Samsung Galaxy S5 Problems, Glitches, Questions, Errors and Solutions

Hello guys. Welcome to the pilot episode of our Samsung Galaxy S5 Problems series. Just like the previous models, we will be supporting this device and provide appropriate solutions and troubleshooting steps to every reported problem, error, glitch, bug and whatnot.

Lastly, we created an index of all problems we addressed. I suggest you visit our Samsung Galaxy S5 Troubleshooting page to find out if we already addressed your concerns.

Click any of the links below to jump to the problem…

• Galaxy S5 Charges Very Slow
• Galaxy S5 Won’t Charge At All
• Galaxy S5 Won’t Turn On After It Fell In The Pool
• Galaxy S5 Has Water Inside, Screen Flickers
• Galaxy S5 Can’t Connect To Home WiFi
• Galaxy S5 Mobile Data Is Very Slow
• Galaxy S5 Touchscreen Becomes Unresponsive Randomly
• Galaxy S5 Freezes But Responds With Power Key
• Galaxy S5 Went Dead And Won’t Boot Up
• Galaxy S5 Stuck On Samsung Logo After An Update

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Samsung Galaxy S5 Charging Issues

Charging problems are common not only to Galaxy S5 but to other Android devices. In fact, if you did a quick search on Google, you’ll find out there were already a lot of users who were complaining about these issues. We did receive emails from our readers complaining about two things: either their device is charging slowly or they don’t charge at all.

Galaxy S5 Charges Very Slow

Problem: Hi guys. I found your email address via Drippler, I’m a frequent reader. Just a couple of weeks ago I upgraded from Galaxy S3 to Galaxy S5. The first week of use was really smooth but then I noticed as of late that my phone cannot fully charge even if left plugged in overnight. For example, before I sleep at night I plug my phone to charge as I usually drain my battery because I keep my mobile data on all the time. When I wake up in the morning the battery shows it’s just around 75% or so. But before that, the battery could fully charge in the morning. What’s the problem with my phone? Is there a fix or something? Thanks. — Josh

Troubleshooting: Hey Josh. To be able to know the root cause of this problem, you need to observe it closely. Logically, the first suspect is the charger. If it wasn’t the charger, then it could be the battery, then the charging port, and so on. That said, I prepared a simple troubleshooting guide for you.

1. While the phone is on, remove the back cover and pull the battery out.
2. Press and hold the power button for a minute.
3. Replace the battery and the back cover.
4. Turn the phone on and plug the charger in.
5. Let the phone charge overnight and find out in the morning if the problem was fixed.
6. If the problem remained, boot the S5 in safe mode and charge it overnight while in that state.

In Safe Mode, all third-party apps are temporarily disabled so if the phone still charges slowly in that state, then there must be a problem with the charger or one of the phone’s components. Now, if the device drains its battery quicker than before, the battery might the culprit.

Normally, I would recommend using a different charger or battery to rule out these possibilities but in your case, it’s a new phone and you may still be able to have it replaced with a new unit without any issues. So, you better take it to your provider and have it checked by the its technician.

Galaxy S5 Won’t Charge At All

Problem: Hello. My S5 is barely a month old but I was saddened by it because it just refuses to charge whatever I do. I honestly don’t know what happened to it. It just stopped charging a couple of days ago and I was lucky I still have 25% battery left so I continued to use it with Power Saving Mode on and all connectivity functions off. Today, there’s barely 10% battery left so I decided to email you guys to know what you have to say about this and if you can offer magic tricks to fix this. Thanks guys. I’m hoping you could provide solution as soon as possible. — Joyce

Troubleshooting: Hi Joyce. Just like the previous problem, this may be caused by either the charger itself of one of the components of the phone but it is more complicated. Since the phone refuses to charge, I assume you don’t have enough battery to power it up so there’s nothing we can do firmware-side. The best thing you can do is to try a different charger unit and if that doesn’t work, try a different battery. But I suggest you bring the phone in to the store where you bought it so the tech itself can conduct tests.

My point is, it’s barely a month old so your provider or the retailer that sold it may replace it if found it is beyond repair. Also, you need to be present during testing to make sure you personal information remain safe. And in case you have data you don’t want to lose, tell the tech not to do factory reset. After all, firmware has nothing to do with it.

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Samsung Galaxy S5 Water Damage Issues

Samsung’s newest flagship has an IP67 rating; meaning, it is water- and dust-resistant. But did you know there are a lot of S5 owners who complained having their device damaged by water? Here’s a couple of messages we received from our readers who were seeking assistance how to address water damage.

Galaxy S5 Won’t Turn On After It Fell In The Pool

Problem: Hi droid guys. I purchased my Galaxy S5 in May and I don’t have a single complaint about its performance. However, I got drunk yesterday during a pool party and fell into the pool with my phone in my pocket. When I got out of the pool and check on it, it wouldn’t turn on. I am sure it wasn’t the battery since I fully charged it before I left home. I am just too scared to do any troubleshooting thinking I might damage it even more. Please guys, I need your advice. What should I do? — Cain

Galaxy S5 Has Water Inside, Screen Flickers

Problem: My Galaxy S5 fell in the sink while I was washing my hands. It was in my chest pocket and when I bowed to wash my hands it just went whoosh! The screen was on when it fell so there was power. I immediately took it out of the sink but when I hit the power/lock key, it wouldn’t turn on but the screen flickers from time to time. There is no crack or something, not even a scratch and considering it fell back first, I don’t think there is physical damage. Water may have damaged it but isn’t Galaxy S5 supposed to be waterproof? What should I do?

Suggestion: First of all, both of these problems are the same, basically. Water damage is a complicated issue because it can damage the phone permanently. But before anything else, I just want to say something about the phone’s IP67 rating. It means the phone is “water resistant” NOT “waterproof.” There is a big difference between these two. The rating would tell you the device can be submerged in water up to 1 meter deep for 30 minutes max. While there were owners who claimed to have submerged their devices up to several meters deep, that’s the risk you don’t want to take. Additionally, the phone cannot withstand water jets like water running from a faucet or with much stronger pressure. Lastly, you need to consider that there are entry points like the when the back cover and the USB/utility port cover weren’t properly locked in.

In case your phone has water damaged, here are the dos and don’ts:

1. Do not turn on your phone immediately. Doing so may damage it permanently.
2. Remove the back cover and pull the battery out. When the battery is short-circuited, it can be damaged, explode or cause damage to other components.
3. Put the phone and the battery in a bowl of rice for at least a couple of days to help absorb water.
4. After a couple of days, put the battery back in and attempt to turn the phone on.
5. If the phone turns on, observe it closely to know if there is some changes in its performance and behavior.
6. If the phone won’t turn or if there is a change in the phone’s behavior, turn it off and bring it to a technician.

Remember, water damage cannot be covered by warranty but do not attempt to break any warranty seals in it.

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Samsung Galaxy S5 Internet Connectivity Issues

Internet is one of the best things that happened to mobile devices and while the technology evolved exponentially in the last 5 years, problems still occur. Connectivity problems are among the most common issues encountered by many Galaxy S5 owners. Here’s a couple of common problems sent to us by our readers:

Galaxy S5 Can’t Connect To Home WiFi

Problem: I have a Samsung Galaxy S5 and just about three days ago, it refused to connect to my home Wi-Fi. I didn’t do anything that may have triggered the problem, it just happened so I’m really surprised and disappointed how a brand new phone like this could lose its connection without apparent reason. I am not a tech person guys so I’m not really good with troubleshooting it myself. I need your help on this and please advice me as if I’m a six-year old so I can follow. Thanks and more power to your site. — Jules

Troubleshooting: If the problem started just three days ago, then there is a big chance it’s just a minor issue. There’s no reason to worry about it as you can probably fix it by simple troubleshooting procedures:

1. Begin your troubleshooting by rebooting your phone and your router.
2. In your phone’s settings, “Forget” your home network and let the device detect it again.
3. Now reconnect to your home network to see if you can.
4. If still can’t, use a different device such as another mobile phone or a laptop to connect to your home network.
5. In case your S5 is the only device that cannot connect, then the problem is with it.
6. Try connecting it to a public network. If it still can’t, boot it in safe mode and try again.
7. In case the problem persists, backup your data and perform factory reset via the recovery mode and if that doesn’t fix the problem, try to have it replaced or repaired.

Galaxy S5 Mobile Data Is Very Slow

Problem: Hey guys. I don’t see any Galaxy S5 troubleshooting in your site just yet but I’m just gonna go ahead and tell you about my problem. I use mobile data as I don’t have WiFi at home. With it I stream YouTube videos and do Facebook and some browsing. The first two weeks of the month, my connection is really good but come third and fourth week and it’s very slow that I can’t even stream videos anymore. What’s the problem with it? I subscribed for an unlimited data plan and this is what I get. Does it have something to do with the phone’s performance? Help me please.

Answer: I’m not sure how many months you’ve noticed this pattern but if it happens every billing cycle, you might wanna call your service provider. It is obvious the company is putting a cap on your data usage. Yes, you may have subscribed for an unlimited data plan but your provider can throttle down your connection if you’ve already used up data beyond the cap.

You said you keep on streaming videos, that may be the reason why your connection is throttled down. You know, during my tenure as a tech support for one of the wireless providers in the U.S., I keep getting calls about slow browsing. It is difficult to explain to the customer that his internet connection has been throttled down especially if he subscribed for the unlimited plan. But let’s face it, that’s the reality. Again, you need to contact your service provider to inquire about it because there’s not troubleshooting for this kind of thing.

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Samsung Galaxy S5 Touchscreen Issues

What makes a touch screen possible is the digitizer; it’s an overlay glass on top of the display. If touchscreen malfunctions, it must be the first one that should be suspected, although you’ll have to rule out other possibilities first. Now, here are two problems related to this issue sent to us by our readers.

Galaxy S5 Touchscreen Becomes Unresponsive Randomly

Problem: Hello Droid guy, I have a problem with my new Galaxy S5. The phone has been with me for more than a month now and there are instances that the screen becomes unresponsive. I have no idea what causes it and I haven’t noticed a pattern or something. If it happens it happens randomly and I can’t operate the phone with touch. There are times when the phone regains its functions back but most of the time I would have to pull the battery out and boot the phone up again. Do you know how to fix this problem or what caused it?

Solution: Observation is the key to knowing the cause of the problem. I don’t know how frequent it happens and when did it start but if the phone wasn’t like this out of the box, then there is a big chance a third-party app is causing it, or at least, that’s our primary suspect. So, you need to rule that possibility out and you can do that by booting in safe mode.

1. Turn the device off.
2. Press and hold the Power key.
3. When ‘Samsung Galaxy S5’ 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.

While in safe mode, observe to know if the touchscreen problem still persists. If so, it might be a hardware issue. You need to have the phone checked by a professional so it can be diagnosed properly. However, before you actually hand over your phone to others, it would be wise to backup your data and perform factory reset. It’s not just about not losing important data and protecting your privacy but also ruling out the possibility that it’s a firmware issue. If the problem persists after that, then have the phone checked or replaced.

Galaxy S5 Freezes But Responds With Power Key

Problem: Hey guys. Nice site you have and very informative. I have a little problem of my own. But before anything else, it’s the new Galaxy S5. I don’t know how to describe it but out of the blue the phone just stops responding. I mean I can’t open apps, the settings won’t work but the phone will respond if I increase or decrease the volume or if I press the power key. So, the problem, if I’m not mistaken, is with the touchscreen. When this happens, I’ll just have to hold the power key until it vibrates and turns off and then turn it on again. It will work for hours without having issues and it will happen again. Can you suggest a solution for this, please. — Nate

Solution: Nate, there is also a chance that an app is causing this because if it were a firmware issue or a hardware problem, then the screen should stop responding as soon as the phone has booted up completely. But just as you said, you can still use it for hours before the phone acts up. You know what, try to observe the pattern and remember the app you’re using before the problem started. Or, if you want, you can also boot up in safe mode and observe the phone closely while in that state.

If the problem also happens in safe mode, then it might be the firmware or the hardware and either way, the next logical step is to perform factory reset (don’t forget to backup your data, of course).

1. Turn off the device.
2. Press and hold the following three buttons at the same time: Volume Up key, Home key, and Power key.
3. When the phone vibrates, release 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 several times key to highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset.’
6. Press Power button to select.
7. Press the Volume down key until ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted.
8. Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
9. When the master reset is complete, ‘Reboot system now’ is highlighted.
10. Press the Power key to restart the device.

Of course, if factory reset couldn’t fix the issue, let the tech take care of the problem and have the phone replaced.

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Samsung Galaxy S5 Booting Issues

There were owners who complained about being stuck in the Samsung logo or the screen of the Galaxy S5 stays black during boot up. Others said it happened right after the minor update while some said the phone just turned off and refused to boot up completely. I want to share with you two problems sent by our readers.

Galaxy S5 Went Dead And Won’t Boot Up

Problem: It saddens me to think that the phone gifted to me by my daughter went dead one day and won’t turn on anymore. I hope you can help me. Please forgive me if I can’t provide much details because I’m not really tech savvy. But I will tell how it happened, though. One day, I got this message that I need to install some kind of protection for my phone because I might be at risk. So, I click on the message and it brought me another message to confirm if I wanted to install it. It was installed then it asked me to reboot. The phone restarted fine and then a few minutes later, the phone went dead. I tried to turn it up but all I get is a black screen after the logo. I really don’t know how to fix this. Please help me. Thanks. — Michel

Solution: Basing on your description, Michel, it seems like the problem is caused by an app you recently installed. I hope you can remember that app because you just have to get rid of it and the issue will be fixed. The problem is, you cannot boot up normally. So, what you need to do is to boot the phone in safe mode, instead:

1. Turn the device off.
2. Press and hold the Power key.
3. When ‘Samsung Galaxy S5’ 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.

While in safe mode, you need to uninstall the app that’s causing the problem. Here’s how…

1. From any Home screen, tap Apps.
2. Tap Settings.
3. Scroll to ‘APPLICATIONS,’ then tap Application manager.
4. Swipe right to the DOWNLOADED screen.
5. Tap the desired application
6. Tap Uninstall.
7. Tap Uninstall again to confirm.

I’m sure this will take care of the problem.

Galaxy S5 Stuck On Samsung Logo After An Update

Problem: Hi guys! I’m really happy I found your site. Please help me with my problem. My phone is an S5 and it received a minor update as of late. I was able to use it for a few days but I noticed it became slow until one day it just won’t boot up completely. The phone still powers on but it is stuck on the Samsung logo. I’m sure it’s not normal but I don’t have any idea how to go about it. I mean I know how to use the phone but when something fails, I can’t fix it. I don’t have the knowledge and expertise. But I know you guys know a solution or two or even an explanation. Help. — Lisa

Solution: Hi Lisa. I think the update may have corrupted some of the data in your phone preventing it from booting normally. For this kind of problem, wiping the cache partition usually works. Here’s how…

1. Turn off the device.
2. Press and hold the following three buttons at the same time: Volume Up key, Home key, and Power key.
3. When the phone vibrates, release 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.
7. When the wipe cache partition is complete, ‘Reboot system now’ is highlighted.
8. Press the Power key to restart the device.

I hope this works for you.