One of the least understood smartphones issues is about Bluetooth. In this post, we give a basic understanding why Bluetooth problems happen in a #GalaxyS6. The explanation in this material is not exhaustive so should you feel it doesn’t answer your particular situation, try doing some in-depth research about it instead.

Below are the list of topics we cover in this material today:

1. Galaxy S6 screen turns black but blue LED light is flashing
2. How to recover files from Galaxy S6 with bootloop issue
3. Galaxy S6 Edge Plus can’t exit out of Emergency mode and screen turns black
4. Galaxy S6 fast charging stops working
5. Accidentally dropped and water-damaged Galaxy S6 won’t turn on
6. Galaxy S6 Edge Plus contacts keep coming back even after accounts have been removed
7. Galaxy S6 won’t connect to Bluetooth car kit after updating to Marshmallow

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, or you can install our free app from Google Play Store.

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: Galaxy S6 screen turns black but blue LED light is flashing

So I received an S6 from a friend after the screen went black, because her mother decided to just buy a new one instead of trying to fix it. I’ve been trying to fix it for the past 5 hours now, and nothing from the web has really affected it yet. The screen is unresponsive and only the blue light is flashing. The first charger I used made the blue light turn off temporarily, but I switched chargers because no charger indicator lit up either. The second charger has also had no affect but to bring back the blue light. I’ve tried also pressing power button, both volume buttons, and the home every way possible but nothing worked.  I’d really like to have this phone. Can you help? I’m also not sure about the android version, but the black screen only started a couple days ago. — Anonymous

Solution: Hi Anonymous. Looks like you have a hardware issue at hand. As our blog does not provide hardware troubleshooting and solutions, the only suggestion we can give you is the steps on how to boot the phone in alternate modes. If your phone remains unresponsive after trying all the different hardware button combinations, that’s proof that hardware failure is to blame. It can be due to a bad screen assembly or an unknown hardware problem.

In this case, kindly approach a qualified Samsung technician for assistance. These are the steps on how to boot your phone in other modes:

Boot in Recovery mode:

• Charge the phone for at least 30 minutes.
• Press and then hold the Home and Volume UP keys, then press and hold the Power key.
• When the Samsung Galaxy S7 shows on the screen, release the Power key but continue holding the Home and Volume Up keys.
• When the Android logo shows, you may release both keys and leave the phone be for about 30 to 60 seconds.
• Using the Volume Down key, navigate through the options and highlight ‘wipe cache partition.’
• You can either wipe the cache partition or do a factory reset when in this mode.

Boot in Download Mode:

• Charge the phone for at least 30 minutes.
• Press and then hold the Home and Volume DOWN keys, then press and hold the Power key.
• When the Samsung Galaxy S7 shows on the screen, release the Power key but continue holding the Home and Volume DOWN keys.
• Wait until the Download screen appears.
• 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.
• Use Google to look for a guide on how to do it.

Boot in safe mode:

• Charge the phone for at least 30 minutes.
• Press and hold the Power button.
• Once the ‘Samsung Galaxy S7’ logo appears, release the Power key and immediately press and hold the Volume Down button.
• Continue holding the button until the phone finishes rebooting.
• Once you see the text “Safe mode” at the bottom left corner of the screen, release the Volume Down button.
• 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.

Problem #2: How to recover files from Galaxy S6 with bootloop issue

Good afternoon, My name is Ozz. I am the owner of a Galaxy S6 that is in a boot-loop every 16 seconds. I have data on my phone that i never backed up that holds some sentiment to me such as photos from my son’s birth, photos from my mother and text from my mother that is now deceased. In an attempt to recover the data i sent my phone over to drive savers in California. They are sending my phone back because they could not help me recover the data. According to them, the files were corrupted by the boot loop and their technology could not read or retrieve them from the chip. My phone still has the data in it. However, with the boot loop i am not able to email it, back it into a cloud or perform any black magic in the 16 seconds i have to work with. The loop restarts the phone until the battery runs out. At the moment i cannot find out what is the most recent version on the phones software but i am working on getting that for you. Because this happened in September i believe it was Marshmallow. Is there anything you can do to help me? Any advise or guidance in keeping this phone from being a sentimental paperweight would be much appreciated. Thank you, — Osvaldo

Solution: Hi Osvaldo. There are a number of possible reasons that can result to bootloop issue. In general, these causes can be categorized into two — software and hardware. If it’s a hardware issue, there’s very little to nothing that you can do about it. It can be caused by a bad component like a faulty capacitor or any other hardware part. In this case, you need to submit the phone to Samsung or to any qualified repair shop so a thorough hardware check up can be done.

On the other hand, if the problem is due to bad software, there’s a chance that you may be able to fix it yourself. Bootloop is the usual result of a rooting or flashing procedure gone wrong. Because you never bothered to mention the circumstances that led to the boot loop issue, we can only speculate that you may have tried to modify the official operating system. If this is the case, the best thing that you can do is to reflash a stock firmware. Depending on the current setup of your phone’s software, this may or may not wipe the phone’s internal storage. Unless you can stabilize the phone and check the constant boot loop issue, there’s no other way for you to access your files in that phone. The thing is, the only effective solution for this boot loop issue (assuming that there’s no hardware issue involved) may also wipe the internal memory that holds your files. Needless to say, the chances of getting your files back is very slim.

Problem #3: Galaxy S6 Edge Plus can’t exit out of Emergency mode and screen turns black

Hi, I’m hoping you can help me. I have a Samsung S6 Edge Plus which I love… until now.

Problem 1: This morning it got stuck in emergency mode. This had not happened before. I tried to fix it by long pressing the power and then tapping the third option (emergency mode off) and nothing happened. My first thought was that my touch screen was malfunctioning so I powered off/on and restarted the phone a few times. When the phone was powered up, it would ask me to put in my “pattern” to unlock instead of my fingerprint as a result of the power restart. I would attempt to do this but unfortunately when the phone because it was in emergency mode it wouldn’t allow me to draw my pass code pattern with my finger.

Problem 2: So because I started and restarted the power quite a few times, I think I have been locked out somehow. What I mean by locked out is that I no longer see the lock screen. I now see just a black screen. Please help me!! I attempted to fix the problem and inadvertently made it worse. Thanks. — Lauren

Solution: Hi Lauren. There are two ways to exit emergency mode:

1. The first one is by holding the power button, then tapping the “Emergency mode” option in the screen.
2. The second option is done by tapping MORE (the three-dot line) in the Emergency mode screen on the upper right hand side of the screen. Once you’re in that section, simply tap the “Turn off Emergency mode” option.

If you can’t turn emergency mode off using any of these options, there may be an unknown operating system glitch causing it. We recommend that you try  booting the phone in Recovery mode first to see if you can make the screen respond positively to it. If you can turn the screen on via Recovery mode, then make sure that you first wipe the cache partition. To do that, follow these steps:

• Turn off your Samsung Galaxy S7.
• Press and then hold the Home and Volume UP keys, then press and hold the Power key.
• When the Samsung Galaxy S7 shows on the screen, release the Power key but continue holding the Home and Volume Up keys.
• When the Android logo shows, you may release both keys and leave the phone be for about 30 to 60 seconds.
• Using the Volume Down key, navigate through the options and highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset.’
• Once highlighted, you may press the Power key to select it.
• Now highlight the option ‘Yes — delete all user data’ using the Volume Down key and press the Power button to select it.
• Wait until your phone is finished doing the Master Reset. Once completed, highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and press the Power key.
• The phone will now reboot longer than usual.

Wiping the cache partition may or may not fix the issue. If the result is negative, the next logical step for you to do is to do a master/factory reset. Simply boot the phone again to recovery mode to do it.

Problem #4: Galaxy S6 fast charging stops working

For some reason, my fast charging plug and cord started not working with wall outlets. I made sure to check more than one. On the second wall outlet, it only charged for a couple of seconds before the phone buzzed at me about being low on charge. I plugged it into my computer, and my phone was recognized. However, it won’t charge when I plug the cable into my laptop. Right now, however, I have it plugged into a portable power unit, and while it’s not making leaps and bounds with charging, it’s at least showing that the phone is charging. With everything else, the charging indicator wouldn’t come up. Would it be best to get a new cord, or is it a problem with the fast charging plug? Or, is it another issue entirely? Thank you in advance for your help! — Michelle

Solution: Hi Michelle. In many cases involving fast charging, it’s almost always either a bad USB charging cable, or a malfunctioning charging port. Try getting a new original charging cable first to see if that will make any difference.

If a new USB cable won’t fix the problem, try to do some basic software troubleshooting such as:

• wiping the cache partition,
• booting in safe mode, and
• factory reset

If these software troubleshooting won’t change anything, that’s proof that the charging port may be bad. In this case, you need to consider phone repair or replacement.

Problem #5: Accidentally dropped and water-damaged Galaxy S6 won’t turn on

My daughter jumped into a swimming pool fully clothed to rescue a child in trouble. Her Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge was in her pocket and got wet. The phone turned off but she turned it on and it worked. She turned it off and dried it out for 2 days in rice. The phone worked and charged up for about 3 months but she dropped it and cracked the screen and now it will not turn on. There are no lights and it will not charge or connect to a PC. It is only 6 months old now.  I have tried the sequence of button presses to hard reset etc but it is completely unresponsive. Someone said it could be repaired with a battery and replacement screen but I need to know if the phone is actually repairable or whether it is likely to still be broken after expensive battery and screen replacement. Many thanks for any help. — Nell

Solution: Hi Nell. Frankly, there’s no way for us to know for certain if the phone that’s been wet and accidentally dropped can still be repaired. When it comes to hardware issues, only the attending technician can give a more or less accurate assessment. Armchair technicians like us can only speculate. In other words, we need to physically check the phone in order to tell if it’s within saving. We strongly suggest that you approach a technician so the device can be assessed properly. Only then can someone give you a full picture on what can be done.

Problem #6: Galaxy S6 Edge Plus contacts keep coming back even after accounts have been removed

Hello. I have a problem with my Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus phone. I am connecting the phone to multiple accounts, my Hotmail account, my Gmail account, and my Samsung account. The problem is with my accounts list. I try to delete some of my contacts. I have the message (delete contact from linked account too?) and i choose YES. However, once i connect my phone to WiFi and for some unknown reason. The deleted contacts keep coming back. I have tried to uninstall my Hotmail account as i suspected it is the culprit. But in vain. Whatever I do deleted contacts keep popping back. I would appreciate any advice you could give me about this issue. Thanks in advance. Kind regards. — Sam

Solution: Hi Sam. The most probable reason why some contacts appear to keep coming back even after deleting some accounts is that there’s still another or some accounts left that are also associated with said contacts. To check, do these steps:

• connect to your wi-fi network
• disable master sync (pull down the notification bar and turn off Sync)
• observe how the phone behaves.

If the problem won’t reappear while master sync is off, that’s a confirmation of our hunch. In this case, you need to narrow down what account is causing the trouble by removing them one by one, until you’ve pinpointed the true cause. Better still, simply do a factory reset and only install the accounts that you need.

Problem #7: Galaxy S6 won’t connect to Bluetooth car kit after updating to Marshmallow

After updating my Samsung phone from Lollipop to MM, the device is no longer able to have a connection with my Volvo XC60 2010 Bluetooth car kit. I tried every trick in the book, nothing works. Connection is made shortly between car and phone, but the connection drops before the device syncs, and the connection is not re-established automatically. As said, it worked flawlessly before the update. The carkit bluetooth is fix pin (1234), so maybe blacklisted in my device’s config settings? Samsung tells me it’s the Volvo software not being compatible with MM, which implies I have to buy a new car, or go back to Lollipop. The latter is not possible, Samsung tells me (which I find hard to believe). I need this issue fixed, the MM update (which I didn’t ask for, but was pushed onto my device automatically) should aim to improve the functionality of my device, not disable it’s bluetooth functionality. Or it should provide me with an option to go back if I’m desperately unhappy with the update. Which I am. — AB Morrien

Solution: Hi AB Morrien. Your issue is not different from similar issues from other smartphone users (both iOS and Android). It may look a Samsung issue since the problem occurred right after installing Android Marshmallow but the heart of the issue is really on compatibility. Hard it may be to believe but the cause of your problem is most probably due to an outdated car kit system you’re using. As a networking standard, Bluetooth works at two levels: physical and protocol levels. Since your car kit and phone worked before, the problem must lie at the protocol level, meaning both devices are now having disagreement on how and when to send and receive bits of data. The system update on your Galaxy S6 must have changed some settings or initiated to use new Bluetooth profiles or services that your kit does not yet support.

Bluetooth systems evolve over time and most smartphone manufacturers lead the pack when it comes to implementing the latest Bluetooth protocols available. The same cannot be said of auto makers or car kit systems though. It’s not uncommon to hear reports from users experiencing connectivity or compatibility problems between their phones (iOS or Android) and their car’s car kit after installing the latest update. Bluetooth problems between smartphones and car kit systems can be categorized in general forms:

• No sound/audio issue
• Failure to pair properly
• Intermittent/regular disconnection

We strongly suggest that you contact your car maker to see if they can still update the software of your car kit. As we’ve pointed out before, car and car kit makers are notoriously irresponsible when it comes to updating Bluetooth software but it’s still worth trying. If they cannot provide a software update, your only lies on the chance that the problem is Android-related.

While we think that the problem is on your Bluetooth car kit, that doesn’t mean that your Galaxy S6’s system is perfect. When Android 4.3 was initially released, the update also included support for Bluetooth Smart technology. Unfortunately, that update was found to be buggy as far as Bluetooth connection was concerned because it shuts off Bluetooth feature every time a device discovers a certain number of Smart devices. An update was released with Android 4.4 but then again a separate Bluetooth problem also surfaced when Android 5.0 became available. That said, there’s nothing much that you can do but hope that a new update will fix the issue right now (assuming of course that the problem is on Android side). You may ask if there’s a way to identify where the problem lies. Unfortunately, in a case like this, there’s really no way to know for sure. We know it sucks but that’s the reality with Bluetooth technology.

To see if the problem is due to basic pairing issue, consider resetting the car kit’s software to defaults via factory reset. Consult its manual or do some research on how to do it. Once you’ve factory reset the device, do the same for your Galaxy S6. Then, once both of their software are on default, try pairing them one more time. If that won’t fix the problem still, you either accept the fact that you need to change the car kit to something new, or simply wait until a new Android update is released with an accompanying “fix.”

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