Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus screen starts to flicker after an update. Here’s what you should do…

When it comes to problems with the screen, there are always two possibilities; either it’s a minor issue concerning the firmware only or a serious problem with the hardware. Firmware issues can be fixed without any help from a tech but if it’s a hardware issue, you really need a technician to fix it for you.

Some of our readers that own the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus have been complaining about a screen flickering issue that reportedly started after an update. We may have addressed this problem in the past but for the benefit of our readers who took time explaining the problem to us, we will tackle it again. So, if you’re one of the owners of this device, or any Android smartphone for that matter, continue reading as this post may give you an idea how to fix the problem with your phone.

Before we move on to our troubleshooting, if you are looking for a solution to a different issue, make sure you drop by our troubleshooting page as we’ve already addressed some of the most common problems reported by our readers. Find issues that are similar with yours and use the solutions we suggested. If you still need our help after that, then feel free to contact us by filling up our Android issues questionnaire.

Troubleshooting Galaxy S9 Plus with a flickering screen

Before anything else, it’s better to check your phone for possible signs of physical and liquid damage because if there’s any, then you don’t have to go through all the hassles of troubleshooting your device. Look for scratches, dents or cracks on the screen or anything in your phone. If your device has been submerged in water for a long time and then this problem started, some circuits may have been messed up and that could be the reason why the screen flickers. But assuming there are no signs of either physical or liquid damage, then here’s what you should do about it:

First solution: Run your phone in safe mode

Running your phone in safe mode won’t fix the problem but will give you the idea if the issue is caused by a third-party app. When in this mode, all third-party apps and services are temporarily disabled so if the problem doesn’t occur or if the screen doesn’t flicker while the phone is in safe mode, then it means there’s a third-party application that’s causing the problem. Here’s how to reboot your S9 Plus in safe mode:

1. Turn the device off.
2. Press and hold the Power key past the model name screen appearing on the screen.
3. When SAMSUNG 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. When Safe mode appears in the bottom left corner of the screen, release the Volume down key.

While in Safe mode, you can now uninstall apps that are causing a problem and here’s how you do that:

1. From the Home screen, swipe up on an empty spot to open the Apps tray.
2. Tap Settings > Apps.
3. Tap the desired application in the default list.
4. To display preinstalled apps, tap Menu > Show system apps.
5. Tap UNINSTALL > OK.

After doing this, continue observing your phone to know if the screen still flickers and if it still does, then move on to the next procedure.

Second solution: Wipe Cache Partition

I’ve encountered some flickering issues in the past that were caused by corrupt system cache and it’s very much possible in this situation since you just updated the firmware. The cache may not be corrupt but are already obsolete since your phone is now running a new version of its firmware. That’s why it’s very important that you try wiping off contents of the cache partition as  you’re not only deleting those files but actually replacing them with new ones. Here’s how you od that:

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 three keys.
4. An ‘Installing system update’ message will show for 30 – 60 seconds before the Android system recovery menu options appear.
5. Press the Volume down key several times to highlight wipe cache partition.
6. Press Power key to select.
7. Press the Volume down key to highlight yes, them and press the Power key to select.
8. When the wipe cache partition is complete, Reboot system now is highlighted.
9. Press the Power key to restart the device.

Observe your phone closely after doing this to know if the screen flickering issue has been resolved and if still not, then try the next solution.

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Third solution: Backup your files and reset your phone

After doing the first two procedures and your phone still has a flickering screen, then you have no other choice but to reset it. It will rule out the possibility that the problem is with the firmware and if the issue continues after the reset, then that’s the time you bring the device to the shop so that a technician can take a look at it.

Before you actually reset your phone, make sure to backup your important files and data as they might be deleted and you may not be able to retrieve them after. Here are the steps on how to reset your Galaxy S9 Plus effectively:

1. Back up data on the internal memory. If you have signed into a Samsung account on the device, you have activated Anti-theft and will need your Samsung 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 one way or the other. Should 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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