Hello guys! Here’s another list of 4 #GalaxyNote4 issues we’ve received from some of our readers. We hope this material will help others with similar or the same issues.

Here’s the specific topics we discuss here today:

1. Galaxy Note 4 in bootloop issue after it fell
2. Galaxy Note 4 email app won’t send
3. Galaxy Note 4 intermittent SMS and voice call problem | Galaxy Note 4 battery drain problem | Galaxy Note 4 overheating/charging issues | Cannot install app on Galaxy Note 4 due to lack of storage space
4. Galaxy Note 4 lockscreen keypad not working | How to get back in to a Galaxy Note 4 if lockscreen can’t be opened

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 Note 4 in bootloop issue after it fell

Hi Droid Guy. Hope you’re well!

After reading your article on your website on how to get the Samsung Galaxy Note out of boot loop, I was hoping you can help me with my own Galaxy Note 4 problem.

The problem is that my phone got in to a bootloop problem. Well I think this is what is called a bootloop:

When I turn on my phone, It shows the Samsung Galaxy Note screen. It turns black with blue LED light. Then I get the Samsung logo, after which it turns back to the Samsung Galaxy Note screen.. and this repeats itself until the battery is dead.

Two remarks that could influence what is happening, it first occurred last Monday:

• It’s a refurbished model, refurbished by an trusted company. The problem never occurred before.

• My phone has been smashed around last Saturday while it fell very hard with my bike. The smash my phone made was pretty hard! (screen broke as well).

The problem first occurred last Monday, after my battery gone totally empty. I (partially) recharged my phone an tried to turn it on, then it got in to loop.

So I entered the recovery mode from Android. A single reboot from there didn’t work. Also just a cache wipe didn’t have the desired effect. Both times It re-entered the loop.

Then I did a full factory reset, which worked! I could finally start up my phone again.

Of course I wanted to make sure if this solved the whole problem. So i rebooted my phone. It didn’t go into the loop. I turned my phone completely off, turned it on again. No loop!

Last test: I let my battery die completely, put on the charger and turn my phone on. There it was again: The bootloop.

This is all I can tell you. My questions:

• Can it be that there is physical damage due to the crash I made Saturday, that could lead to the bootloop? (I only read about firmware problems causing loops)
• If so, shall I tell the service guy to change the battery or couldn’t it be the battery?
• Are there any other possible causes for the loop to happen? For example that the refurbishing hasn’t been proper or something? (I only have the phone for 2 weeks now)

I really hope you can help me guide to the right area for this problem, so that I can make sure that my phone will be repaired (or maybe even replaced) as quick as possible. Thanks in advance!!

Met hartelijke groet | With best regards. — Björn

Solution: Hi Björn. Most of the time, bootloop is a result of a failed firmware modification but we’ve heard of some bootloop cases following right after a device suffered a bad fall or water damage. Both water damage and shock from a fall can affect devices differently, depending on the malfunctioning components. If this bootloop symptom only started occurring after dropping your phone and you didn’t attempt to modify the firmware (by rooting or flashing), then the problem might be hardware in nature. That factory reset did not change anything is a clear sign of a hardware issue.

Call Samsung and let them examine the device. Even if the issue may be software in nature (which is highly unlikely), at least you should know that your issue will be resolved one way or another. Keep in mind that if they’ll find out that you’ve dropped the device prior to noticing the problem, the remaining warranty will automatically be declared void, which means you’ll still have to pay for whatever solution they’ll do.

Problem #2: Galaxy Note 4 email app won’t send

Hello! My email app stopped working. When I would try to send email from my phone it would error about servers not working. It didn’t matter what email address I was trying to send to.

I tried to clear all the data from my app which then made me re-setup my email address and preferences in the settings.  Now it won’t show any of my emails on my account, there is just a blank screen. There is a button to “Load more emails” but nothing ever loads.  A small circle rotates around on the bottom of the screen like it is trying to load, but nothing ever happens.

What can I do to sync my email account back to my phone? THANKS for helping! — Jessie

Solution: Hi Jessie. Firstly, you want to make sure that there’s no problem on your email provider’s side. You can do that by checking the email accounts in question in other devices like a computer or another smartphone. Make sure that all email functionalities are working, especially the syncing part so you’ll not be wasting time troubleshooting on your phone.

Once you’ve checked that the email is good, the next step is to wipe the phone’s cache partition. The cache partition is a part of your phone’s memory dedicated to keeping the system cache. Sometimes, app or Android updates can corrupt the system cache, which can in turn result to problems. Making sure that the phone has an updated cache can be done easily. Here’s how:

• Turn off the Galaxy Note 4 completely.
• Press and hold the Volume Up and the Home keys together, then press and hold the Power key.
• When the Note 4 vibrates, release both the Home and Power keys but continue holding the Volume Up key.
• When the Android System Recovery shows on the screen, release the Volume Up key.
• Using the Volume Down key, highlight the option ‘wipe cache partition’ and press the Power key to select it.
• When the wiping of the cache partition is finished, highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and hit the power key.

After wiping the cache partition, wipe the email app data again before setting up the email account. If this won’t do anything positive, wipe everything via factory reset.

Problem #3: Galaxy Note 4 intermittent SMS and voice call problem | Galaxy Note 4 battery drain problem | Galaxy Note 4 overheating/charging issues | Cannot install app on Galaxy Note 4 due to lack of storage space

I live in NJ and work in NY. An expensive new Samsung Note comes out, but I could end up with the same issues. Is there such a thing as planned obsolescence with the phone people? I am still without a well-functioning phone, yet I did not buy it. I can’t get calls all the time! People text me, which is more reliable, but they don’t always go through. It’s hurting all my relationships! Do the carriers slow down that too to get you to buy new equipment? Some of my texts don’t come in for hours and I miss a job. I assume it’s the carrier and or the battery. I keep wondering if I should switch to a different kind of phone that is Motorola or LG definitely (not an iPhone) would be an option.

Of course I loved my Windows 1020 Lumina phone because of the camera. I don’t think anything else comes close to the 41 megapixels and shooting in the dark features the animation and such. I really love that phone but it was constantly freezing and shutting off and of course I dropped it before I got a case I only had It a few weeks. It was also not so overloaded with stuff on it yet. But everyone I work with has a Droid phone or Apple phone.

So here is my big problem. I’m probably a killer of computers, laptops, tablets and cell phones. I’m a woman who uses and abuses my electronics, I believe. I take care of them cosmetically for the most part but I don’t know how to back up my stuff, nor clean out my junk. I use my phone and  my computer to capture everything. Pictures I like on the web, every email since 1990, every text, I treat it like a diary. And then I wonder why my phone doesn’t hold a charge even if I buy a new battery or even if I use an app to close out all the apps and to clean the RAM, etc with an app. If I go to the store and all they want to do is sell me a new phone, not help me fix, nor maintain  my current one. I can actually sit on my couch and miss calls that don’t even register in my call log! I don’t know if I’m in some sort of vacuum that AT&T doesn’t reach (I checked their maps, no) but I know I’ve never had this problem with any other phone. My phone gets hot, doesn’t take a charge well, takes forever to charge, and I found by accident that after a while, wall chargers go bad & cords or the receptacle I don’t know which it is. So here I am buying new cords, new batteries for phone that rings once or twice then the  call goes to voicemail. I have spent hundreds of hours on the phone with ATT (again no answers).

 It’s very frustrating to have a phone for work that doesn’t work. And of course everyone says “oh you have an old phone, you need a newer phone.” I wonder if it’s planned obsolescence, so you have to get a new phone. I would prefer not if possible. Again I really don’t understand the concepts of computers and phones. people saying you have to delete data or you have to delete apps. I have an SD card with a lot of storage but yet my phone will say you can’t put any more apps on your phone until you delete some apps. I don’t understand this. Can you somehow delete them and then remember that you did have apps you deleted on your phone then you have to put them back on your phone if you don’t always use them? Sorry but I don’t have any kids to ask. I’m very confused and very frustrated. I can tell you this: I tried to be informed as much as I can by reading forums. Maybe you have information on one of your blogs on how to maintain phones.  Even if I wanted the Note 7 it sounds like inexpensive rehash not worthy of me going out on a limb to purchase it. Waterproof speakers that really sound tinny and not much else.

Any help or guidance would definitely be appreciated maybe. I need Android for dummies or something or maybe I need to switch brands or carriers. I do know that sometimes there’s a cell phone gremlin that comes in the middle of the of the night &  lives in my phone my phone and changes my settings at different times from Wi-Fi onto Wi-Fi off and other changes, TouchWiz, etc causing data overages sometimes too. And I have a virus scanner app! Any help or information or guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time in advance. — Lisa

Solution: Hi Lisa. Since you mentioned “planned obsolescence” twice, we feel obligated to give you an answer about it at least. That answer is NO. There’s no such thing as planned obsolescence but due to phone manufacturers’ desire for more profits, they created an artificial need to churn out new products more often. For Samsung and Apple, this means releasing at least 1 flagship model year after year, falsely creating the sense in many phone users that their device becomes obsolete a year after buying it. If by obsolescence you mean your phone’s camera missing a few megapixels compared to the most recent upgrade, then you are no different from millions of other phone users thinking the same way. We don’t want to elaborate on this topic though as a more detailed discussion will rob other readers of precious article space that we can use to answer more concrete problems.

The thing to remember about your observation (that phone manufacturers and carriers appear to be forcing older smartphones to become out-of-date) is that “obsolescence” is subjective. If your goal in getting a cellphone is to boost your ego, improve your social standing, or the mere enjoyment of luxury by using a new gadget, then sporting a Galaxy Note 4 at this time may be out of fashion. Today, smartphones offer a lot of things including:

• luxury (by getting the newest and most expensive models),
• convenience,
• more ways to connect with friends (via social media),
• organize personal and business life (with the use of apps),
• entertainment (games),
• classic functionalities (like the old-school texting feature and, of course, making and receiving voice calls),
• and even some level of education (by granting easier access to a trove of information called the Internet).

It’s up to you to sort out what you need primarily from your smartphone. If you want all of the things mentioned above, then for god’s sake invest in a new Galaxy Note 7 or the equivalent from other brands. But if you are the one who tends to enjoy life at its fullest (by not spending hours staring at your gadgets screen), a Galaxy Note 4 can already be considered very good. This model can do almost all the needs an average human being needs to survive in today’s digital world. Taken in this perspective, a Note 4 is never obsolete despite Samsung’s new release of the Note 7. Try to re-evaluate the use of your smartphone so you will know what you really need. If all you want to do with your phone is use it to contact friends and family via text and call, or get in touch with them via social networking apps, then your Galaxy Note 4 can offer almost the same level of comfort and efficiency as the new Galaxy Note 7. in this sense, your lowly Note 4 is not obsolete at all.

Now, we know you’re venting your frustrations with perhaps the last few phones you’ve used so far but that doesn’t mean there’s an one-for-all solution for them. We’ve highlighted (in bold) the specific issues you’ve raised here and we’ll provide brief solutions for them. We can’t dedicate this entire post solely as an Android guide for dummies so try to supplement what we give here with more research afterwards.

People text me, which is more reliable, but they don’t always go through…Some of my texts don’t come in for hours and I miss a job. These problems are best addressed by your wireless carrier. SMS and voice calls problems have a network aspect that third party technicians like us can’t check. That the issues happen intermittently suggests that the cause comes from the service side rather than a gadget side. To help your carrier isolate the problem effectively, you must give them as many relevant information as possible. For example, observing if the text problem only occurs when communicating with a particular friend at a particular time or place may help. Taking note of errors or other symptoms will also help. Telling them it’s hurting your relationships may not be that helpful at all though. In other words, the more problem-specific information you can give them, the faster and more effective the help you’ll get.

I wonder why my phone doesn’t hold a charge even if I buy a new battery or even if I use an app to close out all the apps and to clean the RAM, etc with an app. If using a new battery does not change the situation and battery drain problem continues unabated, you should consider some smarts. Assuming there’s no hardware problem involved (like a broken charging port or internal component), battery drain issue is a relatively issue to fix. There are many tips and tricks that you can do to effectively resolve battery drain problem. A lot of other websites offer them but you might want to try our brief guide here.

My phone gets hot, doesn’t take a charge well, takes forever to charge, and I found by accident that after a while, wall chargers go bad & cords or the receptacle I don’t know which it is. Battery drain issue together with difficulty charging and overheating may suggest a bad hardware. Don’t hesitate to call Samsung so they can do repair or replacement.

I have an SD card with a lot of storage but yet my phone will say you can’t put any more apps on your phone until you delete some apps. I don’t understand this. Can you somehow delete them and then remember that you did have apps you deleted on your phone then you have to put them back on your phone if you don’t always use them? Not all apps can use the SD card during the installation. Even if you have a terabyte of SD card space, you will still be unable to install an app designed to be kept in the phone’s primary storage (not the SD card). There are two types of storage devices in a Galaxy Note 4 — the primary storage device (internal) and the SD card (secondary or external). If you get a message during an app installation that it can’t be installed due to lack of space, that “space” necessary for the process refers to the internal storage device and not the SD card. Make sure you free up enough internal storage space before attempting another installation.

Problem #4: Galaxy Note 4 lockscreen keypad not working | How to get back in to a Galaxy Note 4 if lockscreen can’t be opened

Hi. I went on vacation to Italy and after a couple of days my phone got accidentally locked (I had been using lock screen with keypad without problems since I bought it 2 years back). It asked for a recovery password, but the strange thing is that keypad disappeared and there is nowhere I could type in. Only a darker box with blinking cursor, but when touching it, it looks like touch screen is not working. However emergency call button and related keypad is instead working, and I see with long press that I have options for paste and clipboard, but not able to use. I reset-ed password from Android/Devicemanager, but still cannot type it in….

There was an upgrade pushed a 2 months ago, and despite observing some new slowness, there was no instability. Another upgrade was still pending though, and I was not willing to take it, so I suspect something could be related to it.

Is there any way to restore keypad to unlock the screen?

Or is there any option to clear the password or unlock from android/devicemanager? I didn’t setup a Samsung account with findmymobile, which I understand would have given me other option to reset password.

Trying to explore all alternatives before going the hard way with factory reset and losing all data.

Thanks in advance for your help! — Davide

Solution: Hi Davide. The only solution left you here is factory reset. Doing so will wipe everything on your phone but there’s no other way to bypass the lockscreen or restore the keypad. Here are the steps on how to do a factory reset:

• Turn off the Galaxy Note 4 completely.
• Press and hold the Volume Up and the Home keys together, then press and hold the Power key.
• When the Note 4 vibrates, release both the Home and Power keys but continue holding the Volume Up key.
• When the Android System Recovery shows on the screen, release the Vol Up key.
• Using the Volume Down key, highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset’ and press the Power key to select it.
• Now highlight ‘Yes — delete all user data’ using the Vol Down key and press the Power key to begin the reset.
• When the master reset is complete, highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and hit the Power key.
• The Note 4 will restart but it will be longer than usual. When it reaches the Home screen, then begin your setup.

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