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Galaxy Note 5

5 Best Smartphones for Seniors

It’s only natural for our preferences to change with age. The older we get, the less impressed we are with over-hyped features that seldom improve the overall user experience as much as they promise. On the other hand, price and screen size become much more important factors when choosing a new smartphone. Keeping these criteria in mind, we have selected top 5 best smartphones for seniors. Our list includes everything from budget phones to high-value flagship models.

Best Smartphone for Seniors

ImgAmazon.com LinkBrandProductAmazon.com LinkPrice on Amazon.com
SamsungSamsung Galaxy Note 5794.13
GoogleGoogle Pixel XL296
SamsungSamsung Galaxy J7169
GreatCallJitterbug Smart Easy-to-Use 5.5” Smartphone for Seniors 78.84
MotorolaMotorola Moto G4 Play (2016 4th Generation)Check Price

Samsung Galaxy J7

The Samsung Galaxy J7 offers Samsung’s signature build quality and stunning design for the price of a budget phone. Despite its affordable price, the J7 performs exceptionally well, ships with the latest version of the Android operating system, sports a vivid, bright display that’s easily readable even under direct sunlight, and has a replaceable battery and expandable storage. Combined, these features make it stand out when compared with its rivals.

The large, 5.5” Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen has the HD resolution, resulting in 267 PPI pixel density. There’s either a Snapdragon 615 or Exynos 7580 Octa chipset under the hood as well as 1.5 GB of memory. The rear-facing camera offers a 13-megapixel resolution, LED flash, and fast autofocus. The 3,000mAh replaceable battery will easily get you through an entire day of heavy use or two days of moderate use.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 (or Note 7)

If you want the best Android phablet on the market today, the Galaxy Note 5 is arguably the device you’re looking for. The Note experience is characterized by the S Pen stylus, excellent performance, and plenty of screen real estate.

Back in 2015, when the smartphone was first released, its high-end specifications obliterated just about every other smartphone on the market. Now, in 2017, the Note 5 still holds up even when compared to other flagship devices. The Exynos 7420 Octa chipset with 4 GB of memory and Mali-T760MP8 GPU is a multi-tasking powerhouse, and the 5.7” display with the resolution of 1440 x 2560 pixels and the Corning Gorilla Glass 4 technology looks just as gorgeous as ever. Thanks to the S Pen stylus, you can take hand-written notes, use special commands, easily edit pictures or draw something from scratch, and more.

If you’re feeling adventurous, you could also get a second-hand Note 7. Not that there’s anything thrilling about buying things from eBay, but the smartphone has become infamous after it was found that a battery defect had caused some Note 7 smartphones to catch on fire. Samsung had to issue a worldwide recall, resulting in an enormous financial loss for the company.

Google Pixel XL

The Google Pixel is the first smartphone with the Google logo on the back, and the Pixel XL is its larger version. Thanks to the stock version of the Android operating system, you won’t have to learn how to use a brand-new user interface. What’s more, the Pixel comes with the Google Assistant, an intelligent personal assistant developed by Google. Finally, you can have a natural two-way conversation with your smartphone, using Google’s natural language processing algorithm.

If you enjoy taking pictures with your smartphone, the Pixel XL will be right up your alley. The 12.3 MP rear-facing camera with phase detection and laser autofocus has been rated as the best smartphone camera currently available, and the 5.5” AMOLED capacitive touchscreen with the resolution of 1440 x 2560 pixels makes for a flawless viewing experience. The presence of the Snapdragon 821 chipset and Adreno 530 GPU makes the smartphone future-proof for many years to come.

Motorola Moto G4 (2016)

Motorola’s Moto G budget smartphones are among the company’s most successful devices—and for a good reason. The latest Moto G4 is a basic, pure Android device that doesn’t cost much but does quite a lot. It comes with an impressive 5.5” display with the Full HD resolution and mid-range Snapdragon chipset from Qualcomm. There’s also an above-average 13 MP rear-facing camera, 5 MP front-facing camera and active noise cancellation with dedicated mic for noise-free phone calls.

But what we like the most about the smartphone is the 3,000mAh battery that easily lasts up to 2 days of heavy use. Even though the battery isn’t removable, the included fast battery charging technology ensures that you won’t be without juice for too long.

Jitterbug Smart

Let’s face it: as fun as smartphone apps and games can be, most people spend 99% of time using the default phone, text, and camera apps. It then makes sense to buy a smartphone which user experience has been designed around these apps, instead of spending big bucks on a high-end device with useless features.

The Jitterbug Smart is an easy-to-use 5.5” smartphone with 5.0 MP camera and very simple user interface that takes no time getting used to. Best of all, the smartphone costs just around $100 with no contracts or cancellation fees to worry about. GreatCall, the manufacturer of the smartphone, proudly states that their customer service and support is entirely U.S.-based, which is something we can appreciate.

Best Smartphone for Seniors

ImgAmazon.com LinkBrandProductAmazon.com LinkPrice on Amazon.com
SamsungSamsung Galaxy Note 5794.13
GoogleGoogle Pixel XL296
SamsungSamsung Galaxy J7169
GreatCallJitterbug Smart Easy-to-Use 5.5” Smartphone for Seniors 78.84
MotorolaMotorola Moto G4 Play (2016 4th Generation)Check Price

How to boot Samsung Galaxy Note 5 in Safe Mode, wipe Cache Partition, perform Master Reset, etc

If you got yourself the new Samsung Galaxy Note 5 (#Samsung #GalaxyNote5) or planning to get one, then read on as I will teach you some really, really basic troubleshooting procedures that may come in handy in the future.

Samsung-Galaxy-Note-5-Tutorials

The things I will discuss in this post are how to forcibly reboot your Note 5, boot it in safe mode, wipe the directory that contain cached files clean, clear both cache and data of any app, download and uninstall apps, perform factory and master reset procedures.

Whatever problem you may encounter in the future, you can use one or all of these troubleshooting procedures. Here’s a short list to make it easier for you to find a guide. Click on the link to jump to that section.

Before we go any further, if you found this post because you were trying to find solutions to your problems, then try to visit our Samsung Galaxy Note 5 Troubleshooting page as it contains solutions to problems we already addressed. Find a problem related to yours and try the solutions we provided. If they won’t work, then feel free to contact us by filling up this form accurately. Please provide more details in the description field so that we can provide accurate solutions or suggestions.

How to Force Reboot Galaxy Note 5

Unlike the previous models of Galaxy devices, the Galaxy Note 5 doesn’t come with a removable battery, so if it froze and became unresponsive, you can’t just pull the battery out to turn the device off. Samsung engineers, of course, already thought of this, so they added one key combination that when performed correctly, the device will perform a simulated battery disconnect that will forcibly reboot the phone.

To do this, simply PRESS and HOLD the Volume Down and Power keys together for 20 to 30 seconds or until the phone reboots.

Among the problems that may be fixed by this procedure are:

  • Frozen phone
  • Unresponsive device
  • Very sluggish performance due to constant freezing
  • Unresponsive due to app crashes
  • Got stuck during boot up and became unresponsive, etc.

How to start Galaxy Note 5 in Safe Mode

The Safe Mode is the first fail-safe procedure you can use to diagnose a problem. Once the device has booted up in this mode, all third-party or downloaded apps would be temporarily disabled leaving pre-installed and core services running.

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

Now that the phone is in safe mode, you can…

  • Continue your troubleshooting
  • Use your phone without third-party apps
  • Backup your data to the cloud or through a computer
  • Observe your phone for firmware-related issues

How to Wipe Cache Partition on Galaxy Note 5

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…

  1. Turn off your Samsung Galaxy Note 5 completely.
  2. Press and hold the Volume Up and the Home buttons first, and then press and hold the Power key.
  3. Keep the three buttons pressed and when ‘Samsung Galaxy Note5’ shows, release the Power key but continue holding the other two.
  4. Once the Android logo shows, release both the Volume Up and Home buttons.
  5. 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.
  6. Use the Volume Down key to highlight the option ‘wipe cache partition’ and press the Power key to select it.
  7. 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.
  8. The reboot may take a little longer to complete but don’t worry and wait for the device to become active.

Among the issues that may be fixed by this procedure are…

  • Phone got stuck in the logo during boot up
  • Device entered the boot loop or can’t boot up successfully
  • Phone randomly reboots after an update
  • Device can’t get out of Safe Mode
  • Phone always freezes, lags, or becomes unresponsive from time to time

How to clear App Cache & Data on Galaxy Note 5

Regardless whether an app is a pre-installed one or third-party (downloaded), once it crashes the first thing you have to do is clear its cache and data. More often, these files get corrupted so you need to get the system create a new cache. Deleting the data files, however, will reset the app back to its default settings and delete all data accumulated over time.

  1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
  2. Find and tap Settings.
  3. Under the ‘APPLICATIONS’ section, find and touch Application manager.
  4. Swipe to the left or to the right to display the appropriate screen but to display all apps, choose the ‘ALL’ screen.
  5. Find and tap the app that has issues.
  6. Touch Clear cache to delete its cached files.
  7. Touch Clear data and then OK to delete downloaded data, login information, settings, etc.

This procedure will fix the following problems:

  • App crashes
  • Freezing and lagging apps
  • Random shut downs and reboots due to app incompatibility
  • Sluggish apps
  • Other conflicts brought by the new system after a firmware update

Install & Uninstall Apps on Galaxy Note 5

Installing apps on your Android phone is very easy but finding one that may be useful to you can sometimes be difficult especially if you don’t know the name of the app. For the benefit of those who are still starting out to use Android, here’s how to install an app…

  1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
  2. Find and touch the Play Store app.
  3. Once inside the Play Store, you can search an app by category, or if you know the name of the app, just type it in the search field.
  4. Once you found the desired app, tap on it.
  5. Now touch the Install button, and then Accept.
  6. For paid apps, tap the price and follow on-screen instructions.
  7. Depending on the size of the app and the speed of your internet connection, it may take a few to several minutes for the app to be downloaded and installed.
  8. The installation will be automated and you will be notified once finished, then you can use the app.

There are two ways to uninstall apps you don’t want to use anymore. The first procedure is via the Play Store while the second is through the Application manager.

Uninstalling an app via Play Store

  1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
  2. Find and touch the Play Store app.
  3. Touch My Apps.
  4. Tap on the app you want to uninstall.
  5. Touch Uninstall, then OK to confirm.

Uninstalling an app via Application Manager

  1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
  2. Find and tap Settings.
  3. Under the ‘APPLICATIONS’ section, find and touch Application manager.
  4. Swipe to the left or to the right to display the appropriate screen but to display all apps, choose the ‘ALL’ screen.
  5. Find and tap the app that has issues.
  6. Touch Uninstall, then OK.

Note: Only third-party or downloaded apps can be uninstalled. Others can only be disabled and some apps must remain running for your phone to work properly.

Third-party apps that may cause problems immediately after the installation should be uninstalled immediately to avoid further conflicts with the system or other apps.

How to Factory Reset Galaxy Note 5

Factory Reset simply means to bring the phone back to its factory settings or defaults. Almost all firmware-related problems and errors can be fixed by this procedure but you should also know that all your files, data, settings, apps, ringtones, accounts, etc. will be wiped out and it is impossible to retrieve them after the reset. Therefore, it is imperative you back up every bit of data you don’t want to lose before following the steps below…

  1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
  2. Find and tap the Settings icon.
  3. Under the ‘Personal’ section, find and tap Backup and reset.
  4. Tap Factory data reset.
  5. Touch Reset device to proceed with the reset.
  6. Depending on the security lock you used, enter the PIN or password.
  7. Tap Continue.
  8. Touch Delete all to confirm your action.

Beyond this point, lost data will never be retrieved if you haven’t backed them up.

How to perform Master Reset on Galaxy Note 5

There’s a little distinction between a Factory Reset and Master Reset, although the results may be the same. The latter, aside from doing what the former can do, will reformat the data partition where all system files and important app files are saved. It will also come in handy if the Android system itself keeps crashing and the user can’t access Settings.

  1. Turn off your Samsung Galaxy Note 5 completely.
  2. Press and hold the Volume Up and the Home buttons first, and then press and hold the Power key.
  3. Keep the three buttons pressed and when ‘Samsung Galaxy Note5’ shows, release the Power key but continue holding the other two.
  4. Once the Android logo shows, release both the Volume Up and Home buttons.
  5. 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.
  6. Use the Volume Down key to highlight the option ‘Yes — delete all user data’ and press the Power key to select it.
  7. 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.
  8. The reboot may take a little longer to complete but don’t worry and wait for the device to become active.

Factory reset is easier to perform than this so you can use the previous procedure as long as there are no other serious issues with your phone. If you have one of the following, you better use Master Reset if…

  • Your phone reboots randomly
  • It’s freezing from time to time
  • It’s lagging so much
  • It takes ages to load apps
  • The Settings app crashes as characterized by error “Unfortunately, Settings has stopped.”
  • The system itself crashes, often characterized by the error “Unfortunately, Android system has stopped.”
  • It can’t boot up successfully or got stuck in the logo, etc.

We hope that these guides can help you one way or the other. Thanks for reading and we wish you all the best.

Connect with us

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

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 can’t connect to the Internet via mobile data, can’t get 4G signal, & other Internet related issues

One of the selling points of the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 (#Samsung #GalaxyNote5) is its capability to connect to a 4G network and gain a really fast data transfer. An owner will surely feel disappointed when he discovers his new, very expensive phone can’t get a decent internet connection because it loses connectivity when connected via mobile data. This is one of the problems I will address in this post, so if you can relate to this, continue reading below to learn how to address it.

Samsung-Galaxy-Note-5-Internet-Problems

Another issue that I tackled is about the Note 5 that can’t get 4G signal at all. According to our readers, their phones get 3G signal at best and sometimes there’s none. The surprising part is that the problem started after a firmware update, which of course, makes us to question the integrity of the new firmware that was rolled out recently.

Read on to know more of other problems I addressed and how to tackle them in case they happen to you. If, however, you trying to find a solution to a totally different problem, then visit our Galaxy Note 5 troubleshooting page. It contains all the links pointing to issues we already addressed as well as their solutions. Try to find issues related to yours and use the solutions we suggested. If they don’t work, then fill up this form and hit submit to contact us directly.

Here are the problems I cited here…

 

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 loses internet connection via mobile data

Problem: I recently purchased my Note 5 and immediately started having data issues. The phone displays full bars and the H+ symbol, however, randomly won’t load anything requiring data and will not place calls or send texts or receive any during this time and usually requires being put into airplane mode or restarted to begin working again. However, it may only work for 5 minutes before failing again I have done a factory reset and master reset both of which has not solved anything.

Troubleshooting: More often than not, this problem is on the network side but there’s also a possibility it’s just the APN Settings that need to be corrected, however, as you said, you could connect to the internet successfully for a few minutes. Therefore, there’s one thing I want you to do to isolate the problem: boot the phone in safe mode and observe.

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

You should still be able to connect to the internet via mobile data in this mode so try that and see if the phone can, if so, then you’re lucky as your third-party apps or services have something to do with this problem. And since we don’t know for sure which one is the culprit, I suggest you immediately backup all your important data and perform a master reset.

  1. Turn off your Samsung Galaxy Note 5 completely.
  2. Press and hold the Volume Up and the Home buttons first, and then press and hold the Power key.
  3. Keep the three buttons pressed and when ‘Samsung Galaxy Note5’ shows, release the Power key but continue holding the other two.
  4. Once the Android logo shows, release both the Volume Up and Home buttons.
  5. 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.
  6. Use the Volume Down key to highlight the option ‘Yes — delete all user data’ and press the Power key to select it.
  7. 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.
  8. The reboot may take a little longer to complete but don’t worry and wait for the device to become active.

For sure, this procedure can fix this problem. However, if the problem is still happening even in safe mode, try to call your provider and have the rep check on their end if it has something to do with your account. At first glance, they should be able to see what the problem, otherwise, they are obliged to replace the phone with a new one.

Galaxy Note 5 occasionally connects to untrusted networks

Problem: The Wi-Fi occasionally connects to networks I did not approve and that is not showing on the network list hence I could not disconnect unless I toggle off my Wi-Fi.

Answer: The thing about smartphones today is that they are designed with users’ privacy in mind. Thus, sensitive functions such as connecting to any networks requires a consent from the owner and network-side, you need to have the correct passphrase so you can successfully connect to protected Wi-Fi networks.

I am not trying to discredit you but in my years of using Android smartphones, I never encountered an issue that’s the same as yours nor have found someone that has this problem…except you, of course. My questions are: Are the networks that your phone occasionally connects to protected? Have you tried connecting to these networks before? I have a feeling the latter is true because that’s the only way a phone can connect to a network whose SSID is broadcast.

The solution: let your phone “forget” these networks.

Galaxy Note 5 can’t get 4G signal after an update

Problem: Just did a system update and Internet is super slow. Don’t get 4G sign anymore only E. Must use phone on wifi to send emails.

Related Problem: The phone deleted my photos and i cant connect to the Internet it never shows 3g or 4g help please thank.

Troubleshooting: First of all, make sure 4G LTE is enabled in your device as it may have been turned off after the update. If it’s enabled but the phone is still not getting the appropriate signal, then call your provider right away as it may be a problem with the APN. This problem is common to international variants but it could also happen to devices that are carried by any carrier or service providers. There’s also a possibility that it’s a problem with the APN or provisioning but either way, you need help from your provider.

Galaxy Note 5 only gets 3G coverage instead of 4G

Problem: Hi. I’ve recently bought a Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and I’m using it in UK on Vodafone. The problem is that I only get 3g internet connection. No 4g what so ever. On my previous phone Galaxy Note 4 I used to that 4G+ in some places. Can you tell me if I have to do some APN settings or anything else? Thank you and looking forward to hear from you.

Troubleshooting: Just like the previous problem, just make sure 4G LTE is enabled in your phone and if so and you aren’t getting the signal that you should be getting, then call your service provider and have it cleared on their end. As to the APN, you may verify it with the rep. I know there are tons of information about Vodafone’s APN settings but just to make sure you get it right, talk with the rep and ask for it.

Can’t multitask on the Galaxy Note 5 while on a call

Problem: Sorry no new aps installed. Ever since upgrading my phone from a Note 3 to a Note 5 I cannot multitask like check a customers web site or check me e-mails while on a phone call. Please help. — Rick

Answer: Even the entry-level Android phones will allow you to check other things while on a call so I wonder what “cannot multitask” really mean, or what happens when you navigate away from the phone app to check other things? If there’s an error, what does it say? If the call gets disconnected, does it happen in every call? Does this problem exist since day 1? If not, when did it start?

Now, assuming that this problem started to occur just recently or after an update. The solution for this is wiping the cache partition. So try this procedure:

  1. Turn off your Samsung Galaxy Note 5 completely.
  2. Press and hold the Volume Up and the Home buttons first, and then press and hold the Power key.
  3. Keep the three buttons pressed and when ‘Samsung Galaxy Note5’ shows, release the Power key but continue holding the other two.
  4. Once the Android logo shows, release both the Volume Up and Home buttons.
  5. 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.
  6. Use the Volume Down key to highlight the option ‘wipe cache partition’ and press the Power key to select it.
  7. 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.
  8. The reboot may take a little longer to complete but don’t worry and wait for the device to become active.

I’m not really sure if this is just a minor firmware issue or not but if wiping the cache partition won’t help, I suggest you try the master reset. Well, of course, backup all your important data as they will all be deleted during the process.

Some options missing from a webpage

Problem: Hi. Whenever I open my ‘Internet’ and go to my video page (rogers tv video subscriber page) at the bottom it has 2 options ‘video player’ and ‘download’. There was more option besides download prior to me hitting that one once, how do I see the other options again? Help?

Answer: I’m sorry we really can’t relate to this question as we are not acquainted with Rogers’ website. You know, Rogers can give better answer than us since it concerns its website. You better call its hotline and inquire about the options you were missing because maybe they changed the webpage and took away some of the options or transferred them over to another webpage.

Connect with us

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

Methods to unlock, backup data and reset your Samsung Galaxy Note 5 with a broken and unresponsive screen

There are times when a slip of hand will result into a very frustrating scenario especially when your expensive smartphone is involved. We have received quite a lot of requests for assistance from our readers who own a #Samsung Galaxy Note 5 (#Note5) with a broken or unresponsive screen. So, I will tackle such problem in this post so that you would know what to do should you encounter similar issue in the future.

galaxy-note-5-backup-data-broken-screen

Read on to understand the problems I cited in this post and to learn how to fix them. Please note that while we suggest only safe procedures, things may happen during the process so please proceed at your own risk.

For those who have other issues with their devices, visit our Note 5 troubleshooting page for we have already addressed hundreds of problems with this phone. Find issues that are similar with yours and use the solutions and/or troubleshooting guides we suggested. If they don’t work or if you need further assistance, contact us by completing our Android issues questionnaire. Just give us all relevant information about the problem and we’ll do the rest.

Galaxy Note 5 screen broken, need screen replacement but need to reset phone

Problem: Hi! I have a Galaxy Note 5 and it fell about a week ago and the screen was cracked in all directions. I am quite convinced that the screen has to be replaced however, I just want to make sure all my data especially the pictures will be backed up before I let the technician replace the screen. I have a lot of important files I can’t afford to lose in this phone so I’m trying to find a way to access them even with the screen broken. Is it even possible?

Troubleshooting: Yes, it’s possible to backup some of your files or data even if you can’t see anything on the screen but it takes patience to do things repeatedly when your first attempt doesn’t go through. The only hindrance is the security lock you’re using. There are locks that can easily be unlocked but there are also those that you can’t without using the phone’s touch screen.

So, the first thing you have to do is try to unlock the screen of your Galaxy Note 5. Of course, make sure that it’s turned on first. You may try calling your phone number or send a message to your phone to see if it sounds off.

After verifying that your Note 5 is turned on, it’s time to attempt to unlock it. And you actually have two options–use Samsung’s Find My Mobile service or Google’s Android Device Manager.

Bypass Note 5 screen lock using Samsung’s Find My Mobile service

Your Galaxy Note 5 must be connected to the internet whether through Wi-Fi or mobile data in order to follow these steps:

  1. Log on to Samsung’s Find My Mobile service.
  2. Enter your credentials if you already have or create a new Samsung account and register your phone if possible.
  3. The most crucial step in this method is verification and once you can get past that, unlocking your device is easy.
  4. Assuming you’ve successfully logged into your Samsung account, find the ‘Unlock my screen’ on left sidebar.
  5. Click “Unlock” to get past the lock screen.
  6. You’ll then receive a prompt telling you your phone’s screen is already unlocked.
  7. Now set your new password.

Bypass Note 5 lock screen using Android Device Manager

All Android devices have a built in service that may allow users to bypass locks in the event that they forgot theirs. Here’s how…

  1. Log on to Google’s Android Device Manager service through your computer.
  2. Just like Find My Mobile, verification is crucial to this process. So, using your Google account username and password, log in to ADM.
  3. Once successful, you can immediately see a list of Android devices so select the one you want to unlock.
  4. Inside ADM’s interface, select “Lock.”
  5. In the next screen, enter a temporary password and click Lock again.
  6. If successful, you should see buttons Ring, Lock and Erase.
  7. On your phone, you will be prompted to enter the temporary password you just created. If entered correctly, you can unlock your device.

Once you’ve unlocked your phone, you can connect it to a computer and use Smart Switch to extract contents. After you’ve successfully extracted the files and data you need, reset your phone to protect your privacy:

  1. Remove your Google account and disengage the screen locks to make sure you won’t trip the Factory Reset Protection (FRP).
  2. Turn off your Samsung Galaxy Note 5.
  3. Press and hold the Volume Up, Home and Power keys together.
  4. When the device powers on and displays ‘Power on logo’, release all keys and the Android icon will appear on the screen.
  5. Wait until the Android Recovery Screen appears after about 30 seconds.
  6. Using the Volume Down key, highlight the option, ‘wipe data/factory reset’ and press the Power key to select it.
  7. Press the Vol Down button again until the option ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted and then press the Power key to select it.
  8. After the reset is complete, highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and hit the Power key to restart the phone.

If, however, you can’t unlock your device then you need help from someone who might know some tricks for the purpose of recovering important data.

RELEVANT POST: Ways to regain access to your Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge if you’re locked out

Backing up Note 5 data with smashed screen and restore them on Note 3

Problem: Hi, I have a Note 5 with a smashed screen and non functional one at that. I would like to know how can I back up my data including apps and there data and then restore on my old note 3. I am very confused by all the options online and yet to find a solution. Thanks for your time, Sabrina.
Troubleshooting: Having a Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is an advantage especially when it comes to its specs. To enjoy the device more, most of the users installed apps. But in some instances, users encountered accidents that resulted to have their device’s screen smashed or cracked. Since users already have these apps for quite sometime so we will be helping you in providing some troubleshooting steps to have your data including apps and their data backed up and restored to another Samsung unit.
Since your screen is not responsive then following this method will help you.  Though, this is not guaranteed but most owners with similar problem to what you are in right now have find this methods useful and had their problem resolved. Hopefully, your issue is the same with them and we can help you resolve it. Below are the steps how to do it.
How to Backup App Data to PC
Step 1: Preparation prior to running the program

  • Make sure that your Android phone is having the certain amount of battery to complete the process.
  • Check if the USB cable is working or not.

Step 2: Enable USB debugging

  • Run the Program.
  • Choose Feature of Android Data Backup and Restore.
  • For first time connecting the device to a computer, tick Allow on your phone. Prior to connecting the device to the program, make sure to enable USB debugging first. Note: If USB debugging is already enabled on the device, you may skip the process.
  • A window will appear. Click Backup to start the backup process.

Step 3: Select File Types to Backup

  • Tick Application data from the interface below to back up your app data.
  • Click and choose types of app.
  • After choosing, click OK.
  • Tap the Backup button to begin the copy process.
  • Once backup process is complete. You may now check the backup files in detail by clicking
  • View the Backup.

RELEVANT POST: How to retrieve data from a Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge with a cracked / broken screen, plus other screen related problems

How to Restore App Data

Once you have successfully backed up your Android device, you can always restore them as you needed. From that, worrying would never be the option about losing data.
Step 1: Connect Android Handset and View Backup History

  • Connect your phone that you want to restore app data.
  • Tick Restore to begin.
  • Click View to preview the backup files.
  • Choose one file you want to get the data back and start.

Step 2: Preview and Recover App Data

  • Click Restore button and you can extract your data to your Android handset for few seconds.

Note: When restoring data from a backup, any new information in app that has been added to the device will be overwritten. If you want to confirm to continue, click Yes.
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We are always open to your problems, questions and suggestions, so feel free to contact us by filling up this form. This is a free service we offer and we won’t charge you a penny for it. But please note that we receive hundreds of emails every day and it’s impossible for us to respond to every single one of them. But rest assured we read every message we receive. For those whom we’ve helped, please spread the word by sharing our posts to your friends or by simply liking our Facebook and Google+ page or follow us on Twitter.

Galaxy Note 5 randomly disconnects from mobile network, other connection problems

Galaxy Note 5

As we welcome 2016, here are some of the #GalaxyNote5 connectivity problems shared to us by some members of our community. We hope that the solutions provided below will also help others that may be experiencing similar troubles.

These are the specific topics discussed in this post:

  1. Error Searching network on Galaxy Note 5
  2. Galaxy Note 5 icons and widgets change to different colors
  3. Galaxy Note 5 Google Play Store and Clash of Clans not working
  4. Galaxy Note 5 no longer booting up after charging
  5. Galaxy Note 5 randomly disconnects from mobile network
  6. Galaxy Note 5 won’t connect to 3G network

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.

 

Problem #1: Error Searching network on Galaxy Note 5

Phone will not connect to mobile network. I can go to the mobile network screen in Settings and when I try to search for networks it says error searching network. I try to choose manual network and says the same thing. I have tried rebooting, rebooting in safe mode (same issues in safe mode), clearing the cache during restart. And most anything else I could think of. IMEI does show up, Wi-Fi does work fine. When I restart the phone, it does connect to mobile network then lost immediately. Shows x over network bars. Have also run Malware scans (360 Security) says it is good. Not sure what else to do besides factory reset. I have not made any known updates. Latest app download was 2 days ago (Ibotta) — Nick

Solution: Hi Nick. Assuming there’s no hardware failure involved (possibly a networking chip or part), doing a factory reset is an indispensable troubleshooting you must try. Since you have done almost all the other suggestions we usually provide for potential software problems, performing a master reset will help ensure that there’s no firmware-level problems behind this trouble. For a quick reference, here are the steps to perform a factory reset on your Note 5:

  • 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 #2: Galaxy Note 5 icons and widgets change to different colors

The icon of apps like “Here maps” & others appears to be black completely, the same thing happens several times with different applications or with folders & sometimes the widgets appears to be liquidly, I mean the blue coloured weather widget appears with greenish lines in it and somewhat with some other widgets.

When such things occur, I have to either reboot the phone or I have to wait to get it settled by itself.

So, is there anyway to fix it rather than rebooting it or formatting by pressing power button, volume up & down button.

I don’t want to lose my data. — Nilay

Solution: Hi Nilay. If this problem occurred after an update or an app installation, the first next thing that you can try is to ensure that the system cache is refreshed. Outdated or corrupted system cache can sometimes lead to issues with other apps or the operating system. Wiping the cache partition usually fixes the problems easily. If you haven’t done it before, here are the steps to delete the system cache on a Note 5:

  • 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.

Problem #3: Galaxy Note 5 Google Play Store and Clash of Clans not working

My name is Ikaho and I’m using a Galaxy Note 5. Since last month once is reset my note. I cannot link my email and for which I cannot use Play Store nor can bind my account playing Clash of Clans. Whenever I try to bind my email it shows something like it couldn’t establish proper connection” but I’m sure this is not because of connection error cause I have even tried with a hi speed Wi-Fi. But the problem is still not solved every time I try loading but still it’s the same.

I also tried connecting with customer care and they even help me with remote support and helped with troubleshooting problems on setting and cleared all the data’s and from app manager and Play Store from there and so on but they even failed to assist my problem. So I will be ever grateful to the Samsung team if the team could assist me to get rid of this issue cause my phone is still new in look and process. So kindly look on the problem stated above from genuine user ikaho! will be waiting for the reply and assistant as soon as possible thank you. — ikaho

Solution: Hi Ikaho. First of all, we don’t work for Samsung and they don’t pay us anything eventhough we do provide free troubleshooting tips for their products. Secondly, the issue you have of being unable to use your email for Google Play Store and Clash of Clans game may not be phone problem. The best thing that you can do to check if your email is having problems linking with Play Store is by using another phone or device so you can login using your credentials. If you have another Android phone, try to login to Play Store and CoC game to see if you have any problem. If the issue persists on the second device, make sure to contact Google or the customer service of Clash of Clans game so they can help you on the things that you need to do.

Problem #4: Galaxy Note 5 no longer booting up after charging

Hello. My problem first started when I plugged my phone into the charger. It didn’t charge even though the sign of charging had been on the screen.

After that, I tried to reboot my phone, but suddenly I had the “downloading … please do not turn off target” after I restarted it. I left the phone plugged to the charger for few hours, because I thought it was downloading an upgrade or something.

I checked the phone after few hours and it was dead, I tried different chargers but unfortunately it didn’t solve the problem.

I plugged the phone into the computer, there was a notification for a new hardware was plugged but not recognized. Also, when the phone is plugged for few minutes, I can hear the sound of electricity for a bit then an electricity sign pops up on the screen then disappears.

I hope you find a solution for this problem.

Thank you in advance. — Ali

Solution: Hi Ali. If your Note 5 no longer boots normally even after leaving it charged for several hours, the problem is most likely hardware in nature. Make sure that you try using another charger first to see if there’s an issue with the existing one. Sometimes, the charging cable can malfunction out of the blue so using another charger is necessary.

If the charger’s fine, make sure to have the phone checked by a professional. At this point, anything can be the cause of the problem — a bad charging port, depleted or damaged battery, or failing component in the power circuit. Our blog does not provide hardware troubleshooting and diagnostics so your only choice is either have the phone repaired or replaced.

Problem #5: Galaxy Note 5 randomly disconnects from mobile network

I had my Samsung Galaxy Note 5 for a few months without any trouble. My phone sometimes would not connect to the mobile network. It usually happened in certain building and in my basement, but it would also happen at random times. I did a factory reset twice and still the same problem. During this when I connect to a WIFI network, I don’t have any connectivity issues with WIFI.

Recently I tried using the phone again and I had problems with text messages not sending but once I resent them, they would send. Today it suddenly stopped connecting to the mobile network at random again. When it has its problems, it doesn’t lose connection with the network, it just gets too weak to connect. At first I thought that it could be the areas and locations but I bought a Samsung Galaxy AVANT and had no problems with the mobile network and in those areas. Other people do not have problems in those areas and I know that it’s not the SIM card since I was able to get it to work in my newer phone. I took my note apart and it looked really clean and well made on the inside with no problems. The only solution I can think of is to replace the mother board or the antenna cable. Is my problem cause by hardware or could it be Lollipop? — Jordan

Solution: Hi Jordan. Random drops in cellular connectivity can be caused by a few factors like firmware on the device, condition of the networking components, network quality of service, malware, or third party apps. If you updated the operating system or an app prior to noticing the problem, that might be a good clue on where to start your troubleshooting. Try to do another round of factory reset and observe the phone for several days without installing any third party application. This will help you narrow down the possible causes. If your software troubleshooting won’t change anything, there must be a hardware problem behind the problem. Make sure to have the phone checked for possible hardware defects.

Problem #6: Galaxy Note 5 won’t connect to 3G network

Hi. I have Samsung Galaxy Note 5. I am having issues regarding 3G Connectivity/network. Only GSM Network mode is working fine. When I change the Network mode from ‘GSM/WCDMA’ to ‘WCDMA only’ signals are gone and message comes up saying “No Service. Selected Network not available.”

When I click the message, it goes to Available Networks option and start Searching after few minutes nothing happens. It searched nothing.. I tried automatically searching, nothing happened.

In my area 3G is provided by Etisalat Afghanistan..

I have also tried my SIM to different mobile, 3G signals are coming in that mobile. Tried different networks SIM with the same result.

Tried flashing same firmware version of different country but result is same, 3G signals not coming. Tried flashing Modem file but no advantage gained.

Any solution for this issue? will grateful for the responses!! — Salim

Solution: Hi Salim. Your phone may not be compatible with the network’s 3G technology in your area. Try to call your service provider to ask for direct assistance regarding this matter. If your Note 5’s 3G connectivity works fine outside this area or when using another SIM card from a different service provider, there must be a compatibility issue at play.

 

 

 

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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. 

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.

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How to backup Samsung Galaxy Note 5 data, files, pictures, videos, etc.

This guide will help you learn how to back up data on your Samsung Galaxy Note 5 (#Samsung #GalaxyNote5) just in case you will encounter problems that would require a hard reset in the future.

Samsung-Galaxy-Note-5-backup-data

Most software-related issues in mobile devices are resolved by performing a hard reset, also known as master reset. It’s a process that erases all customized contents in the phone including apps, contacts, photos, and data then restores the device to factory defaults. For this reason, creating a backup is highly recommended beforehand. Otherwise, you will lose all your personal information to the ether.

Backing up of files from your new Samsung phablet can be done either by moving contents to your Google account(s) or to a computer (Windows or Mac). You can use any kind of backup solutions available for your device like the Samsung Smart Switch in completing the process.

Similar to the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge smartphones, the new Galaxy Note 5 also doesn’t have an external storage option. This means backing up of files via SD card is not possible. As an alternative, you can connect your Note 5 to a computer and transfer files before you perform a hard reset. Doing so will help you easily restore them afterwards.

Before we go any further, if you have problems with your new device, visit the troubleshooting page we setup for the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 as it contains solutions to problems we already addressed as well as important guides that will walk you through in mastering the phone. Try to find issues related to yours and use the solutions we provided. If they won’t work for you, then feel free to contact us by filling up our Android issues questionnaire accurately.

Below are different ways to backup contents from your new Galaxy Note 5 to a computer.

How to Back Up Contents from your Galaxy Note 5 to a Windows PC

  1. Connect your Galaxy Note 5 directly to a computer using the supplied USB connector/cable.

Once your phone is recognized by the computer, you can already start moving your files such as music, pictures, and other contents. To easily restore contents after the reset, you can create new folders specific for each type of file on your computer. For example, you can create a music folder for storing music (audio) files copied from your phone to your PC.

Here’s how to properly connect your Note 5 to a computer:

  • Insert one end of the USB cable to the charger/accessory port located at the bottom of your phone.
  • Insert the other end of the USB cable into an available USB port on your computer.
  • Remove the USB cable from the charging head to access it when necessary.

The device driver software will then automatically install on the computer the first time you connect your phone to it.

  1. On your phone, drag the status bar down to show to notification panel.
  2. Select a file transfer option.

An indication that your phone is already accessible through your computer is a message prompt that says “Connected as a media device” or “Connected as a camera.”

  1. Tap “Connected as a media device,” and then check the box next to Media device (MTP). By then you may begin moving contents from your phone.

Hint: Generally, “Connected as a media device” is an option used for most file transfers. If you want to change this option, simply tap the Notification in the Notification Panel. Doing so will open the USB computer connection screen wherein you can tap to select any of your preferred option.

  1. To start copying contents, click the option to “Open device to view files” on your computer.
  2. Navigate to the desired contents on your phone.
  3. Drag and drop the files into the selected folder to your computer.
  4. When you are finished copying all important files, safely disconnect your phone from the computer.

How to Back Up Contents from your Galaxy Note 5 to a Mac computer

If necessary, download the Samsung Kies for Mac OS to get started. Simply navigate to samsung.com/kies, and then click the option to Download For Mac OS. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete downloading of the Kies software to your Mac computer.

Once the Kies is successfully downloaded, proceed to the following steps:

  1. Connect the USB cable to your Galaxy Note 5.
  2. Connect the other end of the USB cable to the USB slot of your Mac computer.
  3. If necessary, touch the Status bar and then drag it down.
  4. Tap Connected as a media device.
  5. Select the check box next to Media device (MTP).
  6. On your Mac computer, click Kies to open it.
  7. Click the Back up/restore tab inside Kies. Click the Backup tab if needed.
  8. Click to select the check box next to Music and Photo. Do the same to any other available categories you want to restore.
  9. Check the box next to Select all items, to back up all your files at once.
  10. Click Backup.
  11. Once you’re done copying contents, safely disconnect your phone from the computer.

How to Back Up Contents from your Galaxy Note 5 to your Google Account

Google will automatically sync files including contacts, calendar, appointments, documents, and even certain app purchases for as long as you grant it permission to do so. Backing up of contents via Google slightly varies from phone to phone. Below are different methods of backing up various files from your new phablet to your Google Account.

How to Back Up Apps on your Galaxy Note 5 via Google

  1. Tap the Apps icon from the Home
  2. Tap on Settings.
  3. Scroll to Personal.
  4. Tap Backup & reset.

More Hints:

  • To back up any account data, Wi-Fi passwords, and other settings to Google servers, check the box next to Back up my data.
  • To restore backed up settings and data when re-installing apps, check the box next to Automatic restore.

Among other stuff you can back up through Google include your Google calendar settings, Wi-Fi networks & passwords, Home screen wallpapers, Gmail settings, apps installed via Google Play, display settings, language & input settings, date & time, and some third-party app settings and data. Apps installed via Google Play are usually backed up on the Play Store app.

How to Back Up Contacts on your Galaxy Note 5 via Google Account

  1. Tap the Apps icon from the Home
  2. Tap on Settings.
  3. Tap on Accounts.
  4. Tap to select the account you want to sync.
  5. Tap the More icon to view more options.
  6. Tap on Sync now.

How to Back Up Media Files and Photos on your Galaxy Note 5

  1. Tap Apps from any Home
  2. Tap My Files.
  3. Scroll to Local Storage.
  4. Tap Device storage.
  5. Tap More.
  6. Tap Share.
  7. Tap the content (s) you want to back up.

After selecting all contents to back up, tap Share again to start file sharing.

Specify the location you want the selected contents to be shared with. Once the location is specified, a progress bar shows until the file transfer is completed.

Once all important information on your Galaxy Note 5 is copied, you can easily restore them from the computer whenever necessary.

Connect with us

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

How to fix Samsung Galaxy Note 5 texting lag and Home button delay

In this post, I will address two of the problems that any Samsung Galaxy Note 5 (#Samsung #GalaxyNote5) owner may encounter. The first one is about a certain lag when composing a text message while the second is about the delay of the phone to respond when Home button is pressed.

Galaxy-Note-5-texting-lag

When troubleshooting the texting lag on Galaxy Note 5, the first procedure would be to determine what causes the lags. The Messaging app is actually well-integrated with other pre-installed apps and core services and just by composing a message you’re actually using, at least, two apps simultaneously. One of these apps may be causing the problem.

About the delayed response of the phone when the Home button is pressed, more often, it’s caused by a service and it’s actually a problem. It’s just that the device waits if the user will tap for the second time or not.

Now, before we go any further, if you have other concerns with you new phone, please visit our Samsung Galaxy Note 5 Troubleshooting page as it contains solutions to problem we already addressed as well as tutorials, how tos, tips, tricks and more. Find issues related to yours and try the solutions we provided. If they won’t work for you, then feel free to contact us by filling up this form.

Galaxy Note 5 texting lags

Problem: Texting lag. Sometimes it works fine and then there will be a major lag and it will take a few seconds for the keys to catch up with my typing rate. I put it in safe mode and it still happened, uninstalled a few apps, disabled Google+, did a soft reset and it’s still happening. I’ve also cleaned the cache a few times.

Troubleshooting: First of all, if you are using a third-party messaging app and keyboard, uninstall them (don’t worry you can install them back later after troubleshooting).

Now, I would assume you are using the stock messaging app and keyboard. You need to immediately isolate the problem by booting the phone in safe mode because there is still a chance one of the downloaded apps is causing.

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

Now that your phone is in safe mode, try to compose a message to see if there are still random lags. If so, then you must try to clear the caches and data of both the messaging app and the keyboard.

  1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
  2. Find and tap Settings.
  3. Under the ‘APPLICATIONS’ section, find and touch Application manager.
  4. Swipe to the left or to the right to display the appropriate screen but to display all apps, choose the ‘ALL’ screen.
  5. Find and tap the app that has issues.
  6. Touch Clear cache to delete its cached files.
  7. Touch Clear data and then OK to delete downloaded data, login information, settings, etc.

I think these procedures can fix the problem based on your description. However, if it remained after all these, you need to reset the phone and I suggest you do the master reset.

  1. Turn off your Samsung Galaxy Note 5 completely.
  2. Press and hold the Volume Up and the Home buttons first, and then press and hold the Power key.
  3. Keep the three buttons pressed and when ‘Samsung Galaxy Note5’ shows, release the Power key but continue holding the other two.
  4. Once the Android logo shows, release both the Volume Up and Home buttons.
  5. 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.
  6. Use the Volume Down key to highlight the option ‘Yes — delete all user data’ and press the Power key to select it.
  7. 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.
  8. The reboot may take a little longer to complete but don’t worry and wait for the device to become active.

This problem may be so annoying but it’s not really serious. More often, the problem is with the messaging app or the keyboard app so I’m sure one of the procedure above can fix it.

Galaxy Note 5 Home button response delay

Problem: Recently bought Samsung Galaxy Note 5, 64gb and it freezes for a few seconds when I press the Home button (fingerprint). It’s irritating especially when you need to use the phone urgently. I wonder what the problem is. Anyone? Will it work if I reset to factory settings?

Troubleshooting: The S Voice is often the cause of this problem. By default, it’s enabled so if you’re one of the many owners that can notice a split-second delay in the response when you tap the Home key and if you don’t actually use S Voice, then it’s best if you just disable it.

  1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
  2. Find and tap Settings.
  3. Under the ‘APPLICATIONS’ section, find and touch Application manager.
  4. Swipe to the left or to the right to display the appropriate screen but to display all apps, choose the ‘ALL’ screen.
  5. Find and tap S Voice.
  6. Touch Turn off.

In case you were using the fingerprint scanner, try disabling it first to see if that will make a difference. Lastly, if the problem was caused by S Voice, then factory reset will not fix it considering S Voice is enabled by default. Otherwise, you might just want to try it especially if the problem started to manifest just recently. You may follow the procedures on how to hard reset above or follow this simple factory reset via Settings:

  1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
  2. Find and tap the Settings icon.
  3. Under the ‘Personal’ section, find and tap Backup and reset.
  4. Tap Factory data reset.
  5. Touch Reset device to proceed with the reset.
  6. Depending on the security lock you used, enter the PIN or password.
  7. Tap Continue.
  8. Touch Delete all to confirm your action.

Connect with us

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

How to fix Samsung Galaxy Note 5 that’s not charging or turning on [Troubleshooting Guide & Potential Solutions]

  • Read and understand why your #Samsung Galaxy Note 5 (#Note5) suddenly refuses to charge without apparent reason and learn how to troubleshoot it in a bid to fix the problem.
  • Learn how to troubleshoot your phone that no longer turns on without apparent cause.

Once a high-end smartphone like the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 runs out of battery, there’s nothing much you can do about it but plug the charger in to replenish it. But what would you do if it didn’t respond when you connect the charging cable to it? Naturally, a device that ran out of battery and won’t charge could not turn itself on. That’s why it’s imperative you troubleshoot your phone so that it would charge normally.

In this post, I will tackle that not charging and not turning on issues with the Galaxy Note 5, which many early adopters may encounter sooner since the battery is the first to deteriorate. Some power related problems may occur to you if you’re one of the owners of this phablet, after all, it’s almost 2 years since the device was first made available to the public.

I will guide you through in troubleshooting your phone that might not be charging properly or won’t power on at all. But please note that the main purpose of this troubleshooting post is to know what the real problem is and what caused it. Once we’ve determined them, it would be easier to formulate a solution that may help you fix the problem and bring your phone to a working state.

Before anything else though, if you have problems with your phone, make sure you drop by our Note 5 troubleshooting page for we have already addressed a lot of problems with this phone. Odds are that there are already existing solutions and/or troubleshooting guides for your problem. So take time finding issues that are similar with yours and use the solutions we suggested. If they don’t work for you and you need further assistance, feel free to contact us by completing our Android issues questionnaire.

How to troubleshoot your Galaxy Note 5 that doesn’t charge

Problem: I hope you droid guys can help me because I really need your advise. I have a Galaxy Note 5. It’s been more than a year since I bought it and the battery doesn’t last as long as before so I’m actually depending on my handy charger so that when the battery gets drained, I can just plug it into the wall outlet and connect the cable to my phone. However, a few days ago I noticed it wasn’t charging anymore. I double-checked if I was using the original charger since there are a lot of other devices at home with similar chargers and I’m sure I did use the original charger. Why does my phone do this suddenly? What must I do to fix it? Thanks.

Troubleshooting: Power is very important for a smartphone like your Note 5 but if the device failed to charge when its battery ran out, it would become just another useless device on your table. When this happens, here’s what you need to do:

Step 1: Make sure it’s not just a system crash issue

This step is applicable regardless your device has already powered off or still has enough power. If caused by a system crash, the device may have just been frozen and won’t respond no matter what you do. While we are tempted to believe the firmware has nothing to do with charging, it’s not true. In fact, charging cannot be done if the firmware isn’t working properly. Since Note 5 doesn’t have a removable battery, all you can do is soft reset, which is the equivalent of the battery pull procedure. Press and hold the Volume Down button and the Power key together for 10 seconds and the phone should reboot or, at the very least, flickers. Regardless whether the phone reboots or just flickers, it should charge now, so plug the charger in.

Step 2: Connect your phone to a computer or laptop

Should your device refuse to charge even after doing the first step, it’s time you checked the charger and the cable. Connecting your phone to a computer will immediately tell you if it’s a charger problem or an issue with the cable.

If the phone charges with the computer or at least, acknowledges there’s current flowing through its circuits by displaying the charging icon (battery with a bolt through it), then the problem must be with the charger. It seems the charger no longer produces current required to charge the battery of your device.

On the other hand, if your computer doesn’t detect or recognize your phone even if it’s properly connected, then it’s possible that the problem is with the cable. However, make sure that the USB option is set to anything except “Charging” because it couldn’t be read if it only draws out electricity from your computer. But even so, it should display the usual charging icon if electricity is actually flowing through its circuits.

Of course, if you’ve verified that the problem is with the charger or the cable, the best thing to do is buy a new charger kit for your Note 5.

Step 3: Reboot your phone in Safe Mode and try charging again

In case your phone still has enough power but refuses to charge, it’s better that you restart it in safe mode and try charging while it’s in its diagnostic state. This way, you would be able to tell if the problem has something to do with the third-party apps or not.

  1. Turn off your Galaxy Note 5.
  2. Press and hold the Power key.
  3. When ‘Samsung Galaxy Note5’ appears, immediately release the Power key and then press and hold the Volume Down button.
  4. Continue holding the Volume Down button until the phone finishes the restart.
  5. When you see Safe Mode on the lower left corner of the screen, release the button.

Once your phone is in this state, plug in the charger to a wall outlet that, you know, is working and then connect your phone using the original USB cable to see if it charges while all third-party apps are temporarily disabled. If the device still refuses to charge, then the problem must have something to do with pre-installed apps or the firmware itself.

Should you suspect a third-party app is causing this problem, find that app and then uninstall it. Here’s how…

  1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
  2. Find and touch the Play Store app.
  3. Once inside the Play Store, you can search an app by category, or if you know the name of the app, just type it in the search field.
  4. Once you found the desired app, tap on it.
  5. Now touch the Install button, and then Accept.
  6. For paid apps, tap the price and follow on-screen instructions.
  7. Depending on the size of the app and the speed of your internet connection, it may take a few to several minutes for the app to be downloaded and installed.
  8. The installation will be automated and you will be notified once finished, then you can use the app.

Step 4: Try to start your phone in recovery mode and wipe the cache partition

There’s always a possibility that the problem is caused by some corrupt caches. Before going further into our troubleshooting, it’s imperative you rule this possibility out first. Well, that is if your phone is still powered on. Here’s how:

  1. Turn off your Samsung Galaxy Note 5 completely.
  2. Press and hold the Volume Up and the Home buttons first, and then press and hold the Power key.
  3. Keep the three buttons pressed and when ‘Samsung Galaxy Note5’ shows, release the Power key but continue holding the other two.
  4. Once the Android logo shows, release both the Volume Up and Home buttons.
  5. 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.
  6. Use the Volume Down key to highlight the option ‘wipe cache partition’ and press the Power key to select it.
  7. 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.
  8. The reboot may take a little longer to complete but don’t worry and wait for the device to become active.

If the problem persists after this, then we might be facing a serious firmware issue or hardware problem. If there’s still enough power left, move on to the next step, otherwise, send the phone in for repair.

Step 5: If there’s still power, perform Master Reset

This procedure will rule out the possibility that the problem is caused by a serious firmware issue. However, if there’s not enough power left, then you have no other option but to seek assistance from a technician.

  1. Turn off your Samsung Galaxy Note 5 completely.
  2. Press and hold the Volume Up and the Home buttons first, and then press and hold the Power key.
  3. Keep the three buttons pressed and when ‘Samsung Galaxy Note5’ shows, release the Power key but continue holding the other two.
  4. Once the Android logo shows, release both the Volume Up and Home buttons.
  5. 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.
  6. Use the Volume Down key to highlight the option ‘Yes — delete all user data’ and press the Power key to select it.
  7. 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.
  8. The reboot may take a little longer to complete but don’t worry and wait for the device to become active.

I hope this helps.

How to troubleshoot your Galaxy Note 5 that doesn’t turn on anymore

Problem: I am very disappointed right now since I cannot sure my phone anymore. Yesterday I was still able to snap a few pictures with it, it was working fine. When I woke up this morning, however, the screen is blank and won’t turn on no matter how hard I pressed the power key. It won’t charge either. Can you help, please?

Troubleshooting: System crashes happen all the time and they often occur when you least expect them or if the phone is in idle mode. That is why owners who have encountered this issue often reported that they just woke up with their phone’s screen black and unresponsive. Such cases are minor and can easily be fixed but there are also cases that are more complex than others. With all that being said, here’s what you should do when this happens to you:

  1. Do the Forced Reboot procedure – this has to be the first thing you need to do to immediately rule out the possibility that the problem is caused by a mere system crash. Press and hold the Volume Down button and the Power key for 15 seconds. The device should reboot if this is just a minor system crash.  
  2. Attempt to boot it up in safe mode – this doesn’t fix the issue per se but will give you an overview as to what’s causing the problem. Follow the step above and if the phone successfully booted up in safe mode, then your third-party apps have something to do with it. You just have to find the apps that are causing the problem and then uninstall them.
  3. Attempt to boot your phone in recovery mode – we’re just trying to find out if the phone is still capable of turning on even without loading the firmware because if so, then you can rest assured that the hardware of your device is fine.
  4. Charge your phone – if the device responds, then it should turn on, otherwise, you have to seek assistance from a technician to get this figured out.

I hope this troubleshooting guide helps.

Connect with us

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

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 can’t make / receive calls, other call related problems

To be able to make and receive phone calls are among the most common features a mobile phone has. In the case of your #Samsung Galaxy Note 5 (#Note5), these services must be executed without a hitch, however, we did receive a lot of complaints from our readers suggesting many owners are having difficulty making and receiving phone calls.

galaxy-note-5-phone-call-problems

So, in this post, I have addressed three of the most common call-related problems. If you own a Note 5 and are currently bugged by a problem or two, then continue reading as this post may be able to help. Go through the short list below to see if your problem is included. Just click on the link to jump to a specific issue.

If you have other problems, make sure you visit our Note 5 troubleshooting page as we’ve already answered hundreds of problems with this device. Find issues that are similar with yours and use the solutions we provided. If they don’t work or if you need further assistance, you may contact us by completing our Android issues questionnaire.

Galaxy Note 5 cannot make a phone call

Problem: It just started. My Samsung Galaxy Note 5 can no longer make a phone call. When I dial a number, the call won’t go through. I’ve already power-cycled the phone a million times but it’s still the same. Called tech support, they too don’t know what’s the problem is. So, if you guys can help me figure this out, that would be great! Thanks.

Troubleshooting:  Regardless of the brand and model of the phone, it must be connected to the provider’s cellular network to be able to receive all the services being offered. That being said, the first thing you must do is to make sure it is properly connected to the network and that it gets decent connection without any bars on your account. To make it easier for you, here’s the outline of what you need to do:

Step 1: Call your provider’s tech support

This is a very simple task to do and it’s probably the best way to determine if the problem is with your phone or network-related. The rep should be able to determine right away if there’s a problem with your area or if there’s a certain problem with the tower where you get service from. In which case, only your provider can help you determine the problem and provide a solution, however, if the problem is with your phone, they you should continue troubleshooting. So that you can easily remember things you must inquire about, here’s a short list:

  • Ask if there’s an ongoing outage in your area
  • Inquire if there’s a network problem like service interruption in your area
  • Ask if there’s a problem in the tower your phone is connected to
  • Ask if there’s a problem with your account. Account verification may be necessary.
  • Verify that your phone is properly provisioned and setup properly

Step 2: Perform Master Reset on your Note 5

After calling tech support and the rep told you everything looks good on their end, then don’t waste your time with other things. Instead, backup your data and files and then do the master reset. This will bring the phone back to its default settings:

  1. Remove your Google account and disengage the screen locks to make sure you won’t trip the Factory Reset Protection (FRP).
  2. Turn off your Samsung Galaxy Note 5.
  3. Press and hold the Volume Up, Home and Power keys together.
  4. When the device powers on and displays ‘Power on logo’, release all keys and the Android icon will appear on the screen.
  5. Wait until the Android Recovery Screen appears after about 30 seconds.
  6. Using the Volume Down key, highlight the option, ‘wipe data/factory reset’ and press the Power key to select it.
  7. Press the Vol Down button again until the option ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted and then press the Power key to select it.
  8. After the reset is complete, highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and hit the Power key to restart the phone.

After the reset and the problem persists, bring the phone to the store and have it checked.

Calls to Galaxy Note 5 go straight to Voicemail

Problem: I can make outgoing phone calls but when my friends or family call me, their calls will be sent directly to Voicemail but on my end, I couldn’t hear the phone ring and there’s nothing on the Missed Calls log. I want to fix the problem I don’t know where to begin. I hope you can help, thank you!

Solution: This problem can happen if there are some corrupt caches and data on your phone. If it occurred shortly after an update, it might be the cache, so try to wipe the cache partition first.

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

If the wiping of the cache partition won’t bring about good results, then reset your phone. Try the typical factory reset first and then the master reset if it fails but make sure you backup your files and data first as they’ll be deleted.

  1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
  2. Find and tap the Settings icon.
  3. Under the ‘Personal’ section, find and tap Backup and reset.
  4. Tap Factory data reset.
  5. Touch Reset device to proceed with the reset.
  6. Depending on the security lock you used, enter the PIN or password.
  7. Tap Continue.
  8. Touch Delete all to confirm your action.

Should the problem continue after the reset, then call tech support. During my tenure as a tech support representative for one of the wireless companies in the U.S., I always get this kind of problem. We had a tool that could fix it in one click. Thus, if the problem isn’t fixed by doing the basic troubleshooting, let tech support fix it for you.

Galaxy Note 5 doesn’t have an option to view caller ID

Problem: There is not an option to change or view caller ID in “More Settings” on Note 5, although all the instructions I’ve followed have said that is where you can change it-Phone , Settings ,More Settings-no caller ID anything. However I have read numerous complaints of same nature from other Note 5 owners. If hiding caller ID is not an option on Note 5 you should remove the instructions you post to accomplish it.
Troubleshooting: Identifying callers is very important especially if your phone number is exclusive for business purposes only.  Waiting for a call from a friend or family as well, is one of the common reasons why “Caller Identification” has been included in phone features. In general, Caller ID lets your friends, family and business associates let you know that they are calling you and vice versa. But how will you enjoy this phone feature especially in your awesome Samsung Galaxy Note 5 if you can’t simply have it set up? There is nothing to worry because we are here to keep you at ease. Below are the things that you have to do to view or change caller ID feature.
Now, if ever this method will not work after you follow the steps below, we recommend that calling your network provider is the best option, other network providers won’t allow “hide caller ID”. Only your network provider can tell what the reason behind it.

  1. From your Home Screen, tap Apps.
  2. Go to Contacts.
  3. From the drop down list on Menu, tap Settings.
  4. Tap Call.
  5. Select More Settings.
  6. A pop up will appear. Tap Caller ID.
  7. From that, Caller ID options will be given.
  8. Tap on your preferred Caller ID setting.
  • Network Default – This uses your Network Default settings. This service is provided by your Network Operator.
  • Hide Number – This feature allows you to hide your number in outgoing calls.
  • Show Number – Feature that will show your number in outgoing calls. Note: If your Caller ID is not showing, you have to make sure that your SIM card is in the device. Caller ID feature is automatically disabled if the device cannot detect a SIM number.

We hope that after following the steps above, your problem on Caller ID feature will be solved because your safety away from nuisance callers are our concern.

CONNECT WITH US

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

Best quick-charging Android smartphones money can buy

Charging your phone every single night after returning from work, school or a stroll around town in order to be able to start again the next morning without losing track of your Facebook friends, favorite Twitter feeds or Pinterests might well be the most annoying modern-day chore.

Android battery

It’s not only boring as heck, but you have to actually remember to do it, not to mention keeping all sorts of cables on hand and hugging walls for hours on end. Of course, some devices last longer than others, and you can always use power banks on the go whenever you need a quick, no-plug-in-necessary pick-me-up.

And let’s not forget about wireless charging, which is slowly taking off, although it’s not exactly wireless if the dock must be physically connected to an energy supply for the whole thing to function.

Quick Charge 2.0

Finally, while it doesn’t solve the underlying problem, i.e. the constant demand for more juice, fast-charging technology at least reduces the time wasted waiting. Like many mobile inventions, this is bound to become truly useful down the line, when you’ll be able to fill up the tank in mere minutes.

But there are already numerous Android phones endowed with Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 capabilities or similar functionality, and we give you today the cream of that crop:

LG G4 – starting at $371 on Amazon

LG G4 battery

Will the G5 make this old-timer look its age at last in a little over a week, with a vastly refined design, considerably beefier processor under the hood, more RAM, a better camera, and smoother UI? You can bet the farm, the house, everything you own on that.

It’ll even invigorate its battery 38 percent faster than the G4, courtesy of Snapdragon 820’s Quick Charge 3.0 support. At the same time, it’ll probably cost twice as much, and you have to wonder if it’s worth the premium. After all, last year’s leather-clad bad boy can still lift its cell capacity from 0 to 60 percent in half an hour. And mind you, we’re talking a relatively large 3,000 mAh battery.

HTC One A9 – $386 and up

htc-one-a9

If you ever wondered how an Android-running iPhone from a legit OEM might look, this somewhat disappointing upper mid-ranger is your guy. It’s slightly overpriced, we won’t argue otherwise, but it’s compatible with both Quick Charge 2.0 and 3.0 standards. The bad news? You need to pay extra for one of those super-fast charger accessories.

The worse news? The A9 packs a tiny 2,150 mAh battery, so no matter how quickly you can liven it up, it’ll still leave you hanging when you might need it most. Say, during a business meeting. So yeah, better not risk it and instead buy the…

ZTE Axon Pro – $400

zte-axon-pro

A costlier ZTE recommended over an affordable HTC? What exactly is the Axon Pro’s secret? Well, it’s got several strong suits, all made public and marketed quite aggressively on US shores of late. Number one, a beautiful 5.5-inch Quad HD display. 2, a somewhat gimmicky but proficient 13 + 2 MP dual rear-facing camera. 3, more RAM than you could ever need on a mobile device (4 gigs). 4, a respectable 3,000 mAh battery. Last but not least, standard fast-charging times: 30 minutes to go from 0 to 60. In a nutshell, plenty of bang for 400 bucks.

Nexus 6P – $450 through Google Store

Nexus 6P

This stock Android Marshmallow-based phablet is sure an odd duck. For one thing, it comes with a reversible USB Type-C port that isn’t however capable of 3.1 data transmission and charging speeds. Granted, a slew of other phones released in the latter stages of 2015 half-heartedly adopted the new USB technology like that, but only the N6P also lacks Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 support.

Fret not, as it’s gifted with a proprietary equivalent nonetheless, though Google and Huawei refuse to make any pompous claims regarding stamina-inducing times. Even if it takes, say, an hour to reach 50 percent volume, this is a must-buy for Android purists, what with a 3,450 mAh battery, Snapdragon 810 SoC, 3GB RAM, and 5.7-inch 2K screen on deck.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 – $588 and up

Galaxy Note 5

Since Sammy was basically forced to fit a homebrewed processor inside its latest wave of high-enders, their rapid charging technology is different from Qualcomm’s too, promising a full tank in a measly 120 minutes, even wirelessly beefed up.

A full 3,000 mAh tank, that is, rated at up to 22 hours of continuous 3G talk time. Add an S Pen into the equation, all-time record low price, and we see no reason why you should hold off for the Galaxy S7. Well, aside from microSD storage expansion maybe.

Motorola Droid Turbo 2 – $624 full retail price at Verizon

Droid Turbo 2

As the name suggests, this turbo-charging beast uses its own personal implementation of standard QC technology, squeezing no less than 13 hours of average usage from a massive 3,760 mAh battery after only 15 minutes spent hugging a wall. Such a shame the “shatterproof” 5.4-incher isn’t available on America’s number two, three or four operators. Guess that’s one of the reasons Big Red preserves its market domination.

LG V10 – $620 and up

LG V10

50 percent in 40 minutes? That’s not so impressive. It’s definitely not record-breaking or trend-setting, but overall, the V10 is. Because it’s also military-approved for shock resistance, including contact with hard surfaces, equipped with a secondary notification display that can be both an energy and life saver, plus two front-facing cameras for… double the selfies?

Clearly, you’re dealing with a one-of-a-kind product, and even if it’s not a rapid-charging champion, it gets that job done too in addition to a bunch of other strenuous jobs.

BlackBerry Priv – $698

blackberry-priv

Would this particular writer ever consider buying the Priv? No chance. Not at $700, and possibly, not at a penny over $600 either. But that’s because I’m personally not obsessed with security, and my physical QWERTY keyboard love affair ended half a decade ago.

If you’re into those sorts of things though, you know how hard it is to find them elsewhere, especially combined with open-source Android, Google apps, a beautiful curved Quad HD AMOLED panel, and large 3,410 mAh battery capable of providing 60 percent juice after 30 minutes “wasted” hooked up to a power supply.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 can’t get past the setup page after the reset & other firmware related problems

I addressed a few firmware related problems that any Samsung Galaxy Note 5 (#Samsung #GalaxyNote5) owner may encounter. The first problem is about the issue that the phone can’t get past the setup page after the reset. For those who don’t know yet, there’s a security feature that temporarily locks out even the owner. It can be triggered if the account that is associated with the phone got its password reset and then followed by a factory reset on the phone. The phone will be locked out for 72 hours.

Samsung-Galaxy-Note-5-Smart-Network-Switch

Read on to know more of the problems I cited here and how to tackle them. If you were trying to find solutions to a different issue, visit our Galaxy Note 5 troubleshooting page where we list down every problem we address each week. Try to find issues related to yours and use the solutions we suggested. If they won’t work, then you may contact us by filling up this questionnaire.

Here are the problems I addressed in this post…

Galaxy Note 5 asks for owners account info after reset (Verizon)

Problem: My company purchased a Note 5 for a new employee.  He did not last, it did not end well.  We have the device but he added his private google account to the phone and attached to his own phone number to the device.  Because he put a private, not corp, phone number on the device Verizon will not help.  We got the employee to enter his account info once and do a wipe.  The phone now asks for the account again.  I have done multiple wipes/data deletions etc using the home/volume/power keys but the device asks for the account info.  Samsung will not help, this is an expensive paper weight at this point what can I do?

Suggestion: Wait for 72 hours. It’s an added security feature that can be triggered when the user resets his Google password and the phone which the account is associated with is reset. When this occurs, you will be stuck on the screen that asks for the account info or credentials and you can’t get past that until 72 hours (since the reset) have elapsed. There’s no working around it unless you manually flash a firmware to the phone to override the existing one, but that too, is very risky and will surely void the warranty if Knox counter is tripped. So, just wait it out. Your provider can’t help you, Samsung won’t help you and Google will advice you to wait for 72 hours.

Galaxy Note 5 won’t auto-connect to mobile data

Problem: This problem has been going on. Since I bought my phone not two months ago. When I am in a place indoors that has no connection and then come back outside to areas where I do have connection, I still get the greyed out signal bars with the x icon. This issue does not go areas way and the phone does not read text service until I restart my phone which can get very annoying. Any help would be appreciated! I have tried doing a “soft reset” by clicking the mobile data icon off and then on, but this does not help. I have no issues connecting to wifi, but the mobile data just seems to be the issue. When I go to my settings the access point name for Verizon is grayed out. I don’t know if that helps or not.

Troubleshooting: It will take some time for the phone to detect and reconnect to the cellular network and if the coverage is weak, it may not be able to reconnect automatically without rebooting the phone. It may be remedied by changing the Network Mode:

  1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
  2. Touch Settings and then Mobile networks.
  3. Tap Network mode and choose GSM/UMTS.

As to the internet that won’t automatically reconnect via mobile data, there’s also a settings for that.

  1. Swipe down from the top of the screen.
  2. Tap and hold the Wi-Fi icon.
  3. Touch More.
  4. Touch Smart Network Switch.
  5. Touch On to enable it.
  6. Your phone will now automatically reconnect to mobile data network if it’s out of range of the Wi-Fi network.

Can’t setup the Note 5 after factory reset

Problem: Hello! I have a huge problem my brother got a brand new Samsung Galaxy Note 5 a month ago and he recently got deployed to Afghanistan. He let me have his phone. He rebooted the phone and everything so when I turn it on its like a brand new phone then it asks me to enter my google email and password that came with the phone and my brother doesn’t remember the email or password is there a way to fix this issue?

Troubleshooting: Your brother didn’t just rebooted it, he did a reset to wipe everything in it. Now, the phone can’t get past the setup page. This problem is the same as the previous issue and the solution to this is to wait for 72 hours before you can successfully set it up. You may enter your own account after that time has elapsed. So, as of now, just let the phone be as there’s no working around it.

Galaxy Note 5 entered boot loop after a restart

Problem: When I press task manager on my Note 5 I restarted my phone and when it boot up. I thought I could finally use it but it’s continuously rebooting and I could not shut it off.

Troubleshooting: First of all, check if the Power key is stuck. Try pressing it many times to see if you can fix it like that. If the problem continues, try to press and hold the Volume Down and Power keys together for 20 seconds to do the simulated battery disconnect. If the issue still persists after that, you need to have it checked.

“Custom Binary Blocked by FRP Lock” error after rooting

Problem: I tried to root my Note 5. After the root, the device keeps shutting down and in the upper-left corner it shows “Custom Binary Blocked by FRB lock.” I can’t boot it up. Please help.

Troubleshooting: I believe you are techie enough to have tried to root your phone. So, here’s what you’re going to do — unroot and restore your Note 5 back to stock.

  1. Boot your phone into Download Mode so Odin can access its partitions.
  2. If you haven’t installed it’s drivers yet, please do.
  3. Install Odin to your computer.
  4. Find and download the stock firmware for your phone from Sammobile.com.
  5. Extract the downloaded firmware file.
  6. Run Odin as administrator on your computer.
  7. Connect your phone to your computer and make sure Odin recognizes it.
  8. Leave every option on Odin as is and click the “AP” button and then navigate to the directory where you extracted the firmware file.
  9. Once you’ve selected the firmware, look at the “Log” tab on Odin and when you see “Leave CS,” you’re ready to flash the firmware.
  10. Hit Start to begin the flash and then wait
  11. Once Odin displays “Pass” it means the flashing was successful and your phone will automatically reboot. Just wait for it to come back up and it should boot up successfully, albeit longer than usual.

Galaxy Note 5 won’t turn on or charge

Problem: Forgot to charge my phone while I slept. Woke up this morning and my Note 5 just refuses to turn on or charge. I plugged into several outlets, used different USB wires, and tried the wireless charging as well. I even went through your page on this problem, and no reboot is happening at all. I don’t know what else to do. Hope you guys can help me out! Thank you for your time.

Troubleshooting: How much battery was left when you went to sleep? An unused Note 5 will drain the batter slower than usual. In fact, 10% of battery can reach up to 10 hours if the phone is left unused but it depends on the apps and services running in the background. There’s a chance the system crashed and rendered your phone unresponsive. So, try pressing and holding both the Volume Down and Power keys together for 20 seconds to simulate the battery disconnect. If it were just a system crash, the phone should reboot. If not, then it could be just a drained battery. Just plug it in using the original USB cable and power adapter. The phone may not respond as soon as you plug it so give it ten minutes and then try turning it on again. If that won’t work either, then have a technician take a look at it.

Galaxy Note 5 got water-damaged

Problem: My brand new Note 5 dropped into water, sent it to the Samsung Service centre and they told me it cannot be repair without even bother to try and clean it first ,they quoted for 5 items that need to be replaced, LCD,  Motherboard , Batt,…etc. (that totaled up cost a brand new Note 5.)

I was frustrated and insist the technician to help me to try clean the motherboard first , they insist it was spoilt.

After they have cleaned it ,they still tell me the same problem and it cannot be power on or charging.

I tried my ways to reboot the unit , dry it and charged it and it seems there’s still a little hope that my phone can be save. It has sound , the LEE indicator light was blinking, and the charging tone got sound too unfortunately the display screen is not working ,it’s completely black and I can’t see a thing. What will be your advise ? Is my phone still can be safe and back alive again? Sad user.

Answer: What do you want us to say? Do you expect us to say that Samsung techs were wrong when they diagnosed your phone’s LCD, motherboard, battery, etc. need replacement due to liquid damage? You’re lucky they even bother to cater on your needs when it was clear water damage isn’t covered by warranty.

There’s no way to tell the extent of the water damage. When it happens though, the first thing that will be affect is the power IC, which is responsible in distributing current to all components. Obviously, the phone’s hardware is messed up. The tech cleaned it as you requested but the problem remained. So, our advice is: listen to the technician or buy a new phone.

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

 

How to fix Samsung Galaxy Note 5 that’s not charging & other power related issues

The recent #Marshmallow update for the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 (#Note5) seems to have brought not just #firmware and system related issues but also charging and power problems. Among the most common ones are slow and not charging issues followed with quick draining problems.

Galaxy-Note-5-charging-power-issues

I addressed several power related issues in this post so if you’ve contacted us about a related problem, browse through the issues I cited as I may have included yours. I also provided step-by-step instructions on what to do if you encounter one of the issues.

For those who have other concerns, visit our troubleshooting page and find issues that are similar or related to yours and use the solutions we provided. You may also contact us by completing our Android problems questionnaire in case you need further assistance.

Before going any further, for those who think they bricked their phone after updating to Marshmallow, try to read the following solution shared by one of our readers as it can help you:

“On your web page Android Marshmallow update bricks a Galaxy Note 5, other issues, you describe problem #3. I had this problem and found the following solution: allow GearVR to finish installing & go through its restarts. Then, allow Occulus to install – but don’t set up an account.

Then, go ahead and disable/Uninstall as many of them (Gear VR installs about 5 to 8 and Occulus installs lime 3) as your phone will allow. Clear the cache & data for the others.

Then reboot.

My phone was doing the exact problem described to where I couldn’t charge at all and couldn’t carry out hardly any functions because it would say it was charging & do the blue half circle up the screen from the charging port almost non-stop.. Then, after the above solution about a month ago, no more problem with it at all! — Rob”

Galaxy Note 5 charging & power issues

Q: “Phone died and I plugged it into the charger as usual. That same day it did a system update. Phone’s percent stays at 0% and will not get past the Samsung logo before its in a loop. I’ve tried holding all the button combinations but the only one that gets a response is the down volume, power button and home button simultaneously while connected to the charger but hitting down to reset doesn’t work and I’m afraid to hit up for the custom os because it says it could cause issues with the phone.”

A: It is important that you can make the phone charge again because if not, you can’t proceed with your troubleshooting to fix other problems. Basing on your description, this is what you’re going to do:

  1. Turn off the phone completely.
  2. While powered off, plug it in and leave it that way for at least 20 minutes.
  3. Attempt to turn the phone on using the usual method.
  4. If it doesn’t respond, press and hold the Volume Down and Power keys together for 10 to 20 seconds.
  5. The device may reboot successfully but if it doesn’t, then continue charging it.

This charging issue might be caused by a glitch in the firmware or the new system since your device updated recently. So, if it continues to occur, I suggest you try to wipe the cache partition to delete the system cache:

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

I hope this helps.

Q: “I just received my phone approximately early of December 2015. I’m using (adaptive fast charging) the original cable charger of Note 5 and it was fine for few months which will indicate my phone by using (fast charging) when I charge my phone. But recently, I have this problem where the battery indicator says it is charging by using (cable charger). It also take time to charge my phone from the usual time frame of charging.”

A: At least your phone charges so this problem should be minor. Reading between the lines, I believe you want your phone to fast-charge again like before, right? There are various factors that may hinder a phone like the Note 5 from fast-charging and the most common of them are as follows:

  • Too many apps running in the background and draining the battery faster than the phone can charge.
  • The device is heating up when plugged in to charge. As a pre-caution, the Note 5 is programmed not to fast-charge when it’s heating up to avoid overheating as the charging process itself causes the device to heat up at a certain degree.
  • The screen is on when charging.

Based on these things, here’s what I think you need to do to troubleshoot the problem and make your device fast-charge again:

  1. Turn off your phone and plug it in to charge. Verify if it’s charging fast or at a normal pace.
  2. If it doesn’t fast-charge even when OEM charger and cable are used, you should visit a technician right away to have it checked.

Why should you visit a technician right away? Because it might be a hardware problem we can only do so much about it. Buying a new charger is impractical at this point as we don’t know for sure if it’s the problem. Also, we can’t just remove the battery of the phone and use a different one to see if that fixes the problem.

On the other hand, if your phone is fast-charging while turned off, try these steps:

  1. Boot your device in safe mode and plug it in to see if it charges fast. It will give you an insight if your third-party or downloaded apps are causing the problem. Booting the device in safe mode will temporarily disable all third-party apps, so if the problem is caused by them, your Note 5 should fast-charge while in that state.
  2. If the phone fast charge while turned off but charges slow when powered on, then it’s time you did the master reset to bring the phone back to its default settings but make sure you back up all your data before doing so.

How to boot Note 5 in safe mode

  1. Turn off your Galaxy S6.
  2. Press and hold the Power key.
  3. When ‘Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge’ appears, immediately release the Power key and then press and hold the Volume Down button.
  4. Continue holding the Volume Down button until the phone finishes the restart.
  5. When you see Safe Mode on the lower left corner of the screen, release the button.

How to do Master Reset on Note 5

  1. Turn off your Samsung Galaxy Note 5.
  2. Press and hold the Volume Up, Home and Power keys together.
  3. When the device powers on and displays ‘Power on logo’, release all keys and the Android icon will appear on the screen.
  4. Wait until the Android Recovery Screen appears after about 30 seconds.
  5. Using the Volume Down key, highlight the option, ‘wipe data/factory reset’ and press the Power key to select it.
  6. Press the Vol Down button again until the option ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted and then press the Power key to select it.
  7. After the reset is complete, highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and hit the Power key to restart the phone.

Q: “The phone was on the charger overnight. When I woke up the phone only shows the “Samsung Galaxy Note 5 Powered by Android” screen. It only shows this when I push one of the buttons on the phone. I tried doing a Master Reset following the directions on this site but nothing is happening. I can’t shut it off nor will it finishing booting up. The only thing it will do is show the “Samsung Galaxy Note 5 Powered by Android” screen.”

A: I think this is just a typical system crash issue that occurs every now and then to powerful smartphones like the Note 5. Luckily, it’s easy to fix it. All you got to do is press and hold the Volume Down button and the Power key together for 10 to 20 seconds. The phone should reboot after that.

Q: “Hi!  For some unknown reason my Note 5 will not turn on…when I do it just comes on then turns right back off. I have tried erasing the cache starting it in safe mode all of that but still nothing. Someone told me it may be the battery, but it just doesn’t act like a battery issue to me. Please Help Me! Thank You!”

A: If the phone didn’t suffer from any physical or liquid damage and if this problem started out of nowhere without apparent reason at all, then it might be just the Power key being stuck. That may be the reason why the phone can’t boot up successfully, instead, it turns off after a few seconds.

  1. Try to press the Power key multiple times to see if you can fix it with that.
  2. If you’re using third-party cases or covers, try to remove them just to rule out the possibility that it’s an accessory problem.
  3. If the problem persists, I suggest you go to a technician and have it checked.

Q: “My phone is not charging properly. I have my fast charger and cord connected to the wall,  and it will not charge fully, and will not hold a charge. I have tried to troubleshoot this, and can not find anything to help.”

A: I understand you already tried to troubleshoot your problem to no avail but based on your description, it seems to me like this is just a minor issue with apps or the firmware. Try to do these things if you haven’t already…

  1. Boot your phone in safe mode and see if it charges properly in that state and if so, your third-party apps may have something to do with the problem.
  2. Try to turn off your phone and see if it charges fine when all components are powered down. If it charges properly when turned off, then you have the firmware and your apps to be the suspect.

Doing the master reset may solve the problem.

Q: “One night I was charging my phone and the next day it wouldn’t charge and so I took it into geek squad and they fixed it but later that night it wouldn’t charge again and I think it has to do with the marshmallow update because it was fine until late I updated it.”

A: Well, it could be because of the update or it might be an issue with the charger. When you had it checked, did the tech use the charger you’re using? If so, then it might just the firmware. In this case, the best thing you need to do first is to delete the system cache and if that doesn’t fix the problem, then do the master reset.

Q: “Hi My phone did an update and now it keeps restarting every 5 seconds it just does not stop. I rebooted it and its still doing the same thing? I can’t even save any data or files because it keeps turning on and off? Please help as I’ve got a lot of important information on it?

Please get back to me asap. Thanks, Ana.”

A: Hey Ana. Just like one of the problems above, it might be a stuck Power key. Try pressing it multiple times to see if that could fix it, if not, then you really have to see a technician about it.

Q: “When I bought this unit 3 weeks ago, when the unit is put on power the samsung start up logo appears in colors with music, that usual sparkling colours and oval ring and so on and so forth. This feature is absent now. There is only the white Samsung without the oval colour ring or colurs or music or sound, JUST white Samsung as it comes on, and boots in white. Also the swipe down status bar is in white color with blue icons where as in the beginning it was sort of greenish. Should I take it to Samsung service center? I tried to reset to factory settings but this start up color feature was not restored.”

A: I know for a fact that with the Note 3 you just have to dial *#8800# and the default boot logo will be restored. I’m not sure what’s the code for the Note 5. I think you should call Samsung tech support about it and ask for the code or they may know other ways to restore the default startup logo.

Q: “I just got a phone as a gift Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and my battery runs out really fast and if I put my phone on power save, then my Whatsapp calls don’t work anymore. can I call from Skype? The other thing is I can’t play my Whatsapp voice notes on my phone. I can only hear them on Whatsapp. If I try hearing them without opening my Whatsapp, it doesn’t play. Could you please help me out?”

A: When seeking assistance about quick battery draining issue, you should give an estimate on how fast your phone drains its entire battery so we can compare with the normal discharge time.  Besides, the pace depends on your phone habits, the apps you use, the level of brightness you set your screen at, etc. We cannot just assume things because in the first place, we don’t know how your phone is set up and secondly, we base all our troubleshooting on information we receive from our readers. In this case, we really can’t provide you a solution to the draining issue unless you contact us again and provide us more information.

About your Whatsapp voice notes, if I’m not mistaken, they’re in .m4a format, which is readable by any music app in the Play Store including the native one that’s already in your phone. However, if the music app can’t recognize it, then download a converter app and convert it to .mp3 file format. If you think this procedure is a hassle on your part, then just use Whatsapp in playing voice notes. After all, that’s the way it should be.

And yeah, you can call somebody through Skype provided you have an active and stable internet connection.

Q: “My phone kept restarting every 2 minutes which I was sure was due to viruses from internet pop ups etc. so my friend reset my phone and all the data erased. Now the screen is just showing the initial ‘SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE 5…powered by android’ i.e the initial screen that the phone shows when switched on, and its not moving past that screen. It’s been 24 hours thus. Should I wait more or give it for repair?”

A: All you need to do to make your phone again is to wipe the cache partition. Follow the instructions in the first problem above.

Q: “In the last five days or so, my battery has been draining very quickly.  I cannot make it through the day without recharging.  I usually charge it off at night and I try to keep my apps closed when not using them.  Today, it was below 9% before 1:30 and I unplugged it 5:30 this morning.  My phone is only about a year old.”

A: It’s more difficult to determine the cause of the problem than to fix the problem itself. All you need to do is observe your phone and this is what I suggest you do:

  1. Boot your phone in safe mode.
  2. Continue using the phone while all third-party apps are temporarily disabled. If it discharges quickly, then it must be a firmware issue.
  3. For firmware issues, you can try wiping the cache partition and do the master reset.
  4. If all else fails, you must have it checked by a technician.

Connect with us

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

How to fix various Samsung Galaxy Note 5 SMS and MMS issues after Marshmallow

The problems I addressed in this post are a combination of #SMS issues and #MMS-related error and problems reported to us by #Samsung Galaxy Note 5 (#Note5) owners. While we may have already addressed similar issues before, we are find it necessary to answer the questions sent by our readers and besides, these issues occurred after the Marshmallow update.

Galaxy-Note-5-texting-problems

Read on to understand more about them and to learn how to deal with them in case you’ll encounter one in the future. Texting-related problems are often minor in nature but there are times when they cause a lot of trouble.

For those who have other issues with the Note 5, make sure you visit our troubleshooting page for we have already answered hundreds of problems since the release of this device. Odds are that we have already provided solutions to your problem and all you need to do is to find a similar issue and use the solution. Of course, you can always contact us if you need further assistance. Just fill up our Android issues questionnaire and hit submit, don’t worry, it’s free.

Galaxy Note 5 receives group texts as individual messages

Problem: My factory installed text messaging program will show me when i’m receiving a group text. I have no clue it’s a group text until I receive responses separately from those who were included. Is there a way to fix this? I’ve gone through and played with modifying/reverting settings but nothing works. Please help. Thanks.

Solution: There’s a setting that you need to turn on so that messages that are supposed to be group messages will be received as group conversations instead of individual text message. I don’t know what settings you turned off and on but the only way to fix this problem is by going to Settings > Applications > Messages > More settings > Multimedia messages > enable Group conversations.

Can the character counter in Messages app be removed?

Question: How do I get rid of the 160 character count on my phone? Before the software update I used to possibly be able to get rid of the character count & now it seems like I’m not able to get rid of it. I’ve tried & looked up everything I could possibly do & nothing works. I need to know how to get rid of it if it’s possible still.

Answer: No, you can’t remove the counter as it is important for users to know if their text messages will be sent as a 1-page text or more. I’m not sure why you want to get rid of the counter but if you were thinking that your messages are limited to just 160 characters, you’re wrong. You can go beyond that number and if you have mobile data enabled and the APN settings setup on your phone, your message will be automatically converted to MMS.

Voice input missing in Galaxy Note 5, how to get it back

Problem: I use Verizon’s messaging. I used to be able to talk into the phone and the phone would type out what I said into a text message. I can’t do that anymore. Now, when I talk into the phone, an audio text message is sent. How can I talk and get typed text back?

Problem 2: When texting or using my keyboard I no longer have the voice to text button  (microphone) button. Is there a way to get that back?

Solution: There’s a couple of things you have to do to get the voice input back. First, go to Apps > Settings > Language and input > make sure Google voice typing is enabled.

Second, when composing a text message, press and hold the gear icon and switch to microphone icon. To use the voice input function, tap the mic icon and being dictating your message.

Galaxy Note 5 can’t download MMS or picture messages

Problem: When someone sends me a picture through the phone’s messaging service. Its listed as No Subject, message Size: 32kb (example) and Expires 8:51 am July 2, I hit the box to download it and it says “Download of (No Subject) from (the number it came from) failed.” I have no clue on how to fix this.  Please help.

Solution: Enable mobile data on your device as it is required to be able to transmit MMS. If it’s already enabled, then the APN might not have been setup correctly. I don’t know what your service provider is but you need to call tech support and ask for the APN for your device. Ask the rep to walk you through in setting it up. Once you’ve setup the APN and enabled mobile data on your phone, this problem will be gone.

Galaxy Note 5 Messages app not displaying text messages

Problem: After I updated my phone to 6.0.1 my messages keep on saying refreshing. I can’t open and texts or I can’t send any texts.

Troubleshooting: It’s a minor problem with the app and many actually reported similar issues after the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow update. The most effective solution to this issue is by clearing the cache and data of the Messages app.

  1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
  2. Find and tap Settings.
  3. Under the ‘APPLICATIONS’ section, find and touch Application manager.
  4. Swipe to the left or to the right to display the appropriate screen but to display all apps, choose the ‘ALL’ screen.
  5. Find and tap Messages.
  6. Tap Clear Cache.
  7. Tap Clear Data, then OK.

Just in case this procedure doesn’t fix the problem, you need to wipe off the system cache so that the new system will be forced to create new ones.

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

Galaxy Note 5 not display contact information after the update

Problem: I have not downloaded any new apps but just recently upgraded to marshmallow per a notification that I needed to.  Now when I receive a group text, I can’t figure out a way to see who else is a part of the group conversation.  Everything is working fine but it will just say name #1, name #2, and 5 others but I can no longer tap there to see who the 5 others are.  I also can’t add any new people to the group like I used to be able to.

Troubleshooting: Try to reboot the phone first and if you can see on the screen that apps are being optimized, reboot the device for 3 or 4 times just to make sure all apps are well-optimize. If the problem remains after that, then follow the instructions above on how to wipe the cache partition.

After wiping the cache partition and the problem still remains, clear the cache and data of the Contacts app and then the Messages app.

  1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
  2. Find and tap Settings.
  3. Under the ‘APPLICATIONS’ section, find and touch Application manager.
  4. Swipe to the left or to the right to display the appropriate screen but to display all apps, choose the ‘ALL’ screen.
  5. Find and tap Contacts.
  6. Tap Clear Cache.
  7. Tap Clear Data, then OK.

Lastly, if all else fails, then backup your data and do the master reset.

  1. Remove your Google account and disengage the screen locks to make sure you won’t trip the Factory Reset Protection (FRP).
  2. Turn off your Samsung Galaxy Note 5.
  3. Press and hold the Volume Up, Home and Power keys together.
  4. When the device powers on and displays ‘Power on logo’, release all keys and the Android icon will appear on the screen.
  5. Wait until the Android Recovery Screen appears after about 30 seconds.
  6. Using the Volume Down key, highlight the option, ‘wipe data/factory reset’ and press the Power key to select it.
  7. Press the Vol Down button again until the option ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted and then press the Power key to select it.
  8. After the reset is complete, highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and hit the Power key to restart the phone.

Owner switched provided, MMS no longer works

Problem: My picture messaging has always worked great. I bought my phone out and switched to Cricket wireless. Now I can’t recieve or send picture messages. No matter what I do. I have reset the network, I have totally reset my phone. I’ve installed different messaging apps to try them to see if they will work but it still will not work. I have worked with cricket many times and the last time they suggested I contact samsung. I don’t know what else to do.

Answer: Installing different messaging apps won’t help but enabling mobile data will. I understand you already worked with Cricket reps and I’m sure they’ve already done one important thing on their part–provisioning. I don’t know if the mobile data is turned on or off in your phone but if it’s already enabled and you’re still having issues with MMS, then call tech support again and this time as the rep for the correct APN for your phone and ask for assistance in setting it up. If this fails as well, then it might be a issue with Cricket or you may need to call Samsung.

CONNECT WITH US

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