Samsung Galaxy S6 has some Bluetooth issues after Android Nougat update [Troubleshooting Guide]

Samsung Galaxy S6 and its variants just received the Android Nougat update recently and while many have been anticipating for the roll out, a lot of owners got disappointed for they have encountered issues shortly after the update. Among those issues are various Bluetooth related problems that have to be addressed immediately. Of course, only owners that use Bluetooth devices may encounter this problem and even if you don’t usually use BT headsets, it’s better that you examine your phone thoroughly.

In this post, I will walk you through in troubleshooting your Galaxy S6 device that’s currently experiencing Bluetooth related problems. So, if you own this device and have recently updated it to Nougat, then you should continue reading as it may be able to help you fix the problem.

For those who are looking for a solution to a totally different issue, visit our troubleshooting page for we have already addressed hundreds of problems since we started supporting this device. Find issues that are the same or similar with yours and use the solutions and/or troubleshooting guides we suggested. If they don’t work for you or if you need further assistance, then fill up our Android issues questionnaire and hit submit to contact us.

Galaxy S6 lags, freezes and reboots while using Bluetooth after update

Problem: Hi. There has been an update that was recently installed on my phone and shortly after that, I got issues while using Bluetooth and I’m positive the problems only occur when I’m using BT devices. There are times when my phone lags, freezes and the worst is that it reboots from time to time. I have a Bluetooth headset that was working perfectly fine prior to the update but now it’s just a mess. The thing is that these issues don’t occur when I’m using the phone with its loudspeaker or wired headset. I hope you guys have some advice for me on how to get rid of these issues. By the way, my phone is a Galaxy S6 and it was the Nougat update that was downloaded recently. Thanks.

Troubleshooting: You are just one of the many S6 owners that encountered issues with their phones shortly after updating them to Nougat. While it’s possible these problems are caused by some corrupt files and data, there’s also a possibility that the problem is due to a firmware issue brought about by the Nougat update. We need to troubleshoot your phone to know what the real score is and whether or not this problem can be fixed without any help from a tech. Here’s what you need to do:

Step 1: Use other Bluetooth devices

I’m not saying your Bluetooth headset is the problem here, I just want to know how the phone behaves when paired and connected to other BT devices. By the way, it might be more of a compatibility issue that a hardware problem and we need to know which is which.

So, assuming the phone works fine with other devices, then we’ve already isolated the issue to the device you’re using and we now know that your phone’s Bluetooth is fine. Otherwise, there’s a chance it has something to do with the version of Bluetooth on your phone. But either way, you must proceed with your troubleshooting.

Step 2: Pair your phone to your Bluetooth device while in safe mode

We need your phone to run on diagnostic state so that there will be no interference from third-party apps while troubleshooting. When all third-party elements are temporarily disabled, pair and connect your headset to your phone while in safe mode to know if it works fine or not. If it does work fine, then some apps may be causing the problem and this makes our job easier as you only have to find the apps that might have something to do with the problem and uninstall them.

This is how you boot your phone in safe mode…

Turn the device off.
Press and hold the Power key.
When the Samsung Galaxy S6 logo appears, release the Power key, then immediately press and hold the Volume down key.
Hold the Volume down key until the device finishes restarting.
When ‘Safe mode’ appears in the bottom left, release the Volume down key.
Uninstall apps that cause problems.

And this is how you uninstall apps from your Galaxy S6…

From the Home screen, tap Apps.
Tap Settings.
Under ‘Device,’ tap Applications.
Tap Application manager.
Swipe right to the DOWNLOADED screen.
Tap desired app, then tap Uninstall.
Tap Uninstall to confirm.

Step 3: Delete all the system caches so they’ll be replaced

Assuming the problem persists while your phone in safe mode, then it’s time to go after the firmware itself. We’ve seen cases wherein core services and functions stopped working after an update and this might due to some corrupt caches. We have to rule this possibility out before we proceed with other methods. That said, here’s how you delete all the corrupt caches from your phone:

Turn off the device.
Press and hold the Volume up, Home, and Power keys together.
When the Samsung Galaxy S 6 logo screen displays, release only the Power key.
When the Android logo displays, release the Volume up and Home keys. ‘Installing system update’ appears for 30 – 60 seconds, followed by the Android system recovery menu.
Press the Volume down key until ‘wipe cache partition’ is highlighted.
Press the Power key to select.
Press the Volume down key until ‘yes’ is highlighted.
Press the Power key to select.
When the wipe cache partition is complete, ‘Reboot system now’ is highlighted.
Press the Power key to restart the device.

Step 4: Factory reset your Galaxy S6

After wiping the cache partition and the problem still occurs, you have no other choice but to reset your phone. But before you actually do it, make sure you backup your files and data as they will be deleted and can no longer be restored.

Back up all data on the internal memory.
If you signed into a Google account on the device, you have activated Anti-theft. You will need your Google username and password.
From the Home screen, tap Apps.
Tap Settings.
Under Personal, tap Backup and reset.
If desired, tap the Back up my data slider to ON or OFF.
If desired, tap the Restore slider to ON or OFF.
Tap Factory data reset.
Tap Reset device.
If screen lock is enabled, enter PIN or password.
Tap Continue.
Tap Delete all.

I hope this helps.

Galaxy S6 Bluetooth microphone gets muted during calls

Problem: I updated the software on my Samsung Galaxy S6 to the latest android software updated and more recently the nougat updated. Since I updated the first android updated, the Bluetooth microphone automatically gets muted during calls so I am unable to use Bluetooth on this phone. Please help me fix this issue.

Solution: Based on your description, there is a possibility that the caches and files of the device were corrupted. Although update may fix issues and eliminate bugs that is difficult to remove but sometimes it is also one of the factors the issue will become worse. On the other hand, if there were rogue apps that cause conflicts in the system, that might also the reason that the problem occurs. In this instance, I will walk you through to the basic troubleshooting procedures to determine what the problem is and what caused it.

Step 1: Restart your phone in Safe mode

The purpose of booting your device in safe mode is to verify if there’s a downloaded or pre-installed app that triggers the issue. But take note, this is just an android environment wherein the third-party apps will be temporarily disabled and only the pre-installed will run in the system. So, while in this mode try to use your bluetooth and make a call and see if the problem still persists. If not, then obviously there’s an app caused it. Find that app and uninstall it to fix the issue. Here are the steps to boot your phone in this mode:

Turn off your Galaxy S6 Edge.
Press and hold the Power key.
When ‘Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge’ appears, immediately release the Power key and then press and hold the Volume Down button.
Continue holding the Volume Down button until the phone finishes the restart.
When you see Safe Mode on the lower left corner of the screen, release the button

Step 2: Wipe the cache partition of the phone

This method will be performed if the previous procedure won’t do any good on your phone. This time, we have to bring back the cache directory to its default settings to make sure that all caches are fresh and could run perfectly to the new firmware. But don’t you worry this procedure won’t delete the files and data that was stored on your phone. Follow these steps:

Turn off the device.
Press and hold the following three buttons at the same time: Volume Up key, Home key, and Power key.
When the phone vibrates, release the Power key but continue to press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home key.
When the Android System Recovery screen appears, release the Volume Up and Home keys.
Press the Volume Down key to highlight ‘wipe cache partition.’
Press the Power key to select.
When the wipe cache partition is complete, ‘Reboot system now’ is highlighted.
Press the Power key to restart the device.

However, after deleting the cache partition and the behaviour of your phone still the same, then you can proceed to the next method for it might be a serious firmware issue.

Step 3: Master Reset the device

Since, all procedures haven’t fix the issue the last thing that you gonna do to your phone is to do the reset. Through this procedure the firmware of the device will be back to its factory default and the files and data will be all new as well. But before you proceed to this method we recommend you to create a backup to all your important files because once you proceed all of it will be erased. Here’s how to reset your phone:

Turn off your Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge.
Press and hold the Volume Up, Home and Power keys together.
When the device powers on and displays ‘Power on logo’, release all keys and the Android icon will appear on the screen.
Wait until the Android Recovery Screen appears after about 30 seconds.
Using the Volume Down key, highlight the option, ‘wipe data/factory reset’ and press the Power key to select it.
Press the Vol Down button again until the option ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted and then press the Power key to select it.
After the reset is complete, highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and hit the Power key to restart the phone.

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