Archives for

calls

How to fix a water-damaged or wet Galaxy S7, other issues

wet S7

Smartphone owners usually wonders what’s the best way of fixing a water-damaged or wet device, particularly the #GalaxyS7, so we think publishing a brief guide about it is necessary. This issue and four others will be discussed below. We hope you’ll find this material useful in your own search for answers.

  1. Galaxy S7 no sound issue during calls
  2. Galaxy S7 screen remains black and showing colored horizontal lines
  3. How to fix a water-damaged or wet Galaxy S7
  4. Calendar not restored after Galaxy S7 was factory reset
  5. Galaxy S7 lower screen stutter and turns white randomly after Marshmallow update

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 S7 no sound issue during calls

Thank you so much for offering this service.

When I make or receive calls, I cannot hear the other person on the other end of the call and vice versa. Outgoing calls, I can hear through the earpiece speaker the “ring” sound that the call is being made. When the other person picks up, there is no sound. I’ve switched to speaker and used the speaker phone, still no avail. When someone calls me, even if I’m not currently using the phone, i get a message that asks if I want to put the current call on hold to pick up the person calling in. Very strange. Software is up-to-date and the phone works great in all other functions, except this. I’ve done a soft reset, but not a factory reset. I’m hoping there is another option and that be my last resort.  Please, please help. — Samantha

Solution: Hi Samantha. Are you using a third party dialer? If yes, try using the stock dialer app or simply uninstall the third party one to see the difference.

Alternatively, you can try to boot your phone in safe mode during calls so you can compare how calling function works. With Safe mode on, all third party applications and services will be prevented from running. If one of them is the reason for the trouble, the issue should not happen while safe mode is enabled. To restart your phone in safe mode, simply follow these steps:

  • Turn the phone off completely.
  • Press and hold the Power key.
  • As soon as you can see the ‘Samsung Galaxy S7’ on the screen, release the Power key and immediately hold the Volume Down key.
  • Continue holding the Volume Down button until the device finishes rebooting.
  • You may release it when you can see ‘Safe mode’ in the bottom left corner of the screen.

If your phone successfully booted up in safe mode and there’s no calling issue whatsoever, try to uninstall suspected apps until the issue is gone. Or, you can proceed with Factory reset through Settings or Master reset by booting up your phone in recovery mode again. Either way, the problem will be fixed.

Problem #2: Galaxy S7 screen remains black and showing colored horizontal lines

I was out for a walk and had my phone in my back pocket. I didn’t sit down anywhere or bend it. However, sometimes I can hear it constantly trying to do something, the screen seems to be touchy at times and I will pull it out of my back pocket and discover it has “popped” to all these other apps or tried to go to the internet, etc. The screen suddenly went black and I kept hearing all these notifications. I didn’t get it wet or drop it. I could still hear notifications and receive phone calls, but I couldn’t see or send a text or dial.

I went to the Verizon store in my home town (I had only purchased the phone about 3 months ago) and the lady at the counter said it was probably a software issue with the screen. She tried turning it off and on but nothing. She said that I could send it in for a warranty but that if they discovered internal damage, I might have to pay upwards of $300 for the phone.

I am still paying off the phone for about $200 some dollars. Or she said I could make an insurance claim but I have a deductible and it may cost me an extra $150. Both these alternatives upset me and they sounded expensive.

I have never cracked the screen or gotten the phone wet, but they did transfer all my phone numbers and photos from my Tracfone to this phone, and it has been very full, and I cannot put any other apps on it. I have kids and I have tried to erase the many photos I have of them, but it’s difficult. So the phone is loaded to the max. I even had to take Candy Crush off of it. I don’t know if this has anything to do with it.

I then tried to fix it myself by resetting the battery a couple of times and now it had multi colored horizontal lines and when I call it from my house phone, it won’t ring now.

Please help! If I send it into Verizon, what’s stopping them from lying and saying it does have internal damage when they can make some money off of me? I haven’t been happy with this company but they are the only ones that work the best in this limited service area that I live in. Thanks. — Susan

Solution: Hi Susan. The problems you describe here appears hardware in nature rather than software ones so your best chance at having a working phone again is to either have it repaired or replaced. If your phone continues to boot up but the screen remains black or showing colored horizontal lines, that’s an indication that the screen assembly may have failed. Discoloration of the screen can be caused by a malfunctioning LCD, one of the major components of a screen assembly. Sadly, a problem like this can’t be resolved by doing some software troubleshooting like the ones we usually provide. You must have the phone checked physically so a complete hardware diagnostics can be conducted.

Problem #3: How to fix a water-damaged Galaxy S7

I dropped my phone in water and dried it off. I then took off the back cover to make sure water didn’t get into it but it did. I quickly dried it. At that point my phone was still working properly however it was being slow and lagging. It didn’t look like water got anywhere into my phone but my phone was being weird. It goes to the Galaxy S7 loading screen then in the top corner it says rebooting system and then goes to this programmer looking screen, the Android System Recovery. No matter what I do or press I always get that screen where I have options of rebooting system, apply updates from ADB, external storage, and from cache. I can wipe data and factory reset and that didn’t work.

I’m giving the option to wipe cache partition, reboot to boot loader, power down, view recovery logs, enable cp logging, and disable cp logging. I’m in desperate need of help and I put my phone in rice for about a week now, just to make sure its dry and whenever I turn it on I get this screen. Please help. — Alexis

Solution: Hi Alexis. If your phone started acting up after it got wet, that’s probably because water has seeped into the motherboard, causing problems. In a perfect world, you should have removed the battery right after pulling out the phone from water, cleaned it properly using alcohol, and left it to dry thoroughly for days or weeks. Not doing any of these can lead to problems later on, like what is happening to your device right now.

Leaving the battery connected to a wet motherboard is a perfect recipe for disaster. Current can reach places of the board where it’s not supposed to go. This means that some components can get shorted, which can lead to hardware problems. Electrolysis can also develop after some time, causing metal components of the motherboard to stick to another. Water can cause corrosion of parts which is the last thing you want to happen on a motherboard.

The worst thing that you can do to a wet smartphone though is by turning it on. Doing so will not only hasten the destructive chemical processes that happens when a motherboard is exposed to water, but that will also be a certain death sentence for your device. There’s no faster way of frying electronic components than by turning on a wet phone. You can bid those components goodbye right away.

Whatever the exact reason why something triggered the phone to boot in recovery mode, making it technically unusable, one thing is for sure — your S7 is gone. To be frank, unless you are amenable to replacing the motherboard entirely by yourself, there’s little to nothing that you can do. Either you let a professional take a look at it, or you get a replacement. We know these may be unacceptable for you right now but just like what we said to Susan above, hardware failures cannot be fixed by software solutions.

If you think you can still salvage your phone by doing something on your end, below are the steps that you can try.

Tear the phone down

Find a way to open up the phone so you can clean the inside parts completely. This procedure requires special kits so a complete teardown is achieved. Remember, you don’t know what component is exposed to water at this time so you will have to inspect every removable part inside. This first step requires tools and skills so if you don’t have both, don’t even think of doing it. You can research for ways how to achieve a complete teardown of your Galaxy S7.

A word of caution: doing this step will obviously void the warranty and may brick the phone for good so do it at your own risk.

Clean the parts

Once you’ve managed to separate the components from each other (and we hope you can manage to put them back together later), get a large pan so you can pour about a quart of alcohol to it. You can use old 70%-90% rubbing alcohol depending on what you have. Don’t use drinking alcohol! You can use ethyl or isopropyl alcohol instead.

Now put the components in the pan (including the case and everything) and clean them thoroughly. Don’t forget to disconnect the battery before immersing it in the pan. Then make sure that you remove any dirt or minerals from the components. Swish them in alcohol for 5 minutes. Alcohol will then do its job of absorbing the water from the phone. After 5 minutes, remove the phone and parts from the pan, drain the alcohol from them, and dump the alcohol. Do the same process once to ensure that no dirt, water, or minerals remain.

Dry the phone

Dry the components with clean soft cloth and re-assemble the phone. Be sure to dry each part before the reassembly by putting them into a ziplock or container with uncooked rice or silica gel. Make sure the container is sealed. Then you have to wait for at least a week. The rice or silica gel will absorb the alcohol so make sure to dispose them properly afterwards.

After a week, open up container, wipe the components with clean soft cloth, and begin the reassembly. Hopefully, your first aid procedure will work and the phone will run normally again.

Problem #4: Calendar not restored after Galaxy S7 was factory reset

Please help! I’ve tried everything and have been up for hours.

Today my Samsung S7 just went dead although I knew I had 64% charge…it was like it had no charge. Someone told me to hold down both volume buttons and home and power button at same time.

The phone came back on and we hit restore and it updated system.

After several hours I had everything back except for the calendar. And I’ve tried everything for the last few hours. Soooo frustrated since my life is in that calendar. Can you help me please??? — Sarah

Solution: Hi Sarah. If you did a factory reset and restored everything except the Calendar, that means that the events were not saved in Google cloud or to any other cloud services. You can only restore the things that were saved somewhere else (like in another device or in the cloud) before the reset. If your Calendar information were not synced with your Google account or Samsung account, there’s no way for you to get them back again.

Problem #5: Galaxy S7 lower screen stutter and turns white randomly after Marshmallow update

Just downloaded the software update for 6.0.1. Almost immediately the lower half of the screen started to stutter (and turns white) when the power or home key is pressed to unlock. This also occurs seemingly randomly and regardless of which apps are open. It also happens during start up as the Samsung logo is displayed. I have performed factory reset and partition cache but still no joy. Concerned this is a bug with the update. 9.3 GB of storage available on phone so don’t think it is a space issue. Phone worked perfectly beforehand. — Scott

Solution: Hi Scott. We suspect that a third party app is to blame for this problem. Although you can try to check if our suspicion is true by booting the phone in safe mode (steps provided above) for a few days, other third party application or service may continue to run. We recommend that you do another round of factory reset instead and observe how the phone’s screen works for 48 hours without installing any third party app. This will help you determine if one of your apps is to blame.

 

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.

Fingerprint scanner not working after updating Galaxy S6 to Marshmallow, other issues

S6 Edge

As promised, below are two other Marshmallow-related problems as reported by some readers. If you want to check out more problems and solutions for the #GalaxyS6, please visit this page.

  1. Loading time of Galaxy S6 takes longer
  2. Fingerprint scanner not working after updating Galaxy S6 to Marshmallow
  3. Galaxy S6 stock messaging app lag issue after Marshmallow update
  4. Changing the text color and bubble style of messaging app in Galaxy S6
  5. Caller can’t hear during calls
  6. Galaxy S6 keeps saying storage is full

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: Loading time of Galaxy S6 apps takes longer

Recently my system has become quite slow, takes much longer than usual for apps to load. But once they load they operate fine, it’s starting apps that take forever. I’ve removed /disabled all junk apps, have tons of free space /ram, and even removed my third party themes and reverted back to default. I’ve cleared all caches, system cache, rebooted the system several times over the past few weeks, and no luck. This issue persists on both 4G and Wi-Fi. I’ve even tried reinstalling some apps, which actually does help, but after a few start-ups the problem reoccurs.

To give you an example, when I launch Chrome or UC browser, the status bar loads about a quarter of the way and stops for approximately 30 seconds, then shoots up to 80%, stalls for a few more seconds, then loads. Subsequent pages load at normal speed after, it’s just the initial load up that takes forever. Same problem applies to all apps on my phone, even when I access settings! All I see is a white screen for about 30 seconds before it loads and it’s fine after. I tried CCleaner, and multiple tips from help forums and I’ve gotten nowhere, any ideas ? Using lookout Antivirus which is always up to date and all scans are clean.

Thank you for your help! — Jay

Solution: Hi Jay. If you’ve been using CCleaner and similar apps for a while, we recommend that you remove them. Their function is redundant as Android OS provides the same utility that they offer. In order to work, CCleaner and similar apps often deletes the system cache, which may be the reason why initial app loading time takes longer than usual.

In order to load apps efficiently, Android keeps the necessary files for each app everytime you load them. These files are then stored in the cache partition which Android use. The cache partition is therefore a storage of special files that the operating system has compiled in order to load and open apps faster. Building up the cache can take some time depending on how you use your device. The more you use your device, the more updated the system cache becomes. The idea is, every time you load an app, the OS takes note of what files to keep as cache in order to make the next loading time faster. This system is more power efficient and speeds up the loading time.

Using CCleaner or any other app with similar function stops this process because they regularly delete the cache. This means that your device has to come up with a new cache each time you load an app, which CCleaner will only delete later again. Keep in mind that the initial loading time for an app takes longer time compared to subsequent loading times, especially if the device has already saved the necessary cache.

Although we recommend wiping the cache partition regularly, doing so once every month should be the maximum.

Problem #2: Fingerprint scanner not working after updating Galaxy S6 to Marshmallow

Two issues. 1.  Since I upgraded to Marshmallow, I cannot use my fingerprint scanner. I had been using it for a year without issues with the previous OS. I upgraded to Marshmallow over the weekend and anytime I try to use the scanner, it immediately pops up with an error message “Make sure Home button is clean and dry, then try again” and it kicks me out. 

I tried deleting my saved fingerprints and recreating them, but every time I touch “Add Fingerprint”, that same error pops up immediately and doesn’t even give me an opportunity to touch the fingerprint scanner.

Second issue.  When I open the stock messaging app, some threads are completely blank.  Other times, when I am typing, the text box doesn’t expand with multiple lines of text. Rather I have to scroll in the text box to see what I’m typing.  What’s more, when I send a text, it doesn’t move the thread up to display the latest message, I have to scroll again to see what I just sent.  I noticed that if I close out of the app (not back out, but actually close the app) and go back in, those problems are resolved. This happens at least a couple times a day since the OS upgrade. — Kurt

Solution: Hi Kurt. Major operating system updates, at least for Android, don’t usually go smoothly for a number of reasons. As Marshmallow is a developing OS at this time, it is expected to cause problems for some users. In order to minimize bugs though, we recommend that you wipe the cache partition first, then follow up with factory reset if nothing changes. These solutions have mixed results so far but they are the most that you can do on your end. Other causes of post-update issues can be due to variables outside your control.

For reference, below are the steps on how to wipe the cache partition:

  • Turn the Galaxy S6 off.
  • Press and hold the Volume Up, Power and Home buttons at the same time until the Android logo appears, and the phone vibrates.
  • Release the Power button but continue to hold the other buttons.
  • Use the volume buttons to scroll down to highlight Wipe Cache Partition.
  • Press the Power button to confirm
  • Scroll down to Yes and press the Power button
  • Scroll to Reboot System Now and press Power
  • Your Galaxy S6 will reboot with a cleared system cache

Doing a factory reset via recovery mode works similarly, though you need to select “wipe data/factory reset” instead of “wipe cache partition.”

Doing a factory reset may not help you if the problem stems from app-specific issues. Poorly coded apps may become incompatible with Marshmallow so make sure that you update all your apps accordingly.

Problem #3: Galaxy S6 stock messaging app lag issue after Marshmallow update

Ok. So I have an Galaxy S6 and recently (i can’t remember, mid Feb or March 2016) they pushed an operating system update. Ever since my  text messages has been lagging like crazy. I have tried everything suggested in posts. However, either it cannot be done on my phone – as in a attempt to do it but it doesn’t do it, or it hasn’t cleared the problem. Here are things i have tried:

  • clearing cache for the text messaging app – i can’t actually clear the cache. i click the button “clear cache” in the settings>apps>messaging, but it does not actually do anything.
  • I’ve tried re-booting and re-starting my phone and it still won’t allow me to clear the cache.
  • next i tried the “wipe cache partition” in the recovery mode you go into when your phone is rebooting. That did not work AT ALL. text messages were still lagging and cache in apps could not be cleared.
  • finally, i tried a factory reboot. Twice. Once i restored an older backup of my phone from 2 years ago. when the problem persisted, I factory rebooted it again and started from scratch, downloading only apps i use and have not had any issues with.

After all this my text messages are still lagging. I’ve cleared all old messages a number of times and as mentioned above, I’ve tried everything. it’s driving me crazy!! The lag is so bad. ANY SUGGESTIONS? Thanks 🙂 — Paulina

Solution: Hi Paulina. As mentioned above, the only available solutions for users who experience issues following an update includes wiping the cache partition and doing a factory reset. Since the issue persisted even after doing them, we suggest that you try using another messaging app, or simply wait for another update to Marshmallow.

By the way, we assume that before you did a factory reset, “automatic restore” option under Backup and reset section is unchecked. If you did enable automatic restore, there’s a chance that you are simply re-introducing the same glitch after a reset. Be sure to tick it off if it was previously enabled to see the difference.

Also, try to observe the phone for 24 hours after a factory reset without installing any apps. This will give you a clue whether a third party is creating a conflict with Marshmallow or not.

Problem #4: Changing the text color and bubble style of messaging app in Galaxy S6

The Marshmallow update installed today. I had used text messaging about an hour before the update and my settings were as I had intended – with a specific bubble style and background. After the update, when I opened the messenger app, I noted that the bubble style was set to a clear box.  I didn’t have time to play with it then, so I left it as was. Throughout the day, random messages – specifically 1 received and 1 sent – had a colored background. The rest of the bubbles were clear. The received message with a colored background was actually very difficult to read as it was a light blue background with white font. The message I sent was a light yellow background with a white font. When I finally had time to change all my settings back, I now note that I do not have the option to change this. The only settings I can change here are the background and the font size. I cannot change the text color or the bubble style. Is this something they took away? — Wanda

Solution: Hi Wanda. Are you using a third party messaging app or the stock one? If it’s a third party app, make sure to contact the developer so they can advise you accordingly.

In case you’re using the stock messaging app, try to head to settings of the app and see if there’s a way to change text color and bubble style.

Some S6 models may not have these options so we hope that yours have them. Otherwise, try to delete the messaging app cache and data to see if that will make any difference.

If nothing changes, you also want to try doing a factory reset. Here’s how:

  • Turn off your Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge.
  • Press and hold the Volume Up, Home and Power keys together.
  • When the device powers on and displays ‘Power on logo’, release all keys and the Android icon will appear on the screen.
  • Wait until the Android Recovery Screen appears after about 30 seconds.
  • Using the Volume Down key, highlight the option, ‘wipe data/factory reset’ and press the Power key to select it.
  • Press the Volume Down button again until the option ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted and then press the Power key to select it.
  • After the reset is complete, highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and hit the Power key to restart the phone.

Problem #5: Caller can’t hear during calls

Today I tried to make a phone call but the person on the other side of the line couldn’t hear me while I could perfectly hear her. I tried many times and the same thing happened. Then I made a call on WhatsApp and there the person succeed to listen to me. Then I asked her to call me normally back and the conversation went fine. I tried again to call , and the person couldn’t hear me. I did a call on Skype and the microphone worked, and I also tried to register my voice and it worked. Could you help me with some hints?  

For me it is strange since in the morning when I woke up I was able to call someone and have a normal conversation and suddenly after a couple of hours this situation happens.

Please help me cause I don’t know what to do. I already went in safe mode but again the microphone is not working when I do the phone call.  — Gusa

Solution: Hi Gusa. Are you using a third party dialing or calling app? If you are, try switching to the stock dialer app and try calling again. If you are already using the stock app though, consider wiping the cache partition and doing a factory reset.

Problem #6: Galaxy S6 keeps saying storage is full

I was trying to update some apps from the app store and then got the message: insufficient storage. I then went and deleted around 700 photos and other stored data and the memory then was around 27GB (out of 32GB). I didn’t try to download the apps again since i left home but in about 20 minutes, i got the messages that the phone storage is full.

I couldn’t go to the gallery, couldn’t do anything.

I went to the files that I’ve deleted to make sure they were gone, and indeed they were gone.

I wiped out the cache partition and still same problem. I don’t know how the storage got full when I didn’t even use the phone for 20 min.

Plus, when it was already full the first time, I didn’t get any error message (insufficient storage) like the first time so I didn’t even know i was running low on storage. — Murielle

Solution: Hi Murielle. Try to boot the phone in safe mode and try again. If one of your third party apps is causing a mess, the issue should not occur again. Here’s how:

  • Press and hold the Volume Down and Power keys for 20 to 30 seconds.
  • Once you see the Samsung logo, release the Power key immediately but continue pressing the Volume Down key.
  • Your phone should continue booting up and you will be prompted to unlock your phone as usual.
  • You will know if the phone successfully booted in safe mode if the text “Safe mode” is displayed at the lower-left corner of the screen.

If the phone continues to indicate that storage is full, be sure to do a factory reset.

 

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 Note 5 won’t accept PIN after Marshmallow update, other issues

Note 5 Marshmallow

Hello guys! Here’s another list of #GalaxyNote5 problems and solutions. We hope that this post will help some users who may have the same exact or similar problems. Don’t forget to visit other Note 5 posts in this page.

  1. Save as PDF option in Galaxy Note 5 browser
  2. Galaxy Note 5 no longer boots up after charging it overnight
  3. Galaxy Note 5 won’t accept PIN (and pattern unlock code) after Marshmallow update
  4. Dual SIM Galaxy Note 5 won’t ring for incoming calls
  5. Galaxy Note 5 “refreshing SIM data” error
  6. Galaxy Note 5 won’t install an OTA update

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: Save as PDF option in Galaxy Note 5 browser

Hello. Recently acquired a brilliant Samsung Galaxy Note 5 model SM-N920A. I pay bank, education and services in general from my mobile using any of Internet browsers  installed on my device. I would like to leave a local copy of payment billing on the storage of device for further upload in the cloud,  etc.

In Android 4.4.1 KitKat option print give me the chance to “Save as PDF” to convert whatever I was looking at on screen to a PDF file as a function I accessed thru option “Print” in the three  vertical points menu to access app options, but I realized in Galaxy Note 5 + Android 5.1.1 that option apparently was removed by engineering area of Samsung as per feedback they answered to me when I open a case to report this issue.

Is there any way to install libraries,  drivers or whatever is necessary to restore such functionality? I mean be capable to print and from dialog that option used to launch,  select a type of printer named “Save as PDF” like in the past? — Alvaro

Solution: Hi Alvaro. The “save as pdf” function is browser specific. If your Note 5’s native/stock browser no longer has this option right now, we suggest that you use Google’s Chrome for Android browser. Simply install Chrome and do the usual steps to save the file. Keep in mind that Chrome’s default saving folder for a PDF file is under My Documents folder and not in Gallery.

Problem #2: Galaxy Note 5 no longer boots up after charging it overnight

Worked fine, plugged it in to charge just before going to bed. When I woke up it was making the noise that it makes when you restart it. So I was looking at it and it restarted again so I swiped the screen to open it up and went to check my email and in the middle of checking email it said email stopped working. This happened a couple times then it said that a couple other apps stopped working. Then it restarted again, so I swiped the screen and read my email then as I was watching the screen it shut down like it was going to restart but it did nothing. Now the phone is dead, it won’t start. I try pushing buttons but nothing. Now what am I supposed to do with this paperweight? — Steven

Solution: Hi Steven. Failure to boot up normally can be due to a malfunctioning hardware or a software glitch. When it comes to this problem, there’s little to nothing that a user can do. Unless the phone starts charging normally again, the troubleshooting that we usually recommend are totally useless.

The first task that you want to do is to see if the phone still charges properly. Try to leave the device charged for at least 30 minutes as the battery may have simply depleted all its power. If the phone responds and shows signs of charging, then you can most likely turn it back on without any problems.

If nothing changes though, that’s a sign that the device has a hardware failure. We can’t say for sure where the failure may be but there’s a chance that the battery may have gone bad. A complete hardware diagnostics will be needed though in order to pinpoint what component has failed.

In the event that your phone charges normally again but the phone continue to fail to boot up, consider restarting it in Recovery mode so you can wipe the cache partition, or do a factory reset. To wipe the cache partition, simply follow these steps:

  • Turn off your Samsung Galaxy Note 5 completely.
  • Press and hold the Volume Up and the Home buttons first, and then press and hold the Power key.
  • Keep the three buttons pressed and when ‘Samsung Galaxy Note5’ shows, release the Power key but continue holding the other two.
  • Once the Android logo shows, release both the Volume Up and Home buttons.
  • The notice ‘Installing system update’ will show on the screen for 30 to 60 seconds before the Android system recovery screen is shown with its options.
  • Use the Volume Down key to highlight the option ‘wipe cache partition’ and press the Power key to select it.
  • When the process is complete, use the Volume Down key to highlight the option ‘Reboot system now’ and hit the Power key to restart the phone.
  • The reboot may take a little longer to complete but don’t worry and wait for the device to become active.

If the phone remains unresponsive, make sure that you let Samsung repair or replace it.

Problem #3: Galaxy Note 5 won’t accept PIN (and pattern  unlock code) after Marshmallow update

I accepted the 6.0 Marshmallow update. Everything went fine during the updating, but when it was done, I couldn’t get past the security. It rejected both my pattern and my 4-digit security code. Repeatedly. I hadn’t turned on remote control access, so  the Android Device Manager was unsuccessful. I also tried Samsung Find My Mobile, but because I already had a security lock code, it wouldn’t let me replace it with a new one (entirely defeating the purpose, imo). Also, I never got the option to log in with my Google account. 3 days later and I am still locked out.

After 4 frustrating hours on the phone with Android, Samsung, and Sprint, all I got was “I am sorry for the inconvenience, but you’ll have to hard reset …” Grrrrrr

Any ideas, or word from Android or Samsung they they are aware of this problem and are seeking a workaround? Thanks. — Jonathan

Solution: Hi Jonathan. We’ve not heard of a user being locked out after Marshmallow update until now so there must be some other trigger for your issue. So far, the only effective way to access the device again in this situation is to do a factory reset.

As this may be an isolated case, we doubt that there’s even a workaround in order to avoid a full factory wipe.

In case you’ll also encounter FRP-related issue (FRP stands for Factory Reset Protection), we recommend that you try doing the steps in this video. Factory Reset Protection (FRP) is a recent security feature added to Samsung devices running the Android 5.0 and above. It’s designed to keep data safe by preventing unauthorized factory reset via recovery mode, meaning that if you lost your phone by theft or by accident, no one can supposedly access your data or perform a factory reset on it. A Samsung user named RootJunky discovered a way to work around this security feature so you may find his discovery useful in this case. We don’t know if this workaround is still working at this time so it’s up to you to find out.

Problem #4: Dual SIM Galaxy Note 5 won’t ring for incoming calls | Secondary SIM card receives calls instead of the primary SIM card | slide to delete email option not working

Phone purchased directly from Samsung store in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It is a Samsung Galaxy Note 5 (With two SIM cards).

Country: UAE

Carrier: Etisalat

Baseband version: N920CXXU2IPB9

Build number MMB29K.N920CXXU2BPBA

Issue 1: Phone often will not ring incoming calls but it vibrates!. A power cycle will fix this. But I wouldn’t know when the phone has the issue until I see missed call!

Issue 2: Phone sometimes use the secondary SIM cards to make or receive calls even though it is set to NOT use for voice calls. It causes roaming charges.

Issue 3: I could slide the email to delete it. It doesn’t work now.

Please help fix my phone. — Said

Solution: Hi Said. If all these issues started happening after installing an app or system update, we recommend that you first try to wipe the cache partition. Installation of new software or operating system is supposed to update the system cache automatically but sometimes, the process corrupts the current cache.

Although a corrupted system cache only causes minor issues, they can become quite annoying. In order to force the phone to build a new cache, you must first delete the existing one via recovery mode. Please refer to the steps above on how to do it.

Because it appears that your issues are more software-related, we also suggest that you perform a factory reset if nothing changes after deleting the cache.

There’s no better way to fix firmware or software issues other than factory reset. Not only will it refresh the cache, but doing so also means that you are reset the default settings of the operating system and apps to defaults. We know this can be hassle for some users but we see it as your only way out in this case. Here’s how:

  • Turn off your Samsung Galaxy Note 5 completely.
  • Press and hold the Volume Up and the Home buttons first, and then press and hold the Power key.
  • Keep the three buttons pressed and when ‘Samsung Galaxy Note5’ shows, release the Power key but continue holding the other two.
  • Once the Android logo shows, release both the Volume Up and Home buttons.
  • The notice ‘Installing system update’ will show on the screen for 30 to 60 seconds before the Android system recovery screen is shown with its options.
  • Use the Volume Down key to highlight the option ‘Yes — delete all user data’ and press the Power key to select it.
  • When the process is complete, use the Volume Down key to highlight the option ‘Reboot system now’ and hit the Power key to restart the phone.
  • The reboot may take a little longer to complete but don’t worry and wait for the device to become active.

Problem #5: Galaxy Note 5 “refreshing SIM data” error

I observed that my Samsung Galaxy phone has a few problems. Sometimes, it shows refreshing SIM data and when it shows it shows 2/3 times or 4 times at a stretch. I purchased my phone almost a year ago. Since it was not a big issue, no disturbance except that notification, I did not take it seriously. Now my warranty is almost over and as I asked Samsung for help in their helpline, they are telling me to extend my warranty by giving a lump sum money.

Yes and another problem I observed in my phone i.e., when I use 3G, as my phone is dual SIM so suddenly both sim network switched to out of service for a while. Since I am using only one sim data and my phone has only one 3G and another 2G I didn’t understand why it take both sim out of service for a while when I connect my 3G net. It also does not always happen — only about 4 to 5 times in a month.

I tried several methods such as safe mode, sim change, flight mode but always refresh sim data showed only when I took out both sim then it not showed. I also tried to put options to my sim network in perfect way for 3G, i.e., tick the net while roaming and auto connect gsm/wcdma and for 2G I tick GSM only but all these did not work for me.

I only a day left to extend my warranty so I really require your help. Please I will be highly thankful if you reply me soon and show me the correct way possible from your side. — Bhaskar

Solution: Hi Bhaskar. “Refreshing SIM data” error may be caused by incompatible modem (baseband) firmware, operating system glitch, bad cellular radio or antenna, or defective SIM card slot. You need to isolate the true reason for the problem by eliminating the mentioned potential reasons.

If you think it’s a software issue, don’t hesitate to do a factory reset.

If that won’t fix it, consider having the phone checked by Samsung for possible hardware errors.

Problem #6: Galaxy Note 5 won’t install an OTA update

I came to you before searching for help with an update issue. When I attempt to update the phone downloads the update and then reboots for the install. At about 31% complete of the installation process the update fails. After my first in query here it was suggested that I backup my device and restore it to factory new. That is the last step I have taken to address the issue. Once restored, I let the phone be to update and downloads as it pleased, after clicking through the normal first use options. When the phone was done I reattempted an update. Once again it failed right around 31% complete. Where do I go from here? Thanks! — Josh

Solution: Hi Josh. Did you root, modify the ROM of your phone, or install any custom software like TWRP or CWM? If you did any of them, we recommend that you revert back the phone to its original firmware setup then re-install the update again.

However, if you did not customize the phone by doing the things above, the problem may be coming from the installation file you’re trying to install on your Note 5. Make sure that you let your wireless carrier know that your handset is not taking the update so they can inform their developer team to check the update files.

 

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 Galaxy A3 if texts, calls, and mobile data are not working

Today’s troubleshooting article will help solve an issue for a Galaxy A3. As described below, the problem is about a certain A3 owner being unable to use network services such as texting, calling, and mobile data. To troubleshooting this issue, there’s a certain set of steps that must be done. Check them out 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.

Problem: Galaxy A3 network services not working (texts, calls, and mobile data not working)

I have a Galaxy A3 (2016). Recently it wont allow me send texts, make calls or connect to internet via 4G unless I switch the phone off and on again. It then works for a few hours then stops. I don’t get any error messages with calls. When sending texts, after short while I get a ‘failed to send message’ notification.  I regularly use Device Manager to clear the RAM etc. When I do a soft reset I leave the phone ‘off’ for a minute or so before switching back on again, so Ive tried that. Any ideas?

Solution: The problem can be due to a bug within the device, a network misconfiguration, or something totally outside it such as an account problem or a network outage. To troubleshoot this issue, you need to do some steps to narrow down the factors.

Forced reboot

Sometimes, bugs that appear to be complicated can easily be fixed by doing a simple step: restart. We get it that the user above already tried this before you contacted us but

for the benefit of others who may have missed this simple troubleshooting step, we suggest that this one must be done. Forced reboot can be done with these steps:

  1. Press and hold the Power + Volume Down buttons for approximately 10 seconds or until the device power cycles. Allow several seconds for the Maintenance Boot Mode screen to appear.
  2. From the Maintenance Boot Mode screen, select Normal Boot. You can use the volume buttons to cycle through the available options and the lower left button (below the volume buttons) to select. Wait for up to 90 seconds for the reset to complete.

Clear cache partition

Android uses a system cache, which is stored in the cache partition, to load apps quickly. Sometimes, this cache gets corrupted during and after an update, or for some other reasons. While this may sound harmless, a corrupted cache can eventually cause performance issues as well as a bunch of other minor annoyances. To ensure that your phone’s system cache is fresh, you can wipe the cache partition. This will force the phone to delete the current cache and replace it with a new one over time.

To wipe the cache partition on your Galaxy A3:

  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 green Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
  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 until ‘yes’ is highlighted and press the Power button.
  7. When the wipe cache partition is complete, “Reboot system now” is highlighted.
  8. Press the Power key to restart the device.

Reseat SIM card

In many network issues, disconnecting the SIM card can help. Make sure not to skip this troubleshooting step in fixing your problem.

When removing the SIM card, you want to make sure that you turn the device off first to avoid damaging it or the card. This is also important if you have an SD card inserted.

Install updates

Updates, be they for app or Android, are necessary not only in bringing about cosmetic changes but also for patches for coding issues or problems. By default, your Galaxy A3 should automatically install app and system updates but be sure to double check just in case.

Check in safe mode

Downloaded apps can sometimes interfere with Android, resulting to problems that include the one you’re experiencing. To see if one of your apps is to blame, try booting the phone to safe mode. Here’s how:

  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. Check for the problem.

If all network services work normally in safe mode, that means an app is the culprit.To identify which of your apps is causing the trouble, you should boot the phone back to safe mode and follow these steps:

  1. Boot to safe mode.
  2. Check for the problem.
  3. Once you’ve confirmed that a third party app is to blame, you can start uninstalling apps individually. We suggest that you begin with the most recent ones you added.
  4. After you uninstall an app, restart the phone to normal mode and check for the problem.
  5. If your Galaxy A3 is still problematic, repeat steps 1-4.

Reset network settings

This is a necessary troubleshooting step whenever a user encounters any network problem. Wiping your phone’s network settings will delete all user customized network setup including the list of wifi networks you’ve connected to and their passwords. If you are using a VPN, its settings will be deleted too. To clear network settings on your A3:

  1. Open Settings app.
  2. Tap General management.
  3. Tap Reset.
  4. Tap Reset Network settings.
  5. Tap RESET SETTINGS button to confirm.
  6. Restart your Galaxy A3 and check for the problem.

Factory reset

Wiping the phone to its factory state is a bit extreme but if the problem won’t be fixed at this point, you might as well try it. After all, the next step that you need to do is to contact your carrier. Factory reset will also help you tell if there’s any software bug behind the trouble. Here’s how it’s done:

  1. Create a backup of your personal data.
  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 green Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
  5. Press the Volume down key several times to highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset’.
  6. Press Power button to select.
  7. Press the Volume down key until ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted.
  8. Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
  9. When the master reset is complete, ‘Reboot system now’ is highlighted.
  10. Press the Power key to restart the device.

Contact network operator

If all the suggestions has not helped fix the problem, you need to talk to your carrier. There may be a provisioning issue on your account or an on-going network trouble is affecting your area.

 

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 Note 5 shutting down on its own, other issues

Here’s another collection of #GalaxyNote5 issues. These are taken from queries submitted by some members of our community for the past few days.

Note 5

 

Below are the specific topics discussed in this post today:

  1. Galaxy Note 5 “custom binary blocked by FRP” error
  2. Galaxy Note 5 shutting down on its own
  3. Galaxy Note 5 can only receive incoming calls when connected to Wi-Fi
  4. Galaxy Note 5 Wi-Fi not working after factory reset
  5. FRP lock on Galaxy Note 5

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 5 “custom binary blocked by FRP” error

Last night, I noticed my Note 5 was acting ‘weird’ and not able to do simple things like sync my email on K9 email, as an example. So I decided to restart it and I got this message, “custom binary blocked by FRP.” I think this is called being ‘bricked’ by the phone.

My Google account info is the same, nothing has changed that I know of. From what I’ve been reading on the net, this appears to be a security issue in the device. What am I supposed to do? Take it back into the T-Mobile store? Or can I do something about it myself? If there was a phone number to call, obviously without using my phone, I would do that. My number is 9********0 and yes, I am the primary contact on the account. I need to resolve this ASAP. Thanks. — Rich

Solution: Hi Rich. Once Factory Reset Protection feature is tripped, the only way to log back in to the device is to enter the correct Google account credentials last registered on the account. If it’s not taking the Google account username and password, the information you’re entering must be incorrect.

We don’t know what you mean by “restart” but if you simply turn the phone off and on, we doubt that it triggered FRP. You must have initiated a factory reset or master reset as either of these is the only instance that FRP is enabled. We haven’t heard of this feature turning on by itself after a simple turning on and off of a Samsung device. The only way not to trip FRP during a factory reset is to ensure that you delete all Google accounts are deleted from the phone. If you did not do this before you did a factory reset, there’s really nothing much that you can do.

Keep in mind that FRP is an unforgiving security feature. If you’re locked out of your phone because you can’t supply the right Google account credentials, that’s unfortunate. There’s no (official) way to bypass FRP at this time.

Problem #2: Galaxy Note 5 shutting down on its own

I have a Samsung Galaxy Note 5 which had been working very well for me for some time now. A few months ago it started turning off and on, on its own. The screen would keep blinking, showing the Galaxy model number until I would turn it on manually. This happened from time to time but otherwise the phone had been working great. Today however, it did this a lot more, more times than I can remember and now for the past hour or so, it has completely refused to turn back on.

I am currently airing it out to see if it is an overheating issue but so far I see no prospects of it coming back to life. All it does is blink then shuts off, blinks and shuts off.

I even plugged  in the charger to see if it has run out of battery but it hasn’t, it has 40% left and while plugged in it went up to 41%. I know this because when I plug in the charger the green battery sign pops up that shows the percentage. Regardless of all these, no matter what I do, the phone does not turn on completely.

Could getting a new battery help at this point? Or should I opt for a new phone now?

Your help would be highly appreciated! Regards. — Mahnoor

Solution: Hi Mahnoor. Before you commit on doing hardware checks, we recommend that you first try software solutions. These solutions include wiping the cache partition, booting in safe mode, and doing a factory reset.

Wipe the Note 5 cache partition

Android uses a system cache to ensure efficient loading of apps as well as to keep other system critical information. This system cache is stored in the cache partition, which can sometimes become corrupted after an update or installation of a new app. Refreshing it once every few months is a good phone maintenance practice to help minimize bugs and speed up phone processes. If you haven’t done this potential solution yet, now might be the right time. Here’s how it’s done:

  • Turn off your Galaxy Note 5.
  • Press and hold the following three buttons at the same time: Volume Up key, Home key, and Power key.
  • When the phone vibrates, release the Power key but continue to press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home key.
  • When the Android System Recovery screen appears, release the Volume Up and Home keys.
  • Press the Volume Down key to highlight ‘wipe cache partition.’
  • Press the Power key to select.
  • When the wipe cache partition is complete, ‘Reboot system now’ is highlighted.
  • Press the Power key to restart the device.

Boot in safe mode

In other cases, an issue like yours can also be caused by poorly coded applications or updates. To give you an insight if a third party app is to blame, we recommend that you restart your phone to another boot mode called Safe mode. When this mode is enabled, all third party apps and services will be prevented from running, so if the issue fails to occur, that’s a confirmation that an app is the cause. To boot your phone in safe mode, please do the following steps:

  • Turn off your Galaxy S6.
  • Press and hold the Power key.
  • When ‘Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge’ appears, immediately release the Power key and then press and hold the Volume Down button.
  • Continue holding the Volume Down button until the phone finishes the restart.
  • When you see Safe Mode on the lower left corner of the screen, release the button.
  • To get back to normal mode, simply restart the phone.

Finally, if these procedures won’t work, we suggest that you do a factory reset. Steps are provided further below.

Problem #3: Galaxy Note 5 can only receive incoming calls when connected to Wi-Fi

I bought a Samsung Galaxy Note 5 refurbished phone 3 months ago from Freedom Pop which operates over Sprint towers. It works fine while on Wi-Fi, but won’t accept INCOMING calls or texts with it off. I have to have a Wi-Fi connection or nothing. Data is on using 4GLTE and 3G connections with a strong stable signal.

Outgoing calls and texts work perfectly without Wi-Fi on while using cellular connections.

Reading through your other posts, I have booted in safe mode with no changes in incoming call/text status. I also wiped the cache partition successfully. Still no difference. Incoming only with Wi-Fi, outgoing either Wi-Fi or cellular service works. Service selection switch off as per posts.

Freedom Pop customer service now costs $10 per 5 minutes. Used to be free before 7/1. Other than the above, everything works perfectly. I’m really not sure if this phone ever worked on incoming cellular calls because I rarely get calls or texts. I just figured out this problem a couple of days ago when people wondered why I didn’t answer their calls or respond to texts. Hummm.

Any suggestions to get ‘er going so I can receive calls/texts when there is no Wi-Fi available? I would really truly  appreciate any assistance! Think it might help to go with Consumer Cellular instead?

Thanks in advance for any and all assistance!! — Dennis

Solution: Hi Dennis. If the basic software troubleshooting and solutions did not fix your issue, that’s probably because the solution is beyond your control. This issue is beyond our capacity to help as well. It appears voice calls for your account is configured to work with Wi-Fi calling only. The best thing that you can do right now is to contact you’re your wireless service provider so they can help you configure your phone with their network.

Problem #4: Galaxy Note 5 Wi-Fi not working after factory reset

Last month my tablet started getting hot and the battery depleted very quickly. I contacted Samsung and they told me to reset it to factory settings. I did this and since then it will not connect to Wi-Fi. I now have a reset machine and have lost all my downloaded software which I cannot replace.

Samsung confirmed it is faulty but as I had bought it new from an Amazon third party seller – who I subsequently discovered is based in Hong Kong – they will not repair non-European equipment.

It seems the only place to get it repaired is to take it to Hong Kong! There does not appear to be a repair facility in Europe because the HK devices use different components – this is what Samsung told me. I have also been told that it is probably the wi-fi chip on the motherboard which has burnt out.

Do you have any suggestions as to how I can possibly get it repaired?

If not, is there any way I can connect the phone to the internet via a cable to enable me to at least make some use of it? — James

Solution: Hi James. If factory reset did not fix the issue and Wi-Fi has suddenly stopped working, why don’t you connect to the internet via mobile data instead? This is the only way to connect your Note 5 right now. Connecting your device via cable to get connected is simply not available as a set up.

Problem #5: FRP lock on Galaxy Note 5

Hello. I have a Samsung Galaxy Note 5 (SM-N920G). I had fingerprint protection on it and when I restarted my phone, it is asking me for a back-up password that I have forgotten. Google account questions are never asked and the Android Device Manager doesn’t work. I don’t have Samsung Find my mobile registration either. USB debugging is disabled. Dr. Fone Wondershare didn’t work either. The error was Custom Binary (RECOVERY) Blocked by FRP Lock. I want to restore my phone to normal without losing any data. I AM REALLY ANGRY AT BOTH SAMSUNG AND GOOGLE WHY THEY ARE TREATING THE OWNER OF THE PHONE LIKE A THIEF. If you get into a fingerprint security habit, then how are you going to remember your back-up password. Google should have thought that. I am using the latest version of Marshmallow. Please, please help. I do not want to factory reset my device. Thanks a ton in advance. — Rahul

Solution: Hi Rahul. As mentioned above, the only way to log back in to a device locked by FRP is by entering the registered Google account credentials. We know that most of the time we forget backup passwords but that’s no excuse for Samsung and Google to weaken their newly introduced security feature. The thinking is, it’s the user’s responsibility to remember their credentials. If you’re unfortunate enough to have forgotten your password, your phone just becomes an expensive paperweight.

At this time, we are not aware of any official way to regain access to an FRP-locked device. Samsung wont’ help and no third party hacking services are effective enough to deal with it.

The only unofficial way to have worked in some FRP-locked device so far is by using an OTG cable to fool the system to allow an update installation. We are not sure though if this remedy is still unpatched at this time so it may be worth trying.

 

Related reading: How to bypass Factory Reset Protection (FRP) on Samsung Galaxy Note 5 [Step-by-step Guide]

 

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 S5 battery drain issue after Android update, other issues

Welcome to another article that addresses some of the common #GalaxyS5 issues. We hope that the solutions we provide here can help those experiencing the same or similar problems we discuss here.

s5

Below are the topics covered in this material:

  1. Galaxy S5 stops working properly after direct sunlight exposure
  2. Galaxy S5 not charging
  3. How to fix Galaxy S5 issues after Marshmallow update | Galaxy S5 battery drain issue after Android update | Galaxy S5 Wi-Fi keeps scanning after Marshmallow update
  4. Galaxy S5 won’t turn on
  5. Voice sounds like a robot when using a Galaxy S5 during calls

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 S5 stops working properly after direct sunlight exposure

Hi PLEASE HELP! I was an idiot and left my phone in the sun for about 10 minutes. When I tried to restart it, I got the Samsung logo through the AT&T logo (light at top left of phone is on while this is occurring) to load. Then the screen goes blank and after about three seconds, the process begins again… wash…rinse…and repeat (and repeat, and repeat…). IF I plug the phone in to a charger, (the battery charge % will display as usual when the phone is off). I can reboot the phone completely, make calls, text, take calls, etc. In other words, normal functionality when connected to a wall charger. Once disconnected, I can make calls, take calls, text, etc… for a period. (it worked like normal for about a day after the extreme tanning incident) periodically, if I go to make a call, the screen goes black and the wash, rinse repeat (WWR) cycle (as described above) starts again.

I have tried a soft reboot, removing, replacing the memory card, SIM Card, battery, etc…resulting in a brief period of normal operation before the WRR cycle commences. PLEASE HELP.  I don’t want to have to revert to my Lumia backup.

THANK YOU for anything you can do here. Sincerely. — Patrick

Solution: Hi Patrick. Direct exposure to sunlight, like water damage and a dropping from a height, almost always results to hardware damage and eventual malfunction. If the symptoms you’re experiencing were not there before you left the phone under direct sunlight, you can safely assume that you have a bad hardware. It’s possible though that only the battery has been affected so we recommend that you buy a new battery and try that first. If that won’t bring the normal functionality of your S5, consider having it replaced.

Problem #2: Galaxy S5 not charging

Hey guys. A few weeks ago my phone started charging on and off seemingly whenever it felt like it and slowly started getting worse until it would not charge at all while turned on.

It charges now while it’s turned off but charges on and off as if i was plugging it in, then unplugging it every few seconds. The first time I booted it up in safe mode, it charged normally but that only worked once. Now it doesn’t charge at all in safe mode either.

I have tried multiple charging cables, adapters and wall sockets and they haven’t made a difference. (My charger works fine in my friends phone).

I bought a new battery which still didn’t fix the problem. I have tried clearing cache partition. I have tried anti malware apps and cleaning tools. I have replaced the USB port in the phone and I have reset the phone to factory settings and nothing has helped! I don’t have any suspicious third party apps either I hope you can help! — Morgan

Solution: Hi Morgan. You should already know our solution by now — get the phone replaced. That the micro-USB port replacement did not even work is a clear indicator that you can’t fix the issue on your end. Even Samsung may even find it impossible to fix even. There’s only so much that you can do on your end so since you’ve already exhausted everything, it’s time to save yourself from more hassles.

Problem #3: How to fix Galaxy S5 issues after Marshmallow update | Galaxy S5 battery drain issue after Android update | Galaxy S5 Wi-Fi keeps scanning after Marshmallow update

After recent 6.0.1 system update the following issues driving me crazy:

1) Unable to turn off Wi-Fi network scan, which scans every 5 sec., even when connected to Wi-Fi.

 – powered off Wi-Fi & phone, pulled phone battery, cleared system cache, no help! Searched and tried numerous blog suggestions, but apparently Marshmallow has changed settings and menu options.  I’m sure I was able to shut off Wi-Fi scan before update. Went through and checked all the blog settings and still scanning every 5 sec. 

2) Swype keyboard doesn’t auto space between words when in Google search and URl field.  Auto spacing works fine in every other instance, texting, this form, note app, etc., even basic Google search that doesn’t also include URL.

3) battery drains much faster than before update. Example:

 – screen 31%

– chrome 20%

– Android sys 13%

– Google services 8%

and so forth.

Don’t see what is so good about Marshmallow 6.0.1. I hate updates, always a hassle, I’ve got better stuff to do than to figure out why they can’t get it right before forcing something on a user.  Ok, I feel a little better, not really! Help! — Andy

Solution: Hi Andy. There are two solutions that we usually recommend for post-update issues — wipe the cache partition and perform a factory reset. If the first one did not change anything, it’s time to reset everything back to their default settings. For reference, these are the steps to master reset your S5:

  • Power down the Galaxy S5.
  • Press and hold the Volume up button, the Home button, and the Power button together until you see the Android on screen.
  • Use Volume down to highlight the wipe data/factory reset option and press the Power button to select it.
  • Use Volume down again to highlight Yes – delete all user data and press Power to select it.
  • Use the Power button to select Reboot system now.
  • When the S5 restarts it should be completely wiped and ready to set up again.

Now, factory reset may not fix your issues if the cause is due to a bad app. Try to observe your phone for at least 24 hours without installing anything and keep an eye on the things you itemized here. If they won’t appear after a factory reset, chances are one of your installed apps is not compatible with Android Marshmallow. Remember, updating the Android operating system does not mean apps are being updated as well. It’s your responsibility to ensure that your apps are compatible with the new operating system. Official mainstream apps usually receive updates from their respective developers, but the truth may be the opposite for less popular, poorly funded developers. Always make sure that you only install stuff from reputable or reliable developers.

Battery drain solutions

Battery drain issue occurs regardless of platform, device, or operating system. The new Marshmallow OS may or may not be the main reason for rapid battery power loss you’re experiencing right now but that doesn’t mean fundamental principles will not work towards resolving it. Below are some of the basic stuff that you can do to extend the battery life of your S5.

Lower down screen brightness. If there’s one thing that sucks your S5’s battery really fast, it’s the display. Your Samsung Galaxy S5 uses millions of pixels to render movies, pictures, and anything you want to see on your device and entire process can drain the battery quicker if left unchecked. Try to lower down the display brightness to the lowest level comfortable for you. If you can’t decide on the brightness yourself, consider using the “Auto adjust screen tone” option that Samsung offers. You will be surprised how much more time you can use your phone in a day  when this is enabled.

Turn off unnecessary communication modes. If you want to squeeze all the juice you can get from your battery, make sure that you turn off features or functionalities you don’t need at the moment. Leaving Wi-Fi and/or mobile data constantly on can effectively suck your battery dry. The same can be said of Bluetooth, NFC, and similar other communication functions in an S5. if you are in an area with poor reception, switching Airplane mode on may significantly reduce battery drain everyday.

Switch sync to manual. If you have a lot of apps that regularly asks for update from remote servers to update their contents, now is the time to turn master sync to off. Alternatively, you can go under each app’s settings menu and turn sync to off or switch it to manual. Apps that regularly asks for updates include email apps, social networking apps, shopping apps, games, and even some productivity apps.

Social networking apps like Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and other similar products can drain your battery very quickly. Make sure that you deal with their sync function properly.

Use Power-saving mode. Recognizing the need to help users manage their smartphone batteries better, Samsung is the first in the industry to equip their flagship phone with  an automatic power-saving feature. In an S5, there are actually two options to save power–the basic Power-saving mode, and the Ultra power-saving mode.

The first one basically restricts background data to prevent manual syncing of apps to servers, disables GPS, lowers screen frame rate, and slows down processor speed.

Ultra Power Saving Mode transforms your smartphone into a dumb one in order to allow you use basic functions like SMS and calling possible. This option is best used during emergency situations but it doesn’t mean you cannot switch to it from time to time.

 

Related reading: Battery drain issue on Galaxy S5 after Marshmallow update

 

Problem #4: Galaxy S5 won’t turn on

I have a Samsung Galaxy S5 and it won’t turn on. Now I know my phone works. it has done this a few times but somehow someway, i always got to come back on. Here are some of the symptoms: when I charge my phone the charging icon and LED lights do not appear. yes I charged it so it’s not that. I’ve changed the battery so the battery is not defective. I attempted recovery and safe mode but halfway through the phone just zaps off.

I’ve  tried to take out the battery and hold the power button for more than one minute to drain the electricity and it still is doesn’t work. The only two things that i  have not done is wipe cache partition or hard reset.

I don’t know exactly what it is, it sounds scary, and i have a gut feeling it won’t help. I’m going to college soon and I need my phone.

I know my phone works. it has done this a few times but I’ve always got it to come back on. it might be the power IC. I don’t know exactly what that is. I just read your pages and you said it may be the problem. Basically it’s just not turning on. If this helps, when i take the battery out and put it back in. The Samsung logo appears but the one zaps off once more. Please help. — Akejah

Solution: Hi Akejah. Like you, we don’t have the ability to know what the problem might be. We are limited to how you describe the issue and symptoms you mention. As far as knowing whether wiping the cache partition or doing a factory reset will resolve the problem, the answer depends on the exact problem. There’s no way for us know if doing them will make the phone turn back on or not. You have to try them yourself. The same can be said on the possibility that your phone may have a bad hardware. The phone must be checked physically to know if a component has failed. The general rule is, if software troubleshooting like wiping the cache or factory reset won’t fix your issue, you must have a hardware malfunction. The real reason can range from a faulty hardware button, a malfunctioning power IC, or other defective components.

Call Samsung and let them check the phone. Better still, simply get a replacement unit to ensure you have a good working phone when you go to college.

Problem #5: Voice sounds like a robot when using a Galaxy S5 during calls

I just got the phone yesterday. Everything so far worked wonderfully and I am beyond excited to have a really nice phone finally. Fast forward to this morning when my husband called on his lunch break. I answered the phone and all he could hear was a loud, tech/robot like noise. He hung up and tried again with the same results. I then called him and he was able to hear me perfectly. I have tried with another phone and it seems to come and go. I was on the phone with my father-in-law (he called me) and at the beginning of our conversation it worked fine. But towards the end, it cut in with the same robot noise and he couldn’t even hear me to have me say goodbye. — Jaclyn

Solution: Hi Jaclyn. If this issue happens on another phone as well, the problem is most likely network related. There’s nothing that we or you can do about it. You have to contact your wireless carrier and report the issue to them so they can advise you on what to do.

 

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 S6 unable to make a call when not in 4G network, other issues

S6

Welcome to another #GalaxyS6 post! Below are 6 more issues submitted by members of our community as well as their corresponding solutions.

  1. How to recover files from a Galaxy S6 with a defective screen
  2. Theme changes behavior after Galaxy S6 was updated to new Marshmallow version
  3. Galaxy S6 unable to make a call when not in 4G network
  4. Galaxy S6 power button is stuck and phone won’t turn on
  5. Unable to flash firmware via Odin after Galaxy S6 fails to turn on

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: How to recover files from a Galaxy S6 with a defective screen

Screen doesn’t work and I want to get some files off the phone. However, the OS now defaults to Charging Only when you connect a USB cable & since I can’t use the screen, I can’t change it to File Transfer. In an article in October, you said “use Kies to extract whatever data you want”. Samsung doesn’t make Kies anymore and the S6 models don’t support it. Samsung redirects to Samsung Smart Switch instead, but it needs the phone to be in File Transfer mode and I can’t do that because of the screen. The phone is in USB Debugging Mode — I did that from the boot menu — but it hasn’t helped. Please don’t recommend Android Data Recovery because it’s a joke. It doesn’t work for anything above S5 and it also tells me to use my screen to get their connection to work. — Erin

Solution: Hi Erin. It appears you’ve already everything that can be done on a user level. Frankly speaking, there’s nothing more that can be done to resolve your issue. You either need to have the screen replaced first, or accept the fact that your files are gone. There’s no hardware hack to access the phone’s internal storage device just like what they do in movies (none that we know to be legal anyways). Even sophisticated hackers may find the task difficult to start with. Law enforcement agencies may have a way to do it but their tools are not for public consumption. So far, we’re not aware of any tool that’s available for the public that can be utilized to do what you want. There may be third party companies that can do the task but the price may be prohibitive. It’s not everyday that people wants to have their files recovered so effective third party services are expected to cost much. If money is not an issue, use Google to search for reliable services.

Problem #2: Theme changes behavior after Galaxy S6 was updated to new Marshmallow version

After performing a recent software update (not sure which one but I was already on Marshmallow beforehand), my theme is no longer displaying correctly. The theme is meant to put each app icon into a standard sized circle but this is not happening, the app icons are showing in their native form.

All other elements of the theme appear to be working correctly.

I’ve tried uninstalling the theme and reinstalling it with no luck. Have also reset my phone. Also tried downloading a different theme with the same feature and again, all elements of the theme work correctly APART from putting the app icons in the standardized circles.  — Adam

Solution: Hi Adam. We have no idea what theme you’re having a problem with but a good first step for you is to contact the developer of said theme. The developer may have changed something in order for the theme to work with the new Marshmallow version. Getting direct assistance from the developer itself is the only way to go for you.

Problem #3: Galaxy S6 unable to make a call when not in 4G network

Hi. I need your help. I have been having a problem with my phone for months.

I bought it in the UAE and put in different sim cards because i travel a lot and both while roaming or not, when i try to make a call it just says “call end” without ringing.

 i can send texts and receive calls, use 2g/3g/4g data no problem.

 only thing i noticed is when i’m connected to a 4g network, i can call but there are rarely places where i can get 4g so i need to fix this problem asap.

I got new sim cards because the provider thought it’s a sim problem but then it didn’t work again.

Do you have any idea what’s the issue?

I even went to Samsung and they advised me to reset my phone but I’d like to know if there’s any other way or even if reseting would fix the issue?

Best Regards. — Martina

Solution: Hi Martina. First of all, the best party that can help you or anyone with a call-related issue is the carrier. Whether it’s a SIM card issue, a phone issue, or even a software issue, it’s part of their service to ensure that voice calls work as expected. They have handy information that we don’t have so the best that we can do to help is speculate and offer generic troubleshooting and solutions. Call issues involves many factors including network-related ones so they are in the best position to diagnose where the trouble lies.

As far as solutions are concerned though, all we can tell you is to check the phone part. We suggest that you do the basics like wiping the cache partition, booting in safe mode, or doing a factory reset. All these three are aimed at checking if an app or firmware is to blame. They won’t resolve the problem if the issue is on the network to begin with.

For reference, here are the steps on how to do the solutions we mentioned.

How to wipe the cache partition of an S6

Wiping the system cache is useful if the issue is caused by a corrupted phone cache.

  • Turn off the device.
  • Press and hold the following three buttons at the same time: Volume Up key, Home key, and Power key.
  • When the phone vibrates, release the Power key but continue to press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home key.
  • When the Android System Recovery screen appears, release the Volume Up and Home keys.
  • Press the Volume Down key to highlight ‘wipe cache partition.’
  • Press the Power key to select.
  • When the wipe cache partition is complete, ‘Reboot system now’ is highlighted.
  • Press the Power key to restart the device.

 

How to boot an S6 in safe mode

You want to restart the phone in safe mode if you think that one of your apps is to blame. While a solution in itself, it should give an idea whether or not your hunch is correct. If the issue fails to occur while the device is in safe mode, that’s a confirmation that indeed, one of your apps is responsible.

  • Press and hold the Volume Down and Power keys for 20 to 30 seconds.
  • Once you see the Samsung logo, release the Power key immediately but continue pressing the Volume Down key.
  • Your phone should continue booting up and you will be prompted to unlock your phone as usual.
  • You will know if the phone successfully booted in safe mode if the text “Safe mode” is displayed at the lower-left corner of the screen.

 

Restore the phone to its default settings

Finally, if the first two procedures won’t help, don’t hesitate to wipe the phone by performing a factory reset. Here’s how:

  • Turn off your Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge.
  • Press and hold the Volume Up, Home and Power keys together.
  • When the device powers on and displays ‘Power on logo’, release all keys and the Android icon will appear on the screen.
  • Wait until the Android Recovery Screen appears after about 30 seconds.
  • Using the Volume Down key, highlight the option, ‘wipe data/factory reset’ and press the Power key to select it.
  • Press the Volume Down button again until the option ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted and then press the Power key to select it.
  • After the reset is complete, highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and hit the Power key to restart the phone.

Again, if nothing works, make sure that you call your wireless carrier again for a resolution.

Problem #4: Galaxy S6 power button is stuck and phone won’t turn on

Hi. I was having a problem on my phone and started to browse the internet hoping I could get a quick fix. I saw your page about Samsung S6 common problems and errors. I wish you could give me some advice on what to do.

What happened was my phone suddenly stopped working. I mean I was just browsing and it suddenly turned off. It was full charged though. i tried pressing the power button but it won’t start. I tried plugging in my charger but nothing happened, like no red light which indicates that it’s charging. I tried pressing again the power button for like 10-20 seconds but still nothing happened. And then while doing so, another problem came in, the power button got stuck. 🙁 tried to plug in my phone to my computer, it still gave me a black screen but I heard a sound like when you plugged in a device. I know I could just go to the service center but I would like to try fixing it first. Any advice will be appreciated. 🙂 — Valerie

Solution: Hi Valerie. That a hardware button is broken should be enough reason to bring the device to a shop. A stuck power button can prevent the phone from turning on or off properly. It may even be the reason why the device no longer boots up at this time. With the said button stuck, you can’t obviously do the basic software troubleshooting since the phone no longer powers on. There’s just no point in waiting at this time. Your best chance at resolution is to have the device physically checked and repaired. Better still, try calling Samsung to see if they can repair it themselves.

Problem #5: Unable to flash firmware via Odin after Galaxy S6 fails to turn on

I am helping a friend with his phone. His S6 stopped booting up normally and after many attempts to fix the problem without flashing, it still does not boot properly. When the phone boots turns on it goes to a screen with the android logo, the top left has “could not do normal boot” and underneath the logo it says “Downloading… Do not turn off target!!” I downloaded odin 3.11, the samsung driver, and the proper firmware. I put the device in download mode and plugged it in to my windows 10 computer, but it will not recognize the device. I have tried deleting the samsung drive and reinstalling it. I have tried using Keis. I have also tried an older version of odin and sumsung driver. No luck. Any help would be appreciated on how to get my computer to recognize my device. Thank you in advance. — Nicholas

Solution: Hi Nicholas. If the phone does not respond to flashing via Odin mode, try wiping the cache partition or doing a factory reset via recovery mode. Any of these two should fix the issue. Kindly refer to the steps provided above.

 

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 Note 5 stuck in boot loop after rooting, other issues

Note 5 Note 5

Good day everyone! We give you three more #GalaxyNote5 issues and solutions in this post. We hope that we continue to serve Android community as we continue to offer free advice in this blog. Don’t forget to visit previously posted materials for this device by following this link.

  1. Galaxy Note 5 stuck in boot loop after rooting
  2. Signal is breaking up on receiver’s end when making a call on Galaxy Note 5
  3. Galaxy Note 5 has multiple problems after an update

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 5 stuck in boot loop after rooting

I have a Note 5 sm-n9200 Hong Kong running marshmallow. i have tried several times to root the phone but it keeps saying fail. before i try to root the phone if i put it on download mode and press volume up i use to see custom binary (recovery) blocked by frp lock so i was thinking maybe that why it always fail to root. then i turn on my phone and downloaded bypass install it then put it on download mode try to root it and it rooted. i was excited.

before i root it, i remove the sim card after the root i was using the phone so i had to insert my sim card and it say i should restart the device. when i did it never come up. it keeps restarting and going off and on on Samsung logo.

so i downloaded the software version for me to be able to unroot the phone and set the phone back to the original. when i flash the phone back then it boot up and show me language. i select English. then it show me network. i connected my WiFi and click on next. then it says i should agree to the terms and condition. when i did it keeps loading and it never passes the internet. i can’t click on next or skip it and because is not allowed then return me back to the WiFi settings.

i inserted my sim card, got to the network connection keep loading and say no internet connection and return me back to WiFi settings.

so i try to turn off the WiFi and click next to continue but next never appear. i can’t click on next on skip. i am stuck at those place for weeks now. i keep asking for help no one respond to me until i finally found this page on the internet. Please, i really need your help and reply on this. I am getting frustrated day by day. your help will be much appreciated. i love note 5. thank you. — Jeff

Solution: Hi Jeff. This is exactly one of the reasons why average users are discouraged to customize or modify official software in the first place. There’s always a risk of complications when doing it due to a number of reasons.

While installation of custom ROMs and rooting is not illegal in most countries, the process can often result to problems like the one you’re experiencing right now. In terms of solutions, there aren’t many options for you. The things that we recommend here may or may not work on your particular device. Anyhow, here they are.

Turn off the phone

The first step is meant to ensure that the device completes a full power cycle. Make sure that the phone is turned off for at least 10 minutes in order to fully drain any charge in its inside components.

Boot your Note 5 in Recovery mode

You have two aims in booting your phone in this mode. The first one is to check if you can regain normal boot mode after wiping the cache partition. The second one is to wipe the phone clean via factory reset. Here are the steps on how to boot in recovery mode:

  • Turn off your Samsung Galaxy Note 5 completely.
  • Press and hold the Volume Up and the Home buttons first, and then press and hold the Power key.
  • Keep the three buttons pressed and when ‘Samsung Galaxy Note5’ shows, release the Power key but continue holding the other two.
  • Once the Android logo shows, release both the Volume Up and Home buttons.
  • The notice ‘Installing system update’ will show on the screen for 30 to 60 seconds before the Android system recovery screen is shown with its options.
  • Use the Volume Down key to highlight the option ‘wipe cache partition’ or ‘Yes — delete all user data’ and press the Power key to select it.

Try to install other stock or custom ROMs

If wiping the cache partition and factory reset won’t help, the only solution at your disposal is flash other firmware for your device. We know you’ve already tried this once but it sometimes work when done correctly. If the phone remains stuck in bootloop though, find a way to have it replaced.

Problem #2: Signal is breaking up on receiver’s end when making a call on Galaxy Note 5

For the past two weeks almost every person I’ve talked to on the phone with has complained that my signal is breaking up despite the fact that I can hear them just fine. This occurs everywhere — at work, out or at home. My phone signal is at least two bars almost always. I’ve already played with the signal settings going from Global to LTE (haven’t messed with GSM simply because it’s given me an error message before) and I’ve already replaced the SIM card but yet I’m still having complaints.

I haven’t recently tested out the recording voice and playing it back option but I did a few months ago and it worked just fine. I’m not sure what else it could be other than network coverage, but I have Verizon… they’re supposed to work everywhere so I’m at a complete loss as far as what I can do. Hopefully you have some advice for me… — Natalie

Solution: Hi Natalie. The first thing that you want to do is boot your phone in safe mode. This will help you determine if a third party app is to blame. To do that, just follow these steps:

  • Turn off the phone completely.
  • Press and hold the Power key.
  • Once ‘Samsung Galaxy Note5’ shows, release the Power key and immediately press and hold the Volume Down button.
  • The phone will restart but keep the Volume Down button pressed.
  • Once the phone has finished restarting, ‘Safe mode’ will be display in the lower-left corner of the screen.
  • You may now release the Volume Down button.

Safe mode prevents third party apps from running so if your voice calls work normally on the receiving end, that’s an indication that an app is responsible for the issue.

If the same thing happens even when safe mode is enabled, the next best thing that you can do is to record your voice so you can listen to the output. If your voice does not sound normal in the recording, or if there’s a crackling sound in the background, the problem should be on the microphone. Try using a headset during calls to remedy the situation, or better still, simply ask for a replacement device.

However, if your voice sounds normal and there’s no discernable microphone problem, the most likely culprit is your network. Make sure that you work with your wireless carrier to resolve the issue.

Problem #3: Galaxy Note 5 has multiple problems after an update

Worked fine for almost a year. The Keyboard failed. Touchwiz failed. I used Swype and then back to the Keyboard after the updates. Then there was a lag when texting or typing more than a sentence anywhere. Then it started to crash and restart. Then crash and restart on two different screens. One was with the Android on the screen stating “Downloading – do not turn off – Target.” Then the second is “Kernel Panic Mode.”

Both times I did a soft restart and it would work fine. Then it would keep happening until it finally died and won’t turn on.

Took it to Sprint. They won’t touch it since there’s no insurance on it. And it was brought to the Samsung branch in NYC where they’re saying they will not fix it or replace because they’re blaming me for downloading a third-party app that caused the issue. They referred to the error screen that stated among it’s wording “custom” stating it’s something I did. This is all despite the fact that the phone was brought to them within the one-year warranty so I’m fuming.

Any guidance or direction on this matter will be appreciated. I’m disgusted that Samsung won’t take care of this issue being that I’ve read of the Note 5 having issues after software updates. Which is when my issues started.

I downloaded the first major last update and I started to have the phone lag when texting. Then I ran the second smaller update and then my major issues started. I’m very frustrated and next step is to contact the Samsung the corporation via a phone call. Note the phone is a lease out of Best Buy and that’s another stop that’s going to be made.

Thank you in advance! — Lynnette

Solution: Hi Lynnette. Looks like the main concern right now is how to power on the phone. In order to do some troubleshooting, we must first ensure that your phone turns on. If we can’t attain that, there’s really nothing much that we can do to help. If your phone won’t power on, that’s probably because of a hardware failure. Because we can’t obviously fix a hardware issue, you must find a way to resolve the issue on your end. You might want to tap third party shops to do that.

However, if your phone still turns on but is stuck in Samsung logo screen or goes directly to Odin/Download mode, you want to check if you can boot it to recovery mode instead. Please refer to the steps provided above on how to do this.

If the phone remains generally unresponsive and will only boot in download mode, look for guides in the web on how to install stock firmware in your particular phone. Keep in mind that manually installing a firmware is risky and may even complicate the current issue you have. However, this is the only effective solution left for you at this time.

 

 

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 S7 won’t connect to the internet via Wi-Fi, other issues

S7 edge

We are trying to publish more #GalaxyS7-related posts so here’s another one. This material today addresses 4 unique problems submitted by our readers. We hope that the solutions will be of help.

  1. Galaxy S7 won’t connect to the internet via Wi-Fi
  2. Galaxy S7 not working properly with Handsfreelink system in 2012 Honda Pilot
  3. Galaxy S7 go mute during calls, and does not keep record of calls
  4. Reply all button in email is greyed out after updating Galaxy S7 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 S7 won’t connect to the internet via Wi-Fi

When trying to connect with internet I keep getting these messages; “can’t connect”, “something went wrong”, and “offline, check your connection,” all the while my Wi-Fi shows that I’m connected.  I shut it, log out of Wi-Fi and nothing changes.  Other electronics are not having this problem. In fact I’m on my tablet as I write this.  I have taken it back to purchasing store and showed them the messages I am getting.  They weren’t sure and told me to call 611!  I wasn’t pleased…this is VERY frustrating. — Mary

Solution: Hi Mary. Troubleshooting Wi-Fi connectivity on a smartphone involves checking that the said device isn’t blocked in the network in the first place. Make sure that there are no special router settings or configurations that may have been changed to prevent your S7 from connecting to the internet. Yes, the phone may be able to talk to the router, thereby showing that’s it’s connected to Wi-Fi, but some router settings may be enabled to limit its bandwidth. If you are not the administrator of your local Wi-Fi network, make sure that the relevant knows your issue.

Another way to check if you’re being blocked in your Wi-Fi network is to try connecting to other Wi-Fi. This will give you an idea if the problem is on the phone, or in your Wi-Fi network. If your S7 connects to at least 2 other Wi-Fi networks, that’s a confirmation of our hunch that you are indeed being blocked in your home Wi-Fi.

If you are positive that there are no blocks or filters that should prevent you from connecting to the internet via home Wi-Fi, try checking if the problem is due to a bad third party app. Try to boot the phone in safe mode, then connect to Wi-Fi again. While safe mode is on, no third party apps will be allowed to run, giving you an idea whether or not an app is to blame. To do that, just follow these steps:

  • Turn off the phone.
  • Press and hold the Power key.
  • As soon as you can see the ‘Samsung Galaxy S7 EDGE’ on the screen, release the Power key and immediately hold the Volume Down key.
  • Continue holding the Volume Down button until the device finishes rebooting.
  • You may release it when you can see ‘Safe mode’ in the bottom left corner of the screen.

If the issue won’t occur while in safe mode, you can safely assume that one of the installed apps is creating a conflict. Doing safe mode is not a solution in itself but rather a tool in giving you a general idea. In order to isolate which of the apps is the cause, you have to do some isolation. Start by uninstalling the recently installed apps until the issue is gone.

Problem #2: Galaxy S7 not working properly with Handsfreelink system in 2012 Honda Pilot

Since upgrading to the S7 from the S3, my phone is no longer compatible with the HandsFreeLink Bluetooth system in my 2012 Honda Pilot. The phone indicates I’m paired, however, the car indicates “there is no phone connected”. Calls toggle off and on, get dropped, or the person I’m talking to cannot hear me. I’ve spoken to the folks at HandsFreeLink.com and they said it was a software issue but there was nothing they can do. The Honda technology department also said there was nothing they can do and suggested I contact Verizon and Samsung.

Do you have any suggestions on how I can rectify this very frustrating situation? I do not want to get an iPhone and we bought this car in December 2015 in main part so I could have hands-free calling. UGH!!!! I hope you can help. Thanks! 🙂 — Lynda

Solution: Hi Lynda. We don’t know the exact specifications of your car’s bluetooth system and whether or not it’s compatible with the more advanced bluetooth versions being used in the market today, or in Samsung Galaxy S7 phone in particular. We can’t find the Galaxy S7 among the mentioned compatible phones with Handsfreelink system in Honda Pilots anywhere so the problem is more likely compatibility in nature. Compatibility is almost always the most common cause for bluetooth problems between phones and in-vehicle bluetooth systems. Bear in mind that in-vehicle bluetooth systems are as varied as Android devices and most developers are not always keen in making sure their products stay compatible with newer bluetooth systems. Results of incompatibility issue include limited number of features allowed, regular disconnection,  and pairing problems.

In general, automakers can be considered behind the technology curve when it comes to Bluetooth. That means that the bluetooth profiles being used in your car is most probably introduced years before. The best carmakers can do is to play catch up with the new phones in the market and hope that their system works flawlessly without needing a hardware upgrade. This creates a problem if you have a new phone that sports new bluetooth versions just like in your case. This is clearly not a phone-related issue so there’s only so much that we can do to help. You must work with your carmaker to make your in-vehicle bluetooth system work properly again.

Problem #3: Galaxy S7 go mute during calls, and does not keep record of calls

Two of our four phones will all of a sudden mute to where we can hear the other person but they cannot hear us. It happens whether we call a cell or a landline. All four phones have had issues when you call someone and it rings on your end but doesn’t ring the person you are calling.  They show no record of the call.  My phone will not connect to data and just closes when I try to search on Google. My phone was replaced under warranty and I had a case opened for which they found no resolution.  Replacement phone and old phone both have the same problems except the inability to connect using data is new. Have called Samsung as well and they went through quite a bit over the phone and said it is a service issue, AT&T says it’s a device issue. 5 phones total now for the last year all with serious issues and all AT&T can do is say sorry we don’t show any network problems. — Elizabeth

Solution: Hi Elizabeth. It sure looks like a service issue to us but it can also be caused by something that all the phones have in common. Is there any third party app that’s installed in all affected phones? Try to make a list of all the installed apps in your phones to see if there’s a suspicious app that may be intercepting your voice service. Better still, try to do a factory reset to all phones and observe them for a few days. Be sure not to install any app so you’ll know if one of them is to blame.

Problem #4: Reply all button in email is greyed out after updating Galaxy S7 to Marshmallow

Since the Marshmallow update, I and others on the Samsung Galaxy S7 phones have noticed that the “reply all” button on emails (not gmails) coming in is greyed out. However if it is not the first email in the chain then the button is available, regardless to the number of recipients.  I’ve noticed that the button occasionally allows for reply all to some emails. I think this is only when there is a recipient in the CC field of the original email. This causes an problem however as we use group emails for my department so both myself and my boss get the emails as well as everyone throughout the company utilizing group emails for many reasons, as you can guess the group email is only ever entered in the “To” field, rarely is there a CC.  I’ve done all the steps so far, nothing has resolved this issue.  I can’t find anything on the net about this problem either.  Help! — Kevin

Solution: Hi Kevin. It’s the first time that we’ve heard of this issue so this may be isolated to the specific firmware build your phones are using. We don’t know what steps you’ve done exactly but all we can recommend is to wipe the cache partition first, then a factory reset second. To do both, simply boot the phone in recovery first by doing the following:

Step 1: Press and then hold the Home and Volume UP keys, then press and hold the Power key.

NOTE: It doesn’t matter how long you press and hold the Home and Volume Up keys, it won’t affect the phone but by the time you press and hold the Power key, that’s when the phone starts to respond.

Step 2: When the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge shows on the screen, release the Power key but continue holding the Home and Volume Up keys.

Step 3: When the Android logo shows, you may release both keys and leave the phone be for about 30 to 60 seconds.

If the phone won’t respond after pressing and holding the Home, Volume Up and Power keys, then proceed to the last step.

 

 

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 recover photos if Galaxy S6 is stuck in boot loop, other issues

s6

Hello everyone! Welcome to another post that covers some of the #GalaxyS6 issues reported by our community. Don’t forget to visit other related articles by following this link.

  1. How to recover photos if Galaxy S6 is stuck in boot loop
  2. Active Sync feature not working when Galaxy S6 is on Wi-Fi
  3. Verizon Galaxy S6 unable to receive calls from certain numbers
  4. What to do with water-damaged Galaxy S6
  5. How to make Galaxy S6 secured from malware

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: How to recover photos if Galaxy S6 is stuck in boot loop

Hi, sorry if this has been answered already but I’ve limited access to internet. My wife s Samsung S6 has got stuck in a boot loop. Just the Samsung logo screen, then reboots.

We think it was part way through an update when she grabbed the phone to go out. We are on holiday hence limited web. Unfortunately the phone has on it holiday photos not yet backed up. We have tried clearing the cache partition. No improvement. We can’t get it to safe mode.

Is there any way to get the data (photos) off prior to a full reset?

I’ve seen the menu option for the ADB and do have a laptop with me. I’m comfortable with Command line if that’s what’s needed. (Dos, Linux etc)

The phone is not rooted and had a Three branded Rom if that’s important.

Please can you help get our anniversary photos back?

Most greatful for any help. — Kris

Solution: Hi Kris. Boot loop can be a product of a variety of things. At its most basic level, what happens during a boot loop is that the boot sequence is interrupted by incomplete command or corrupted system set of files. Boot loops happen when a user tries to modify core operating system files like in rooting or romming, or if installation of critical system files fails for some reason. We don’t know the full history of the device in question so we can only speculate as far as the cause of the problem is concerned.

Now, when it comes to solutions, there’s little to nothing that a user can do. The most effective solutions available for you includes wiping the cache partition, doing a factory reset, and installing custom/stock ROM. The first one is harmless while the last two means deleting or reformatting the device in a way.

To give you a frank answer, there’s no way recover your photos back unless the phone reboots normally to normal mode after wiping the cache partition. We don’t know how you come up with using ADB as a solution but it’s not recommended for average users as it requires advanced coding knowledge and tricky to do at best. On top of that, the chance of success is very low. We’ve tried doing it to at least 3 Samsung S devices before and we couldn’t make it to work. Using ADB as a solution is a very device specific procedure and critical steps can vary from one phone to another, even if they are of the same model. If you are intent on doing it yourself though, try to research online for reputable guides.

Problem #2: Active Sync feature not working when Galaxy S6 is on Wi-Fi

Hi. Ever since I upgraded the firmware, I can no longer active sync with my Office365 Microsoft Exchange server over Wi-Fi. As soon as I disable Wi-Fi and go onto mobile data (4G) only, then everything works fine. There is also nothing wrong with my Wi-Fi as I can conduct all other internet related activity (eg browse the web, download apps etc).

I have seen on the Internet that I am not the only person who has this problem so it is not specific to my phone. I know the problem will be solved if I factory reset my phone and in doing so go back to an earlier software version but this is hugely inconvenient.

I don’t believe that this can be fixed by a settings change on the phone or on my Wi-Fi (which works fine). I think the only answer is a firmware patch upgrade from Samsung. If this is not available, I know I will have to live with this problem until Samsung releases a firmware upgrade (I am on the latest one now).

If you can suggest something that will help, I would greatly appreciate this. Thank you.

Kind regards. — Dennis

Solution: Hi Dennis. This issue keeps happening year in and year out in a wide variety of smartphones. It’s been observed in both iOS and Android platforms so it’s definitely not platform-  or device-specific. The thing is, there is no blanket solution for the problem as well. If you have the time to go over other forums that cover this issue, you will easily realize that a solution for one user may not work on another. This tells us that though the symptom may appear identical — smartphone unable to use Active sync while in Wi-Fi connection — the cause for each one may not be the same.

In that sense, we find it effective if you do your own research for a solution that will work in your case. You can start by checking the forums in this Google search page result.

Problem #3: Verizon Galaxy S6 unable to receive calls from certain numbers

I hope you can help! My daughter’s phone is from Verizon and it is making us all nuts.

The rest of us have iPhones and when we try to call her, we often get this message that it can’t complete the call and to call Verizon. They say they don’t know why.

We call other people with Androids and don’t get this and no one else we know has that issue with calling her.

This is her second phone as the first quit charging. The first one did this, too.

Worse, this thing is eating data even though it has the limit on it. She has it on wifi, etc. She used 8 GB in a month where it was out of operation for two weeks. This occurred suddenly with the previous one and now for three months with this one. Verizon has looked at the settings twice and said they’re right, and we looked as well.

We are so upset, broke, and worried since we can’t contact her to leave even voicemails most of the time.

Please help!

Thank you so much! — Michelle

Solution: Hi Michelle. Did you consider the possibility that your daughter may have blocked your phone numbers by accident or intentionally? If you’ve already checked this angle, then the next thing that you want to do is get your daughter’s phone so you can do a factory reset on it. This may sound drastic but it’s the only effective solution that we can think of in this case. Now, the important thing about this procedure is to check whether or not there’s something blocking your calls like a third party app she may have installed and forgotten. Because factory reset will restore all settings and software to its initial state, it should tell you if our hunch is right or not. Make sure that you don’t install any app after the factory reset so you can see the difference. To factory reset an S6, kindly follow the steps below:

  • Turn off your Samsung Galaxy S6.
  • Press and hold the Volume Up, Home and Power keys together.
  • When the device powers on and displays ‘Power on logo’, release all keys and the Android icon will appear on the screen.
  • Wait until the Android Recovery Screen appears after about 30 seconds.
  • Using the Volume Down key, highlight the option, ‘wipe data/factory reset’ and press the Power key to select it.
  • Press the Volume Down button again until the option ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted and then press the Power key to select it.
  • After the reset is complete, highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and hit the Power key to restart the phone.

After the factory reset, try to call the phone again to see if it will now receive your call. If the issue remains, that’s a sign that you will not be able to fix the issue on your level. Contact Verizon and ask them for direct assistance.

Problem #4: What to do with water-damaged Galaxy S6

On Thursday night I dropped my phone in the toilet. Woops. I placed my phone in a bag of rice and became impatient about 12 hours later and took it out to see how it was going. It was acting glitchy so I turned it off immediately. The following day I kept it in the bag and today (Saturday) I took it out. I did a hard factory reset on the phone and cleared all information.  It was charging earlier in the day when I tried but after the factory reset it is not recognizing the charge.  BOO!  I don’t think this is a repairable issue, but I thought I would ask.  Anything else I should try?  I have it in the bag of rice again hoping the little Asians will fix it. — Erin

Solution: Hi Erin. The purpose of leaving the phone inside a bag (of little Asians) is to allow moisture inside the device to be adsorbed to rice. It’s usually recommended to leave the device in the bag for several days before attempting to power it back on. And even doing so will not guarantee that a soaked up device will work normally afterwards. Apparently, your device is not working properly anymore. Depending on the amount of water that found its way inside, the motherboard may or may not be a total mess at this time. If you’re lucky and no critical component is damaged, a repair may save it. Otherwise, just suck it up and get a new device.

Problem #5: How to make Galaxy S6 secured from malware

Twice I have received a message on my screen telling me that I have visited too many porn web sites, I have a virus, and I need to install something from Samsung in order to resolve it. I have never visited a porn site on any device that I own, and I doubt I ever will. My phone vibrates when I hit the back arrow to remove the post from my screen and I end up having to hit the home button to get it off my screen. Both times this has happened, I have been accessing Google. I believe it may be some type of spam or malware, but I am not sure how to check and remove it. Hope you can help me with this. Thank you in advance. — Elaine

Solution: Hi Elaine. If you suspect that your device may be infected with a virus or malware, the best thing that you try includes doing a factory reset first (steps provided above), then making sure that you don’t re-install the same set of apps again. Some forms of malware are transmitted by other apps so the old school mentality of preventing infection is more effective than simply installing an antivirus app.

More advanced malware may be able to evade the systems being used by generic antivirus applications so having an antivirus is not a guarantee that your device remains clean.

After you factory reset your S6, make sure that you leave apps you don’t use or anything that you’re not familiar with. If you are concerned with phone security, the lesser the apps you have, the better. In that sense, you’re minimizing the potential source of malware infection from happening. Try to stick to official apps and avoid games from unknown or dubious developers. The same holds true for all types of apps you install. Be sure that you visit the review page of an app before you install it to see if other users have unhealthy concerns about it.

Most types of phone malware today are designed to steal information rather than ruin a user’s phone or experience. These malware can stay hidden for a long time and may not be easily detectable so it’s all the more important that you secure your phone by making sure that you don’t let potential sources of malware from being installed. Your phone security is your responsibility.

 

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.

 

AT&T Galaxy S7 mobile data connection disappears after a phone reset, other issues

S7 edge

Here’s another collection of interesting issues some of our #GalaxyS7 users have encountered during the past few days. We will continue to post more S7-related issues in the coming days so keep watching!

  1. AT&T Galaxy S7 mobile data connection disappears after a phone reset or when inside a building when there’s no signal
  2. Galaxy S7 randomly drops calls
  3. Galaxy S7 keeps overheating and battery drains even while charging

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: AT&T Galaxy S7 mobile data connection disappears after a phone reset or when inside a building when there’s no signal

I have an Samsung S7 on the AT&T network. It is an AT&T branded phone that I bought from the store. The problem I am having is that when I am in an area (where I live) that only has partner towers, my data disappears as soon as I reset the phone or I go inside a building where I lose connection. What I mean is then my data is gone for good. The only way to get my data back is to drive 45 miles away where there is an AT&T tower and reset my phone. Then my data is back and fine.

Then if I drive home I have data until I either reset my phone or lose connection again. My wife has a Samsung S5 and has no problems with her phone at all. Furthermore if I take my SIM card out of my S7 and put it in my wife’s phone or I put it in an old iPhone 5 then I have data. So it is telling me that it is a phone issue.

Also, I have contacted AT&T and they have no ideas. They have sent me 3 new S7s and everyone does the same thing. I have done a factory reset and didn’t install any apps and the same thing happens. As soon as I reset the phone my data disappears. Any help would be amazing. Thanks much. — Ehren

Solution: Hi Ehren. If this problem happens on at least 3 S7s, we don’t think any software troubleshooting on your end can fix it. This may be an AT&T firmware-specific glitch that can only be resolved by tweaking the OS code.

We are yet to receive similar complaints from S7 users using other wireless services so there’s high likelihood that it’s more of an AT&T issue. The OS running on your phone may be Android but it’s a modified version from AT&T. The thing about an open source operating system like Android is that a modified version from a carrier can easily mess it up (aside from having to do with a lot of crappy apps). It’s impossible to know exactly what part of firmware code may be causing the glitch so we suggest that you find a way to let the proper department in AT&T know about this specific problem so a patch can be released.

Problem #2: Galaxy S7 randomly drops calls

Phone intermittently cannot make calls. I dial a number and it just says call ended. Happens when receiving as well. Sometimes it just happens to some numbers and not others, like my home number, which I call often. Sometimes I can receive, but not call, sometimes vice versa. It is hard to pin down the exact problem as I am no longer a heavy user of the phone, but I know it has been happening a lot. I was on vacation and noticed the problem. I attributed it to being on another coast. It usually clears, but I cannot have a phone that is unreliable. I have run through every troubleshooting I can, no luck.

I have Tracfone with bring your own phone using an unlocked Verizon phone. Internet usually works just fine during this problem. — Carol

Solution: Hi Carol. Identifying the exact reason of your problem is just as difficult for us as well. We obviously need more information than what you’re giving us here to even decide where start the troubleshooting. Call issues may seem simple to an average user but it requires several systems working together in order to work normally. It can be a phone-related problem, or totally beyond your control as the cause lies on the network side.

The only thing that we can recommend in this case is that you do the basic software troubleshooting like wiping the cache partition, booting in safe mode, or performing a factory reset. If none of these procedures won’t work, call your wireless carrier and let them know about the situation.

In order to wipe the cache partition on your Galaxy S7, kindly follow these steps:

  • Turn off the phone.
  • Once the phone has completely shut down, press and hold Volume, Home, and Power buttons at the same time.
  • Wait until the Samsung logo appears before releasing the Power button.
  • Once the Android logo shows up, release the two other buttons.
  • Wait for the Recovery menu to appear (may take up to a minute).
  • Go to wipe cache partition option using the Volume buttons, then press Power button to confirm.
  • Wait for the device to wipe the cache partition
  • Once the cache has been deleted, Reboot system now option will then be highlighted.
  • Press Power button again to confirm the reboot.

Wiping the cache partition forces the phone to create a fresh system cache. If the call error is due to an outdated or corrupted system cache, wiping the cache partition should easily fix it.

If nothing changes though, try to restart the phone in safe mode. Doing so will disable third party apps from running. If you’re using a third party calling app or dialer, or if another app is the cause, the problem should not occur in this mode. The thing is, safe mode won’t pinpoint which of your apps is to blame. You still need to eliminate possible apps in order to identify the culprit. We suggest that you let the phone run in safe mode for a few days to see a difference. Here are the steps on how to boot your S7 in safe mode:

  • Turn your Galaxy S7 off.
  • 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.

If nothing seems to work, or if the issue remains even if you’re in safe mode, make sure that you do a factory reset (refer to the steps below).

Problem #3: Galaxy S7 keeps overheating and battery drains even while charging

Hi. My phone keeps overheating especially when charging, and the battery is draining even when charging. I am very worried why is that happening that my battery is still draining even on charge. I went to the mall last week to have it tested. I wanted to find out if the battery or charger is the problem. This one particular store i went to, the tech guy didn’t test my battery or my charger. instead he tested my phone and told me that my phone is the problem not the batter or the charger. He said it could be something inside that had been shorted but it has to be troubleshoot yet to find out what particular piece inside that’s is causing up the heat and damaged.

I haven’t had a 2nd opinion but this is worrying me too much and the replacement or repair could cost me a lot. I have been very careful with my phone yet this happened. Please, I need your help. Looking forward to your response. Thank you very much. — Shiela

Solution: Hi Shiela. Well, if a competent technician has already checked the hardware and declared that more hardware tests are needed to pinpoint the problem, he or she is probably right. There is no better way to check an overheating smartphone than to have it physically checked. We think that the attending technician has more authority than us in this case.

However, it also doesn’t mean that there’s nothing else that you can do on your end. Software glitch can be a cause as much as hardware failure so make sure that you do the basic software troubleshooting stuff on your end. These things include deleting the cache partition, booting in safe mode, and doing a factory reset.

We especially want you to do the last one (factory reset) in order to reset all settings back to default. This will help you determine if overheating is being caused by bad apps or services or a firmware glitch. Before you proceed with this procedure, make sure that your important files are saved somewhere for safe keeping. If you haven’t tried doing a factory reset before, kindly follow the steps below:

  • 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.

After you factory reset the phone, give it time to run the default firmware for at least 48 hours. Be sure not to install any apps during this period so you’ll know if one of your apps is to blame. If your phone continues to overheat even without the installed apps, you can safely assume that hardware malfunction is the cause.

 

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 Note 5 losing battery fast in idle mode, other issues

Note 5 battery

Battery drain is a perennial issue for most smartphones today and even flagship models are not immune. We’ve already covered many power- or battery-related issues in the past but let’s take a look at one issue below. It is submitted by one of our #GalaxyNote5 users. Don’t hesitate to consult more of our previously posted Note 5 troubleshooting tips and solutions in this page.

Below are the issues covered in this article today:

  1. Galaxy Note 5 losing battery fast in idle mode
  2. Galaxy Note 5 screen freezes and turns black when loading apps
  3. Screen of Galaxy Note 5 won’t turn on after charging
  4. Galaxy Note 5 dial pad during calls not working

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 5 losing battery fast in idle mode

My Samsung Note 5 n9208 drains battery fast even in idle mode. I already done the steps you have said including the factory reset and wipe cache. I take out the temporary data stored in your device by wiping its cache partition from the recovery mode.

I already start my phone in Safe Mode and check if the fast battery drain issue occurs in this mode. i also go to the samsung service center to check my battery but they said that the battery is in good condition.

i monitor my battery details and it is always the Android system drains the battery.. It’s on the top of the list sometimes its 22% then the second will be the screen which is about only 5%.. the phone is always on idle mode.. and i didn’t install any applications.. the only thing i did is go to the CELLPHONE SHOP and change the firmware to openline with baseband N9208XXU2AOJ3 so i can use other network provider..

And also there is no MANAGE APPS tab in the smart manager application under the RAM.. can you please help me to solve my problem regarding fast draining of battery in idle mode.. — Marvin

Solution: Hi Marvin. Identifying the real reason why a smartphone loses battery power faster than usual is sometimes a tricky business. There are a number of factors to consider and the best that you can do in most cases is to use the process of elimination in figuring out which of said factors is to blame.

That the usual software troubleshooting steps, like the ones you’ve already tried, don’t work, is an indication that you may be looking at the wrong direction. It must be noted that a Lithium-ion battery like the one on your Note 5 continue to lose power even if you’re not actively using the phone due to following reasons:

  1. too many background apps and services running at once
  2. screen is turned on and brightness is high

The first one is most probably the cause why Android system appears to be the number one in the list of power hungry apps. The current firmware and/or carrier provided apps may be sucking your phone’s battery power. Keep in mind that although Android operating is developed by Google, carriers can also modify it so they can add or remove some features and apps that will help them sell or promote products. These products may not be necessarily important and may even be redundant. They not only take up precious storage space and memory but can also consume more resources like processing capacity. The more apps and services running, the more processing activity has to be made by the system, resulting to faster battery power consumption. That’s the reason why these carrier or Samsung provided apps are often referred to as bloatware as they require resources without really giving any significant function or benefit to the user.

To address potential problems with bloatware, make sure that you go over the list of apps on your phone and uninstall or disable those that you’re not using. For example, Samsung’s Galaxy apps are often redundant and offers similar functions or features to some Google apps that may also be installed. Take your time in identifying apps that you haven’t used in two weeks. If you haven’t used them for that long, chances are you’re never going to in the near or far future.

A word of caution though, don’t just uninstall or disable a service or app. Make sure that you do only uninstall or disable stuff that are not part of the critical operating system functions. Uninstalling/disabling a critical app or service can render your device unstable.

Another reason for fast battery drain problem is screen brightness. Even if you’re not using the phone, a turned on screen can consume considerable amount of battery power if left on for a long time. Make sure that you enable a lock screen and set the screen to turn off automatically if you’re not using it for a few minutes. Also, disabling animations and non-essential wireless services like Bluetooth, NFC, etc may help.

Keep in mind that today’s smart gadgets aren’t that smart when it comes to managing battery consumption. You have to use your own smarts if you want to extend the battery life of your phone everyday.

Problem #2: Galaxy Note 5 screen freezes and turns black when loading apps

I have a Samsung Galaxy Note 5, and in the past few weeks I have been experiencing freezing issues with different apps. When that happens, phone becomes unresponsive.. That worked for me until yesterday. I was using the Feed Baby Pro app and it froze. I restart the phone again. I noticed the startup takes slightly longer than usual.

The Samsung logo comes on, but after that, my screen is just blank/black except the top notification bar. I also notice everytime I restart, the same error messages come up, it seems as though the same apps are running each time. The few things that still work are the Voice command, where I can tell the phone to open Gallery or Videos, or send messages. Gallery and Videos will open up just fine, but when I try other apps like Whatsapp, Play Store, it goes back to the blank/black screen. When I double press the home button, to switch between running apps, the app that I have just asked to be opened will flash by and return to the Voice command screen. It looks like the phone is able to open or close apps but I can’t see it?

Also, my phone screen is locked using pattern. Since this problem, the initial pattern screen doesn’t come up anymore. And when I connect to my laptop using USB, it says I need to unlock phone screen to allow backup or data transfer.

Are you able to please help? I really don’t want to reset my phone and have all data wiped. If there is any way I can transfer data from my phone before resetting it? That would be extremely good.

I hope I have provided enough information, if not, please shoot me an email. I look forward to hear from you guys, and thank you in advance! — Sze

Solution: Hi Sze. First of all, we don’t send responses via email as that would defeat the purpose of our blog, which aims to offer free advices to Android community via visible posts.

As regards your trouble, we highly recommend that you try to boot the phone first in recovery mode so you can check if wiping the cache partition will help. During the first boot up, just after you bought the phone, the system will create files for each app and service. These files will be stored in a certain directory only the system could access; the directory is called cache partition. Over time, some of the files get corrupted especially during updates. If the new system tries to use them, conflicts may occur. Hence, you need to delete the obsolete files so that the new system will create new ones but since you don’t have access to those files, you need to use the procedure that Android developers setup for you–wipe cache partition via Recovery Mode.

So, you need to boot the phone up in Recovery Mode first before you can wipe the cache partition. Here’s how:

  • Turn off your Samsung Galaxy Note 5 completely.
  • Press and hold the Volume Up and the Home buttons first, and then press and hold the Power key.
  • Keep the three buttons pressed and when ‘Samsung Galaxy Note5’ shows, release the Power key but continue holding the other two.
  • Once the Android logo shows, release both the Volume Up and Home buttons.
  • The notice ‘Installing system update’ will show on the screen for 30 to 60 seconds before the Android system recovery screen is shown with its options.
  • Use the Volume Down key to highlight the option ‘wipe cache partition’ and press the Power key to select it.
  • When the process is complete, use the Volume Down key to highlight the option ‘Reboot system now’ and hit the Power key to restart the phone.
  • The reboot may take a little longer to complete but don’t worry and wait for the device to become active.

If wiping the cache partition won’t change anything, that’s possibly because of a firmware glitch. There’s also a possibility that the phone may have been infected with virus or malware, creating a conflict with the operating system or some apps. Doing a factory reset is the next logical step to address these issues. Unfortunately, there’s no way to create a backup of your personal data unless the screen turns back on normally when you connect it to a computer. You need to do a number of selections on the phone screen so you can connect it properly with a computer. If that’s not happening, there’s just no other option to create a backup. You must proceed to factory reset without it.

Problem #3: Screen of Galaxy Note 5 won’t turn on after charging

After a working day my phone was left without battery. (as usual) I charge it for a while and after some minutes tried to open it again.

After showing the first Samsung Galaxy Note 5 logo, the screen continues to SAMSUNG logo with the sort kind of music and those animations like stars in the background. The screen remains at this status for more than 3-4 minutes. Then a black screen comes. Short notifications are appearing in between, telling me that the device “can’t subscribe to the network and try again later”,”Settings discontinued”, OK, “TouchWiz interrupted”, “the process android.process.media discontinued”, “contact storage interrupted”, “Google Play interrupted”, “the SD card can be removed safely”, etc…

Although the information bar at the top of the screen is another indication that something is working behind this black curtain… the swipe down menu works! Although it’s impossible to enter the settings menu… The Voice Command worked for a while. I asked the calculator, it opened! -I asked: “Call Mariza”, It tried to call her. I saw the picture but the call ended due to no network. (Now voice command doesn’t work due to no network although it seems connected to my wi-fi!)

When I return back from voice command menu, I see for less than a second my wallpaper with all the known icons I used to have on my first page.  I can’t unlock my device using the PIN I have, so I can’t connect it properly to my computer for a full backup. I don’t want to lose any data on this phone. Even a single photo, or  a note, a telephone number or my app data.

So I do not wish to have a hard reset.

I tried to turn it on Safe Mode but it is not possible!

Do you think there is a way to bring it back as it was yesterday?

Thank you in advance for your help and excuse me for my English (I’m Greek…) — Nikos

Solution: Hi Nikos. Looks like your issue is similar to Sze. Kindly read our advice above for resolution.

Problem #4: Galaxy Note 5 dial pad during calls not working

My Note 5 suddenly stopped registering responses when I am trying to make digital menu selections. for instance, when a website asks that I press 1 for english, and I press 1, the monologue continues as if I haven’t entered a response (o dos, si quiero hablar espanol). when I try to set up or check my voicemail, long pressing 1 gets an error message that my call cannot be completed as dialed.

Also, when I try to return a call that I have missed by highlighting a call on my call log, I get the recording that I am trying to make an international call and that is not part of my calling plan. the problems began shortly after I switched to AT&T, and had inserted a Verizon sim card (the Note 5 was bought while using Verizon), so that I could forward calls from my Verizon number to another number. I was working on the border with Mexico at the time (although I was in Texas), and possibly picking up a Mexican cell tower. That part of the issue happens a lot.  — Franklin

Solution: Hi Franklin. We’ve encountered this problem before  but did not realize that this issue appears to happen only on Verizon phones.

Basically, everytime you press a key in a dial pad after you are prompted to do so, tones or sound signals is supposed to be sent to your wireless carrier or to a company to tell them to do a certain task. Each key that you press is converted into two tones of different frequencies (one from a high-frequency range of tones and the other one from a low-frequency range). The sounds used in this touch tone dialing system is called DTMF (Dual Tone Multiple Frequencies) tones. Sometimes, DTMF configuration in a device like a smartphone may not be set properly or not at all, resulting to the problem you describe above. To fix this problem, simply follow the steps below:

  1. Settings
  2. tap applications
  3. tap phone
  4. tap DTMF tones
  5. choose long

 

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 Note 4 unable to make a phone call, other issues

Note 4

If you’re reading this post, you are most likely looking for answers for your own #GalaxyNote4 issue. Below are the 5 issues reported by some members of our community for the past few days. If you can’t find a similar issue or solution for your problem in this post, we encourage you to take a look at previously published articles in this page.

  1. Galaxy Note 4 Bluetooth won’t autoconnect
  2. Galaxy Note 4 S Note problem after Marshmallow update | Battery drain issue on Galaxy Note 4 after Android 6.0 update
  3. Galaxy Note 4 can’t go past Samsung Galaxy screen
  4. Galaxy Note 4 unable to make a phone call
  5. Galaxy Note 4 problems after Marshmallow update | Touchscreen not working after an update

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 Bluetooth won’t autoconnect

Phone is a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 running Android 5.1.1 from U.S. Cellular. Bluetooth connection issue. It will not reliably auto connect to the Sync system in my Ford Fusion or with the Pioneer stereo in my truck. It will remember the pairing information, but will not connect until I perform a phone restart.  Once restarted, it connects immediately and then will auto connect for the rest of the day just fine. 

Then the next morning, it requires a phone restart to connect again. Very frustrating. At this point, I don’t know if the issue is time based or related to having charged it overnight.  The only thing I can see is that it happens after so many hours of non-connection to the Bluetooth device or only after having been charged. Neither of these causes make any sense to me and that might not be it at all.  I’ve even tried a couple of Apps to help with connections.  I got Bluetooth Auto Connect and also Sony Smart Connect.  Neither has solved the issue.  Any ideas or suggestions? Thanks! — Brian

Solution: Hi Brian. The issue can either come from the Bluetooth system on your vehicles, or with the phone. Make sure that the Bluetooth systems on your cars are up-to-date to minimize potential bugs. This is the only thing that you can do as far as in-vehicle Bluetooth troubleshooting is concerned.

To see if the problem is with your Note 4’s Bluetooth system, the usual software troubleshooting should work. The first thing that you want to try is refresh the cache partition. This troubleshooting step is usually recommended if you have updated a device to another operating system version or if the phone is having some weird glitches. Despite not having installed the full set of new operating system files, we suggest the you do the following steps to erase possibly corrupted cache on your device:

  • Turn the phone off.
  • Press and hold the following buttons together: Power, Volume Up and Home.
  • Release the buttons once the Android system recovery menu appears.
  • Use the Volume buttons to navigate to Wipe Cache Partition option.
  • Press the Power button to confirm selection.
  • Select Reboot System Now option after deleting the cache. Wait for the phone to reboot.

Autoconnect-related logs are stored as temporary files or cache so there’s a high probability that this procedure will fix the issue. However, if nothing changes after doing it, make sure to reconfigure the Bluetooth connection by deleting the pair first, then re-pairing them afterwards. If this won’t resolve the issue, be sure to do a factory reset. Steps are covered below.

Problem #2: Galaxy Note 4 S Note problem after Marshmallow update | Battery drain issue on Galaxy Note 4 after Android 6.0 update

Hi. I have a Sprint Samsung Galaxy Note software version N915PVPU4DPD1. After the update to Marshmallow, I’m having problems with the new Screen off memo feature. I’m able to write on the screen, however the options to erase, delete and save that are on the top of the screen won’t work. I discovered that if I used my forefinger to slide the screen down, a small highlight would appear under those options. I would then be able to activate those options while simultaneously still sliding the screen down with my other finger. Today April 25, 2016 Samsung updated the S Note app and now even the option of sliding down the screen with my finger doesn’t work to get access to the options (erase, delete and save).

I’ve tried a hard reboot; clearing the cache, checking and unchecking the option for the Screen off memo, soft restart but nothing has helped. Also I’m having the power drain and slow charge as everyone else.

Thanks. — Victor

Solution: Hi Victor. Looks like the latest Android update did not turn out well for you. This can be due to variables within or beyond your control. Fortunately, post-update issues are often resolved by doing basic software troubleshooting. To start, we recommend that you wipe the cache partition to ensure that it’s fresh and not corrupted. Please check the steps provided for Brian above.

If the issues persist, your next best option is do a factory reset. This will ensure that your device runs a clean factory version of Android Marshmallow afterwards. Here’s how it’s done:

  • Power down the Galaxy S5.
  • Press and hold the Volume up button, the Home button, and the Power button together until you see the Android on screen.
  • Use Volume down to highlight the wipe data/factory reset option and press the Power button to select it.
  • Use Volume down again to highlight Yes – delete all user data and press Power to select it.
  • Use the Power button to select Reboot system now.
  • When the S5 restarts it should be completely wiped and ready to set up again.

Wiping the system cache and restoring the factory settings usually fix software issues including those that occur after an update. However, if the problems remain after doing these procedures, you can safely assume that the cause can be due to a bad third party app, or a poorly coded firmware, both of which are beyond your control in terms of a fix. The best that you can do is to wait for updates that will patch the issues.

Problem #3: Galaxy Note 4 can’t go past Samsung Galaxy screen

So I have an issue with my Samsung Galaxy Note 4. Over the weekend it ran out of battery. When I got back home I plugged it in to charge. Only thing is that it froze on the battery screen with the loading circle when plugged in and if I turned it off by taking out battery and put it back in unplugged, it got stuck at the Samsung Galaxy logo.

I tried following steps a similar problem on your page by taking out the battery and micro SD card, and then holding power for 60 seconds, but this did nothing. I tried getting to system recovery but I can’t actually turn off my device without pulling out the battery and when I put it back in it boots up straight away other than 1 time, holding the volume buttons and power just seem to make it restart and when it was off that one time I tried holding all of them simultaneously but it just started the phone on Samsung galaxy (this is unplugged) rather than taking me to the recovery screen. I held the volume buttons and power then  but it just kept sort of rebooting the phone.

Please help me on this. I don’t know why my phone is doing this. I haven’t rooted it or downloaded anything malicious (at least I don’t think I have). I do use a launcher (nova), but that’s never done anything over long period it’s been on my phone. — George

Solution: Hi George. There’s very little, in terms of troubleshooting, that we can do if your phone is totally unresponsive. The only thing that you can do in this case is to try to check if the device will boot up in another boot mode or environment such as safe mode, Odin mode, or recovery mode. If you’re lucky and you’ll be able to turn the phone back on, your options will vary. For example, if the phone will only respond and turn on in recovery mode, you’ll be able to do a factory reset or clear the system cache. If download mode will be accessible, you should be able to flash a custom or stock ROM.

If your Note 4 will continue to refuse to boot up, then you’re out of luck. Your only option at this point is to have the hardware checked by Samsung. Alternatively, you can also request for a replacement unit instead.

Problem #4: Galaxy Note 4 unable to make a phone call

Several times while using my phone and making a phone call, while the dialer is attempting to dial through, the error message “call not sent” will show up. Then randomly begin calling somebody else on my favorites contact list. This becomes an especially big problem if I’m not looking for the error message and instead it goes right to ringing with the unintended contact.   I am on my 4th Note 4 on Verizon.  They do not know what is going on and are suggesting that my Gmail could be corrupt. I have no idea how to fix this. On occasion it will even make a phone call while selecting any other app on any other screen without the dialer even being displayed. I can pretty much count on this happening at least a few times a week. — Daniel

Solution: Hi Daniel. If this issue has been going on across multiple devices, then the cause of the problem must be one of your settings or installed apps. We can’t see the connection of a corrupted Gmail causing this problem though. We haven’t heard of a Gmail app causing this kind of error in the past so we doubt if it’s the true reason; it must be other third party application that you’ve installed. Because the issue happens randomly and you seem unable to replicate the issue with certainty, we recommend that you observe your device for at least a week while it’s running on safe mode.

Safe mode is a special boot environment that prevents third party applications from running. It’s a useful troubleshooting step if you suspect that a third party app is misbehaving. This means that you’ll be prevented from using third party apps during the observation period. If the issue fails to occur during this time, that’s a confirmation that our suspicion is right. Since there’s no way to pinpoint which of your apps is problematic, you’ll have to do a process of elimination until you’ll be able to identify the culprit. Here are the steps to boot your phone in safe mode:

  • Turn off the phone completely.
  • Press and hold the Power key and the Volume Down key.
  • When the phone starts to boot, release the Power key but continue holding the Volume Down key until the phone finished restarting.
  • Safe mode will be displayed at the lower left corner; you may release the Volume Down key now.

Problem #5: Galaxy Note 4 problems after Marshmallow update | Touchscreen not working after an update

I upgraded my Note 4 to Marshmallow on Friday and during installation it got an error. Then i again downloaded the update and everything went fine. However, post that the response of my mobile became too slow. The touch was not at all working, the notification panel disappeared, my phone started getting hotter time and again. During the entire weekend it almost got switched off more than 20 to 25 times on its own during the call, while trying to use it for messages and some times on its own while lying on the table. While am writing this my phone has got a default reboot screen which has its initial message (mentioned in the error section) in red along with an android logo beneath which it says “Downloading… Do not turn off target!!”. The screen is like this from past 1 hour and now finally i am deciding to remove the battery. Kindly help!! — Vanshaj

Solution: Hi Vanshaj. There are only two things that you can do if you experience problems following a major Android update — to delete the cache partition and restore the settings to factory via master reset. The steps on how to do them are covered above.

We’ve outlined related issues in a short post about Marshmallow before. If you want to know more about them, kindly visit this page.

 

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 S5 call problems before and after an update, other issues

S5 dialer app

Welcome to another post that addresses #GalaxyS5 problems. These issues are taken from emails and reports from some members of our community. For access to previously posted issues, kindly visit this page.

  1. Galaxy S5 bootloop and random reboot issues
  2. Galaxy S5 call problems before and after an update
  3. Galaxy S5 does not charge properly from time to time
  4. Boost Mobile Galaxy S5 unable to send SMS after updating to Android 6.0.1
  5. Galaxy S5 won’t power on

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 S5 bootloop and random reboot issues

Before I downloaded this recent update, my phone would randomly restart every once in a while. Now after this update, my phone goes into a restart-fit where it will continuously restart without completing a full cycle (i.e. once it reaches the black “Samsung Galaxy S5” screen, it starts the process over each time it reaches that screen).

I tried taking the battery out during one of its fits and when I turned it back on, it continued its nonstop restart cycles. It doesn’t stop restarting until I plug my phone on the charger, and it’ll be on some obscured battery percentage level that was nowhere near what it was before it would start freaking out; the endless restarts aren’t triggered by a certain app, a specific battery percentage level, or anything of the sort – it just happens on its own without warning.

The phone is a little over a year and a half old and I’m not sure if I can do an early upgrade since I know nothing about the account (my dad is the primary account holder), but I don’t think I can take another 5 months of this happening multiple times a day every day on top of its laundry list of other issues! — Melanie

Solution: Hi Melanie. If the phone works normally when connected to a charger, that’s an indication that there may be a problem with the phone’s power management system or the battery. The first thing that you want to try is do a factory reset to ensure that your device runs a clean firmware. Here’s how it’s done:

  • Turn off the device.
  • Press and hold the following three buttons at the same time: Volume Up key, Home key, and Power key.
  • When the phone vibrates, release the Power key but continue to press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home key.
  • When the Android System Recovery screen appears, release the Volume Up and Home keys.
  • Press the Volume down key several times key to highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset.’
  • Press Power button to select.
  • Press the Volume down key until ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted.
  • Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
  • When the master reset is complete, ‘Reboot system now’ is highlighted.
  • Press the Power key to restart the device.

After a factory reset, observe the phone again for a few hours so you’ll know if the problem is resolved. Should the issue persists, make sure that you use another battery.

Problem #2: Galaxy S5 call problems before and after an update

I am having several problems with phone calls that occur randomly but several times a day.

Issue 1 started first (3 weeks ago) – in the middle of a call the other party would suddenly be muted. They could hear me but I could not hear them. This happened when using my Samsung ear buds, using Bluetooth speaker/headset, or directly on the phone. At first I thought it was a problem with my ear buds, but it then happened in the other configurations. If I hang up and call back, it works fine again.

Then issue #2 started – the call would just drop. While talking away in my home office where I have excellent coverage the call would just hang up. It does it after various periods of time, but about 50% of the drops are right at the 15 minute mark. Today it did it twice so far – once at 33 min 12 sec, the second time right at 15 min 0 sec. Call right back and it connects right up.

Issue #3 showed up yesterday and is the opposite of the first – I can hear them and they ca not hear me (and no, my phone is not muted).  Hang up, call back, all is fine. 

Today I had:

– the hangup (#2) around 9:30 am – called back and all worked fine. 

– Then later (in diff call) suddenly the other end could not hear me (#3).  I hung up, called back, they could hear fine and then exactly 15 min into the call my phone hung up (#2).

I have cleared the cache & data from my phone apps and performed soft reset.

Note I said “Phone” apps – there are 3 listed in my system Apps Manager:

– 6.89 MB size – version 5.1.1-G900TUVS1FOL1

– 2.52 MB – version 1.0.0

– 8.82 MB – version 1.0.0 — Jim

Solution: Hi Jim. The cause of call-related problems can be from two potential sides — network or phone. The first is obviously beyond your control, while the second can be fixed on your end depending on the problem. That being said, we highly recommend that you contact your wireless service provider so they work with you in identifying if the problem is due to a network glitch or within the device that they have provided.

Phone troubleshooting steps in this case involves doing the basic stuff like wiping the cache partition and restoring firmware defaults via factory reset. If you want to do them before you call your wireless carrier, that’s totally okay. Here are the steps on how to clear the cache partition:

  • Turn off the device.
  • Press and hold the following three buttons at the same time: Volume Up key, Home key, and Power key.
  • When the phone vibrates, release the Power key but continue to press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home key.
  • When the Android System Recovery screen appears, release the Volume Up and Home keys.
  • Press the Volume Down key to highlight ‘wipe cache partition.’
  • Press the Power key to select.
  • When the wipe cache partition is complete, ‘Reboot system now’ is highlighted.
  • Press the Power key to restart the device.

Deleting the cache partition will force the phone to create a new system cache. If that won’t fix call issue, doing a master reset may help. Please refer to the steps above on how to do a factory reset.

There’s a chance that a third party app may be to blame so make sure that you simulate the issue after a factory reset to see the difference. Do not install any third party app during the observation period so you’ll know if one of your apps is causing the problem.

Now, if any of these procedures won’t work, be sure to call your wireless carrier so they can give you direct support.

Problem #3: Galaxy S5 does not charge properly from time to time

I recently spilled coke all over my desk, including where my phone was sitting although none of it entered the charging port and was only on a small amount of the screen (like a raindrop). I dried my phone out with a towel thoroughly just in case and dried everything that the liquid touched. Once I had done so I attempted to charge my phone with a charger. Didn’t work. So I tried a portable charger and it didn’t work either. I then tried my laptop and it didn’t work. So I switched my phone off and it actually charged. I’ve had this problem before and it eventually went away but was quite the pain! I was wondering what the issue could be.

Since the first time it did this (December 2015) the battery has charged incredibly slowly and decreases a lot faster. — Niamh

Solution: Hi Niamh. The general rule of thumb for an issue like this is to try to see first if the caused is due to bad software. Once you’ve exhausted all possible software troubleshooting, you can safely assume that the issue might be due to a hardware error.

Having said that, you can start your software troubleshooting by refreshing the system cache (steps covered above). Sometimes, a corrupted system cache can affect apps and services causing them to work erratically.

If wiping the system cache won’t change anything though, the next thing that you can do is to boot your phone in safe mode. This will help you identify if there’s any third party application that causes the charging services to fail randomly. Enabling safe mode prevents third party apps from running but all the factory apps will continue to run in this environment. You will still be able to send and receive texts, make and receive calls, and use other apps that come pre-installed on your unit. Leave your phone in safe mode for at least 24 hours so you have plenty of time to observe. If you haven’t tried this procedure before, simply follow these steps:

  • Turn the device off.
  • Press and hold the Power key.
  • When ‘Samsung Galaxy S5’ appears on the screen, release the Power key.
  • Immediately after releasing the Power key, press and hold the Volume down key.
  • Continue to hold the Volume down key until the device finishes restarting.
  • Safe mode will display in the bottom left corner of the screen.
  • Release the Volume down key when you see Safe Mode.

If nothing changes, be sure to factory reset your phone.

As mentioned above, if all these software troubleshooting won’t resolve your issue, you can assume that a hardware problem is to blame. If you can buy a new battery, consider doing that first. There’s a chance that the battery has lost significant capacity over time that even if you charge it, it actually doesn’t take in power at this time. If a new battery won’t fix the problem, have the phone replaced.

Problem #4: Boost Mobile Galaxy S5 unable to send SMS after updating to Android 6.0.1

This is actually a fix that may be helpful to many of your readers. After installing 6.0.1, I was no longer able to send text messages even though I was able to receive them. After 3 days of research and several hours on the phone with 5 Boost Mobile reps and a Samsung rep, I finally found one that immediately knew that the problem was that I didn’t have a SIM card. The previous operating system worked fine without it on 3G but Marshmallow apparently won’t because it only uses 4G for outgoing text. I have not yet received/installed the card but the tech seemed certain and after having finally done a full factory reset only to still have the problem, it seems like there’s nothing else it could be. You guys rock! — Mike

Solution: Hi Mike. Boost Mobile is a subsidiary of Sprint, which uses CDMA technology. This means that SMS or text messaging should work regardless if your phone has a SIM card or not. While a SIM card is a requirement for GSM networks, this is not true for CDMA ones. SIM cards are only provided to CDMA devices so that they can access 4G LTE, which provides faster mobile data speed. SMS should still work even if you’re only getting 2G or 3G signals. Having said that, we doubt if having a Boost Mobile SIM card will help resolve your issue.

Kindly let us know if SMS on your phone works after receiving the SIM card though so we can update this post.

Problem #5: Galaxy S5 won’t power on

Not sure of the software version as phone won’t come on. Phone had 70% battery life and abruptly shut off. Thought maybe battery was dead so I plugged into charger. Didn’t charge or come on. I tried removing battery, holding down power button for 1 min to clear capacitor, re installing battery. Still will not power up. Plugged in house charger but no light is on at all to indicate charging. I tried charging but in 10 minutes phone gets warm during charging but no lights are on. Changed chargers and it didn’t make a difference. Checked battery, it has  3.80v. I’ve tried removing the battery 3 times but nothing seems to work. Not sure what to do next. — Michael

Solution: Hi Michael. The normal output voltage of a Galaxy S5 battery should be 3.85 so we don’t think that the tiny difference is the reason why your phone won’t power on. A battery’s voltage vary depending on the amount of charge it is holding, which means that the voltage is usually slightly higher (than the standard nominal output) when it is fully charged and lower when it is about drained. There must be other hardware issues other than the battery that prevents your phone from booting up.

We recommend that you call Samsung so a full diagnostics can be conducted to identify the problem. Otherwise, simply request for a replacement.

 

 

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.