rather, I want to guide you through installing the latest firmware using Samsung KIES. Please follow these steps:

1. Backup all your data or those you don’t want to lose.
2. Make sure you installed the latest KIES on your computer.
3. Connect your phone to your computer using it’s original USB cord.
4. Run KIES.
5. Go to Tools and choose Firmware Upgrade and Initialization.
6. Enter the name of your phone.
7. Input the model name of your Galaxy S4 (in CAPS). It is found at the back of its casing.
8. Select OK.
9. Kies will now verify if your device is supported along with a warning message saying that all data from your device will be deleted during the process.
10. Click OK if you agree with it.
11. Kies will download and initialize the firmware update. Wait until it finishes.
12. Just hit Continue with every warning message until you reach the emergency recovery process.
13. Don’t forget to put a check on the confirmation message saying, “I have read all of the above information” once you have performed all the required information in the window.
14. Configure your desired information saving option, connect to Kies and switch your phone to Recovery Mode.
15. Hit the Start Upgrade button and wait until the process finishes. Do not interrupt the process.
16. After you see a confirmation message saying that everything is complete, hit the OK button to finish.

I hope this helps.

Galaxy S4 Touch Screen Doesn’t Respond Intermittently

Problem: Hey guys, I have been having a problem with my S4 GT-i9500 for the last few days.

I recently updated to Kit-Kat and a day or so later my touch screen stopped working completely. I read a few forums etc about it and disabled the ‘WatchOn’ app and this seemed to working for a day however my touch screen has started working intermittently again. I have just read your ‘How to Fix Samsung Galaxy S4 Intermittently Not Responding or Frozen‘ article and non of these things seem to work. The phone has no physical damage and I have always used a shock proof case. Would have you have any other solutions that I may be able to try? Thanks, Kelsey.

Solution: Kelsey, this issue needs proper observation to know if there’s a pattern when and how it occurs. But since you mentioned that disabling an seemed to have “alleviate” its symptoms, try to take a more general troubleshooting procedure–booting in Safe Mode.

If the phone is in Safe Mode, all third-party apps are temporarily disabled. If the problem is caused by one of those apps, then the touch screen should be working properly when the phone is in that state. Now, follow these steps to boot the S4 in safe mode:

1. Turn the device off completely.
2. Press and hold the Power button.
3. Once the Samsung Galaxy S4 logo appears on the screen, release the Power button.
4. As soon as you release the Power button, press and hold the Volume Down key.
5. Continue holding the Volume Down key until the phone has completed the reboot process.
6. If you can read ‘Safe Mode’ at the bottom left corner of the screen, release the Volume Down key. Otherwise, repeat the process until you can boot the phone to Safe Mode.

Now, if the touch screen still won’t work properly even in safe mode, let’s take into consideration the fact that the problem started shortly after you updated your phone. So, there is a chance that corrupted caches may be causing the issue. Try to wipe the cache partition by booting in recovery mode:

1. Turn off the device.
2. Press and hold the following three buttons at the same time: Volume Up key, Home key, Power key
3. When the phone vibrates, let go of the Power key but continue to press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home key.
4. When the Android System Recovery screen appears, release the Volume Up and Home keys.
5. Press the Volume Down key to highlight ‘wipe cache partition.’
6. Press the Power key to select. The phone will automatically restart after the cache is wiped.

After this procedure and the problem persisted, it’s time you brought the phone to a tech but before doing that, backup your data and factory reset the phone.

Galaxy S4 Stuck After Firmware Update

Problem: Hi, my roommate has an S4 and since the last automatic update was performed her phone has stopped working. First the sound went out, then the phone would freeze up. Now it’s off and won’t reboot. I have cleared the cache and data, and have done a factory reset. When I try to reboot it just freezes on the Samsung Galaxy S4 screen. Please help. The guy at iwireless just thinks it’s a virus. The phone is new in the last 4 months and has had no previous issues. — Phedra

Solution: Phedra, there is this thing they call “bad update” and there is also the thing called “interrupted or unfinished update.” They both have the same symptoms as what your roommate encountered with her phone. Basically, it’s a firmware issue and the best way to fix it is to flash (install) the previous firmware and then perform the update again.

The process will include downloading in full the firmware and the flashing tool called Odin. Just go to Sammobile.com and search for the firmware for your phone model. Successful installation of the firmware will lead to the resolution of this problem.

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Errors

Insert SIM Card Error On Galaxy S4

Error: Hi, I came across your link. I got a Fido SIM. I had been using my Samsung Galaxy S4 perfectly before I got here. The phone is not recognising the SIM. Keeps saying insert SIM. When I try to dial a number it displays ‘mobile network not available’. Hubby and I have the same phone, bought at the same shop. Same thing with the SIM cards. My SIM works perfectly in his phone. I have switched off the phone, done a hard reset, removed the SIM. Nothing seems to work. Could it be the settings? I upgraded the BBM a coupla weeks back but that can’t be it right? Please help. Thank you.

Troubleshooting: Okay, so your SIM card works perfectly on your hubby’s phone but does his SIM works on your phone as well? Thanks for providing details of things you did to troubleshoot the problem but what you’re actually missing is if other SIM cards work on your phone or not.

But assuming other your S4 can detect and read other SIM cards, I suggest you call Fido and let the rep check if there’s a problem on their end. During my tenure as a tech support for one of the wireless providers in the U.S., we have a tool that we use to “pair” a SIM card to a phone. Your problem does sound familiar, so it would be worth the time to call your provider.

However, if your phone couldn’t detect other SIM cards as well, there is a possibility that one or more connectors in the SIM card slot doesn’t make contact with the card . In this case, the phone cannot detect it. It would help if you inserted a small piece of paper on top of the SIM card to apply pressure and hopefully contact would be established. If you didn’t want to do that, I suggest you had the phone checked by a technician.

Gallery Has Stopped Error On Galaxy S4 Zoom

Error: Good evening! I am having a problem with my Galaxy S4 Zoom. I noticed yesterday that when I select something in the gallery and try to share I can’t because it shows up the message the gallery has stopped. So I would like to fix this because is a function I use a lot. Thanks for the help! — Bruna

Troubleshooting: I don’t want to sound like this problem is a big deal because it’s not. If this is the feature of the phone you use a lot, then I’m almost certain this problem started just recently. What triggered it? Well, I don’t know. However, one of the causes of this problem especially if you are syncing a lot of pictures from your cloud accounts is the inconsistency of your internet connection.

It’s the Gallery app and it doesn’t store pictures or videos, it manages them. Therefore, it is safe to just go to the Application Manager and just clear its cache and data. This works most of the time. Again, I don’t expect this problem to be serious so try that one first. If the problem persists and you have saved pictures in a microSD card, check the SD card because it may not be working properly.

Error Logging In To Facebook On Galaxy S4

Error: Hi guys. I didn’t do anything. The one moment I was still on fb,10 min later it told me there’s a problem login in. It’s 2 days now. Please help.

Troubleshooting: First of all, make sure you have an active internet connection. Second, check your Facebook account credentials, i.e. username and password. Now using a web browser on your phone, open Facebook website and login using your credential. If it tells you your credentials are not correct, attempt a password reset. However, if you can login just fine in the web version of Facebook, then the problem is with the app itself. The most effective way to deal with it is uninstall the app and install it back. That works most of the time.

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Questions

Galaxy S4 Red LED Notification Glows

Question: Hello, I have a red light in the top left corner constantly red it’s not blinking or anything. If I remove the battery and put it back, it goes red again. I have no notification saying I have a program not responding. I don’t know where to look to fix this problem. Please advise. Thanks. Best regards, Christelle.

Answer: Hi Christelle. The glowing red light means the charger is plugged in to the phone and the device is charging. At least, this is the default setting for the LED notification. If you installed an app that has the capability to manipulate the LED notification, try uninstalling it first to see if that fixes the problem.

Now, boot the phone in safe mode to know if the red light still lights up even with all third-party apps disabled. In case the red light still glows, try going to Settings > My device > LED indicator and uncheck everything. If the problem persists, then there is a chance there’s some kind of a circuit problem. You need to have the phone checked by a tech but before doing so, backup your data and perform factory reset to rule out the possibility that it’s another firmware glitch.

However, if the LED isn’t lit up in safe mode, one of the third-party apps is causing the problem. You need to find that app and uninstall it.

Galaxy S4 Unrooting Questions

Questions: Hello Mr droidguy, I have a fairly simple question for you my friend. I own a galaxy s4 running jelly bean and that is the problem I want Kitkat, but unfortunately there is a small obstacle in the way and that is ROOT. Ok, so I rooted my device basically for one single function: foldermount. I happen to have a 64gb SD card and I also happen to enjoy gaming, however my internal memory just fills up without any logical explanation, and then I discovered foldermount. So now I want the new stuff but I am afraid I have to unroot to get them right? (If there is a workaround please do tell). So what I would like to know is the following:

1. How can I unroot? Could you please teach me or link me to an easy tutorial.
2. Does unrooting require flashing and wiping the phone clean from all apps and invaluable stuff?!
3. Should I delete foldermount before unrooting?
4. What about the mounted folders?
5. What happens to them should they stay?
6. Would they cause errors?
7. Can I root kitkat and reinstall foldermount?
8. Will it detect the previously mounted folders?

I am terribly sorry for bothering you with so many questions, but this has been going through my mind for quite some time now, and Google has left me with more and more confusion. Human help is required here. Thank you very very much, I truly appreciate what you do, keep up the great work and sorry for this lengthy email. Phone specs are attached to this email. — Rayan

Answers: Hey Rayan. Don’t worry about having asked many questions, it’s not a problem at all. There are a lot of guides on how to unroot your Galaxy S4. So, instead of parroting the procedures written by other bloggers, I would simply point you to them. Here is a couple of guides you can choose from. [link 1, link 2]

Now, to answer your other questions:

Unrooting includes flashing of the stock firmware using the tool popularly known as Odin. Full wipe is required after the flashing of the firmware so all your apps and other data saved in the phone’s internal memory will be deleted.

Whether you like it or not, foldermount will be deleted together with other apps as well as its mounted folders. So, you need to backup everything that’s in those folders.

Once you installed Kitkat, you can root it and just install foldermount. I’m not sure if there is a utility that will backup your mounted folders but if there is, then I’m sure you can restore them back the way they were. Otherwise, you need to mount folders from scratch.

Water Damaged Galaxy S4 Doesn’t Display

Question: Hello. My name is Jalen and I do have a Samsung Galaxy S4 that has been water damaged. I REALLY need your help. This s4 was my mothers phone before and she dropped it in the toilet and she got it out but didn’t do anything about it. 2 months later i needed the phone because mine broke. So its water damaged and the touchscreen works and the phone is running great but the screen doesn’t appear. I’ve tried everything. Rice, alcohol, blow dryer. It didn’t help. After all these things now the screen doesn’t show and the touchscreen still works but barely. I REALLY need your assistance with this problem. I will be VERY much delighted. Thanks in Advance. PLEASE HELP ME!!

Answer: Hi Jalen. Water damage is not that simple and there’s no firmware troubleshooting you could do to fix it. Based on your description it seems like the connection between the display panel and motherboard was messed up. I cannot guarantee it but this problem may be fixed by a general cleaning. That said, have the phone checked by an authorized technician.

Galaxy S4 Active Application Question

Question: After I disconnect from the internet (facebook) by hitting the home key, the internet remains active until I go to active applications and close it. Is there a way for the application to automatically shut down after I hit the home button? Thank you, Sharon.

Related Question: Hi Harold. I have a Galaxy S4 and I use mobile data to connect to the internet. I noticed that when I hit the Home button, the apps I use like Twitter and Facebook still receives notifications; meaning they continue running even if the are not in use. Is there a way to automatically close these apps when I hit the Home button?

Answer: Nope, there’s no way to directly close apps when hitting the Home button. That’s how Android works and it’s up to Google if it will change the way the system treats the apps. The fact is, it’s not just Android that’s doing this, even iOS treats its apps the same way. They continue running in the background unless the user manually close them.

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