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How to fix Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) that keeps showing “moisture detected” warning [Troubleshooting Guide]

Some of our readers who own the Samsung Galaxy A7 are seeking for our assistance as their phone started showing “Moisture has been detected. To charge your device, make sure the charger/USB port is dry.” Needless to say that when this warning pops up, the capability of your phone to charge its battery is hindered or may cause the phone to act differently.

The warning may be triggered by water itself especially if the phone got splashed with or submerged in water and while it has the IP68 rating, it’s not waterproof and is still vulnerable to liquid. There were cases, however, wherein this warning shows up due to a firmware issue. In fact, we have also received complaints about this kind of problem shortly after an update was installed. Whatever the case may be, we still need to troubleshoot your phone so that you can continue charging it. So, continue reading below as this post may be able to help you.

But before we actually jump to our troubleshooting, if you have other issues with your device, then try to visit our Galaxy A7 troubleshooting page for we have already addressed the most commonly reported issues with this device. Try to find issues that are similar with yours and use the solutions and workarounds we suggested. If they don’t work for you or if you need more help, then feel free to contact us by filling up our Android issues questionnaire. Just give us the information we need and we’ll help you solve your problem.

How to troubleshoot Galaxy A7 with ‘moisture detected’ error

The course of our troubleshooting will be to make sure your phone isn’t suffering from liquid damage and then we’ll do a couple of things that may bypass the error and make you charge your phone. Or we may end up doing a reset if we found out this warning is triggered by a firmware issue and that might be all you need to do to fix it. Follow these steps…

Step 1: Check the charger port of your Galaxy A7

You need to check for debris, corrosion and moist. If it looks clean, then get a small piece of tissue and insert it in. Leave the tissue in the port for a minute or two to make sure it absorbs all the moist in there.

For our readers who were asking why they need to check the phone if there’s water in it even if it has the IP68 rating, well, the dust and water-resistance Ingress Protection doesn’t make the phone waterproof. In fact, water may damage it if you take it with you in the pool and do you know the what the main entrance of the water is? That’s right, the USB / charger port.

The warning “moisture detected” specifically tells you that the phone detects water in the port and it’s correct most of the time. So, if you’re the owner and you know that the phone got splashed with or dipped in water, then it’s most likely water that’s causing it.

Step 2: Check the Liquid Damage Indicator

After making sure there’s no moist in the charger port, it’s time to inspect if the phone is suffering from liquid damage. Samsung placed an indicator inside your phone that will tell you immediately if water has somehow found its way into the device.

Remove the SIM tray and then look into the slot. You should find a small sticker in there; if it’s white, then the phone isn’t suffering from liquid damage but it it turned red or pink, it’s a sign that water has messed up your phone. In this case, you don’t have to do anything by yourself anymore as you need a technician to take care of the problem. We also don’t suggest forcing your phone to charge if there’s a sign of liquid damage.

Step 3: Check the charger and the cable

After making sure there’s no moist in the charger port and the LDI doesn’t show signs of liquid damage, it’s time to check the accessories as it’s possible they’re the ones that trigger the problem.

Similar to what you did to the charger port in your phone, get a piece of tissue and insert it to the port in your charger and leave it there for a minute or two. Meanwhile, also check both ends of the cable for signs of liquid, debris or dirt. If you see something between the connectors, get a brush, dip it in alcohol and then brush both ends of the cable.

Step 4: Try to bypass the warning

After making sure the phone isn’t suffering from liquid damage and there are no traces of liquid in it as well as with the charger and cable, try to do these steps to bypass the warning and make your phone charge:

  1. Plug the charger to the wall outlet.
  2. Connect your phone to the charger.
  3. The warning may pop up immediately and charging is stopped.
  4. Without disconnecting your phone from the charger, reboot it.
  5. After the reboot, it should charge normally with or without the warning.

If, however, the phone still refuses to charge after this, move on to the next step.

Step 5: Reboot your phone in Safe mode and charge

Some of our readers suggested this procedure works because it seems like the service that triggers the error isn’t loaded when the phone is running in its bare bones. To make your phone fully-charge even if you’re getting this warning, reboot it in safe mode and connect it to the charger. However, you don’t have to do this if there’s a sign of liquid damage in your phone, it’s dangerous.

  1. Turn the device off.
  2. Press and hold the Power key past the model name 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. Safe mode will display in the bottom left corner of the screen.
  7. Release the Volume down key when you see Safe Mode.

Step 6: Reset your phone to get rid of the warning

If there are no signs of liquid damage or moist in your phone but the error keeps popping up, then it might be just an issue with the firmware. We have received reports from our readers who said that their phones started to act like this after an update. Apparently, it’s not an issue with the hardware but the firmware so you need to reset your phone. However, make sure you backup all your files and data as they will be deleted during the reset process:

  1. Turn off the device.
  2. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home 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, then ‘No command’ before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
  4. Press the Volume down key several times to highlight “wipe data / factory reset.
  5. Press Power button to select.
  6. Press the Volume down key until ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted.
  7. Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
  8. When the master reset is complete, “Reboot system now” is highlighted.
  9. Press the Power key to restart the device.

If there are signs of liquid damage or if the problem continues after this, then bring your phone back to the store and have it repaired or cleaned.

Connect with us

We are always open to your problems, questions and suggestions, so feel free to contact us by filling up this form. This is a free service we offer and we won’t charge you a penny for it. But please note that we receive hundreds of emails every day and it’s impossible for us to respond to every single one of them. But rest assured we read every message we receive. For those whom we’ve helped, please spread the word by sharing our posts to your friends or by simply liking our Facebook and Google+ page or follow us on Twitter.

How to fix your Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) that can no longer connect to Wi-Fi hotspot [Troubleshooting Guide]

Internet connectivity issues are among the most common problems we’ve received from our readers ever since we started providing support to select devices. But recently, we started receiving complaints from owners of the Samsung Galaxy A7 because according to some our readers, there units can no longer connect to the Wi-Fi hotspot they used to connect. We don’t know why this is happening but we know there were a few forced update for the device but all of them are actually minor. Those updates may have something to do with this problem so we also have to take them into consideration.

In this post, I will walk you through in troubleshooting your Galaxy A7 that has issues connecting to Wi-Fi hotspots. We will take every possibility and rule them out one by one until we can easily determine what the problem is, what causes it and what needs to be done to fix it. This isn’t the first time we tackle this problem, in fact, we’ve already published a lot of articles that tackle this topic. We know this problem can be fixed but it all depends on the gravity of the problem. If you’re one of the owners of this phone and are currently bugged by a similar issue, then continue reading below as this post may be able to help you.

But before we actually jump to our troubleshooting, if you have other issues with your device, then try to visit our Galaxy A7 troubleshooting page for we have already addressed the most commonly reported issues with this device. Try to find issues that are similar with yours and use the solutions and workarounds we suggested. If they don’t work for you or if you need more help, then feel free to contact us by filling up our Android issues questionnaire. Just give us the information we need and we’ll help you solve your problem.

How to troubleshoot your Galaxy A7 that can no longer connect via Wi-Fi

Problem: My phone is a Galaxy A7 that I bought in January. There have been quite a few updates but nothing big actually. Recently, there was also an update and that’s when this problem started. My phone can no longer connect to a Wi-Fi network after the update and I really don’t have a clue why it’s doing this. I don’t think it has something to do with the settings since I don’t tinker my phone around. I’m afraid I can mess my phone up and have issues while using it. Can you guys help me out with this please? Thanks.

Troubleshooting: We just have to see if this problem is minor and can be fixed by basic troubleshooting because if it’s a issue with the hardware, then there’s only so much we can do about it. Here are the things you should do about this problem…

Step 1: Try connecting your phone to Wi-Fi network while in safe mode

First off, we have to know if this problem is caused by one or some of the third-party apps you installed on your phone. You have to bring the phone to boot up in Safe mode to temporarily disable all third-party elements and then try to connect it to a Wi-Fi hotspot that you used to connect.

To run your phone in safe mode, here’s what you need to do…

  1. Turn the device off.
  2. Press and hold the Power key past the model name 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. Safe mode will display in the bottom left corner of the screen.
  7. Release the Volume down key when you see Safe Mode.
  8. Uninstall apps that are causing a problem.

Now that your phone is already in safe mode, try to connect to see if the problem is fixed because if not, then you have to move on to the next step. However, if you can connect to the internet via Wi-Fi while in this mode, then there might be an app that’s causing the problem. You  have to find that app and reset it first, if it’s not enough, then you have to uninstall it.

How to reset third-party applications on your Galaxy A7

  1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps tray.
  2. Tap Settings > Apps.
  3. Tap the desired application in the default list or tap 3 dots icon > Show system apps to display pre-installed apps.
  4. Tap Storage.
  5. Tap Clear data and then tap OK.
  6. Tap Clear cache.

How to uninstall applications from your Galaxy A7

  1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps tray.
  2. Tap Settings > Apps.
  3. Tap the desired application in the default list or tap 3 dots icon > Show system apps to display pre-installed apps.
  4. Tap the desired application.
  5. Tap Uninstall.
  6. Tap Uninstall again to confirm.

Step 2: Reset all Network settings

By doing this, you’re actually deleting all your network preferences and this brings the phone to its default settings. The following changes will then occur the moment you reset the network…

  • Stored Wi-Fi networks will be deleted.
  • Paired Bluetooth devices will be deleted.
  • Background data sync settings will be turned on.
  • Data restrictive settings in applications that were manually turned on/off by the customer will be reset to the default setting.
  • Network selection mode will be set to automatic.

The following device connections status will default to when the device was being powered on for the first time.

  • Airplane mode: OFF
  • Bluetooth: OFF
  • Data roaming: OFF
  • Mobile hotspot: OFF
  • VPN: OFF
  • Mobile data: ON
  • Wi-Fi: OFF

To reset network settings, follow these steps…

  1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps tray.
  2. Tap General Management > Reset > Reset network settings.
  3. Tap Reset settings.
  4. If you have set up a PIN, enter it.
  5. Tap Reset settings. Once complete a confirmation window will appear.

This procedure can potentially fix the problem but if it remains after doing this, then you have no other choice but to go after the firmware.

Step 3: Delete all the system caches as some of them may have been corrupted

System caches get corrupted all the time and more often they automatically become obsolete when a new firmware is installed on your phone. You’ve already done a couple of procedures that aren’t directed at the firmware to no avail so it’s time to see if this problem gets fixed by this…

  1. Turn off the device.
  2. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home 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, then ‘No command’ before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
  4. Press the Volume down key several times to highlight “wipe cache partition”.
  5. Press Power button 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.

After this and the phone is still not capable of connecting to a Wi-Fi network, it’s time to reset it.

Step 4: Backup all your files and data and reset your phone

This is your last resort and you have to do this even if there’s no guarantee the problem will be fixed. It’s because after this and the phone is still not capable of connecting to a Wi-Fi network, you will have to bring it to the shop and let the tech check it for you. To protect your privacy, you have to reset your phone so that all your personal information will be wiped out. But then again if the problem is caused by a minor firmware issue, then this procedure will take care of it.

There’s a catch though. All your personal files and data that are stored in your phone’s internal storage will be deleted so make sure you make a backup before you actually reset the phone. After the backup, I suggest you also disable the Factory Reset Protection so you won’t be locked out of your device after reset especially if you don’t know your Google ID and password. The steps on how to do this as well as how to reset your phone can be found below.

How to disable Factory Reset Protection on Galaxy A7

  1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps tray.
  2. Tap Settings > Cloud and accounts.
  3. Tap Accounts.
  4. Tap Google.
  5. Tap on your Google ID email address if multiple accounts are setup. If you have multiple accounts setup, you will need to repeat these steps for each account.
  6. Tap 3 dot icon.
  7. Tap Remove account.
  8. Tap REMOVE ACCOUNT.

How to reset your Galaxy A7

  1. Turn off the device.
  2. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home 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, then ‘No command’ before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
  4. Press the Volume down key several times to highlight “wipe data / factory reset.
  5. Press Power button to select.
  6. Press the Volume down key until ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted.
  7. Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
  8. When the master reset is complete, “Reboot system now” is highlighted.
  9. Press the Power key to restart the device.

You can also reset your phone from the Settings menu…

  1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps tray.
  2. Tap Settings > Cloud and accounts.
  3. Tap Backup and restore.
  4. If desired, tap Back up my data to move the slider to ON or OFF.
  5. If desired, tap Restore to move the slider to ON or OFF.
  6. Tap the back button to the Settings menu and tap General Management > Reset > Factory data reset.
  7. Tap Reset.
  8. If you have screen lock turned on, enter your credentials.
  9. Tap Continue.
  10. Tap Delete all.

If the problem continues after doing all these procedures, then seek further assistance from a tech.

Connect with us

We are always open to your problems, questions and suggestions, so feel free to contact us by filling up this form. This is a free service we offer and we won’t charge you a penny for it. But please note that we receive hundreds of emails every day and it’s impossible for us to respond to every single one of them. But rest assured we read every message we receive. For those whom we’ve helped, please spread the word by sharing our posts to your friends or by simply liking our Facebook and Google+ page or follow us on Twitter.

How to fix your Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) that won’t turn on [Troubleshooting Guide]

We have received a lot messages from our readers who own the Samsung Galaxy A7 and while we’ve already addressed the not charging issue in a separate post, we find it necessary to address the issue involving some A7s that reportedly won’t turn on anymore.

Power-related concerns are among the most common problems we received from our readers since 2012. It’s because most users start to panic if their phones won’t turn on or charge and we understand why. That’s the reason we publish posts like this because know thousands of people need our help and advice.

In this post, I will be tackling the the “not turning on” problem with the Galaxy A7. We will try to look into every possibility and rule them out one by one until we arrive at a point where we can easily tell what the cause is and what you need to do as a user to fix the problem. If you’re one of the owners of this phone and are currently bugged by a similar issue, then continue reading below as this article maybe of great help to you.

But before we actually jump to our troubleshooting, if you have other issues with your device, then try to visit our Galaxy A7 troubleshooting page for we have already addressed the most commonly reported issues with this device. Try to find issues that are similar with yours and use the solutions and workarounds we suggested. If they don’t work for you or if you need more help, then feel free to contact us by filling up our Android issues questionnaire. Just give us the information we need and we’ll help you solve your problem.

How to troubleshoot your Galaxy A7 that no longer powers on

Aside from other possibilities, there are two that often cause this kind of problem; either it’s hardware problem or an issue with the firmware. But then of course, we don’t know why your phone won’t turn on anymore that’s why we need to troubleshoot. Try to read the problem sent by one of our readers below as it describes how this issue occurred…

Problem: Hello. First of all, thank you for fixing my problem a couple of months ago. I was using the Galaxy S6 back then when I encountered the problem and you guys provided me with a solution that actually worked. Thanks for that. Now I need another advice from you since I just got a Galaxy A7 in May and now it seems like it won’t turn on anymore. I mean the screen is black and the phone won’t respond no matter what I do. I already tried charging it thinking it might just be a problem caused low battery but it didn’t charge either. I’m a bit worried about it since the phone is barely a couple of months old and I’ve taken care of it ever since I bought it. Can you guys help me out. Thanks.

Troubleshooting: The purpose of this troubleshooting guide is for us to know if this problem is minor and if we can fix it on our own. There are times when the problem is beyond our league and we have to seek assistance from a technician who can do further tests without voiding the warranty.

Before we begin, please remember that the problem with your phone is that it no longer powers on. So, if we can make it turn on, then problem solved. The thing is, there’s only so much we can do about a phone that won’t power up. So, we can only attempt to do some things just to see if the phone responds. With all that being said, here’s what I suggest you do:

Step 1: Do the soft reset on your Galaxy A7

The first thing I want you to do is Forced Reboot, which is also known as soft reset. It is the same as the battery pull procedure we often do to phones with removable battery but since your A7 has a non-removable battery, then you have to do this.

Press and hold the Volume Down and the Power keys together for 10 seconds and your phone may reboot normally. That is if the problem is caused by a glitch in the system that caused the phone to crash and if the phone still has enough battery left.

If this problem started without apparent reason, this might be the only thing you need to do to bring your phone back to life. However, if the it still won’t respond after this, then move on to the next step.

Step 2: Connect it to the charger and do the soft reset again

Plug your charger to the wall outlet that you know works and then connect your phone. I understand you said you already tried charging your phone but it won’t respond but please do this. Once plugged in, press and hold the Volume Down and Power keys together for 10 seconds to see if the phone responds this time.

The reason why we have to do this is that there’s a possibility that the system crashed and that the battery was all drained. In this case, the phone won’t respond no matter how many times you press the Power key. It won’t also respond even if soft reset is done simply because there’s no battery left to power up all its components as well as load the firmware.

So, we give your phone a stable power source and even if it doesn’t respond to the charger, you have to do the soft reset procedure again to see if it turns on this time. If the phone still won’t respond after this, then leave it plugged in for 10 minutes but from time to time, check if it’s heating up because it does, then there’s a problem with the hardware and you need to unplug the phone from the charger and immediately bring it to the tech.

Step 3: Attempt to boot it up in Safe mode

You only have to continue troubleshooting if your phone doesn’t heat if charged. After leaving it plugged in for at least ten minutes, you have to try to bring it back to life by attempting to boot it up in a different environment.

By booting your phone up in safe mode, you’re actually disabling all third-party apps. There’s always a possibility that the problem is caused by one of the app you installed on your phone. It might have been crashing a lot and caused some conflicts in the system that also resulted to a system crash.

Here are the steps on how to start your phone up in safe mode:

  1. Press and hold the Power key past the model name screen.
  2. When “SAMSUNG” appears on the screen, release the Power key.
  3. Immediately after releasing the Power key, press and hold the Volume down key.
  4. Continue to hold the Volume down key until the device finishes restarting.
  5. Safe mode will display in the bottom left corner of the screen.
  6. Release the Volume down key when you see Safe Mode.
  7. Uninstall apps that are causing a problem.

Assuming the phone started up in safe mode, then we’re halfway to fixing the problem. We just need to find the apps that might be causing the problem and if you already have a suspect, the first thing you should do is try to update all apps in your phone. Then reset the apps you suspect one by one and if the problem still won’t boot up in normal mode, you have to uninstall them. At this point though, the problem is reduced from “won’t turn on” to “won’t boot up.”

How to update apps on your Galaxy A7

  1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps tray.
  2. Tap Play Store.
  3. Tap the Menu key and then tap My Apps. To keep your apps automatically updated, tap the Menu > Settings then tap Auto-update apps to select the check box.
  4. Choose one of the following options:
    • Tap Update [xx] to update all applications with updates available.
    • Tap an individual application and then tap Update to update a single application.

How to clear apps caches and data on your Galaxy A7

  1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps tray.
  2. Tap Settings > Apps.
  3. Tap the desired application in the default list or tap 3 dots icon > Show system apps to display pre-installed apps.
  4. Tap Storage.
  5. Tap Clear data and then tap OK.
  6. Tap Clear cache.

How to uninstall applications from your Galaxy A7

  1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps tray.
  2. Tap Settings > Apps.
  3. Tap the desired application in the default list or tap 3 dots icon > Show system apps to display pre-installed apps.
  4. Tap the desired application.
  5. Tap Uninstall.
  6. Tap Uninstall again to confirm.

However, if the phone doesn’t boot up in safe mode, then you have to move on to the next step.

Step 4: Attempt to start your phone up in Recovery mode

Your phone has a fail-safe that if the firmware fails to load all necessary files and services and gets stuck during boot up, you will still be able to run it in Android system recovery environment wherein the usual Android interface won’t be loaded. This environment is what we often call Recovery mode. The moment your phone boots up in this mode, you can already reset assured that the hardware is fine and that the problem is actually just in the system. In this mode, you can do a couple of things: first, you have to wipe the cache partition and if that won’t work, you have to do the Master reset.

How to wipe Galaxy A7 cache partition

Wiping the cache partition actually means you’re deleting all system caches created by the firmware. Once deleted, the phone will rebuild them when it boots up. If one of those files caused the problem, then this is the only thing you need to do. Here are the steps on how to boot up in recovery mode and wipe cache partition:

  1. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home key, then press and hold the Power key.
  2. When the Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds, then ‘No command’ before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
  3. Press the Volume down key several times to highlight “wipe cache partition”.
  4. Press Power button to select.
  5. Press the Volume down key to highlight “yes” and press the Power key to select.
  6. When the wipe cache partition is complete, “Reboot system now” is highlighted.
  7. Press the Power key to restart the device.

If the phone failed to start in recovery mode or if wiping the cache partition wasn’t enough to make it work normally again, then you have to reset it.

How to Master Reset your Galaxy A7

You have to do this if your phone can successfully boot up in recovery mode but the problem wasn’t fixed by wiping the cache partition. It’s very effective in addressing almost all system related issues but there’s a catch: you will lose all your personal files and data. At this point though, you have no other choice…

  1. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home key, then press and hold the Power key.
  2. When the Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds, then ‘No command’ before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
  3. Press the Volume down key several times to highlight “wipe data / factory reset.
  4. Press Power button to select.
  5. Press the Volume down key until ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted.
  6. Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
  7. When the master reset is complete, “Reboot system now” is highlighted.
  8. Press the Power key to restart the device.

If the problem still persists after this, then you have no other option but to bring your phone to the shop and let the tech fix it for you.

Connect with us

We are always open to your problems, questions and suggestions, so feel free to contact us by filling up this form. This is a free service we offer and we won’t charge you a penny for it. But please note that we receive hundreds of emails every day and it’s impossible for us to respond to every single one of them. But rest assured we read every message we receive. For those whom we’ve helped, please spread the word by sharing our posts to your friends or by simply liking our Facebook and Google+ page or follow us on Twitter.

How to screenshot on Samsung Galaxy A7

Learning how to capture a screenshot on your Galaxy A7 can be useful in some select situations. Check out the two methods on how to do it below.

Before we proceed, we want to remind you that if you are looking for solutions to your own #Android issue, you can contact us by using the link provided at the bottom of this page. When describing your issue, please be as detailed as possible so we can easily pinpoint a relevant solution. If you can, kindly include the exact error messages you are getting to give us an idea where to start. If you have already tried some troubleshooting steps before emailing us, make sure to mention them so we can skip them in our answers.

How to take screenshot using Hardware buttons 

  1. Press and hold the Power and Home button at the same time.
  2. Do not release before your phone gives you feedback in the form of either a flash, a sound or a vibration.

How to take screenshot using the Palm Swipe Gesture

  1. Open the screen you want to capture.
  2. Position your hand vertically along the left or right edge of the screen.
  3. Make sure your hand touches the screen lightly and then swipe across the screen to activate screenshot.
  4. The screen will flash and you’ll see the screenshot briefly on the screen.
  5. If you want to view it, open Gallery and it should be under the Screenshot section.

 

Engage with us

If you are one of the users who encounters a problem with your device, let us know. We offer solutions for Android-related problems for free so if you have an issue with your Android device, simply fill in the short questionnaire in this link and we will try to publish our answers in the next posts. We cannot guarantee a quick response so if your issue is time sensitive, please find another way to resolve your problem.

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How to fix your Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) that has a screen flickering issue [Troubleshooting Guide]

The screen flickering problem on your Samsung Galaxy A7 may be a sign of a serious hardware or firmware issue. At this point though, we don’t know for sure what the problem with your phone is that’s why we need to troubleshoot. Our troubleshooting will be based on our own experiences as well as the experiences of our readers who reportedly encountered similar issues in the past.

This isn’t the first time that we’ve addressed this problem. In fact, we’ve already tackled it several times and it’s not exclusive the A7 because even Samsung’s flagship phones like the S7 and S8 also encountered it. So, in this post, we will walk you through in troubleshooting your phone and let’s consider every possibility and rule out each of them until we can easily tell what the problem really is and what needs to be done to fix it. So, read on if you’re one of the owners of this device and are bugged by a similar problem as this post may be able to help you.

But before we actually jump to our troubleshooting, if you have other issues with your device, then try to visit our Galaxy A7 troubleshooting page for we have already addressed the most commonly reported issues with this device. Try to find issues that are similar with yours and use the solutions and workarounds we suggested. If they don’t work for you or if you need more help, then feel free to contact us by filling up our Android issues questionnaire. Just give us the information we need and we’ll help you solve your problem.

How to troubleshoot your Galaxy A7 with screen flickering issue

Problem: Hi guys. There’s a problem with the screen of my new phone because it randomly flickers. At first, I thought it was just some kind of a glitch and temporary but then it happened again. Then I thought maybe it was just because of some apps but it kept happening regardless of the apps I used. It happened while I was texting, it also happened when I was browsing the web or even listening to the music. Not sure what to do at this point and I’m afraid I might mess up my phone even more. So, if you guys are kind enough to advice me what to do about it, that would be awesome. I’ll be waiting for your response on this. Thanks in advance.

Troubleshooting: I understand you’ve already done a few troubleshooting steps to get this problem sorted to no avail so we will be suggesting some more to see if we can get this issue solved. That being said, here’s what I suggest you do:

Step 1: Reboot your phone in safe mode and observe if the screen still flickers

First off, we want to know if some third-party elements have something to do with this problem that’s why you need to do this. It won’t fix the problem but will answer our question. If the problem doesn’t show up while in this mode, then our suspicion is confirmed.

Now, here are the steps on how to start your phone up in Safe mode:

  1. Turn the device off.
  2. Press and hold the Power key past the model name 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. Safe mode will display in the bottom left corner of the screen.
  7. Release the Volume down key when you see Safe Mode.
  8. Uninstall apps that are causing a problem.

If the screen doesn’t flicker while in this mode, then one or some of the third-party apps you installed must be causing the problem. You have to find it and then update, reset or even uninstall ones you think is causing the problem.

How to update applications on your Galaxy A7

  1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps tray.
  2. Tap Play Store.
  3. Tap the Menu key and then tap My Apps. To keep your apps automatically updated, tap the Menu > Settings then tap Auto-update apps to select the check box.
  4. Choose one of the following options:
    • Tap Update [xx] to update all applications with updates available.
    • Tap an individual application and then tap Update to update a single application.

How to clear app cache and data on Galaxy A7

  1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps tray.
  2. Tap Settings > Apps.
  3. Tap the desired application in the default list or tap 3 dots icon > Show system apps to display pre-installed apps.
  4. Tap Storage.
  5. Tap Clear data and then tap OK.
  6. Tap Clear cache.

How to uninstall applications from your Galaxy A7

  1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps tray.
  2. Tap Settings > Apps.
  3. Tap the desired application in the default list or tap 3 dots icon > Show system apps to display pre-installed apps.
  4. Tap the desired application.
  5. Tap Uninstall.
  6. Tap Uninstall again to confirm.

If the screen flickering issue still occurs even in safe mode, then you have to move on to the next step.

Step 2: Try to delete all the system caches so they’ll be replaced

There’s no guarantee that the problem will be fixed by this procedure but you have to do it because it’s always possible that the cause of the flickering are some corrupt caches. All you gotta do is reboot your phone in Recovery mode and wipe cache partition. You don’t have access to individual caches so you have to clear off the entire contents of the cache partition and here’s how you do it:

  1. Turn off the device.
  2. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home 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, then ‘No command’ before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
  4. Press the Volume down key several times to highlight “wipe cache partition”.
  5. Press Power button 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.

Don’t worry, this procedure is safe both for your phone and your data as no files will be deleted but it’s very effective in dealing with firmware-related issues. If the problem still occurs after this, however, then you should move on to the next step.

Step 3: Backup your files and data and reset your phone

You’ve already tried fixing the problem to no avail and you’ve followed a couple of procedures above but the issue remained. So, it’s time to do the reset however, the files you saved in your phone’s internal storage will be deleted so you need to make a backup. After which, disable the Factory Reset Protection of your phone so you won’t be locked out.

How to disable Factory Reset Protection on Galaxy A7

  1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps tray.
  2. Tap Settings > Cloud and accounts.
  3. Tap Accounts.
  4. Tap Google.
  5. Tap on your Google ID email address if multiple accounts are setup. If you have multiple accounts setup, you will need to repeat these steps for each account.
  6. Tap 3 dot icon.
  7. Tap Remove account.
  8. Tap REMOVE ACCOUNT.

How to reset your Samsung Galaxy A7

There are actually two basic ways to reset your phone and the first one is through the Recovery mode…

  1. Turn off the device.
  2. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home 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, then ‘No command’ before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
  4. Press the Volume down key several times to highlight “wipe data / factory reset.
  5. Press Power button to select.
  6. Press the Volume down key until ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted.
  7. Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
  8. When the master reset is complete, “Reboot system now” is highlighted.
  9. Press the Power key to restart the device.

You can also reset your phone from the Settings menu…

  1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps tray.
  2. Tap Settings > Cloud and accounts.
  3. Tap Backup and restore.
  4. If desired, tap Back up my data to move the slider to ON or OFF.
  5. If desired, tap Restore to move the slider to ON or OFF.
  6. Tap the back button to the Settings menu and tap General Management > Reset > Factory data reset.
  7. Tap Reset.
  8. If you have screen lock turned on, enter your credentials.
  9. Tap Continue.
  10. Tap Delete all.

If the flickering continues, then it might be an issue with the hardware. You need to get the device checked by a technician.

Connect with us

We are always open to your problems, questions and suggestions, so feel free to contact us by filling up this form. This is a free service we offer and we won’t charge you a penny for it. But please note that we receive hundreds of emails every day and it’s impossible for us to respond to every single one of them. But rest assured we read every message we receive. For those whom we’ve helped, please spread the word by sharing our posts to your friends or by simply liking our Facebook and Google+ page or follow us on Twitter.

How to fix SIM card not inserted error on your Samsung Galaxy A7 2017 (easy steps)

When your phone prompts an error message pertaining to the SIM card, it could be due to a system error, a bad SIM card, or damaged network components on the phone. Before you take your device to a service center or request a new SIM card replacement, try to rule software issues out from the possible triggers. Many smartphone owners who encountered SIM card-related errors were able to resolve issues by performing applicable troubleshooting procedures and workarounds.

Highlighted below are a few suggested methods to troubleshoot a SIM card error on the Samsung Galaxy A7 2017 smartphone. If ever you will encounter the same issue in which the device keeps prompting a SIM card not inserted error and unable to recognize the SIM card, you can consider these as additional inputs. Read on and get more help, when needed.

Before anything else though, if you have other issues with your device, then visit our troubleshooting page for we have already addressed several common problems with this phone. Odds are that there are already existing solutions to your problems so just take time finding issues that are similar with yours. If you can’t find one or if you need further assistance, feel free to contact us by completing our Android issues questionnaire. Please provide us with as much information as possible so that it would also be easier for us to troubleshoot the problem. Don’t worry as we offer this service for free, so all you have to do is give us sufficient information about the problem.

How to troubleshoot Galaxy A7 with SIM card issue

Before you begin troubleshooting, verify and ensure that you are using the right SIM card type for your device. The Galaxy A7 2017 supports a nano SIM card. You can double-check by removing the SIM card from your device, if necessary. If you got the right SIM card but still getting the same error, then move on and try the following solutions.

First solution: Reboot your phone (soft reset).

A soft reset might be the key to fixing the error if it’s triggered by some minor glitches affecting the phone’s network functions. It’s deemed the simplest yet very effective solution to various types of device issues attributed to software errors. Thus, if you haven’t already, restart your Galaxy A7 2017 with these steps:

  1. Press and hold the Power button for a few seconds or until the menu options appear.
  2. Tap on Power off then tap OK. Your phone then shuts down.
  3. After 30 seconds, press and hold the Power button until the device reboots.

A soft reset or reboot won’t affect any data stored on the internal memory, so all your files remain intact afterwards.

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Second solution: Remove and reseat the SIM card.

If a soft reset failed to fix the problem and the SIM card error persists, try to remove and reinstall the SIM card on your phone. Aside from the possibility of the SIM card being dislodged or loose, removing the SIM card is also a way of refreshing network function of the phone. Here’s what you should do then:

  1. Turn off your phone completely.
  2. Loosen the SIM card tray by inserting the ejection pin into the tiny hole on the tray. Make sure the ejector pin is perpendicular to the hole to prevent damaging the device.
  3. Gently pull out the SIM card tray from the tray slot.
  4. Remove the SIM card from the tray. Check the card for any visible signs of damages like scratches and dents.
  5. If everything looks okay, place the SIM card on the tray with the gold colored contacts facing downwards.
  6. If possible, use only the SIM card that is provided by your mobile phone service provider/carrier.
  7. Gently press the SIM card into the tray to secure it.
  8. Insert the tray back into the tray slot.

To prevent liquid from entering your device, fully insert the tray into the tray slot.

Third solution: Reset network settings (APN) to default.

Network problems can also be due to invalid network settings on the phone. This is likely the case if you’ve made some changes on your phone settings or installing new software update that automatically overrides the current settings on your device. To rule this out, you can reset the network settings or APN to restore the default options required for your SIM. With the SIM card inserted, follow the steps to restore network settings on your Galaxy A7 smartphone to defaults:

  1. Go to Settings.
  2. Tap More Networks.
  3. Tap Mobile Networks.
  4. Tap Access Point Names.
  5. Tap the 3 vertical dots or Menu icon.
  6. Then select Reset to Default option. This will restore the APN settings to the default values that match your SIM. If you’re using a SIM from another network in your device, the APN will reset to the default for that network.
  7. Tap Save to apply the recent changes you’ve made to your phone’s network settings.
  8. Reboot your phone to refresh apps and system functions.

For more information and further assistance on APN settings modification, contact your service provider or carrier.

Fourth solution: Update software to the latest version available.

Aside from new features, software updates also embed fix patches, to address or get rid of software bugs affecting certain devices. Should the No SIM card inserted error you’re dealing with is inflicted by software bugs, installing an update will likely fix it.

  • To check for available software update, go to Apps-> Settings-> About device-> Software update-> then select Update Now or Download updates manually.

Restart your phone when the update is completely installed. Doing so will ensure all new system changes are properly implemented and the device to function properly.

Fifth solution: Reset your phone to factory defaults (master reset).

You may consider a full system reset or master reset as your last resort if all else failed to fix the SIM card error on your Galaxy A7 2017 handset. It might be inflicted by some tough bugs that require more advanced solutions including a full system wipe out. Should you wish to proceed, back up all your important files as they will also be deleted in the process. When you’re done creating backups, proceed to these steps:

  1. Go to Settings.
  2. Tap Backup and Reset.
  3. Tap Factory Data Reset.
  4. Tap Reset Device.
  5. Then tap Delete All to confirm.

Your phone then starts clearing all data and restores the default settings. After the reset, it will reboot automatically. You can proceed with the initial device setup by then. Alternatively, you can do a master reset or factory reset via Android recovery mode.

Other options

You can seek further assistance from your carrier or network service provider if your Galaxy A7 still failed to detect your SIM card and continues to prompt a SIM card not inserted error after exhausting all possible means and options. If necessary, you can request for a new SIM card replacement. The SIM card might have been damaged or deactivated and therefore, must be replaced. Your carrier will be able to assist you on that matter.

If you suspect that the problem is not the SIM card but rather due to a complex system error, contact Samsung Support for other options and official recommendations. You can also take your device to a nearby Samsung service center for hardware damage assessment and/or repair. Consider this a must if your device started to show the SIM card error after you’ve accidentally dropped it or got it wet.

Connect with us

We are always open to your problems, questions and suggestions, so feel free to contact us by filling up this form. This is a free service we offer and we won’t charge you a penny for it. But please note that we receive hundreds of emails every day and it’s impossible for us to respond to every single one of them. But rest assured we read every message we receive. For those whom we’ve helped, please spread the word by sharing our posts to your friends or by simply liking our Facebook and Google+ page or follow us on Twitter.

Posts you may also like to check out:

What to do about your Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) that keeps hanging [Troubleshooting Guide]

When a smartphone with high specifications like the Samsung Galaxy A7 starts freezing or hanging, there might be something wrong with its firmware. However, there are also cases wherein freezes are caused by some apps that keep crashing so we really can’t tell which is which until we did some troubleshooting.

So, in this post, I will walk you through in troubleshooting your Galaxy A7 that started to hang from time to time or randomly. We will look into every possibility and rule them out one by one until we can easily determine what the problem really is and so that we can try to formulate a solution that might fix it for good. Our goal here is to make your phone run smoothly again minus the freezes, lags, hangs, etc.

But before we actually jump to our troubleshooting, if you have other issues with your device, then try to visit our Galaxy A7 troubleshooting page for we have already addressed the most commonly reported issues with this device. Try to find issues that are similar with yours and use the solutions and workarounds we suggested. If they don’t work for you or if you need more help, then feel free to contact us by filling up our Android issues questionnaire. Just give us the information we need and we’ll help you solve your problem.

How to troubleshoot Galaxy A7 that keeps hanging

Freezing issues are usually very minor problems especially when it comes to smartphones with impressive tech specs like the Galaxy A7. However, it could also be a sign of a more complex problem with the hardware depending on how the problem started but assuming it happened without apparent reason, it might just be some issues with the app or the firmware. We have to troubleshoot to know and fix it and this is what you need to do:

Step 1: Reboot your phone in Safe mode and observe

The first thing I want you to do is observe your phone’s performance while it’s in Safe mode because it will tell us immediately if it’s due to a third-party app or not. That’s the reason you need to start your phone in safe mode first so that all third-party apps will be temporarily disabled and this is how it’s done…

  1. Turn the device off.
  2. Press and hold the Power key past the model name 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. 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 this environment, all you gotta do is observe to know if the phone is still hanging or not because if not anymore, then it’s clear that one or some of the apps you installed is causing the problem. In this case, move on to the next step. However, if the problem still occurs in safe mode, skip to step 3.

Step 2: Update, reset and / or uninstall suspected apps

Assuming the phone works fine while in safe mode, then the third-party apps have to be blamed for this problem. However, it won’t be easy find the culprit that’s why you need to update apps that need to be updated first as it may be just a compatibility issue.

  1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps tray.
  2. Tap Play Store.
  3. Tap the Menu key and then tap My Apps. To keep your apps automatically updated, tap the Menu > Settings then tap Auto-update apps to select the check box.
  4. Choose one of the following options:
    • Tap Update [xx] to update all applications with updates available.
    • Tap an individual application and then tap Update to update a single application.

If updating the apps doesn’t help, then try to go through each of the app you suspect. Probably start from the most recent installation. Try clearing the cache and data of suspected apps and then reboot your phone back in normal mode to see if the hanging continues and if so, uninstall them one by one.

How to clear apps cache and data on Galaxy A7

  1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps tray.
  2. Tap Settings > Apps.
  3. Tap the desired application in the default list or tap 3 dots icon > Show system apps to display pre-installed apps.
  4. Tap Storage.
  5. Tap Clear data and then tap OK.
  6. Tap Clear cache.

How to uninstall applications from your Galaxy A7

  1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps tray.
  2. Tap Settings > Apps.
  3. Tap the desired application in the default list or tap 3 dots icon > Show system apps to display pre-installed apps.
  4. Tap the desired application.
  5. Tap Uninstall.
  6. Tap Uninstall again to confirm.

I understand finding the culprit would be difficult especially if you already have a lot of apps in your phone. So, if it’s easier for you to make a backup of your important files and data and just do the reset, then that would make life a lot easier.

  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. From the Home screen, tap the Apps tray.
  3. Tap Settings > Cloud and accounts.
  4. Tap Backup and restore.
  5. If desired, tap Back up my data to move the slider to ON or OFF.
  6. If desired, tap Restore to move the slider to ON or OFF.
  7. Tap the back button to the Settings menu and tap General Management > Reset > Factory data reset.
  8. Tap Reset.
  9. If you have screen lock turned on, enter your credentials.
  10. Tap Continue.
  11. Tap Delete all.

Step 3: Boot your phone in Recovery mode and wipe cache partition

Assuming your Galaxy A7 is still hanging or freezing while in safe mode, then we can say it’s more of a firmware problem than anything else. Well, some built-in apps might have some issues but they’re deeply integrated into the firmware that’s why we’ll have to go after the latter. The first thing you have to go after is the system cache as it might have been corrupted. You just have to delete it so that it will be replaced with a new one and you can only do so by booting your phone up in recovery mode and wiping the cache partition:

  1. Turn off the device.
  2. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home 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, then ‘No command’ before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
  4. Press the Volume down key several times to highlight “wipe cache partition”.
  5. Press Power button 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.

The phone will rebuild the cache during the boot up process so it may take a little longer for it to boot up but after that and the problem still exists, you have no other choice but to reset your phone.

Step 4: It’s time to reset your phone

After doing everything and the problem still persists, then a reset is your last bid to fix this problem unless you want a technician to handle this problem for you, which will of course, result to a reset as well. If you want to go with the reset, then make sure you make a backup of your important files and data especially ones that are stored in your phone’s internal storage as they will be deleted. After the backup process, disable the anti-theft feature of your phone so that you won’t be locked out of your device after the reset. Here’s how you do that…

  1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps tray.
  2. Tap Settings > Cloud and accounts.
  3. Tap Accounts.
  4. Tap Google.
  5. Tap on your Google ID email address if multiple accounts are setup. If you have multiple accounts setup, you will need to repeat these steps for each account.
  6. Tap 3 dot icon.
  7. Tap Remove account.
  8. Tap REMOVE ACCOUNT.

As to the reset, you can try the reset procedure in step 2 or you can follow this method which requires you to start your phone up in recovery mode…

  1. Turn off the device.
  2. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home 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, then ‘No command’ before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
  4. Press the Volume down key several times to highlight “wipe data / factory reset.
  5. Press Power button to select.
  6. Press the Volume down key until ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted.
  7. Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
  8. When the master reset is complete, “Reboot system now” is highlighted.
  9. Press the Power key to restart the device.

A reset will surely fix this problem for as long as the firmware hasn’t been modified in some way. However, if the phone still hangs or freezes after it, the firmware may have some corrupt files and may need to be reinstalled. For that, you need a technician as it will actually void the warranty if you’re the one doing it.

Connect with us

We are always open to your problems, questions and suggestions, so feel free to contact us by filling up this form. This is a free service we offer and we won’t charge you a penny for it. But please note that we receive hundreds of emails every day and it’s impossible for us to respond to every single one of them. But rest assured we read every message we receive. For those whom we’ve helped, please spread the word by sharing our posts to your friends or by simply liking our Facebook and Google+ page or follow us on Twitter.

How to fix a Samsung Galaxy A7 2019 smartphone that cannot make or receive phone calls [Troubleshooting Guide]

You won’t be able to make or receive phone calls if there is no adequate network coverage or when a temporary network problem is transpiring. The same thing can happen if there’s an error at the receiving end, when the network is out or range or when the selected network mode is not available. Airplane mode, calling barring, call divert and other calling features when enabled can also be the underlying cause of the problem. These are the main factors that you need to consider looking into when troubleshooting.

To give you some inputs, I’ve mapped out a few simple solutions for you to refer to whenever you have trouble making or receiving phone calls on your Samsung Galaxy A7 2018 smartphone. While these are only generic solutions, they’ve already done wonders to several people who have dealt with calling problems on an Android smartphone. Here’s a quick walkthrough for you to refer to, when necessary.

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.

How to troubleshoot Galaxy A7 2018 that can’t make / receive phone calls

Don’t forget to make a test call to know if the problem is fixed or not after performing each solution.

First solution: Force close Phone app then reboot your phone.

Random glitches affecting the Phone app are usually the underlying cause. The good thing is that this can easily be remedied by clearing the app and restarting the device. That said, this should be the first workaround to try. Here’s how it’s done:

  1. Launch the Recent apps menu/key. A list of running apps preview will then appear.
  2. Tap and hold on the Phone/Dialer app then swipe it to the right. Doing so will end the process or app from running and free up some space of your phone’s internal memory.
  3. Alternatively, you can navigate to Settings-> Application Manager-> All apps-> then scroll to the Phone/Dialer app.
  4. Tap on the app, then tap Force Stop option to end the process.

To dump cache files from the phone memory, perform a soft reset or turn your phone off for a few seconds and then back on again.

RELEVANT POSTS:

Second solution: Toggle Airplane mode on and off again.

Turning Airplane Mode or Flight Mode is another way of restarting network services on your device. When enabled, calling, messaging and data network features including Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are automatically turned off. This trick has been proven effective by many ever since the feature became available. Should you wish to give it a shot, follow these steps:

  1. Tap Apps from the Home screen.
  2. Tap Settings.
  3. Tap Flight Mode or Airplane Mode under Connections section.
  4. Tap the slider to turn Airplane Mode on for about 30 seconds.
  5. After the elapsed time, tap the slider again to turn Airplane Mode off.

Try and see if that does wonder to you as well. Otherwise, try other applicable solutions.

Third solution: Manage call settings and relevant features.

There are certain features that when enabled prevent incoming calls from going through. That said, try to check if call barring and call divert features are enabled on your phone. If necessary, disable or turn them off then see if you can receive calls with these features turned off.

To turn call barring off or on, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Phone app.
  2. Then tap the Menu icon or three vertical dots on the upper-right corner or the screen.
  3. Tap Settings from the given options.
  4. Scroll down to More settings then tap Call Forwarding from the given options.
  5. If necessary, disable it and then do a test call.

To turn call divert off or on, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Phone app.
  2. Then tap the Menu icon or three vertical dots on the upper-right corner or the screen.
  3. Tap Settings from the given options.
  4. Scroll down to More settings then tap Call Barring from the given options.
  5. Again, disable the feature if necessary then do a test call while it’s off.

If this doesn’t work, then try the next possible solution.

Fourth solution: Switch between network modes.

There are times when the problem is attributed to the selected network mode, which is likely invalid or incorrect. To make sure this isn’t what’s causing your trouble, try to change or switch to a different network mode. Here’s how:

  1. Slide your finger from the top edge of the Home screen.
  2. Tap the Settings icon (wheel-like figure) on the upper-rightmost corner.
  3. Tap Connections.
  4. Scroll to and tap Mobile networks.
  5. Tap Network mode.
  6. Tap to change and select other network mode to use like 4G, 3G, 2G (auto connect).
  7. Press the Home key to go back to the Home screen then do a test call to see if calling functions are already working properly with the current network mode.

Don’t forget to do a test call after switching to individual network mode so you will know if it’s working or not.

Fifth solution: Reset network settings on your Galaxy A7 2018.

If modifying the previous settings doesn’t help, then you may resort to a network settings reset. This will clear your current network settings including erratic configurations or invalid network option selections. Wi-Fi networks and Bluetooth connections will also be deleted in the process. Should you wish to proceed, refer to these steps:

  1. Go to Settings.
  2. Tap General management.
  3. Tap Reset.
  4. Select the option to Reset network settings.
  5. If prompted, enter the password/PIN to unlock your phone screen.
  6. Then tap Reset settings to confirm action.

After the reset, your phone should reboot automatically. If it doesn’t, then you will need to manually trigger your device to restart or soft reset. This is imperative to clear any software glitches and likewise to refresh system functions of your phone. Again, make a test call afterwards to see if the problem is fixed.

You may opt to troubleshoot further if the problem persists. And your next best option would be a factory data reset or master reset on your Galaxy A7 2018. This will wipe everything from your device including bugs and malware. Just be sure to back up all your important data and personal information beforehand because they are also cleared in the process.

Other options

Contact your network service provider to report the problem if it persists after exhausting all applicable solutions on your end. You can ask them to check their outage board for any ongoing outages that might have affected network services in your place. Also verify and ensure that your account status and services are in good status and active. Other calling problems particularly failure to make outgoing phone calls are attributed to unsettled account issues with your carrier or network service provider.

Connect with us

We are always open to your problems, questions and suggestions, so feel free to contact us by filling up this form. This is a free service we offer and we won’t charge you a penny for it. But please note that we receive hundreds of emails every day and it’s impossible for us to respond to every single one of them. But rest assured we read every message we receive. For those whom we’ve helped, please spread the word by sharing our posts to your friends or by simply liking our Facebook and Google+ page or follow us on Twitter.

Posts you may also like to check out:

How to fix your Galaxy A7 that won’t show app icon badges for notifications (no numbers show)

There’s been a number of #GalaxyA7 owners asking us for guidance on what to do regarding some notifications-related issues so here’s our answer. This short troubleshooting article shares what you need to do if you happen to have problems with your Galaxy A7 making notifications or icon badges. We hope you’ll find this post helpful.

Before we proceed, we want to remind you that if you are looking for solutions to your own #Android issue, you can contact us by using the link provided at the bottom of this page. When describing your issue, please be as detailed as possible so we can easily pinpoint a relevant solution. If you can, kindly include the exact error messages you are getting to give us an idea where to start. If you have already tried some troubleshooting steps before emailing us, make sure to mention them so we can skip them in our answers.

Problem #1: Unlocked Galaxy A7 won’t work on Verizon network

I purchased a new 2017 unlocked Galaxy A7 in the Philippines. When I returned to the USA, it worked fine using Verizon. I had no issues. I switched carriers to AT&T for a month. Again, the phone worked great. Due to poor service coverage, I switched back to Verizon. Now the phone will not connect to Verizon service. Verizon states the phone is not compatible. Yet, when they put their sim card in my other phone, a Motorola Turbo 2, it would not connect. They were on the phone for 45 minutes with their tech people to get the issue fixed. They finally got the Motorola to work but it still will not work with my Galaxy 7. It worked fine for several months before but not now. Any suggestions? I have an Alaska number and I am doing this in Washington State. Would it be different if I had an Alaska Verizon company try it? 

Solution: If the phone was originally designed for the Philippines market, it must be using GSM technology, which means it may have some issues connecting to a CDMA network like Verizon. The fact that it previously work on a Verizon network is a good sign though as that means it’s not entirely incompatible. Below are the possible solutions that you can try:

Reset app preferences

Making sure that you enable all core system apps and service is important. To do this, follow the steps below:

  1. Open Settings app.
  2. Tap Apps.
  3. Tap on More settings at the upper right (three-dot icon).
  4. Select Reset app preferences.
  5. Restart your S9 Plus and check for the problem.

Reset network settings

There’s a chance that an incorrect network configuration or bug may be behind the trouble. To address this possibility, be sure to reset your phone’s network settings with these steps:

  1. From the Home screen, swipe up on an empty spot to open the Apps tray.
  2. Tap General Management > Reset settings.
  3. Tap Reset network settings.
  4. If you have set up a PIN, enter it.
  5. Tap Reset settings. Once complete a confirmation window will appear.

Factory reset

You have to be careful with factory reset as there’s a chance that the phone may lose its network unlock code afterwards. If you are not sure if the device will lose the unlock code after a reset, don’t do it. Network unlock codes are usually temporary changes to the system so if you factory reset it, there’s a chance that you’ll get the original unboxed factory state software-wise.

Factory reset will also delete your data so be sure to back your files up before doing it.

To factory reset your A7:

  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 Home key, then press and hold the Power key.
  4. When the Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds, then ‘No command’ 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.

Get a new SIM from a local Verizon store

Should nothing work after doing the suggestions above, consider getting a new SIM card from your local Verizon branch and see if that will work. If possible, make sure to ask a representative to let them check your phone as well, especially since it’s a GSM device and may need special configurations to work in a Verizon CDMA network.

Problem #2: What to do if Galaxy A7 notifications won’t work randomly

I went into my settings to set up my notifications it’s all set up properly sometimes I get a notification when I get a text message other times it does not notify me like to know how I can fix this thank you so much.

Solution: If you’re 100% that the apps are set up properly, then you should consider wiping the data of BadgeProvider app. A lot of notification issues are fixed by doing this troubleshooting step. Here’s how it’s done:

  1. Open Settings app.
  2. Tap Apps.
  3. Tap on More settings at the upper right (three-dot icon).
  4. Select Show system apps.
  5. Find and tap BadgeProvider app.
  6. Tap Storage.
  7. Tap Clear Data button.
  8. Restart your device and check for the problem.

Problem #3: How to fix your Galaxy A7 that won’t show app icon badges for notifications (no numbers show)

My Samsung Galaxy A7 has an update the other day. After the update my calls and text messages stop making sound and stopped showing the number of unread notifications. I fixed the sound and even though it says the number icons are turned on it still won’t show. I restarted my phone. I turned on safe mode and it was showing the icons. What do I do to get it to show the number icons again? Taylorkaylonie

Solution: System updates may sometimes change default settings to new ones. To fix the problem, here are the things that you can try:

Clear the cache partition

Wiping the cache partition is a necessary troubleshooting step whenever there are issue after an update. This ensures that your device’s system cache is refreshed. Here’s how to do it:

  1. Turn off the device.
  2. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home 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, then ‘No command’ before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
  4. Press the Volume down key several times to highlight “wipe cache partition”.
  5. Press Power button 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.

Enable App Icon Badge

Be sure to also ensure that App Icon Badge is enabled on your device. Here’s how to do it:

  1. Open Settings app.
  2. Tap Notifications.
  3. Enable App icon badges by tapping on it instead of moving the slider to the right.
  4. Move the slider to the right to turn App Icon Badges on.
  5. Under Badge Style section, select Show with number.
  6. Enable Show notifications at the bottom.
  7. Restart the device.

 

Engage with us

If you are one of the users who encounters a problem with your device, let us know. We offer solutions for Android-related problems for free so if you have an issue with your Android device, simply fill in the short questionnaire in this link and we will try to publish our answers in the next posts. We cannot guarantee a quick response so if your issue is time sensitive, please find another way to resolve your problem.

If you find this post helpful, please help us by spreading the word to your friends. TheDroidGuy has social network presence as well so you may want to interact with our community in our Facebook and Google+ pages.

Galaxy A7 won’t boot normally, stuck in bootloop, only boots to Download Mode, other issues

As part of our efforts to expand our support for non-flagship devices, here’s another post about the #GalaxyA7 for today. The issues we cover in this one today answers some common problems with the A7. We hope you’ll find this read helpful.

If you are looking for solutions to your own #Android issue, you can contact us by using the link provided at the bottom of this page.

When describing your issue, please be as detailed as possible so we can easily pinpoint a relevant solution. If you can, kindly include the exact error messages you are getting to give us an idea where to start. If you have already tried some troubleshooting steps before emailing us, make sure to mention them so we can skip them in our answers.

Below are specific topics we’re bringing for you today:

Problem 1: Galaxy A7 won’t boot normally, stuck in bootloop, only boots to Download Mode

I have a Samsung Galaxy A7 that was powered off for a month. Yesterday when I tried to switch it on I found it on an empty battery. So I charged it to 90%. And then I tried to start it, but it continuously reboots on logo, in a never ending loop. And interesting fact is, it goes into download mode but can’t go into recovery mode! And now, when I try to charge it, it simply blinks on battery logo. Do you have any suggestions on what is causing this to occur? Any help would be gratefully appreciated. — Dolon

Solution: Hi Dolon. If this phone was previously working normally before you set it aside for a month, the cause of the problem might be battery- or power-related. We know that A7s don’t come with an easily removable battery pack so using the another battery is out of the question. Unless you can take the phone apart and replace the battery yourself, battery replacement is not a good idea at this point. We suggest that you reserve this possible solution later and instead focus your attention to possible bootloader/firmware issue. This is especially true if the phone had been acting up before you powered it off for one month. Since your phone only boots to Download mode at this time, we suggest that you try to reflash the bootloader first. Sometimes, Samsung that fail to power on normally are caused by a corrupted bootloader so doing this procedure is worth trying. Below are the general steps on how to boot a Galaxy device bootloader. The exact steps may be slightly different for your phone model so be sure to do some research and not to rely in our provided guide below.

  1. Look for the correct firmware for your phone model and download it. Make sure that you select the right one. It should be the same exact firmware that ran previously on your device. We assume that you list down the firmware version somewhere. If you did not take note of it before, there’s a chance that you may pick the wrong one. As you may know now, using an incorrect firmware can cause complications so good luck with that.
  2. Let’s now say that you have identified the correct firmware. You then want to download it to your computer. The firmware file should have a bunch of files in it like AP_, BL_, CSC_, etc.
  3. Look for the file that starts with a label BL; this should be the corresponding bootloader file for this firmware. Once you’ve identified the bootloader file, copy it to your computer’s desktop or to any other folder that you can easily access.
  4. Proceed with the rest of the flashing procedure using the Odin program.
  5. In Odin, click on the BL tab and make sure to use the bootloader file you’ve identified earlier.
  6. Now, make sure that the “Device Added” status and its “ID:COM box” has turned blue before hitting the START button. This will initiate the flashing of your phone’s bootloader.
  7. Restart the phone once the procedure is finished.

Should flashing the bootloader won’t help, or if you can’t do it successfully due to the phone rebooting randomly in the middle of the process, you should consider flashing the firmware. If that becomes unsuccessful too, send the phone in so the battery can be replaced.

An issue like this can also be caused by a bad motherboard so if a new battery will not make a difference, a technician may suggest a motherboard replacement. Unless you’re willing to spend at least a couple hundred dollars for an unguaranteed repair, you’re better off with a phone replacement.

Problem 2: Galaxy A7 drains battery fast, keeps overheating, rebooting randomly

My phone SAMSUNG GALAXY A7 keeps on rebooting after a certain intervals, and that drains the battery, gets heated up and it does not even last half day. And moreover, the hangs frequently and it is making it very difficult to perform the very task with this phone.

I have tried all possible solutions like uninstalling third party apps, clearing cache memory, several factory resettings and none of the probable solutions worked for me.

The problem persist even when rebooted in safe mode. sometimes it works fine for no reason, however when the phone is plugged for charging after a low battery, the aforementioned problems repeat again and that has made me really confused and can’t help getting frustrated. Any solution for this? — Duba

Solution: Hi Duba. If multiple factory resets did not help in fixing the problem at all, it’s most probably because your phone has a hardware problem. Factory reset is the most that any average user can do in fixing an Android problem. It’s meant to return all software settings to known, working defaults. As long as the reason for a problem is software in nature, factory reset almost always helps. However, it’s not an effective solution for hardware problems simply because there’s no amount of coding modifications that can alter the physical state of a component. For example, if the root cause of the symptoms you’re describing here is a bad battery, no amount of factory reset instances can improve the situation. The chemical composition and reactions inside the battery can’t be influenced by any form of software modification. The same is true for any component failure. This is why all Android troubleshooting almost always ends up with a factory reset.

Right now, the best available option for you is to go on with the next phase of device troubleshooting, which is hardware troubleshooting. Unfortunately, this phase requires expertise and tools that many average users don’t have. For example, if the issue goes beyond a bad battery, there’s a need to then check the next logical component in the troubleshooting ladder, which in this case, is the power management IC. Apart from the battery, this is often the next common cause of hardware failure. If that’s not the problem, a technician may suggest that the motherboard be simply replaced as it’s more practical than to go on checking the entire circuit. So, unless you have a solid knowledge about hardware of Samsung Galaxy devices and how to diagnose hardware issues, do-it-yourself repair is almost always best left for professionals. It is for this reason that we don’t support hardware diagnostics and troubleshooting in this blog. If you don’t have any experience fixing electronics before, just forget about DIY (do-it-yourself) repairs as you’ll most likely end up causing more trouble than solution.

We strongly recommend that you let someone who does repair for a living take a look at your device.

Problem 3: Galaxy A7 screen keeps blinking

My Samsung A7 (2016) has been blinking when I’m opening it. It would open after I press the power button or home button for several times. I tried the volume down+home button+power button and restart it but it’s still the same. So, I factory reset it and nothing has change. It’s always blinking every time I tried to open it, then it would open after a several times. Could you help me with this problem please. — Jma_elaiza

Solution: Hi Jma_elaiza. Samsung devices are generally reliable and millions of them work normally for years, unless a user starts tampering with the software, carelessly installing apps, or causing physical damage by dropping or exposing to elements (water, heat, cold). As long as software is to blame though, there’s a chance that you will be able to fix the problem at your level. However, if your phone has been physically impacted, dropped, or got wet, stop wasting your time looking for a software solution. As mentioned above, there’s no amount of software tweaks that you can do to undo physical damage. Since we don’t know the full history of your device and you chose not to include the possible incidents that may have led to the problem, there’s nothing much that we can tell you. Consider sending the phone in so its hardware can checked.

As far as software troubleshooting is concerned, you should consider booting the phone to Recovery Mode so you can perform a cache partition wipe and/or factory reset. To boot to factory reset, follow these steps:

  1. Charge the phone for at least 30 minutes.
  2. Press and then hold the Home and Volume Up keys, then press and hold the Power key.
  3. When the Samsung Galaxy logo shows on the screen, release the Power key but continue holding the Home and Volume Up keys.
  4. When the Android logo shows, you may release both keys and leave the phone be for about 30 to 60 seconds.
  5. You can either wipe the cache partition or do a factory reset when in this mode.

You should also consider flashing the bootloader and/or the firmware if that’s possible and if nothing happens after wiping the cache partition or factory reset.

The blinking behavior that you encounter may also be a symptom of a malfunctioning screen. Try to restart the phone to alternate modes to see if it persists. If it does, that’s a confirmation that it’s a bad screen issue. In that case, you should have the phone repaired or replaced. To boot your phone to alternate modes, follow these steps:

Boot in Download Mode:

  1. Charge the phone for at least 30 minutes.
  2. Press and then hold the Home and Volume DOWN keys, then press and hold the Power key.
  3. When the Samsung Galaxy logo shows on the screen, release the Power key but continue holding the Home and Volume DOWN keys.
  4. Wait until the Download screen appears.
  5. If you can boot the phone in download mode but not in other modes, that means that your only way out may be to flash a stock or custom firmware.
  6. Use Google to look for a guide on how to do it.

Boot in safe mode:

  1. Charge the phone for at least 30 minutes.
  2. Press and hold the Power button.
  3. Once the Samsung Galaxy logo appears, release the Power key and immediately press and hold the Volume Down button.
  4. Continue holding the button until the phone finishes rebooting.
  5. Once you see the text “Safe mode” at the bottom left corner of the screen, release the Volume Down button.
  6. The only difference of safe mode from normal mode is that the former prevents third party apps from running. If you can boot the phone in safe mode but not in normal mode, uninstall all apps until the issue (that prevents you from booting normally) is eliminated.

 

Engage with us

If you are one of the users who encounters a problem with your device, let us know. We offer solutions for Android-related problems for free so if you have an issue with your Android device, simply fill in the short questionnaire in this link and we will try to publish our answers in the next posts. We cannot guarantee a quick response so if your issue is time sensitive, please find another way to resolve your problem.

If you find this post helpful, please help us by spreading the word to your friends. TheDroidGuy has social network presence as well so you may want to interact with our community in our Facebook and Google+ pages.

How to fix your Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) that won’t charge [Troubleshooting Guide]

The Samsung Galaxy A7 is probably one of the best mid-range devices available in the market today as Samsung beefed it up with really impressive specs and features. However, just like any other smartphones, it’s not free from problems and errors and since this model already existed since 2015 (with new editions released each year), we have already received quite a lot of complaints from users who encountered problems while using it. Among the issues we received are power-related problems like not charging and not turning on.

In this post, I will deal with the not charging problem of the Galaxy A7 since charging is one of the most important processes that need to work no matter what. This phone has a monster battery (3600 mAh) and it could last for a few days if used for texting, calling and browsing. But such hardware will be rendered useless if the device won’t charge. So, let’s try to take a closer look into this problem to know if there’s something we can do about it.

We will try to take into consideration the possibilities and rule out each of them until we arrive at a point wherein it would be a lot easier for us to determine what the cause of the problem is. If you own a phone like this and are currently bugged by a similar problem, then continue reading below as this post may be able to help you.

But before we actually jump to our troubleshooting, if you have other issues with your device, then try to visit our Galaxy A7 troubleshooting page for we have already addressed the most commonly reported issues with this device. Try to find issues that are similar with yours and use the solutions and workarounds we suggested. If they don’t work for you or if you need more help, then feel free to contact us by filling up our Android issues questionnaire. Just give us the information we need and we’ll help you solve your problem.

How to troubleshoot your Galaxy A7 that no longer charges

Charging problems are often complicated as it may be due to an issue in the hardware or perhaps, the firmware is having some problems as well. The most challenging part is to determine which is which and that’s what this post is all about. Before we proceed with the steps, try to read one of the problems that best describes this issue…

Problem: Hello droid guy. I have a Galaxy A7 smartphone I bought in March this year. I didn’t have any issues since then but recently my phone just stopped charging and I don’t have a clue why it’s doing this. As of now, I only have 8% battery so I may not have that much time before the phone turns off due to lack of power. If you guys can help me with this, please do as I have a lot of things stored in my phone. I would surely appreciate your effort. Thanks.

Troubleshooting: At this point, your best bet is to bring the phone to the store and let the tech take a look at it. That’s what users should do especially that your phone still has a warranty. But of course, for those who need to travel for a few hours just to reach the nearest shop, we do recommend some basic troubleshooting below to see if you can fix the problem on your own without having to spend a few hours on the road and to save you from a lot of trouble explaining to the next what the problem with your phone is. Try to go through the steps and see if one of them fixes the problem.

Step 1: Reboot your phone in Safe mode and charge

Before we actually do something, I just want to know if this problem is caused by one of the apps you installed or downloaded. We’ve seen a lot of issues that led to this problem that were caused by some apps. It is imperative you do this step first because if this is the case with your phone, then you can fix the problem easily.

Now, this is how you run your Galaxy A7 in Safe mode…

  1. Turn the device off.
  2. Press and hold the Power key past the model name 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. Safe mode will display in the bottom left corner of the screen.
  7. Release the Volume down key when you see Safe Mode.

While your device is in this state, try to connect it to the charger that’s plugged into the wall outlet that you know works. If it does charge in this mode, then our suspicion that one or some of the third-party apps is causing the problem. You then need to find that app, clear its cache and data or uninstall it. I don’t know what the apps you recently installed were but you should start from there. You may need to do uninstall more than one app to fix this issue.

How to clear app cache and data on Galaxy A7

  1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps tray.
  2. Tap Settings > Apps.
  3. Tap the desired application in the default list or tap 3 dots icon > Show system apps to display pre-installed apps.
  4. Tap Storage.
  5. Tap Clear data and then tap OK.
  6. Tap Clear cache.

How to uninstall apps from the Galaxy A7

  1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps tray.
  2. Tap Settings > Apps.
  3. Tap the desired application in the default list or tap 3 dots icon > Show system apps to display pre-installed apps.
  4. Tap the desired application.
  5. Tap Uninstall.
  6. Tap Uninstall again to confirm.

By the way, if your phone charges fine in safe mode, I suggest you let it fully-charge first before doing any troubleshooting procedures just to make sure you won’t run out of battery.

Step 2: Turn your phone off and try to charge it

You need to do this if your phone still won’t charge even in safe mode. This won’t fix the issue but will give you an idea as early as now if the problem is with the hardware. It’s also one way of replenishing the battery faster as there would be no interference from the firmware and apps that run when the phone is turned on.

The if the problem is only with the firmware, then the phone should be able to charge properly if it’s turned off. If the phone charges while powered down, then allow it to charge its battery before continuing your troubleshooting.

Assuming you’ve already fully-charged your phone, keep it plugged in and then turn it on to see if it continues to trickle charge. If the charging stops, then at this point you need to reset your phone because clearly the charging stopped when the firmware started running. But before the reset, you need to backup your files and data as they will be deleted and then follow these steps:

  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. From the Home screen, tap the Apps tray.
  3. Tap Settings > Cloud and accounts.
  4. Tap Backup and restore.
  5. If desired, tap Back up my data to move the slider to ON or OFF.
  6. If desired, tap Restore to move the slider to ON or OFF.
  7. Tap the back button to the Settings menu and tap General Management > Reset > Factory data reset.
  8. Tap Reset.
  9. If you have screen lock turned on, enter your credentials.
  10. Tap Continue.
  11. Tap Delete all.

However, if your phone still refuses to charge even if it’s powered down, move on the next step.

Step 3: Connect your phone to a computer to see if it gets detected

This step is actually hitting two birds with one stone as you could determine if the problem is with the charger or the cable. All you need is a desktop computer or a laptop.

Computers produce not more than 1 Ampere of electric current while your phone’s charger usually produces at least 2 Amps for normal charging but 1 Amp of current would be enough to make your phone responds to it. So, if it does recognize it’s being attached to a computer and shows the charging icon, then the problem is with your charger because clearly, your phone still charges.

However, if it doesn’t get detected by your computer and it doesn’t show the charging icon, then there’s a possibility that the problem is with the cable. But before we actually make it as our conclusion, try to check both ends of the cable to see if there’s some kind of lint, debris or any obstruction that may prevent proper contact between connectors. Also check your phone’s charging port for the same reason. If you see something in the port, try to clean it out using a cotton swab or give it a blast of compressed air.

If the port shows no sign of obstruction, then move on to the next step.

Step 4: Reset your phone

If the problem started without apparent reason and that using new charger didn’t help, then it’s time to reset your phone. However, try to backup your important files and data if possible and after which, try these steps:

  1. Turn off the device.
  2. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home 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, then ‘No command’ before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
  4. Press the Volume down key several times to highlight “wipe data / factory reset.
  5. Press Power button to select.
  6. Press the Volume down key until ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted.
  7. Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
  8. When the master reset is complete, “Reboot system now” is highlighted.
  9. Press the Power key to restart the device.

After this and the phone is still not charging, bring it to the shop and let the tech handle the problem for you.

Connect with us

We are always open to your problems, questions and suggestions, so feel free to contact us by filling up this form. This is a free service we offer and we won’t charge you a penny for it. But please note that we receive hundreds of emails every day and it’s impossible for us to respond to every single one of them. But rest assured we read every message we receive. For those whom we’ve helped, please spread the word by sharing our posts to your friends or by simply liking our Facebook and Google+ page or follow us on Twitter.

How to fix your Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) that keeps restarting / rebooting on its own [Troubleshooting Guide]

Random reboots are a sign of a serious firmware issue. More often than not they occur after a firmware update but we’ve already encountered cases wherein third-party apps that keep crashing would also result to unexplained restarts. We’ve received quite a lot of complaints from our readers who own the Samsung Galaxy A7 so we feel the need to address this problem.

In this post, I will walk  you through in troubleshooting your A7 that keeps restarting or rebooting. We don’t know what the problem is all about so we will take a look at all possibilities and rule them out one by one until we arrive at a point that we can easily pinpoint the reason your phone keeps rebooting. If you’re one of the owners of this phone and are currently bugged by a similar concern, continue reading below as this post may be able to help you.

But before we actually jump to our troubleshooting, if you have other issues with your device, then try to visit our Galaxy A7 troubleshooting page for we have already addressed the most commonly reported issues with this device. Try to find issues that are similar with yours and use the solutions and workarounds we suggested. If they don’t work for you or if you need more help, then feel free to contact us by filling up our Android issues questionnaire. Just give us the information we need and we’ll help you solve your problem.

How to troubleshoot your Galaxy A7 that keeps restarting on its own

Problem: I can no longer use my phone normally because from time to time it shuts down and turns back on without me doing anything. It restarts on its own and I don’t even know the reason why. My phone is a Galaxy A7 and it’s barely still 3 months with me so I feel really frustrated knowing I paid a few hundred dollars for it but now I can’t use it properly due to this problem. Can you help me with this?

Troubleshooting: When this kind of problem happens for the first time, you would think it might just be a temporary problem with the phone. Then when it happens again you would begin feeling annoyed especially when you were doing something important when the phone rebooted. When it occurs more frequent than usual, that’s when frustration sets in and sometimes you may actually panic a little bit especially if the phone is still new.

We’ve actually received quite a lot of reports from our readers about this problem, although we’ve only received a few from the owners of the Galaxy A7. Nevertheless, we feel the need to address this problem for the benefit of our readers who are currently bugged by this issue. With all that being said, here’s what you should do about it:

Step 1: Find out if the phone still reboots on its own when all third-party apps are disabled

Obviously, we’re trying to rule out the possibility that this problem is caused by one or some of the third-party apps you installed on your phone. By running the phone in safe mode, you’re actually disabling all-third-party elements in your phone. If this problem is caused by one of them, then the problem shouldn’t occur in this mode. So, this is how you start your phone up in safe mode:

  1. Turn the device off.
  2. Press and hold the Power key past the screen with the device name.
  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. Safe mode will display in the bottom left corner of the screen.
  7. Release the Volume down key when you see ‘Safe Mode’.

Just booting your phone up in this mode doesn’t fix the problem but it will give you a hint if it’s the third-party apps that’s causing the problem or not. So while in safe mode, observe your phone closely to see if there’s a difference in performance and if the phone still reboots on its own.

Assuming the phone doesn’t reboot on its own in this mode, then it means that one or some of the apps you installed is causing this problem. In this case since we don’t know which app it is, try to find out if there are apps that need to be updated and update them as some of them may already be obsolete:

  1. From any Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
  2. Tap Play Store.
  3. Tap the Menu key and then tap My Apps. To keep your apps automatically updated, tap the Menu key, tap Settings, and then tap Auto-update apps to select the check box.
  4. Choose one of the following options:
    • Tap Update [xx] to update all applications with updates available.
    • Tap an individual application and then tap Update to update a single application.

If, however, you have some apps in mind that you think are causing the problem, then, you have to reset them one by one by clearing their cache and data and eif that won’t work, you need to uninstall them to see if the phone works perfectly after that.

How to clear app cache and data on Galaxy A7

  1. From any Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
  2. Tap Settings.
  3. Tap Applications.
  4. Tap Application manager.
  5. Tap the desired application in the default list or tap MORE > Show system apps to display pre-installed apps.
  6. Tap Storage.
  7. Tap Clear data and then tap OK.
  8. Tap Clear cache.

How to uninstall applications from your Galaxy A7

  1. From any Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
  2. Tap Settings.
  3. Tap Applications.
  4. Tap Application manager.
  5. Tap the desired application
  6. Tap Uninstall.
  7. Tap Uninstall again to confirm.

You may have to reboot your phone several times to confirm if the problem got fixed and you need to continue your observation to know if the phone still reboots on its own after doing all this.

Step 2: Would it still reboot even when all of the system caches are new?

Assuming the phone still reboots on its own while in safe mode, this is the next thing you should do. This will rule out the possibility that this problem is due to some corrupt system caches. As you know, caches get corrupted without any warning and when it happens and the system continues to use them, performance related issues may occur including random reboots. For this, you need to run your phone in Recovery Mode and then wipe the cache partition:

  1. Turn off the device.
  2. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home key, then press and hold the Power key.
  3. When the device logo screen displays, release only the Power key
  4. 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).
  5. Press the Volume down key several times key to highlight ‘wipe cache partition.’
  6. Press the Power key to select.
  7. Press the Volume down key to highlight ‘yes’ 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.

Wait for your phone to become active and then continue your observation to see if it still reboots on its own. If so, you have no other choice but to do the next step.

Step 3: Try to see if it would still restart when it’s brought back to its factory settings

After wiping the cache partition and phone still restarts on its own, it’s time to bring it back to its factory default settings. This will tell us if the problem is with the firmware or if the hardware has some issues. But before the reset, make sure you make a backup of your important files and data as they will be deleted during the reset. After the backup, make sure to disable the Factory Reset Protection of your phone so you won’t be locked out.

How to disable the Samsung Galaxy A7 Factory Reset Protection

  1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
  2. Tap Settings.
  3. Tap Accounts.
  4. Tap Google.
  5. Tap your Google ID email address. If you have multiple accounts setup, you will need to repeat these steps for each account.
  6. Tap More.
  7. Tap Remove account.
  8. Tap REMOVE ACCOUNT.

How to do the master reset on Galaxy A7

  1. Turn off the device.
  2. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home key, then press and hold the Power key.
  3. When the device logo screen displays, release only the Power key
  4. 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).
  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.

You can also reset your phone from the Settings menu…

  1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
  2. Tap Settings.
  3. Tap Backup and reset.
  4. If desired, tap Backup my data to move the slider to ON or OFF.
  5. If desired, tap Restore to move the slider to ON or OFF.
  6. Tap Factory data reset.
  7. Tap Reset device.
  8. If you have screen lock turned on, enter your PIN or password.
  9. Tap Continue.
  10. Tap Delete all.

After the reset, don’t install anything yet but observe your phone to see if it still reboots on its own. If it does, try to charge it and while it’s charging, continue using it to know if it reboots. At this point though, whatever the outcome, you need a technician to do further tests on your phone so you have to bring it to a shop.

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How to fix a Galaxy A7 that keeps asking for FRP code after restarting

Samsung devices have anti-theft protection called Factory Reset Protection or FRP to prevent thieves from using the phone. While FRP has become an effective deterrent over the years after its loopholes were patched, it can also be a real headache for legitimate owners from time time. In this post, we include one case of a Galaxy A7 device that keeps asking for FRP credentials when it’s restarted.

Before we proceed, we want to remind you that if you are looking for solutions to your own #Android issue, you can contact us by using the link provided at the bottom of this page. When describing your issue, please be as detailed as possible so we can easily pinpoint a relevant solution. If you can, kindly include the exact error messages you are getting to give us an idea where to start. If you have already tried some troubleshooting steps before emailing us, make sure to mention them so we can skip them in our answers.

Problem: Galaxy A7 keeps asking for FRP code after restarting

Hi there I was wondering if you could help me. I bought a Samsung A7 from a friend and handed it into a repair shop to get the network unlocked. I got the phone back and it worked perfectly. Until the phone died. When the phone died I charged it and the black screen came up saying Samsung A7, but on the top left corner in tiny writing it says it needs the frp code in red. So again I brought it back to the shop, who once again fixed it. 4 or 5 days went by and again it was perfect, until it died and the same thing happened again. I’m a bit confused as when I go through the setting I put in all my own details, register it to my own Google account, but still when it dies it’s requesting an frp code. I’ve tried holding the button off, home and volume key down but it keeps bringing me back to the main black screen with red frp warning up in the left hand side. Can you help please.

Solution: It’s impossible for us to know exactly what is going on since we can’t examine it first hand. But based on the circumstances you mention, there must be a software modification done to the operating system that allows it temporarily become network unlocked. Ideally, network unlock codes should work even if a device is restarted. In your case, the network unlock modification appears to only work in one particular session and once the system reboots, the software reverts back to its defaults.

To get a more accurate explanation why this is so, kindly talk to the technician who modified the software. Their network unlock system is probably designed to work on one active session only. Unlocking a Samsung device varies by phone model and software version so you must get firsthand information from the person who modified the system to prevent the software from resetting to its defaults.

Performing a factory reset for network unlocked phones is not recommended as that can cause the problems you have right now. Ask the person who fixes your Galaxy A7 what to do in order to unlock the phone if ever you’ll do a reset again.

There’s no universal software that can network unlock all Samsung devices. Because carrier firmwares have their unique coding setup, each unlock procedure varies across devices or firmware versions. Third party shops use special hacking tools to modify the software of a device. These tools are not sanctioned by carriers or Samsung so there’s no official support for devices modified by them. A coding issue due to network unlock procedure can vary as well so it’s highly recommended that you work closely with the shop or technician that modified the software of your device.

 

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