Samsung Galaxy S8 started to freeze and show “Settings has stopped” error after Android 8.0 Oreo update (easy steps)

ByHarold Hisona

The error message “Unfortunately, Settings has stopped” is a sign of a firmware issue and whether it’s serious or not, we don’t know yet. But based on experience, this error could be just a result of a minor firmware problem  and considering the fact that some of our readers reported that it started after an update, it’s very much possible that it’s just due to some corrupt system caches. If such is the case, then you can fix this problem on your own without bringing it to the shop.

In this post, I will walk you through in troubleshooting your Galaxy S8 that started to freeze or lag and show the “Settings has stopped” error. I will also share with you the solution we’ve been using to address this kind of issue. This isn’t the first I encountered it so I personally know how to address it. Keep reading if you’re one of the owners of this phone and are currently having similar issues after updating it to Android 8.0 Oreo.

Before going further, if you found this post because you were trying to find a solution to your problem, then try to visit our troubleshooting page as we’ve already addressed most of the commonly reported issues with the phone. We’ve already provided solutions to some of the problems reported by our readers so try to find issues that are similar with yours and use the solutions we suggested. If they don’t work for you and if you need further assistance, fill up our Android issues questionnaire and hit submit.

How to troubleshoot Galaxy S8 with “Settings has stopped” error

The following troubleshooting methods may be able to help you fix this problem and make your phone run smoothly again.

Reboot your phone first – if this is the first time you get this error message, then try rebooting your device first because it might be just a minor issue with the firmware. Glitches happen all the time and errors like this are some of the most common signs. If the reboot doesn’t fix the problem, then try doing the forced reboot, which is far more effective than the normal restart; press and hold the volume down and power keys at the same time for 10 seconds or more.

Wipe cache partition – considering the fact that this problem started after an update, it’s always possible that it’s due to some corrupt system caches. You need to delete those files so that they will be replaced with new ones. To do so, you have to run your phone in recovery mode and wipe the cache partition from there. If the problem continues after this, then you have no other choice but to do the next procedure.

Backup your files and reset your phone – as long as the firmware hasn’t been modified in any way, then a reset can fix this problem if all else fails. However, make sure that you back up your important files and data before the reset as they will be deleted during the process. It would be a challenge because Settings may crash the moment you open it so basically, you may lose some of your data and files especially ones you can’t access using My Files.  

On the other hand, if you rooted your phone and installed a custom ROM and then this problem started, the best way to fix it is to re-flash the stock firmware to bring the phone back to its original firmware.

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Procedures used in this troubleshooting guide

The following are the procedures I mention in the troubleshooting guide above. If you don’t know how to do one of the methods I mentioned, then browse through the instructions below…

How to wipe cache partition of Galaxy S8

  1. Turn off the device.
  2. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby key, then press and hold the Power key.
  3. When the Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
  4. Press the Volume down key several times to highlight “wipe cache partition.”
  5. Press the Power key to select.
  6. Press the Volume down key to highlight “yes” and 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.

How to do the Master Reset on Galaxy S8

  1. Back up data on the internal memory. If you have signed into a Google account on the device, you have activated Anti-theft and will need your Google credentials to finish the Master reset.
  2. Turn off the device.
  3. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby key, then press and hold the Power key.
  4. When the green Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
  5. Press the Volume down key several times 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.

I hope that this troubleshooting guide can help you, somehow. If you have other concerns you want to share with us, feel free to contact us anytime or leave a comment below.

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