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Galaxy S6

Mobile data not working on Samsung Galaxy S6 & other internet problems

We received several emails from owners of the Samsung Galaxy S6 (#Samsung #GalaxyS6) complaining about not being able to get on the #internet using mobile data. There are several reasons why it doesn’t work but the most common of all is the incorrect APN settings. Unlike Wi-Fi, mobile data is a bit more complicated. Aside from the fact that it needs to be enabled to work, the APN settings should also conform with the service providers settings so that the device can connect to the network and get service.

Galaxy-S6-mobile-data-problems

In this post, I included some of the problems we received. Read on to learn more how to deal with them. For those who are looking for a solution to a different problem, skim through our S6 troubleshooting page to see if your concern has already been addressed before, you may then use the solutions we suggested. If they won’t work or if you can’t find issues that are related to yours, then fill up this questionnaire to contact us.

Galaxy S6 can’t get mobile data while roaming

Problem: Issue since bought phone in April.  While roaming in a remote area, unable to get mobile data, i.e. email, Weather channel app data, radar data, etc on Samsun S6.  When in this exact area, my previous phone iphone 4s worked fine.  Tried everything – hours on call to Customer Service, hours in store with Sprint.  When friend came with Samsung S5 to same area, same space, he received mobile data, I did not – still.  Have tried, Automatic, CDMA/LTE, CDMA, updating profile, etc…  Last time Sprint techs at store said it was because the S6 doesn’t have a strong (2 wire) antenna like the S5 does.  They maybe willing to swap out my phones. Please let me know your thoughts, ideas, suggestions.

Suggestion: Regardless of the technicalities, a brand new phone should be able to pick up good signal in an area where there is good coverage. I understand if the representative cited something that you really couldn’t confirm but the point is if other phones could get good coverage in that same exact area, your device should be able to get the same but it didn’t so there’s must be some issues. I think you just have the phone swapped out. If there really is an issue with the phone’s capability to detect signals, then there’s not much we can do about it. Only Samsung is capable of doing something to remedy it. That said, I think you should report the problem if the second phone couldn’t get good signal as well.

Can’t close Internet tabs on Galaxy S6

Problem: I cannot close my internet tabs.  I get a message stating that I’ve opened more than 50 tabs and need to close them. But I cannot find the tab icon. How do I close them.

Related Problem: Internet explorer says I have reached 50 tabs to close some out, but I dont have a tabs button at the bottom of the screen to do it.

Related Problem: Hi there i was wondering if you could help. I have Samsung S6 I use my phone for pretty much everything however I find this phone for using internet to be a nightmare. I keep getting a message on my screen when i try to click on links on websites it tells me to close tabs as maximum number has reached (50). In most cases i have no where near 50 tabs open I close all tabs as instructed and still comes up the same even when i have only one tab this drives me crazy i upgraded from iphone 5 and i find the s6 to ve very frustrating  

Solution: If your phone says you have more than 50 tabs open, then you probably have. No worries, you can close them all at once.

  1. Just open the Internet app.
  2. At the lower-right corner you can see the indicator telling you how many tabs are open. Tap on that.
  3. Tap More on the upper-right corner.
  4. Tap Close all.

That’s pretty much it!

Mobile data not working on Galaxy S6

Problem: Hi all! My problem is with data connectivity. The device shows full bars 4g lte but apps that require data connection to work  (Spotify, Gmail, Facebook, etc) do not work due to data connection not being available. Any thoughts?

Troubleshooting: Here’s my suggestion:

  1. First of all, reboot your phone to refresh its memory and then try again.
  2. Toggle mobile data switch on and off. There are times when the service that handles wireless functions freezes and toggling the switch may fix it.
  3. If the first two steps didn’t work, then it’s time you called your service provider, ask for the correct APN and have the representative walk you through in making sure your phone is properly set to connect to its network.

Restore missing mobile data icon in quick settings

Problem: I recently upgraded to android 5.0.2 and the shortcut for mobile data the one with the double arrows, disappeared completely and now I have to go into settings to turn on mobile data. I am wondering what has happened to the mobile data shortcut.

Solution: We don’t know for sure if Samsung intended to take away some shortcuts from quick settings but you’re not the first to report such a problem. But based on the company’s response to reports, it seems like this problem is a glitch in the system. To restore the missing mobile data switch, download the app called QuickPanel Restore from Galaxy Apps store. It will restore all icons that went missing after an update.

Internet app closes on the Galaxy S6

Problem: Whenever I am on my web browser, it would just close the whole page and back to my home screen. I would go back, and the page that I opened would be gone. Can you guys figure it out why it does that? Thank you.

Troubleshooting: The internet app crashes when it happens, you’re not just greeted by an error message. Just clear the cache and the data of the app and it will be fixed.

  1. From any Home screen, tap Apps.
  2. Tap Settings.
  3. Scroll to ‘APPLICATIONS,’ then tap Application manager.
  4. Swipe right to the ALL screen.
  5. Scroll to and tap Internet.
  6. Tap Clear cache.
  7. Tap Clear data, then OK.

Mobile data not working after a minor firmware update

Problem: Hi, i have recently updated my android software and after the update i cannot use my mobile data even if its on. In the settings it says that mobile data is on but on the notification panel there isn’t the sign ‘4G+’. This means that i cant use my mobile data. Please help!! Much appreciated!

Related Problem: I purchased a brand new S6 but I will not connect via mobile data only wifi.

Related Problem: I can not connect to social media or internet UNLESS I am connected through wifi. No data connection allows me to use them. Even though my phone says it’s it’s full bars of LTE. I need to know how to fix this please

Troubleshooting: I bet the phone wasn’t originally purchased from your provider (BYOD) so after an update, the APN setting was reset. Just call your provider’s tech support hotline, ask for the correct APN for your phone and have the rep walk you through in setting it up.

Galaxy S6 Wi-Fi connection drops in and out

Problem: My wifi is dropping in and out as well. I have a wifi analyzer that show differently. You mentioned deleting the system cache as a possible solution to this issue. No where can I find specific instructions to perform this action to see if I have done what you speak of. Thanks. — Chuck

Troubleshooting: Hey Chuck. Before you actually wipe the system caches, try switching off mobile data or disable the Smart Network Switch feature:

  1. Swipe down from the top of the screen with one finger.
  2. Tap the Settings icon on the upper-right corner.
  3. Tap the WiFi icon.
  4. Tap the Menu icon on the upper-right corner of the screen.
  5. Choose Advanced from the drop down.
  6. Uncheck the box next to “Smart network switch.”

If that wouldn’t work, then proceed with the wiping of the cache partition:

  1. Turn off the device.
  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.

Unable to connect to internet without using mobile data

Problem: I am only able to get internet access from home, I am not able to connect to internet at work etc.  I have to use DATA to access so frustrating.  There has be a way to access without using DATA.

Answer: Yeah, there is. Use Wi-Fi. Of course, you need to have your own Wi-Fi network at home to be able to do so. If your company does have Wi-Fi, then ask the tech guys if employees are allowed to use it and if so, you can acquire the passphrase and/or SSID from them, too.

‘Setup could not finish. Authentication failed’ error

Problem: Kindly assist to set up my e-mail. I have followed the instructions as you instruct but it shows ‘Setup could not finish. Authentication failed.’ My login details are correct. Please assist.

Suggestion: We are always willing to assist our readers however, we can’t do so if there isn’t enough information. In your case, we don’t know if you were just trying to setup your email using the free email services like Gmail, Yahoo mail, etc. or your company’s domain or address. You might have entered the correct username and password but the server settings may be incorrect.

In case you were using any of the free email services, try to use the official email client. For example, if you were trying to setup Gmail on your phone, download and install the official Gmail app so you don’t have to enter server settings. The same thing for Yahoo mail and other email services.

But the thing is even if you were trying to use the stock Email app on your phone using a free email service, the device itself will automatically search and setup correct server settings and all you got to do is enter the correct username, password and other information. So, I think you were trying to setup a custom email and since we don’t know what it is, we suggest you contact your company’s tech support.

Laptop can’t detect nor recognize Galaxy S6

Problem: I upgraded my laptop from Windows 7 would windows 10 over a month ago. I was using iPhone then and it was detected fine by the PC. I got S6 last Saturday and when connected to the PC with eh USB cable the phone is not detected. I’ve also installed smart switch which doesn’t recognise the phone either. Also, the phone says that it is connected as a media device and does get  hanged when connected. I also connected my phone with the same cable to a windows 7 laptop and it was detected right away. Please help me resolve the issue.

Troubleshooting: It looks like it’s not an issue with your phone but with your laptop. Have you tried plugging the cable to a different USB port? Besides, you said that your laptop recognized your phone as a “media device” but hangs, so I would suggest you troubleshoot your computer and not your phone.

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 S6 that keeps rebooting and other issues [Troubleshooting Guide]

It seems that after the new #Marshmallow update  caused some issues to a lot of #Samsung Galaxy S6 (#GalaxyS6) owners. Mostly, they complained about their devices which keep on restarting and won’t go through the Samsung logo. Such issues are obviously caused by software or firmware issues that won’t allow the device to boot up normally.

Continue reading this post, I will tackle this issue and recommend troubleshooting steps how to fix it and avoid it from recurring in the future. We’ve received several emails from our readers about this issues and addressed most of them and hopefully your issue is the same.

Before going any further, you can always visit our Samsung Galaxy S6 troubleshooting page, there we have some related issues that was already addressed. But, if you think that your issue is different and the troubleshooting steps that we recommended did not fix it, then simply fill out this form. Please provide us the most detailed information about how and when the issue started and we will research it for you.

Galaxy S6 keeps resetting itself after the Marshmallow update

Problem: Hey there! I have a Galaxy S6 phone, but after I updated it on android marshmallow 6.0.1 from android lollipop 5.0 it just keeps factory resetting itself after a month or 15 days. I don’t know what to do. please help.

Troubleshooting: This issue usually happens if some files are corrupted or damage during the download process. In order to determine the issue, you have to perform some basic troubleshooting steps to isolate the issue.

Force Reboot Your Samsung Galaxy S6

The reason that you will perform this procedure is to let your device refresh the system by doing a simple reboot. And to successfully perform this procedure, your device must have at least 10% battery level to turn on the device. Simply follow the steps below on how to do it:

  • Press and hold Volume down + Power key for about 10-20 seconds. This is equivalent to battery pull to devices that has removable battery.

Run the Device in Safe mode

Sometimes, this issue is caused by a third party app that is not compatible with the new update and causing the system to crash. To figure out if the issue is caused by a third party, we highly recommend running your device in Safe mode. It will temporarily disable all third party apps installed and run only the manufacturer’s pre-installed app.

  1. Turn off your Galaxy S6.
  2. Press and hold the Power key.
  3. When ‘Samsung Galaxy S6’ 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.

If ever your device was able to run or boot up in this mode, then we are confident that it was caused by a third party. The next thing that you should do is to search for that app and uninstall it then, boot up your device normally.

Clear System Cache Partition

After you uninstall the third party app causing problem and the issue remained, then clear the system cache partition might fix the issue. This procedure is totally safe, it will not reset your device and your files will stay intact and since your device will not boot up normally then, there might be some temporary files that are corrupted or damaged that was not cleared during the update process then manually deleting it might fix it.

Here’s how to clear system cache partition:

  1. Turn off the device.
  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.

The procedure that you just did is a general troubleshooting step since you cannot delete the system cache files one-by-one nor have an access. After deleting the system cache partition, the device will create a new one that is compatible to the new firmware recently installed.

Master Reset Your Device

If the issue still occurs after clearing the system cache partition, then proceed and master reset your device. It will clear your device entirely and remove all files like your images, contacts, messages, etc. that are stored in your device memory and restore it back to manufacturer setting. You can try and backup the important files by plugging it to your PC if it will recognize and copy the folders containing your files.

If you are not sure to perform this procedure, you can ignore it. Then bring your device to the nearest Samsung service center to have the professionals fix the issue. In case, you will perform the procedure, follow the steps below:

  1. Turn off your Samsung Galaxy S6.
  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.

You’ve perform pretty much all the basic troubleshooting steps, hopefully this guide was able to help fix the issue.

Samsung Galaxy S6 email sync issues

Problem: Forgot pattern on lock screen so I did a factory reset to clear of the device and now it won’t let me get into my email account it says enter email sync on this device it’s a Samsung Galaxy S6. Please help me!

Troubleshooting: The email sync problem is common and can be fixed right away. To resolve the issue, you need to make sure that you have a stable internet connection. If you have cloud service like Google Drive or any, verify it the account that you are trying to sync is working. Lastly, you need to make sure that your credentials are correct like username or password.

After you’ve double checked everything and still not fix, then follow these steps: Go to Settings > Data Usage > Menu > Auto Sync Data. You need to make sure that there’s a check on Auto Sync Data checkbox to turn it on. If the problem still occurs, then the problem might be different.

Alternatively, you can try removing the current email account you are using or you can choose the option ‘Sync now’. If you choose ‘Sync now’, it will check all checkbox and sync all from app data to all apps that is on the list. If you choose to remove the current email account, follow these steps: Go to Settings > Accounts > Tap the current email you are using (e.g. google, yahoo, etc.) > Tap Remove account > Then confirm.

Enter your credentials again to add an account, make sure all credentials are correct.

If the issue still occurs, then you might have to clear cache and data and/or clear system cache files. It will not reset the device, so it is safe to perform, but it will clear all email credentials that you recently used and enter it back again. Here’s how to clear cache and data:

  1. Go to Settings.
  2. Proceed to Applications.
  3. Select Manage Applications.
  4. Tap the All tab.
  5. Choose the name of the app in question.
  6. From there, you will see the Clear cache and Clear data buttons.

To delete the system cache partition, follow these steps:

  1. Turn the device off.
  2. Press and hold the Power, Volume Up and Home buttons simultaneously.
  3. When the phone vibrates, release the Power button but continue to press and hold the Volume Up and Home buttons.
  4. Now, when Android recovery screen appears, highlight the wipe cache partition option using Volume Down button.
  5. To confirm the selection, press the Power button.
  6. Wait for a while until wiping the cache partition is finished.
  7. Now, “Reboot System now” will appear on the screen. To highlight the option use the Volume Up/Down key.
  8. Press the power button to confirm it, and your device will automatically reboot.

Samsung Galaxy S6 “Unfortunately, application has stopped” error message

Problem: I was getting messages such as “unfortunately, Samsung dm service has stopped” and “unfortunately, system update has stopped”, and “com.samsung.syncservice has stopped”. I backed up my data and attempted a factory reset. When I get to the terms of service screen, it displays every “unfortunately” message and will not continue the process past there. I have tried to hard reset again and again but keep getting stuck here.

Troubleshooting: Hi! It is a good thing that you already backup your important files. The problem now is the error message “Unfortunately, system update has stopped” and other error messages still appears even after doing a factory reset. To continue the troubleshooting to your Samsung Galaxy S6, based on the procedure that you did, we find it somewhat lacking but, don’t worry we will provide additional basic procedure to help fix the problem.

Clear Your Device Cache Partition

If you perform a factory  reset, you might as well do wipe system cache partition. These are temporary files that sometimes causes a problem especially if your device downloaded a new firmware update. In some cases, some temporary files are not compatible with the new updates and caused the system to crash and manually removing them is the only solution.

Refer the steps above on how to clear system cache partition.

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.

Galaxy S6 has no signal, keeps saying NO SERVICE or EMERGENCY CALLS ONLY, other issues

Hello everyone and welcome to our #GalaxyS6 post for today. We have 11 S6-related issues in this one so hopefully you’ll find our suggestions helpful.

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

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

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

Problem 1: Galaxy S6 shuts down on its own a few minutes after a starting

Firstly, the whole problem started from updating the firmware through Odin. The first firmware (Mashmallow from Sammobile) I downloaded didn’t work. Then I downloaded another version of Mashmallow from same site and that works. Next now is phone hangs on “Android is starting… Optimizing app x of xx”. After much battling like 2 days, clearing cache, factory reset from recovery mode and re-flashing the OS, phone was able to boot up. But never last 5 mins, keeps shutting down or restarting after boot. Tried SAFE MODE but it’s same. Working firmware G925VVRU4CPC2-Mashmallow and G925VVRS4DQE1-Nougat. Other Verizon firmware did not flash successfully, using the latest Odin. I’ve tried to do update OTA from Mashmallow but responded no update available and shuts down or restart. Only Odin upgrades the firmware to Nougat. I’ve also tried to get recovery from TWRP or CWM but no version for Verizon.

Another step was opening and detaching the battery for like 30mins and reconnects, stays a little longer then shuts down. I went ahead to change the battery from a working S6 edge, but it’s still same. Now I’ve done everything possible, but phone keeps shutting down or restart after successfully booting up in less than 2 mins. I need your candid help on this, probably it may be an hardware issue somewhere or still software issue. The device has never been rooted. Waiting patiently for your candid support. Thanks. — Shygo

Solution: Hi Shygo. By installing the software manually (flashing), we assume that you’re aware of the risks, one of which is happening right now. The best possible solution that you can try at this point is to flash the bootloader back to stock. If that won’t help either, you’re out of luck. You may have just bricked your phone for good.

Below are the sample steps on how to flash a bootloader. Exact steps may be slightly different for your phone model:

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

Problem 2: Galaxy S6 app shows constant lag and slow video

Hello! I work with an online company. I communicate with lessons through an App. Today I updated to the Android Nougat on my S6. The main part of my job is to communicate with students through videos and slides in the App. First, classes with the new update were terrible, constant lag, video was slow, speech was delayed! Is there any way i can fix the issue immediately? This is my job and source of income. I have to get it fixed or i won’t be able to keep the job since i am in a different country and they rely on this. Please help me with a solution! thank you! — Kassen777

Solution: Hi Kassen777. Instead of looking for some device troubleshooting and solutions, we want you to focus instead to two possible areas where the problem may lie. The first one is connectivity. If you experience lag during video calls or when doing normal calls via the internet, there’s a chance that it can be connectivity-related. Make sure that you connected to a high-bandwidth wifi network or mobile data network. If you time your video calls or online classes during peak hours, or when your wifi network is strained by multiple users at once, you can’t expect to have a smooth online experience. Do some troubleshooting to determine if it’s a connection issue. If you’re in a mobile data connection only, it’s possible that the signal may be cutting off intermittently causing the lag or delays. If you’re on a wifi network, try to work with your internet service provider to try determine if you’re having some wifi troubles. The same thing goes if you’re in a mobile data connection.

The second factor you might want to check is the app itself. Well, there’s nothing much that you can do about it really other than to let the developer know of your troubles. But first, you must ensure that there’s no connectivity-related issue that affects how the app works. Some apps can’t work properly if a device internet connection is spotty so your first priority is to eliminate the possibility that your connection is problematic. If you’re absolutely sure that it’s not your connection, contact the app developer and let them about the problem.

Problem 3: Galaxy S6 internet connection is very slow when connected to wifi

Hi Guys, I am having the same issue as CL on the tread posted on (https://thedroidguy.com/2017/07/how-to-fix-wi-fi-issues-on-your-samsung-galaxy-s6-and-s6-edge-1047574) on Problem #7. Your suggestion is to look into the wifi connection. I think this is not the issue, especially on my case. I think it is the Samsung device. At my place there were 1 laptop, 5 phones (4 of them iPhones and mine the sole Samsung), all other devices can connect to wifi without an issue – can do streaming, browse Facebook,Youtube. You name it they can do it. I am subscribed to a high bandwith plan with my provider so it is really not an issue. Since I started downloading this upgrade to Android 7, everything went bad. As CL encountered as well, connecting to LTE works fine but when connecting to wifi it is soooooooo slooow to the point you want to throw your phone to the wall, especially when other people at come can enjoy what they are browsing / streaming on their phone.

in terms of Wifi congestion – even if I am the only one connected to wifi still the same sloowness.

Things I have done: 1. Reset my router – benefit of the doubt 2. Assign a static IP from my router to my phone – didn’t help 3. Use the DNS thing in my phone using advanced setting – didn’t help 4. Did factory reset on my phone – hoping it go back to Android 6 but no, it is still with Android 7 and yep didn’t help. Anything else you can suggest? — Allan

Solution: Hi Allan. We hope that by resetting the router, you mean the good old reconfiguration of settings and not a simple turning on and off of the device. If you are absolutely positive that there are no settings or modifications to the default settings of the router that may limit or throttle down the speed of your phone, then you may be right to say that it’s a smartphone issue after all. If you simply restarted the router though, we encourage you to reset all its settings to default by doing a factory reset on it, or by simply making sure that there’s no speed limiting configuration put in place that affects your smartphone. Each router has its own way how to change the bandwidth a certain connected device receives bandwidth so if you can’t figure that out, ask your internet service provider or the router maker for support.

In a smartphone, there’s a thing called network chip. This is one of the components in the motherboard that manages all networking-related tasks for your phone, be it mobile data, Bluetooth, wifi, among other similar functions. Like any other chip, it runs on a complicated interactions of firmware and hardware so it can also fail at times. Though your case is rare, it may happen if a variable or other factors happen to occur in an erratic manner. This can sometimes happen after installation of apps or a new Android operating system. If the only different thing you did was to install a new Android update and a factory reset did not fix the problem, you should consider reverting the firmware back to its previous version via flashing.

Also, you can try to check if your problem only happens when you’re on  your home wifi by connecting to other wifi network. If the same problem occurs even on a known fast wifi network, you may want to consider getting the phone replaced instead of flashing it.

Problem 4: Computers can’t detect Galaxy S6

Hello. I am not able to connect my Samsung to my laptop. I did not have problem with this before. Suddenly, out of nowhere my laptop stopped recognizing my phone. After I plug it in to computer I receive message: “USB device not recognized. The last USB device you connected to this computer malfunctioned, and Windows does not recognize it.” I am frequently updating my phone software. I recently purchased new laptop, which as well as old one does not recognize my phone. I followed few instructions about downloading drivers and keyes, but none of this ideas worked. What can I do? — Gosia

Solution: Hi Gosia. If two computers, one being a new one at that, are unable to read or detect the phone, that’s a clear indication that it’s a phone problem. Before you try to do some device troubleshooting, make sure that you try Samsung Smart Switch app first. Simply install the app to your computer before attempting to connect your phone to that computer again. If the same problem happens, factory reset your S6. Here’s how to do that:

  1. Turn off your Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge.
  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 Volume 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.

Problem 5: Galaxy S6 active is dead, won’t charge or turn back on

Hi. I have an S6 active that I was charging and using the GPS maps at same time. It shut itself off and was dead after that. The phone was pretty hot, but not as hot as day before when I was using it and the screen letters on the GPS app got scrambled. I tried each of your steps from this website https://thedroidguy.com/2017/02/fix-samsung-galaxy-s6-wont-turn-firmware-update-troubleshooting-guide-1070186 Basically tried every type of boot up style which did not work. Also the charging indicator does not light up when plugged in. Not sure on the operating system it has. — Larry

Solution: Hi Larry. If your phone appears dead because it doesn’t charge or show any signs of life at all — sound notifications, vibrations, LED lights — then it’s most probably dead. Try using another known working charger first and see if that will recharge the phone. Otherwise, your only other option is to send it in for repair or replacement.

Problem 6: Galaxy S6 sent texts come out as gibberish for recipients

Hello. I am on a Samsung Galaxy S6 from T-Mobile. Recently, I updated to Android 7.0 but since then I have not been able to text my grandma or my mom. The texts come out as gibberish for them. They have old basic phones. At first I thought that may be the problem but my brother has the same phone and is able to text to them. Is there any way I could fix it for my phone? Thank you for your time. —  Kobe

Solution: Hi Kobe. Try to wipe the cache and data of messaging app you’re using and see if it works. Keep in mind that clearing an app’s data is the virtual equivalent of reinstalling the app so all your messages will be deleted. Make sure to back important conversations before doing it.

Below are the steps on how to clear an app’s cache and data:

  1. Open the Settings menu either through your notification shade (drop-down) or through the Settings app in your app drawer.
  2. Navigate down to “Apps”. This may be renamed to something like Applications or Application Manager in OEM skinned versions of Android 6 or 7.
  3. Once in there, click on an application.
  4. You’ll now see a list of stuff that gives you information about the app, including Storage, Permissions, Memory Use, and more. These are all clickable items. You’ll want to click on Storage.
  5. You should now clearly see the Clear Cache and Clear Data buttons for the application.

If wiping the app’s cache and data won’t help, do a factory reset.

Problem 7: Galaxy S6 screen flickers, won’t power back on

I have a Samsung Galaxy S6 phone. The last update occurred on 3/1/17. No problems until last Friday 4/7/17, when it shut down and I could not bring it up again. I recharged it, turned it on, but got nothing except the two white lights on either side of the home button. On Sunday 4/9 I still couldn’t start it, so I did a soft reset and everything was fine until tried to bring it to life on Monday. Nothing happened, although I would get an occasional background flicker. Tried soft reset again; nothing. And still nothing. I have not tried all the other things you suggest because (1) I don’t trust myself and (2) without being able to see anything on the screen, I’m not sure how to proceed. Any suggestions? I did receive a phone call on it at some point. Thanks. — Joan

Solution: Hi Joan. The phone’s screen appears broken. We suggest that you don’t try anything else except to let a professional check it. We think the device can use a repair so letting a technician confirm that is your best bet.

You can’t fix an issue like this by doing some hardware button combinations, much so with software solutions. In fact, there’s no software solution that you can try in this one since the screen is blank. This may end up with a screen replacement so be sure to prepare some extra cash for the repair fee and part replacement.

Problem 8: Galaxy S6 does not charge, only charges when it’s off

When I plug my phone in to recharge, nothing changes on the phone. The “charge” icon does not appear visually, the phone does not make an “auditory recognition” of being attached to the recharge cable, and the phone will not take a charge. None of this happened like this previously, before today. I have had the phone for 1.5 years. If I “power off” the phone and plug the charge cord to it, the “lightning bolt” or “charging symbol” appears on the screen, and the phone will take a charge, but, I am reminded by the phone repeatedly (once every couple minutes), by an auditory (buzz) and visual “charging symbol,” until the phone is fully charged. So, I can charge the phone, but, I must turn the phone off by Powering it down, before it will take a charge. Odd!! I tried the Soft Reset to no avail. Any Advice? Thank you. — Mark

Solution: Hi Mark. Below are the things that you must try:

  1. Use another known working charging and cable. Try to use a good Samsung charger if possible.
  2. Recalibrate the battery by doing the following steps:
    • Use the phone by playing games or doing tasks to hasten power discharge, until the phone turns itself off.
    • Turn the phone on again and let it turn itself off.
    • Charge the phone without turning it back on.
    • Wait until the battery says it fully charged to 100%
    • Unplug the charger and turn the phone on.
    • If the phone says it’s not 100% anymore, turn it off, plug the charger back in and wait until 100% charge is reached.
    • Unplug the charger the turn the phone on again.
    • Use the phone until you drain the battery down to 0.
    • Repeat the cycle once.
  3. Factory reset the device. Check the steps provided above.

If all these three items won’t solve the issue, there must be a hardware issue causing this charging problem.

Problem 9: Galaxy S6 not getting signal reception, keeps saying NO SERVICE or EMERGENCY CALLS ONLY

Hello Good day. I have been experiencing this “NO SERVICE” problem or “EMERGENCY CALLS ONLY” on my Samsung Galaxy S6 SM-G900F lately. I checked my IMEI and everything, but they’re all okay. The thing is I’m not really sure if i got this after I got the update or after I rooted the phone. I tried everything — wipe cache partition, factory reset multiple times, IMEI checking. I even tried installing other custom roms, but Everything failed. I also tried restoring its original Kitkat firmware but still the same issue. Right now, I’m using the Marshmallow update i installed manually. what can i do to get my service back? Please help me.oh by the way. My phone has a branded carrier when i purchased it. — Bingradiamoda

Solution: Hi Bingradiamoda. You should contact your carrier so they can re-activate your account or device again, whichever is necessary. Unless there’s an unknown software glitch that damaged the phone’s software permanently,  your carrier should be able to assist you with this problem.

Problem 10: Galaxy S6 stuck in boot loop after an update

I have a Samsung Galaxy S6. Recently it started getting stuck into a reboot loop. There was a recent OS update which, maybe by coincidence preceded this problem. I tried a soft reboot and also a hard reboot. Then I downloaded the repair assistant for Verizon from Samsung.com. It failed several times until I realized that USB 3 cable won’t allow it to work. I switched to a regular USB cable from another Samsung phone and the repair assistant worked immediately. However, the problem persists. When the charging cable is unplugged from the phone, it immediately starts back into the reboot loop.

At first I thought that the battery might be going bad but it has never had problems taking or holding a charge and even now behaving correctly. The phone operates well even if the charging cable is disconnected from a power source and the phone is left to the battery as the power source. The problem only occurs when the cable is detached from the phone. I suspect that the port could be physically damaged, however, I want to know before proceeding with a charging port replacement, is it possible that this is being caused by a software or firmware issue instead of a hardware issue? I would hate to replace a part only to find that it is not the real solution. thank you for your time and consideration. — Tim

Solution: Hi Tim. You’re right, you don’t want to commit to a repair procedure if the cause of the issue is software-related in the first place. That’s also the main reason why we always emphasize doing the basic software troubleshooting steps first instead of recommending repair right away. To know if your particular problem is due to bad software, make sure that you factory reset the device. With factory reset, all software settings are returned to their known, working state so if the problem returns after doing it, you’ll know that it’s not due to software at all.

It’s very likely that the problem is caused by a bad charging port so if nothing will improve after a factory reset, go ahead with repair.

Problem 11: AT&T Galaxy S6 drains battery power fast after switching to T-Mobile network

I have changed my carrier from AT&T to T-Mobile in CT, USA. We get not bad reception here as i live next to I-95. it has been only 3 days. And i can see my Samsung S6 battery is draining really fast for very minimum use of talk/text/yahoo mail app/Whatsapp.

I used to use those four apps majority of the time and my phone would last me more than 24 hours. but with the same amount of usage regardless of using 4G / wifi, i can see the difference between the battery drain AT&T vs T-Mobile. Does anyone have this issue or have encountered this one?  I have Android 6.0.0. please let me know if i can fix this problem by fixing something in my phone. I really got a good deal for T-Mobile and I would like to stick with them. Thanks. — Pinu

Solution: Hi Pinu. Dealing with a battery drain issue can be tedious, even for seasoned Android users simply because there are usually no obvious reasons for it. Your case may be the exemption though since you noticed it right after shifting to T-Mobile. That means that for whatever reason, your phone may now be working twice or more as hard for whatever reason. There’s really no telling why that happens though but it’s possible that your phone now demand more computing power everytime it’s connected to T-Mobile network. If you want to minimize battery drain, you should try to drastically change your usage habits. Some of the concrete things that you can start doing right away should include the following:

  • lowering down screen brightness to the lowest comfortable setting possible
  • utilizing power saving modes (Power Saving Mode and Ultra Power Saving Mode)
  • uninstalling unnecessary apps (the more apps you install, the higher the chance of battery drain)
  • turning off sync and auto updates for social network apps. These types of apps regularly communicate with remote servers to update contents so turning off their sync function or auto update feature should help.

 

Engage with us

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

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

Galaxy S6 can’t download apps, install updates, or open apps when wifi is on, other issues

Our final #GalaxyS6 post for the week is here. To make it worth your while, we’re bringing you 12 different S6 issues here and their solutions. We will resume posting more S6 issues next week so keep watching for them.

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

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

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

Problem 1:  Galaxy S6 edge crashes everytime a video plays

Hi guys. I have Samsung S6 edge plus since November 2015. I’m facing a new problem with it, which is each time I open a video via YouTube, Facebook, Instagram or even a saved video inside it, my phone restart itself automatically.

I tried many solutions like factory reset, cache wipe, and tried to open a video through safe mode but the phone turned off immediately. I also sent it to Samsung agencies in my country Jordan. they installed a new software on it but the problem still remains! I tried a third party specialist but had no luck. i need to know what’s wrong with my phone! I’m desperate. Can you please give me a solution? — Khadeeja

Solution: Hi Khadeeja. There are only two possibilities that we can think as the reason why this is happening. The first one may be due to a third party app and in order to check that, you want to restart the phone to safe mode. Here’s how:

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

Safe mode blocks third party apps and services from running so if your phone will be able to play a video normally, that’s proof that our suspicion is true. You won’t be able to load YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram apps unless they’re part of the pre-installed apps so you want to just play a video saved in the Gallery or somewhere in the phone.

We understand that you already tried to factory reset the phone before contacting us but if you did it without checking how video works right after, you may have simply re-installed the problematic app. If the problem continues even when your device is in safe mode, do another round of factory reset, and observe the phone while playing videos afterwards. Make sure not to reinstall anything before doing the test.

If the issue persists, then the second possibility is most probably true — that there’s an unknown software or hardware glitch behind the trouble. Unfortunately, there’s really no way to know for sure where this glitch may lie so you’ll be better off with a replacement phone. Don’t send the phone and have it simply repaired. No technician will be able to determine its cause at all so you want to opt for a replacement instead.

Problem 2: Galaxy S6 edge processor not working

I purchased the S6 edge last year 3 October 2105 in Dubai. The phone worked well then the CPU just died. I took the cellphone to Samsung South Africa in Cape Town and they told me that they cannot fix it because I did not buy it in South Africa and the guarantee is only for that country. Sad to say in the technological world they cannot carry an international guarantee. They also told me that the CPU cannot be repaired. I must throw the phone away. That’s an expensive device and that was the answer I got from customer service at Samsung South Africa Cape Town. Sad. — Pardu6

Solution: Hi Pardu6. We don’t know how you were able to determine that the device’s processor has died but, sadly, yes, it cannot be repaired. It will take an entire motherboard replacement to give you a running phone again. And motherboard replacement is an impractical choice for a smartphone repair because it will cost almost as a new phone. And there’s no guarantee that the device will work normally again following a motherboard replacement. So, unfortunate it may be, you really don’t have much choice in this situation but to simply throw the device away, or replace it.

Problem 3: Galaxy S6 edge sound is very low during calls

I am on my third S6 edge plus since December of 2015. The same issue keeps happening. What happens is, when I make a call, the other person cannot hear me and sounds like I’m talking into a paper bag. The whole time I can hear them just fine. We’ve tried replacing the SIM card, didn’t help. Have tried resetting factory settings, didn’t help. Safe mode, didn’t help. No screen protector or cover, didn’t help. Using HD calling and WiFi calling, didn’t help. None of them have been submerged or any water damage. They are going to allow me to get a different phone entirely. Just wondering if you’ve had anyone else report this issue and had an answer? — Megan

Solution: Hi Megan. If the same problem keeps happening on at least 3 phones on the same network, we don’t think it’s a device issue at all. This must be network-related. It can be that the Galaxy S6 phone model is not properly coded to work with the network’s voice calling system, or that all Galaxy S6 phones are simply incompatible with your current network. Try getting an entirely different phone model like a Galaxy S7 or S8 (or get an older Galaxy S5) to see if the same issue occurs. We’ve heard of this issue in some other phones before but they’re random and happens on all sorts of devices, including non-Android ones.

Keep in mind though that most voice call-related issues are network-related so please work with your carrier to solve the issue.

Problem 4: Galaxy S6 won’t turn off

When I woke up this morning I took my phone off of the charger and started to attempt to use it. I could slide the home screen either which way but when I pressed on an icon for anything, nothing would happen. When I held the power button down to restart the phone options to restart or turn off, the phone popped up but when I chose an option the home screen would appear and nothing else would happen. I can’t make any calls, any text messages, open any app or function for the phone, turn it off or restart it. I can open any of the windows, settings, nothing. What do I do? — Noah

Solution: Hi Noah. You can either try to soft reset the device, or wait until the battery is drained and the device turns off. Only then can you try other follow up troubleshooting like wiping the cache partition, observe it in safe mode, or factory reset.

To soft reset your S6, kindly do the following:

  1. Press and hold the Power and Volume down buttons for 12 seconds.
  2. Use the Volume down button to scroll to the Power Down option.
  3. Press the Home key to select.

Problem 5: Galaxy S6 keeps getting a notification of an incoming SMS but can’t open it

My phone won’t show me my messages from a certain person. Only that person and they texted me a lot of times but I still can’t see it. Now no matter what I do it seems it’ll never leave. My phone keeps saying that I have a message, it won’t leave my notification bar, and the message app has a one on it. But when I click on the message it takes me to the new message page, and I can’t delete the message because there isn’t in there to delete. I’ve done what many pages have told me to do. I’ve forced stopped the messaging app, turned it off and on, but my Samsung Galaxy S6 edge does not have the All button to clear data in settings. I don’t know what to do. Please help me! — Robersonstarks

Solution: Hi Robersonstarks. The simplest fix for this issue is most probably by clearing the data off the messaging app. If your phone is running Android Marshmallow or Nougat, here are the steps on how to do that:

  1. Open the Settings menu either through your notification shade (drop-down) or through the Settings app in your app drawer.
  2. Navigate down to “Apps”. This may be renamed to something like Applications or Application Manager in OEM skinned versions of Android 6 or 7.
  3. Once in there, click on an application.
  4. You’ll now see a list of stuff that gives you information about the app, including Storage, Permissions, Memory Use, and more. These are all clickable items. You’ll want to click on Storage.
  5. You should now clearly see the Clear Data button for the application. Tap it.

If clearing the app’s data won’t work, do a factory reset by following the steps below:

  1. Create a backup of your important files such as photos, videos, contacts etc. You can use Smart Switch for this task.
  2. Turn off your Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge.
  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 Volume 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.

Problem 6: Galaxy S6 stuck in boot loop

  • Bootloop
  • Can’t enter recovery mode, sometimes it can if battery charge is below 10%
  • Had done clear cache and factory reset in Recovey mode
  • Can revert to stock firmware, however an update image shows its stuck at 32% and after that phone enters bootloop
  • Problem started after my girlfriend installed an app about editing pictures
  • Had rooted phone using Kingroot before

Please help… I already followed all tutorials available online on how to fix bootloop but none worked. — Excalibur

Solution: Hi Excalibur. Try flashing the bootloader and see what happens from there. If that won’t fix the issue, nothing will.

Problem 7: Galaxy S6 can’t download apps, install updates, or open apps when wifi is on

Hi there! Love my Androids and recently moved from a Galaxy S4 to the S6. So far, I am happy with the phone, except for one thing: I cannot seem to download apps/install updates/do anything when connected to a strong wifi signal.

The phone indicates that the phone is connected fine (and it’s the same wifi I’ve used for years on the old phone without an issue). Yet, if I try to send an email, download an app, I must turn OFF wifi in order for the action to be completed. Help! — Linda

Solution: Hi Linda. There may be a software glitch causing the problem. We suggest that you do two things. One is to wipe the cache partition to force the phone to build a new system cache, and two, to factory reset if the first one won’t work.

Here are the steps on how to wipe the cache partition:

  1. Turn off the device.
  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.

Refer to the steps above on how to factory reset your S6.

Problem 8: Galaxy S6 can’t receive SMS from some contacts

I used to own a Samsung S3. I loved it but then I noticed I wasn’t receiving texts from certain people. I thought it was because the phone was old. I got an iPhone 5 and no more issues with receiving texts, BUT I hated the phone. I gave it to my younger son and bought a Samsung S6. Guess what, I don’t receive texts again, specifically not from O2 or Vodafone users. I’m with Three by the way. They receive my texts but I don’t get theirs unless they’re very short. So the problem is intermittent but I think I’ve narrowed it down to being in part due to length of text and in part specific network providers. This issue has caused me no end of problems. I’ve almost lost friends over it. People think I’m ignoring them! I’ve had a new SIM card and umpteen conversations with Three. Can you help? The interesting thing is it’s happened with two different Samsung phones but not the iPhone I had in between (same number throughout). Can you help? — Hilary

Solution: Hi Hilary. This kind is issue is best addressed by your carrier than by third party support teams like us. The most that we tell you is to try basic device troubleshooting such:

  1. clear the cache and data of messaging app
  2. wipe the cache partition
  3. using another messaging app
  4. perform a factory reset

Other than these, the rest of the support should come from your carrier’s technical support team. They should be able to help you check if there are blocks in place causing the problem, or if there are other issues on their end.

Problem 9: Galaxy S6 Bluetooth keeps disconnecting

I recently received a FitBit Blaze for my birthday and have struggled to get it paired with my Samsung Galaxy S6. During the setup, I lost Bluetooth connectivity and had to complete the setup through my laptop. Since that point, I have been able to pair my device a couple times, but the Bluetooth on my phone repeatedly shuts off. I am only able to turn it on after restarting my phone, and even then, it shuts back off after a few minutes. — Kat

Solution: Hi Kat. Bluetooth functionality is often one of the most reliable connection in a Galaxy phone so there must be a bug causing it to not work properly. Try wiping the cache partition first. If that won’t work, head over to Settings>Apps and delete the Bluetooth app’s cache and data (complete steps provided above). If the problem remains after that, create a back up of your data and factory reset the device. That should take care of the problem.

Problem 10: Galaxy S6 can’t make calls or send and receive SMS

Hello. On Friday my phone random stopped working. I have called AT&T and Samsung, the Samsung repair store and Best buy. Samsung says I have to bring my phone to them in Texas to have them look at it but that is impossible.

So I have been searching for a long time for help. The phone shows Data, and Bars, but will not make or receive calls, will not send or receive texts, and will connect to data. After troubleshooting with AT&T I no longer so have any network connection. Any advice would be helpful, I have been on your site for a while and tried several other tips you gave others, but nothing helps. — Amy

Solution: Hi Amy. If you’ve around our website for some time, you’ll notice that most of the time, our solutions are all software related. A lot of times we recommend that users simply do a factory reset if all else fails. That’s because there’s only so much that you can do in an Android device. Factory reset is the most drastic solution that we often suggest, especially if we think that the problem is due to a software bug. Yours may be due to a software issue as well. If you haven’t tried our usual dose of troubleshooting like the ones we mention above, send the phone to Samsung so the hardware can be checked. Anything that cannot be fixed by factory reset must be caused by bad hardware, or a very serious coding problem. Either way, you either have to send the phone in for repair or replacement.

Problem 11: Galaxy S6 sync not working properly

Initially, I thought I had a problem with the syncing of my Google mailboxes. Mails were not dropping on the phone. I kept having to refresh the mailbox manually before mails will drop. I followed your directions and wiped the cache, issue persisted. I then noticed that the issue was not with my mailbox alone. Tweets don’t drop, Skype pings are very irregular and same with Whatsapp. Sometimes I see no internet notice in my Skype thread page while fully connected to wifi. The issue is same either on my work wifi or at home. Same with my mobile data. Please help! I am very frustrated. — Kelden20

Solution: Hi Kelden20. This issue may stem from a master sync issue. If the Sync button in the status has always been on throughout this time, do a factory reset to fix the problem. Also, make sure that your operating system is fully updated to minimize possible bugs that can lead to problems.

If you have lots of third party apps, it may also pay if you observe how sync works in your phone by booting it to safe mode. Let the phone run in safe mode for at least 2 full days so you’ll notice any difference. If sync works properly while safe mode is on, one of the apps must be to blame.

Keep in mind that third party apps you’re having problems with like Skype, Twitter, or Whatsapp will not work at all when safe mode is enabled so you’ll not receive any notifications for them.

Problem 12: Galaxy S6 keeps restarting on its own due to bad battery

So I’ve dropped my phone numerous times and it finally cracked. There have been no problems until recently. All of a sudden my S6 freezes in the middle of using it and restarts. Sometimes when I turn it back on the battery percentage has decreased a large amount and most of the time the percentage is 0. For example it could be at 80% battery life but then it restarts and when it turns back on its at 0%.

Also, I’ve noticed that everytime before it turns off, the cell signal bar loses all connection. That’s how I know it’s going to restart. I’m not sure what’s going on I can’t seem to find anyone else with the same problem online. I’m pretty sure it’s a bad battery but I’m going to try to back up and reset the S6 before I go out and replace the battery. Note that I’ve also tried clearing the partition cashe and removing the sim card, nothing worked. — Ethan

Solution: Hi Ethan. If the phone’s battery no longer holds enough charge to keep the phone stay long enough to back up your files, there’s nothing much that you can do. Battery malfunction is considered hardware failure and there’s no software trick that can fix it except battery replacement.

 

Engage with us

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

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

Galaxy S6 drains battery faster after installing an update, won’t charge, other issues

Welcome to another #GalaxyS6 article for the day. Today’s post will guide you how to troubleshoot common S6 problems. We look forward to getting your feedback in the coming days.

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

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

Problem 1: Galaxy S6 drains battery faster after installing an update

After the latest 3 updates to my device, the battery dies significantly faster. The only changes I found to my system was a font change. Even on low brightness and battery saver mode (the basic one), while not using my phone, it will only last about 4-5 hours. It used to last all day and I would just charge it at night. This change was sudden and right after all the updates (since I had been putting them off for a long time). I’m worried that it is planned obsolescence and the updates didn’t really fix anything, but instead made many background things out of control to drain the battery faster in an effort to get me to buy a newer model.

Also, for Android Version, I am not sure which mines is. I never installed a different version? /sorry to be so clueless. — Sam

Solution: Hi Sam. Planned obsolescence or not, battery drain is a perennial issue that can happen in both new and old devices like your Galaxy S6. There’s no literature that can confirm if Samsung employs the same trickery Apple uses to slow down iPhones with weaker batteries. We’re pretty sure Android developers will most likely reveal the same scheme if it’s present on Samsung devices. Android operating system is a more open platform compared to Apple’s iOS so even end users can monitor their battery’s health.

It’s also not surprising to us that older devices tend to show significant battery drain issue following installation of latest Android versions. In fact, you’re not the first person to tell us that the battery no longer seems to last as long after every charge. Almost every Android user seem to have the same thought.

Lithium-ion batteries are limited

The earliest Galaxy S6 devices were released almost 3 years ago so at this time, we expect that millions of original S6 batteries are nearing their end of life. Even if you take good care of your phone by doing maintenance on it regularly, keeping the storage clutter free, and charge the phone properly (by doing shallow charges instead of fully charging it), your lithium-ion battery will start showing significant capacity loss after a year of using it. The more you use, charge, discharge, and charge the battery again, the shorter its life becomes. Do that day in and day out for over 2 years and you can’t expect the same battery performance at all.

Use an app to track battery stats

If you want to know important numbers about your battery, including a rough estimate on long it will last or whether or not it’s time to have it replaced, we recommend that you install third party apps like AccuBattery app. You can visit Google Play Store and find similar apps.

How to diagnose your Galaxy S6 battery

Knowing the causes of your battery ills can be tricky but there are a few important steps that you must do.

Consider your apps

In  a lot of cases, users are quick to pin blame on the update or the battery itself but not in the fact that they may be running a lot of apps or poorly coded apps. In case you’re not aware, not all apps are built with the same expertise. Some may be optimized to efficiently run while others, not so much. As a user, it’s your responsibility to screen your apps thoroughly and to remove problematic ones.

Check apps running in the background

Another reason why battery drain occurs is a lot of apps running simultaneously at the background. Make sure that you put non-system apps to sleep if you’re not using them to prevent the battery from working harder. If you’ve installed Android Nougat in your device, you can easily put apps to sleep by doing the following:

  1. Open Settings app.
  2. Tap Device maintenance.
  3. Tap Battery.
  4. Scroll down to the bottom and tap Save Power button under App power monitor.

If you don’t have Android Nougat yet, consider installing apps like Battery Doctor to disable apps running in the background.

Uninstall apps

It can be said that apps are the lifeblood of smartphones but too much of it can suck your battery dry in a very short time. Many Android users have the tendency to install apps at whim, then forget about them. Make sure that you are not one of them. Remove apps that you don’t need. Learn to trim down on apps to ease pressure on the battery. Remember, the more apps you add in the system, the more cluttered the device storage becomes. There’s also a higher chance of apps running services you really don’t need in the background. If you have a lot of these apps running all the time, you can’t expect the battery to last long everyday.

Let Samsung replace the battery

If you’ve determined that the battery has lost a significant capacity at this time, the best course of action for you is to replace it. If you don’t feel confident in replacing the battery yourself, let Samsung do it for you to ensure that it’s done properly.

Problem 2: Galaxy S6 won’t charge by cable or wireless charger

My phone has been having charging problems first starting when the cable wouldn’t charge my phone. So i switched to using the wireless charger and that has been working for a week or so. But recently my phone died and i go to use the wireless charger and the only thing that shows up is the battery symbol with a lightning bolt in it. My phone will not turn on at all. I even plugged it into a computer and my computer does not register that its connected. Any help you have would be much appreciated and if you have any questions about my problem just email me back. Thanks. — Evan Bogler

Solution: Hi Evan. If both cable and wireless charging has stopped working altogether, then the problem is most likely found in the motherboard. To diagnose the phone, you need to let a technician check it physically. If possible, let Samsung do the hardware diagnostics for you. Otherwise, you can bring the device to a local service center.

Problem 3: Galaxy S6 won’t charge, wont’ turn on

HELP! My son got this phone from his aunt. He’s so upset. we continue to have problems when he runs it down to about 5%. we turn off and plug in. sometimes it wont turn on. So I’ve done everything you suggest to no avail! I haven’t had to do a safe recovery as of yet, but now I can’t get it to charge or turn on at all. My husband checked the output for battery and it’s fine. When I plug it in, sometimes it will beep but nothing shows on phone, the battery indicator..nothing…please help me I can’t afford to take to a tech. he plays on it all the time, it’s not active with a provider just for games and it’s a special treat to have this. thanks in advance. — Melinda

Solution: Hi Melinda. There’s a number of possible causes for your problem. Here’s how to troubleshoot it.

Check the charging cable and adapter

The first troubleshooting step that you want to do is to determine if there’s an issue with the charging accessories. If possible, use a different charging cable and adapter to charge the phone. This step should eliminate the possibility that your phone is simply lacking power because it does not charge properly or at all.

Use a wireless charger

The Galaxy S6 is wireless charging capable so it’s a good idea to see if it will charge wirelessly. If you don’t have the wireless charger, you still need to buy one so, it still means spending something. Keep in mind that buying a wireless charger will not guarantee that it will work. If possible, try to test it with a known working wireless charger first before getting one for yourself.

Try to turn the phone on to alternate boot modes

If your phone will still not power on, you can also consider booting the device to other boot modes to see if that will make a difference.

Boot in Recovery mode

  1. Charge the phone for at least 30 minutes.
  2. Press and then hold the Home and Volume UP keys, then press and hold the Power key.
  3. When the Samsung Galaxy logo shows on the screen, release the Power key but continue holding the Home and Volume Up keys.
  4. When the Android logo shows, you may release both keys and leave the phone be for about 30 to 60 seconds.

Boot in Download Mode

  1. Charge the phone for at least 30 minutes.
  2. Press and then hold the Home and Volume DOWN keys, then press and hold the Power key.
  3. When the Samsung Galaxy logo shows on the screen, release the Power key but continue holding the Home and Volume DOWN keys.
  4. Wait until the Download screen appears.

Both Download and Recovery Modes run independently of Android so if the reason for the problem is Android-related, your phone should charge again in any of these modes. But if the phone won’t charge at all, you should consider sending it in for repair.

 

Engage with us

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

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

Galaxy S6 camera stuck in selfie mode, won’t charge or turn on, other issues

Here is another post that will teach you how to address some of the common #GalaxyS6 problems. As usual, the problems we cover today are taken from reports we received from our readers over the recent days so we hope you’ll find this one a helpful read.

Below are the specific topics we are discussing today:

  1. Water damaged Galaxy S6 edge screen won’t work | How to recover files from wet Galaxy S6 edge
  2. Galaxy S6 not charging anymore | Galaxy S6 won’t charge or turn on
  3. Galaxy S6 not dialing the correct contact number
  4. Galaxy S6 keeps showing “Camera failed” error | Galaxy S6 camera stuck in selfie mode
  5. Network services of AT&T Galaxy S6 not fully working when used in Kenya
  6. Galaxy S6 ringtone and notification volume setup

If you are looking for solutions to your own #Android issue, you can contact us by using the link provided at the bottom of this page, or you can install our free app from Google Play Store.

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

Problem #1: Water damaged Galaxy S6 edge screen won’t work | How to recover files from wet Galaxy S6 edge

I have a Galaxy S6 edge and I cracked the screen and ended up dropping it in water. It was working just fine before I dropped it into water. I can plug the phone up and the screen works but i can’t seem to turn it on. I plug it in and the charging screen appears. I just received a new phone. I just want to be able to get my pictures and all my contacts off. Can you help??

I’ve tried to try the down load function using the volume down and home screen buttons and nothing happens. i know they are working though because when its charging I can make the screen get brighter with them. — Jesseclements95

Solution: Hi Jesseclements95. One of the necessary conditions to recover files from a smartphone is to ensure that it powers on. The Nand chip, the storage device where user data such as photos and videos are stored, must be energized so that it can be accessed. This and together with a normally working operating system are the primary requirements that must be fulfilled first. If you can’t interact with the operating system because the screen remains black or unresponsive, there’s no point to attempt to recover your files. Try to have the phone repaired first to see if the screen can work so you can attempt another file recovery.

You can try to connect to your phone to a PC to see if it can be detected. If a computer can’t detect the storage device, you’re out of luck.

Problem #2: Galaxy S6 not charging anymore | Galaxy S6 won’t charge or turn on

Just last night I plugged in my Galaxy S6 but when I woke up it was still at only 60%. I could not get the connection to stay where it was charging. It kept beeping as if starting to charge and then stop. On the way to work it did the same thing in my car charger–it would plug in and say charging and then beep and not be charging. Then at work I have a charger and it did the same thing when I plugged it in–would say charging and then start beeping. It would say charging at work for a while and then when I would check the % charged it was going down. Then it stopped even trying to charge when I plugged it in. No sound or message of charging.

A lady I work with had her factory Galaxy S6 charger with her that works on her phone, but when I plug it into my S6 nothing happens. No sound or message to indicate it’s charging. — Chuck

Solution: Hi Chuck. An issue like this can just as easily be caused by software glitch as much as hardware malfunction, so the first thing that you want to know is if the issue can be solved by software solutions. That said, you want to try all relevant software troubleshooting for this case.

  1. Observe the phone while charging in safe mode. The first thing that you want to try is to boot the phone to safe mode. This is to check if a third party app is causing a conflict somewhere, which results to erratic charging behavior. Safe mode prevents services and apps from loading. This means only pre-installed apps will be running while charging. If the phone charges normally while in safe mode, that’s an indicator that one  of your third party apps is problematic. If you haven’t tried booting to safe mode before, here are the steps:
    • Make sure your phone is powered off
    • Once your device is switched off, press and hold the Volume down key.
    • While continuously holding down the Volume key, press the Power key briefly to power up your device.
    • Your phone will now power up in Safe Mode. By then you can stop pressing the Volume down key.
    • Swipe the screen to show the Safe mode icon. When you see this icon, it denotes you’re in Safe mode and can use your phone as normal but without any third party applications running or available.
  2. Wipe the cache partition. Another good software solution that you can try is to wipe the cache partition. Doing so will help ensure that the phone’s system cache is up-to-date. Here’s how it’s done:
    • Turn off the device.
    • Press and hold the following three buttons at the same time: Volume Up key, Home key, and Power key.
    • When the phone vibrates, release the Power key but continue to press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home key.
    • When the Android System Recovery screen appears, release the Volume Up and Home keys.
    • Press the Volume Down key to highlight ‘wipe cache partition.’
    • Press the Power key to select.
    • When the wipe cache partition is complete, ‘Reboot system now’ is highlighted.
    • Press the Power key to restart the device.
  3. Do a factory reset. As the name suggests, factory reset will restore all software settings to their factory state. If the root of the problem is due to an operating system glitch, factory reset should be able to fix it. Factory reset is the ultimate software solution that you can do so if nothing positive comes out of it, you can assume that there must be bad hardware behind the trouble. Below are the steps on how to factory reset your Galaxy S6:
    • Turn off your Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge.
    • Press and hold the Volume Up, Home and Power keys together.
    • When the device powers on and displays ‘Power on logo’, release all keys and the Android icon will appear on the screen.
    • Wait until the Android Recovery Screen appears after about 30 seconds.
    • Using the Volume Down key, highlight the option, ‘wipe data/factory reset’ and press the Power key to select it.
    • Press the Volume Down button again until the option ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted and then press the Power key to select it.
    • After the reset is complete, highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and hit the Power key to restart the phone.
  4. Check the charging port for damage or dirt. If there’s a hardware component that most often fails due to wear and tear, it’s the charging port. The health of this component depends on how careful you are when it comes to plugging and unplugging the charger. If you take plugging and unplugging for granted, wiggling the charger side to side or forcing an inverted charger head into the port, you can not expect this component to last very long. Doing so will most likely result to damaged pin/s inside the port, which can, in turn lead to erratic charging behavior. To check the condition of the port inside, try using a magnifying glass. If you’ll notice that a pin or pins are bent, you must submit the phone for repair so the charging port can be replaced. You also want to check for dirt or debris that might interfere with the charger when you insert it to the port. Try blowing compressed air into the port to remove foreign objects or debris that might lead to an issue.
  5. Have the phone repaired. Sometimes, a bad battery can also manifest in an issue like yours so the next best thing that you want to do is seek the aid of professionals so the hardware can be examined. If battery is fine, there must be other hardware components that have stopped working properly. If the phone is still covered by a Samsung warranty, a much better option for you would be to seek for a replacement.

Problem #3: Galaxy S6 not dialing the correct contact number

My husband has a Samsung S6 phone. He has included me as a contact. Problem is when he calls my cell number which does show in his contact list in little numbers, his phone dials instead our home phone number which appears in his contact list in big numbers.

Also, when I call his number from my cell, in his log my call shows as coming from the home phone and not from the cell phone from which the call was actually made on. Can you tell us if the problem on his Samsung and the way he added me as a contact or is the problem somehow due to my cell phone? — Mahearn

Solution: Hi Mahearn. The problem must lie on the way your husband created his contacts list. To fix the problem, you can ask him to delete all contact names that has your numbers so he can recreate a SINGLE account with your name and all your numbers. His phone may be confused with what contact to use, especially if he has multiple accounts that has your name. If possible, let him use one account only to prevent the issue from happening in the future again. This can be done by doing the following:

  1. Open the Contacts app.
  2. Tap More.
  3. Tap Settings.
  4. Go to Contacts to display section and select one account only.

Problem #4: Galaxy S6 keeps showing “Camera failed” error | Galaxy S6 camera stuck in selfie mode

My 18 month old S6 with no damage has a “Camera Failed” error message when choosing the camera app Icon. It is stuck in “selfie” mode and unusable. However, the camera works fine with any/all other apps that connect with the camera, i.e. text attachment, photo compass, etc.

I am not ready to do a full factory reset until I have explored “ALL” options since the camera does at time function. Any help and/or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks. Regards. — Tom

Solution: Hi Tom. If you haven’t yet, try wiping the cache and data of the camera app. This will force the phone to virtually “reinstall” the app, which should reset all settings of the said app. Here’s how it’s done:

  1. Open the Settings menu either through your notification shade (drop-down) or through the Settings app in your app drawer.
  2. Navigate down to “Apps”. This may be renamed to something like Applications or Application Manager in OEM skinned versions of Android 6.0.
  3. Once in there, click on an application.
  4. You’ll now see a list of stuff that gives you information about the app, including Storage, Permissions, Memory Use, and more. These are all clickable items. You’ll want to click on Storage.
  5. You should now clearly see the Clear Data and Clear Cache buttons for the application.

There’s also a chance that a third party app is behind the trouble so before you commit to factory reset, you can try it instead. Safe mode blocks third party apps so want to observe how the camera app works when only pre-installed apps are running. Here’s how to boot to safe mode:

  1. Make sure your phone is powered off
  2. Once your device is switched off, press and hold the Volume down key.
  3. While continuously holding down the Volume key, press the Power key briefly to power up your device.
  4. Your phone will now power up in Safe Mode. By then you can stop pressing the Volume down key.
  5. Swipe the screen to show the Safe mode icon. When you see this icon, it denotes you’re in Safe mode and can use your phone as normal but without any third party applications running or available.

Should nothing change, do a factory reset.

Problem #5: Network services of AT&T Galaxy S6 not fully working when used in Kenya

I was given a present by a friend who currently stays in the USA. A mobile phone Samsung S6 edge plus model number Samsung SM-G928A with a android version 5.1.1. This phone is customised to AT&T carrier and 4G. Am currently using it in Kenya but don’t enjoy using it. The main issue is that most times I am offline and most of my contacts can’t reach me.

Secondly, when i replace the SIM to Airtel, it doesn’t recognise the SIM. It has no option of regulating networks from 4G,3G 2G. Most apps are customised to AT&T. How do i sort this? Suggestion have been rife that i change the motherboard and it would work. Others suggest i change the firmware and yet others say the unlocking wasn’t complete. What do i do? — Titus

Solution: Hi Titus. There can be a number of things to consider if you want to fix an issue like the one you’re experiencing so let’s stick to the most important ones.

  1. There’s no such thing as fully compatible phone. You must remember that your phone is not originally designed to work with your current carrier’s network. It was originally manufactured by Samsung to be used by AT&T, which may be using different network protocols/standards. This means that there’s a chance your phone’s hardware and software may not fully compatible with your current carrier’s system. What this translates to your experience is that some functionalities, especially network-related ones may not work as expected. In some cases, SMS may work perfectly while MMS doesn’t. In others, voice calls may not work at all, although SMS and MMS may be working just fine.
  2. Difference between CDMA vs GSM. CDMA and GSM are two most commonly used wireless technology standards in the world today. In the United States, Verizon and Sprint are the major CDMA technology users while AT&T and T-Mobile are using GSM. CDMA phones are significantly different from GSM phones in that they don’t use SIM cards. In a CDMA phone, subscriber information are buried deep in the phone’s software so unlocking it to make it work in other networks can be tricky, if not difficult. In some instances, you can’t even use a CDMA phone to another CDMA network. It’s not uncommon to encounter reports from users with a CDMA phone complaining some network functions are not working on another network. It must also be noted that CDMA phones don’t use SIM cards. In most cases, CDMA phones may have SIM card slots in them but only if the network offers 4G LTE, which is a modified GSM technology. In this case, the SIM card can be used to provide 4G LTE service but nothing more. Voice calls, SMS, and MMS services will only be allowed if the phone is registered in a CDMA network in the first place. On the other hand, GSM phones are relatively easy to use in other networks because such phones are designed to store subscriber information in a SIM card. As long as the phone has been properly network unlocked, you should be able to use a GSM phone in other GSM networks, provided the operating frequency band is compatible with that of the new network.
  3. Even GSM phones may not work in another GSM network. Having a network unlocked GSM phone, which means that the previous carrier has cleared the device from their system after a full payment, is not a guarantee that you can use it to any GSM network around the world. Every smartphone can only work in particular set of radio frequencies. For instance, an AT&T Galaxy S6 may only work on the following frequency bands:

GSM Mhz band  |    Quad-Band 850/900/1800/1900

2G network         |    GSM 850/900/1800/1900

3G network         |    UMTS 850/1700/1900/2100

4G network          |   LTE Cat9 700/800/850/1700/1800/1900/2100/2600 (Bands 1,2,3,4,5,7,12,17,20)


4. Carriers can have limited coverage. If you notice that you tend to have good signal reception in one place but not in another, that may be due to your carrier’s network coverage limitations. Talk to your carrier’s technical support team to see if that’s the case.If your carrier in Kenya does not operate in any of these 2G frequencies (GSM 850/900/1800/1900), you may experience problems with SMS, MMS, and voice calls. To know if your phone is compatible with your carrier’s frequency bands, do a little Google search to find the exact frequency bands of the said device and compare it with your carrier’s.

5. Blame the phone. If everything appears to be working as far as your carrier’s services and coverage are concerned, the problem must be phone specific. To save your from headaches, find a phone that’s fully compatible with your network’s requirements.

Problem #6: Galaxy S6 ringtone and notification volume setup

Ever since I did a systems update, i can no longer set my ring tone settings and notification settings separate. This has been a HUGE hassle for me when I need to hear a low ringtone for calls without all other notifications. I had been just turning everything on vibrate at work but with that i missed a medical emergency at home with my mom who is now in hospital, because we almost got to hear too late and her condition is still somewhat critical. But going back, I really need this setting to go back to the way it was when I could turn up ringtone without every other notification being turned up too. HELP PLEASE!!! — Rachel

Solution: Hi Rachel. Two things. First, we want to remind you that Android operating system is not stagnant. It is an ever evolving system and sometimes major changes may be introduced via updates. If you want to revert to the previous operating system version (which we don’t recommend for security reasons), it’s your call. You can do that by flashing the previous version through Odin mode. Use Google to search for instructions.

Second, we don’t think there’s any way you can set a particular notification or ring tone volume in both Android Lollipop and Android Marshmallow so you must be using older Android version or a third party app. If you want to change the volume of ringtone and notifications in Lollipop and Marshmallow (Android 5.0 and Android 6.0, respectively), you must do so under Settings>Sounds and notifications.

 

Engage with us

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

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

Galaxy S6 edge won’t turn on, white solid LED light, turns off when not charging, other power issues

Hello and Welcome to our new #GalaxyS6 troubleshooting episode for the day. This post covers some power- and boot-related questions. We hope that you’ll find our solutions helpful.

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

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

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

Problem 1: Galaxy S6 edge won’t turn on, shows white solid LED light

I have a Samsung Galaxy S6 edge. I had it hooked up to the charger all night, woke up the next morning, saw that the battery icon was full and green. When I went to turn it on, the whole screen went black and I have not been able to get it running again since. I tried all the troubleshooting there is, still nothing. The only thing that happened is a solid white LED light. Now it won’t even do that anymore. — Asher

Solution: Hi Asher. The white LED light may or may not be clue on what’s happening. In Samsung devices, there are only three system generated LED lights: Blue, Red, and Green. Below are the meaning of each color:

Blue LED

  • Pulsing: the device is turning on or off.
  • Blinking: there is an unread notification (missed call, message etc) or during voice recording.

Red LED

  • Glowing: connected to a charger and charging.
  • Blinking: connected to a charger but not charging, or when low on battery.

Green LED

  • Glowing: connected to a charger and fully charged.
  • Blinking: fully charged.

That your phone was showing a solid white LED may be a sign that a third party app may be causing the failure to boot issue.

Consider booting the device to Recovery Mode to see you can factory reset it. Here’s how:

  1. Charge the phone for at least 30 minutes.
  2. Make sure that the phone is turned off. The indicators of a powered on S6 includes LED light, sound, and vibration. If you can’t see any of these in your phone, it must be powered off. Keep in mind that you won’t be able to boot to Recovery if your phone is actually turned on. If the phone appears to be powered on at this time and you can’t turn it off, wait until the battery is fully drained.
  3. Press and then hold the Home and Volume Up keys, then press and hold the Power key.
  4. When the Samsung Galaxy logo shows on the screen, release the Power key but continue holding the Home and Volume Up keys.
  5. When the Android logo shows, you may release both keys and leave the phone be for about 30 to 60 seconds.
  6. You can either wipe the cache partition or do a factory reset when in this mode.

If your phone remains unresponsive or won’t boot to Recovery Mode at all, try to use another known working charger to charge it. If that won’t make a difference either, have the phone repaired or replaced.

Problem 2: Galaxy S6 edge turns off when unplugged from charger

Hi. i have the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge. i have had this phone for nearly two years and I’ve never had a problem. i don’t always get access to wifi so i don’t always update my software very often. My software is currently not updated due to it failing. Everytime i try this has never been a problem. my phone has still worked fine till now.

My phone currently only works when plugged into a charging port. If i take the charger out, it will switch off and if i go to switch my phone on it crashes at the Samsung logo screen. Sometimes it comes on to home screen but it switches off after a couple of minutes. How do i resolve this problem? please??? — Amber Irvine

Solution: Hi Amber. Try to see if it’s just a matter of a battery issue that needs recalibration. Sometimes, Android may lose track of the true battery levels so you can help it by recalibrating the battery detection system. Here’s how:

  1. Use the phone by playing games or doing tasks to hasten power discharge, until the phone turns itself off.
  2. Charge the phone without turning it back on.
  3. Wait until the battery says it is fully charged to 100%.
  4. Wait for an hour before unplugging the phone from the charger.
  5. Use the phone until battery reaches 0% percent. The phone should turn off by itself.
  6. Recharge the phone to 100%, wait for an hour before unplugging it again.
  7. The battery should now be recalibrated. Observe how phone works.

If you’re lucky and battery calibration is the fix, the phone should be back to its working order.

If the issue remains after battery recalibration though, the next logical step is to wipe the phone clean. This is done by performing a factory reset. This drastic troubleshooting step is meant to return all software settings back to their known working defaults. Here’s how:

  1. Turn off your Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge.
  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.

If the phone continues to exhibit the same problem after doing a reset and when there are no apps installed, there may be a problem with the battery, the power management IC, or the motherboard in general. To check, you must submit the phone for a hardware examination by Samsung or by an independent technician.

Problem 3: Galaxy S6 showing black screen issue after charging

I charged my phone on my partner’s charger for a couple of hours this morning. It showed that it was full but when I went to turn it on, nothing happened. The green light when I took it off charge and there has been a black screen since then. I’ve tried to reboot but nothing happens. I’m worried about losing my photos and videos. Could the memory board be blown by using a charger. — Rena

Solution: Hi Rena. Your phone has a built-in mechanism to prevent to overcharging so we don’t think that’s a reason why it’s not turning on at all. If the phone was working normally before and you did nothing different prior to experiencing the trouble, the possible causes can be anything.

To start your troubleshooting, you should try a restart normally. The phone may have become unresponsive or frozen. To soft reset it, follow these steps:

  1. Press and hold the Power button.
  2. Tap Restart.
  3. Tap Restart again to confirm.

If you can’t get it to power on, consider doing a soft reset. Here’s how:

  1. Press and hold the Power and Volume down buttons for 12 seconds.
  2. Use the Volume down button to scroll to the Power Down option.
  3. Press the Home key to select.

If you are positive that the phone still turns on (as it still vibrates, makes a sound, or shows a lit LED light), then you may be able to power it back on by booting to Recovery Mode and doing follow-up steps like a cache partition wipe or factory reset (will delete your files).

Keep in mind that if you can’t turn the phone on, your files are good as good. If our suggestions in this article won’t work at all, you’ll most likely end up in a service center.

To prevent losing files in the future, make it a habit of creating a backup regularly. Smartphones and storage devices can fail anytime. You only have yourself to blame if you’ll lose your data in the future again.

Problem 4: Galaxy S6 lags and reboots randomly when using a new clear case from Spigen

Hello. I have a weird problem. I wonder if you come across this.

I recently switched my phone case, from an original Samsung Clear View Case to one from Spigen. I noticed that with my new case – my phone lags WHILE charging. When I say lag, response is very bad, my touch activities does not always register. Recently, it even reboots my phone randomly. How could this be? Does my phone have a power leak and a rubber/glass casing is causing some kind of power circulation problem? In case it’s important, this is the case I’m using now: https://www.spigen.com/collections/galaxy-s6-edge/products/galaxy-s6-edge-case-neo-hybrid-cc.  I’m trying a different case now to see if I still experience the same problem.  — Rafferty Uy

Solution: Hi Rafferty. We’re not familiar with this case and it’s our first time to receive a report that it may be causing power-related problems. It’s really easy to know if your suspicion is correct. Simply take it off and observe how your S6 charges and works. If the power problems won’t occur, then that case must be causing the device or the battery to overheat. To prevent damage to other hardware components, an S6 can turn itself off if internal temperature reaches a certain level. Overheating of this type does not usually occur together with slow performance or lag problems so if your phone continues to show both symptoms (overheating/random reboot and lag) even when the case is not used, there must be other reasons for the trouble such as an operating system glitch or a hardware malfunction.

 

Engage with us

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

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

Galaxy S6 only charges via computer and won’t charge via regular charger, other problems

S6 side sync

There’s no doubt the #GalaxyS6 is a great phone but just like any other “greats” out there, some of its users may sometimes find it frustrating. So below are the expressed frustrations of some of our community members regarding their Galaxy S6 device.

If you are new to our site, don’t hesitate to visit other similar posts.

  1. Galaxy S6 only charges via computer and won’t charge via regular charger
  2. Galaxy S6 overheating and other hardware issues
  3. Galaxy S6 keeps getting harassing call and voice mail from one number
  4. What to expect of Android Marshmallow on Galaxy S6
  5. How to create a backup of Galaxy S6 files
  6. Galaxy S6 lag, freezing, email issues

If you are looking for solutions to your own #Android issue, you can contact us by using the link provided at the bottom of this page, or you can install our free app from Google Play Store.

 

Problem #1: Galaxy S6 only charges via computer and won’t charge via regular charger

I’m begging for some help here. PLEASE!  My cell phone will charge on a laptop or car charger only. It will not charge on a wall charger. I’ve changed out cords, I’ve changed out the charger box, I’ve changed and swapped everything. I even went and bought a brand new Samsung charger and yes it was a Samsung brand. I’ve also had other Galaxy S6 users test my chargers and they all work for them. Just not for my phone.

I’ve seen this problem posted on your page from another Galaxy S6 Edge user. He had the same problem and when you gave feedback, he did not reply any further. I can’t seem to find a fix for this problem anywhere. My phone is under warranty, the Samsung warranty for one year. When I called them they had me set it back to factory reset and that seemed to work for about a week. Now it’s back to the same problem all over again and I am at a loss.

For me to send it in to Samsung for repair, they are quoting me $250 for this issue even though it’s under warranty. I feel it’s something that could be fixed here on my end and I’m really hoping you can help. I did read on your website where it states to check older apps and I have deleted all unnecessary apps from my phone and only use the ones that are most important. I have less than 20 pictures on this phone since deleting everything back to factory. I am at a loss. Please if you have any kind of fix for this issue let me know. I don’t know what else to do.

Thank you again so much for any and all assistance in this matter.

God bless.  — Jennifer

Solution: Hi Jennifer. It’s interesting to know that the issue was temporarily fixed after a factory reset. That the problem eventually came back days after the last factory reset is an indication that a third party application may be causing the trouble. Keep in mind that when we say third party apps, it refers to any software you install after the initial setup. They may be apps from Samsung or Google but as long as they are not part of pre-installed apps, they are still considered “third party”. What you can do to rectify the problem is by booting your phone in safe mode before you charge it. This will ensure that only the pre-installed apps are running during the charging period. To do that, just follow these steps:

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

Problem #2: Galaxy S6 overheating and other hardware issues

My phone has got so hot that it burned & left a scar on my arm w/an imprint of the side & Edge of the phone. Then the following day I picked it up & it scalded my fingers. It was so hot and I couldn’t hold onto it and dropped it causing it to crack! They state I must pay $200 to replace it when it’s not my fault and continues to heat up so hot that it’s getting heat fracture’s causing it to crack even more!

PLEASE HELP ME…I DON’T WANT TO HAVE TO CALL AN ATTORNEY TO HELP ME SO WHAT CAN I DO TO GET THIS DEALT WITH & GET A REPLACEMENT SENT TO ME? I’LL BE AWAITING YOUR RESPONSE AS SOON AS YOU CAN RESPOND AT YOUR EARLIEST CONVENIENCE, GOD BLESS! — Billie

Solution: Hi Billie. If the phone’s screen or body had been cracked, your best bet at this time is to get it replaced. As much as we would like to help you, fixing the cracked part requires physical diagnostic and fix. Obviously, we cannot do that for you. Please call Samsung or any relevant party (wireless carrier or retailer) and ask for a replacement unit. Don’t forget to mention that the phone overheated. That should give them an idea that the device may have some internal hardware issues to begin with.

Problem #3: Galaxy S6 keeps getting harassing call and voice mail from one number

I keep getting phone calls from a fax number. I have stopped the calls to the phone. What is happening now is the number realizing I am not answering is generating voice mails. So, since last Wednesday until today I have gotten almost 250 voice mails. All it does is beep.

I have sent numerous faxes to that number which is in Chicago. No response. My carrier says “something” to change my number which is not an option. They will provide me with a program that will stop the mails at a nominal charge of $4.99 a month. I refuse to pay that to stop me from being harassed. They tell me that it would be a violation of the privacy act to find out who is using this fax. So much for that. The voice mails are coming in even as I type. They start at 9 AM and stop at about 6 PM. — Leo

Solution: Hi Leo. The best party that can help you with this problem is your service provider. If their only “solution” to this problem is to charge you further, why don’t you pay a visit to your local enforcement agency so they can throw in their 2 cents? There’s nothing that we can give or tell you to do to stop the voice mails from coming in. You either have to find a way with your carrier to stop the problem without incurring cost, or you can resort to legal action. Because the voice mails are persistent, the case can rightfully fall under harassment category in almost any country. You are therefore entitled to defend yourself from the hassle via legal means.

Problem #4: What to expect of Android Marshmallow on Galaxy S6

I have had a Verizon Galaxy S6 as my only phone for as long as they have been out. I am on my second one and the first one had a charging issue.

The first time Android rolled out the Lollipop update, my phone went from being awesome, to being worthless. Lagging, ridiculous battery drain to name a few major issues. Then, thank goodness, they finally rolled out an update to Lollipop. Well, unfortunately, while it helped the battery drain and sluggish somewhat, it  still lagged terribly in performance. Thank goodness the phone wouldn’t charge one day and I had it replaced under warranty. Every morning, for the last year and a half, I have cancelled the Lollipop update. But now with Marshmallow coming out I have no idea what I should do. Any advise? FYI…I’m a fairly technology savvy guy. Thanks a ton. Learned quite a lot from you guys. — Russ

Solution: Hi Russ. Just like you, the general performance of the new Android Marshmallow remains a mystery to us until now. We honestly don’t have any idea how this OS will fare on Samsung devices and in Galaxy S6 in particular. Our job here is to point out problems as we receive requests for assistance from our community. We haven’t even updated our devices in our lab to Marshmallow at this time so there’s no way for us to give a fair assessment to this product. As much as possible, we stick to official firmware version so we can’t tell if the unofficial Marshmallow versions out there are okay.

We know that Android Marshmallow is heavily tested on current flagship phones like the Galaxy S6 and Note 5 so there’s a higher chance that a lot of minor glitches and bugs must have been addressed at this time.

A few good rules of thumb to follow following a major OS update though include wiping the cache partition, doing a factory reset, and making sure that all installed apps are fully compatible. The last one is usually the most common reason for problems following an update. Some app developers may not roll out updates for their product. That can cause all sorts of trouble as the new operating system may encounter conflicts with apps that are not optimized to work with it. If unsure whether an app is updated to work with Marshmallow or not, contact the developer or simply uninstall it.

In the meantime, keep watching for more articles from us about Marshmallow as more and more Samsung devices are starting to get the update.

Problem #5: How to create a backup of Galaxy S6 files

No ringing sound on incoming calls, no sound on boot up, no sound when releasing the volume sound control button, except with ear phones. When calling, my voice mail can hear with or without head phones, but when I press speaker there is no sound. Incoming calls vibrate but no sound. Can hear ringing with head phones on. Have checked all settings and all are correctly set.

Just had screen and digitizer replaced. Can hear ringing with head phones on. Just typing this to you has lead me to believe there is a problem with the speaker. What do you think?

I don’t know how to back up my phone and don’t know if when I do back up if it saves all my app information. Not sure how to get backed up info back if I try a hard reset. Not really technologically savvy. — Christopher

Solution: Hi Christopher. The repair process must have disconnected the speaker that now results to this problem. You need to check all the circuits are connected, especially the speaker assembly.

For your question as regards to making a backup of your data, the best way to go is by official means. Simply download and install Smart Switch on your S6 and computer and you are good to go. For a detailed description on how to use this product, please use Google.

Problem #6: Galaxy S6 running slow, freezing, email won’t sync

I don’t know what happened but somehow my stock email app dropped my accounts and greyed out. At one point it wouldn’t even let me sign in, though I was certain of my password. I could have also deleted an app that worked along side the stock email app, maybe?

Now I’ve got my accounts logged in (first I created a new email and logged that in, it worked. Then I just changed my password to my old email and it allowed me to sign in.), but the icon is still greyed out and I cannot sync my contacts.

All of a sudden my phone is overheating, running slower, etc. And it’s always been so good to me. I can’t say I’m overwhelming it as I am a minimalist type and I don’t have any games or excessive apps.

Is there any tips you have/app suggestions that would help my phone get over this fit?

Thanks, in advance! — Sarah

Solution: Hi Sarah. There may be a firmware glitch or malware causing the troubles you mention here. The issues above are some of the common symptoms if a device is either having a problem with the cache and/or operating system, or if it’s infected with a malware. Consider wiping the cache partition first to see if it will make any difference.

For minor firmware-related issues brought by apps and firmware updates, wiping the cache partition often does the trick. It’s because this procedure will literally delete all cached files in the cache partition, which will force the system to create new ones during the next boot up.

This procedure is also very helpful in fixing issues like random reboots, boot loop, stuck during boot up and random freezes after updates. Here’s how you wipe the cache partition on your S6

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

If wiping the cache partition won’t help, don’t hesitate to perform a factory reset. It’s by far the most effective solution to problems like the ones on your phone right now. Don’t forget to create a backup of your files first before proceeding to these steps:

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

 

 

Engage with us

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

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.

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

3 Best Environmentally Eco-Friendly Green Android Smartphones

According to Ericsson’s 2015 Mobility Report, there will be a total of 9.2 billion mobile subscriptions by 2020. Given that the average smartphone life expectancy is 4.7 years—with most customers replacing their smartphones much sooner than that—we have the face the growing issue of electronic waste. Even year, over 125 million cell phones are thrown out in the United States alone, and the number will only increase unless we do something about it.

The good news is that eco-friendly smartphones make for a pretty good publicity, so phone manufacturers have an incentive to invest money in sustainable technologies and environmentally conscious devices. As Cellular News reports, 400 million green cell phones are expected to be sold by 2017. Furthermore, Sprint announced this year that all smartphones they sell must meet standards set by UL Environment, an organization that strives to advance the recognition of sustainable products and drive purchaser clarity by bringing trusted transparency to the green marketplace.

But how do you choose a good eco-friendly smartphone and how does it differ from a regular one? Most eco-friendly smartphones share several key features: they use less energy and charge more efficiently, are built using sustainable and recycled materials, their manufacturing doesn’t negatively impact the environment, and radiation emission rates are kept at the minimum.

The problem is that the average smartphone review is more concerned with processing power, display resolution, and benchmark scores, often neglecting to pay any attention to less geeky features. Well, this is not your average smartphone review. We have selected top 3 best environmentally-friendly green Android smartphones, focusing predominantly on what makes them safer for the environment.

fairphone-2

Fairphone 2

Not only is the Fairphone 2 the current green leader, but it’s also the first smartphone to earn a 10/10 reparability score on iFixit, a global community of people helping each other repair things. “We aim to create positive social and environmental impact from the beginning to the end of a phone’s life cycle,” claims the company on their official website. To achieve this goal, they only source materials from suppliers who share their vision of a green, sustainable future.

But even the greenest smartphone on the planet is far from eco-friendly when you have to ditch it and get a new one only because of a cracked screen. That’s why the creators of the Fairphone 2 designed the smartphone to be modular and easily reparable. They sell spare parts in their online shop and offer repair tutorials for retailers and individual users.

To repair the phone, just lift the back cover to access the inner compartment, which houses six modules: the display module, camera module, battery, core module, top module, and bottom module. Out of these, the display module is the most expensive one, currently costing €85.70. Smaller modules, such as the earpiece or vibration mechanism cost just a few dollars each. We love that you completely repair the Fairphone 2 using just one small screwdriver, instead of an assortment of obscure tools as is often the case with other smartphones.

The smartphone itself is made from recycled plastic and aluminum. Due to the focus on reparability, the design is considerably less premium than what you might expect for its rather high price of $590, but that’s a small sacrifice to make.

Inside is an older but still capable quad-core processor from Qualcomm, 32 GB of internal storage space, 2 GB of memory, and an 8 MP rear CMOS sensor coupled with a 2 MP front-facing sensor. The 5” IPS display has a Full HD resolution and is protected by Gorilla 3 glass.

The company behind the smartphone is committed to helping people improve their privacy, by providing alerts on app permissions. Each app is rated based on how much access it has to your personal information. All of this makes the Fairphone 2 the best green smartphone on the market.

What Users Like

  • Easy to repair
  • Swappable parts
  • Eco-friendly
  • Unique design
  • Unassuming design

sony-xperia-zr

Sony Xperia ZR

Kazuo Hirai, President and CEO of Sony, says, “At Sony we always endeavor to reduce environmental impact in our wide range of products. These efforts are evident in compact, lightweight, energy-efficient designs that reduce wasted resources and power consumption, and our commitment to using recycled materials.”

The company has come up with their “Road to Zero” environmental plan, which aims for a zero environmental footprint. To their words into action, Sony has released a new range of eco-friendly smartphones that have some of the lowest levels of toxic materials of all smartphones. A part of this range is the Xperia ZR, a compact 4.55” Android smartphone with a brilliant screen and even more stunning rear camera.

Sony is using up to 99% recycled materials, in order to contribute to building a sustainable society. These materials make the smartphone environmentally friendly and remarkably lightweight, weighing only 138 grams. Its smallish display has an HD resolution and is protected by a shatterproof glass. The rest of the phone is water and dust resistant and capable of withstanding 1.5 meters of freshwater for up to 30 minutes.

At around $150, the Sony Xperia ZR is clearly a budget device, which is only confirmed by its outdated Qualcomm APQ8064 Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset and Adreno 320 GPU. Sony was wise enough to include 2 GB of memory, helping the smartphone run smoothly in most situations that don’t involve demanding 3D games or dozens of browser tabs.

If you don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on an eco-friendly smartphone, the Sony Xperia ZR is a great alternative to the much more expensive Fairphone 2. Granted, you won’t be able to easily repair the smartphone by yourself, but the money you save make that a non-issue.

What Users Like

  • Bright display
  • Water-resistant
  • Great camera
  • Several colorful version to choose from

Used/Refurbished Samsung Galaxy S6 (Or Any Used Smartphone)

Those 140 million cell phones users get rid of every 14 to 18 months often end up on the second-hand market and sites like eBay, Craigslist, and Amazon. Many cellular companies and retailers also refurbish older devices and offer them for a fraction of their original price. If you really think about it, the greenest smartphone you can buy is a used smartphone. And the best used smartphones money can buy are a generation or two old flagship models from major smartphone manufacturers, such as Samsung or LG. Owners of flagship devices tend to take good care of them, and they usually sell them just after a year or two of use.

Currently, our top pick for a used Android smartphone is the Samsung Galaxy S6, the flagship king of 2015. It immediately attracts the eye with its gorgeous metal body and 5.1” Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 4. The display has a resolution of 1440 x 2560 pixels, which is fantastic for media consumption and pictures. The rear 16 MP sensor with f/1.9 and 2160p video recording at 30 frames per second is in every way as good as you would expect Samsung’s camera to be. It takes sharp, vibrant pictures that never fail to amaze with their high dynamic range.

The Exynos 7420 Octa chipset is by far the most powerful processor on this list, easily handling heavy usage and demanding multi-tasking scenarios. The non-removable Li-Ion 2550 mAh battery could be the only problem, when buying the smartphone on the second-hand market. Its original capacity is great, but, as all smartphone batteries do, it will last less and less as it gets older.

What Users Like

  • Lovely metal body
  • Fingerprint reader
  • Excellent camera
  • Sharp screen

How to fix Samsung Galaxy S6 that’s not charging [Troubleshooting Guide]

We received several email messages from our readers who were seeking assistance because their new Samsung Galaxy S6 won’t charge. Some said the screen just went dark and when plugged in, it won’t respond and won’t show the usual charging signs.

Galaxy S6

The most common misconception about not charging issues is that people used to think it’s all hardware and/or accessory issue like it’s a problem with the charger, battery or the phone itself. The fact is a firmware glitch may also cause it. There were a lot of owners who reported having experienced this problem only to find out that their device froze wouldn’t respond.

Phone Accessories

ImgAmazon.com LinkDevice
Is Your Wifi Connection Choppy?
Best Bluetooth Headsets
Charge Your Phone Wirelessly

But then, of course, proper troubleshooting should be done to determine the cause. Once you know what the culprit is, that’s the time you find ways to address the problem.

In this post, I will guide you on how to troubleshoot your Samsung Galaxy S6 that won’t charge. This is the very same procedure we technicians follow if a customer walks into the shop bringing a phone that has this kind of problem. The steps are easy and, actually, basic but they’re effective in determining what the culprit is. However, there’s no guarantee you could fix the problem after reading this post especially if the problem is hardware-related. But, at least, you would have an idea so you could properly explain the problem to a technician.

For those who have different issues, visit our Samsung Galaxy S6 Troubleshooting page as we’ve listed all problems we addressed since this phone was released. Try the solutions we provided first and if they didn’t work for you, then tell us about your problem. Just fill up this form properly and we will help you find a solution. Remember, the more information you provide, the more accurate our solutions are. So, choose the proper options in the drop-downs and provide as much details as possible.

Step 1: Make sure Galaxy S6 didn’t just freeze

Unlike the older Galaxy devices, the new Galaxy S6 didn’t come with removable battery. So, if it froze for some reason, you couldn’t do the “battery pull” trick to address the issue but Samsung added a new feature to allow users to hard reboot their phones if they became unresponsive. In fact, if you’ve been observant enough or was paying attention when you first booted your phone, you should know by now what needs to be done. But for the benefit of those who weren’t able to read the instruction, here it is: “If your device is unresponsive, press and hold the Power key and the Volume down key simultaneously for more than 7 seconds to restart it.”

That’s right! That’s what you need to do to rule out the possibility that the reason why your phone doesn’t charge is because it’s frozen. If it didn’t reboot the first time, do it 2 to 3 times just to make sure. However, if the screen remained black and won’t charge after several attempts to reboot, then it’s time you performed the basic troubleshooting.

Step 2: Troubleshoot the charger

The easiest way to know if the charger is the problem is to use a different one. If you can borrow from a friend who has the same device as yours, that would be better. I discourage you to buy a new charger at this point because there’s no guarantee it’s the problem.

If you have a non-Samsung charger that gives out 1.5A to 2A current, try using it just to find out if the phone would respond to it. If it didn’t, then proceed to the next step.

Step 3: Troubleshoot the USB cable

The cable is very important because it bridges the charger and the phone; without it, it’s impossible for the charger to push electric current into the phone. So, after ruling out the possibility of a charger issue, you should rule out this possibility next.

One way to know if the USB cable is working or not is to use a different one and plug it into the charger (and the other end into the utility port of the phone) and see if the device would respond. You may also plug it in to a computer.

The very purpose of this procedure is to make the phone respond once plugged in but if it didn’t no matter what you do, then it’s time to proceed to the next step.

Step 4: See if the USB or utility port is loose

Loose connection creates trouble most of the time. The same is true if the cable doesn’t snap right in to the USB port on your phone. If it’s some kind of loose, wiggling it to make contact may allow the phone to charge. However, if the problem is internal (like when the USB port itself is not properly connected to the board), then there’s not much you can do about it. You couldn’t even open the phone to inspect it because removing a screw by yourself will automatically void the warranty.

Step 5: Send the phone for repair

If all else fails, then you need a technician to help you fix the problem. You may bring the phone to the store where you bought it or call Samsung. It is necessary to make sure you can claim warranty in case the device needs to be repaired. It is also one way of saving yourself from all the hassles in troubleshooting a problem you don’t know.

While I believe in the power of troubleshooting, I think a new phone should work perfectly. If it doesn’t, then send it in for repair or have it replaced as soon as possible. After all, you paid for a device you can use and not for a phone that will bug you every minute of every day.

Having problems with your phone that’s not charging?

We can help you troubleshoot. We already published troubleshooting guides for the following devices:

Connect with us

We are always open to your problems, questions and suggestions, so feel free to send them at [email protected] 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.

 

Phone Not Charging Troubleshooting

Phones
Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus not charging
Samsung Galaxy S7 not charging
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge not charging
Samsung Galaxy S6 not charging
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge not charging
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ not charging
Samsung Galaxy S5 not charging
Samsung Galaxy S4 not charging
Samsung Note 5 not charging
Samsung Note 4 not charging
Samsung Note 3 not charging
Samsung Galaxy J7 not charging
Samsung Galaxy J3 not charging
Google Pixel not charging
Google Pixel XL not charging
HTC 10 not charging
LG V20 not charging
LG G5 not charging
Motorola Moto G4 not charging
Nexus 6P not charging
Nexus 5 not charging
Huawei P9 not charging
Xiaomi Mi5 not charging

Galaxy S6 turns itself off even when battery is charged, other issues

s6

Good day everyone! Welcome to another post that covers some of the submitted issues for the #GalaxyS6. If you don’t find your own issue here, keep watching for more of the same in the coming weeks.

  1. Galaxy S6 turns itself off even when battery is charged
  2. How to recover photos from wet Galaxy S6 that is stuck in boot loop
  3. Galaxy S6 won’t charge when it’s on
  4. Galaxy S6 screen not responding and speaker making crackling sound
  5. Galaxy S6 Custom binary blocked by FRP Lock error

If you are looking for solutions to your own #Android issue, you can contact us by using the link provided at the bottom of this page, or you can install our free app from Google Play Store.

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

Problem #1: Galaxy S6 turns itself off even when battery is charged

I’m inquiring about my husband’s phone. He got it brand new from Verizon six and a half months ago and it has been having charging problems; like he’ll unplug it after it has fully charged and the charge drops rather quickly, even if he has hardly used it. and lately it has started turning itself off with 8% battery remaining; even 5%. I’ve read that this model has a lot of problems but I also think it’s the battery but we haven’t had the money to buy a new battery.

so I’ve been researching and trying various things. like I’ve wiped the cache partition and trying to make sure apps are manually closed. and now I’m stuck cause I don’t know what else to try or if maybe I was trying the wrong things.

The other problem is that his Gmail won’t automatically update and sync is not working for some reason that I’m unaware of. Plus I’ve gone through the settings for it, and this problem is how I even came across wiping the cache partition. Any help is greatly appreciated. — Jenn

Solution: Hi Jenn. The first thing that you want to try in fixing the battery or charging problem is battery calibration. It’s needed to ensure that the device displays the true state of charge of the battery. We think that the battery has lost its reference as far as telling the system what its true state of charge is. That may be the reason why the phone turns off even though it’s still showing 8% on the battery level meter. To calibrate the battery, simply follow the steps below:

  • Charge the phone until the battery level reaches 100%.
  • Drain the battery to 0% by playing some games and doing resource demanding tasks.
  • Charge the battery up to 100% again.
  • Drain the battery to 0% one more time.

If battery calibration won’t change anything, you can also do a more drastic solution by wiping the phone clean via factory reset. This will be the last thing that you can do on your end. Again, our aim here is to check if the issue is being caused by a software glitch. To do it, just do the steps below:

  • 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.

Find a way to have the phone replaced if the issues remains after a factory reset.

Problem #2: How to recover photos from wet Galaxy S6 that is stuck in boot loop

Phone got wet and would not show anything. Took 10 days in bag of rice but finally came back on and worked. Battery died, tried plugging in to charge since Fast Wireless pad won’t work (due to phone, not pad) and am stuck in loop showing Boot screen with Reboot System now Reboot to Bootloader, etc. Choose Reboot system now, goes to Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ then Installing system update blue screen with Android guy clockwise spin thing then he rolls sideways with big yellow triangle with exclamation point inside and back to Reboot system now screen.

I would like to get some pictures and video off there from vacation when it got wet so am trying to avoid Wipe data/factory reset. I HAVE DONE the wipe cache partition with same result of loop. — Rob

Solution: Hi Rob. To access photos and other files in a storage device, you first need to ensure that the operating system works normally. That means that if you are stuck in a boot loop, there’s no other way to reach the boot sequence wherein the operating system takes over. Needless to say, you’ll be unable to access the storage device and move files from it. We always keep it a point to say in our posts that if basic software troubleshooting won’t fix issues following water- or liquid-damage, the next best thing to do is factory reset and eventually repair/replacement. This applies to your case as well.

Try booting your phone in safe mode to see if it turns on that way. If you’re lucky and the phone boots in safe mode, you will be able to recover your photos. Otherwise, those files are good as gone. To boot in safe mode, follow the steps below:

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

Problem #3: Galaxy S6 won’t charge when it’s on

Just recently my phone wouldn’t charge. i plugged my phone in and left it over night. i knew it wasn’t charging at all with 35 % left during the middle of the night. the phone managed to turn off by itself and start charging only when its off. Doesn’t seem to charge anymore when it’s on. i have a feeling it’s to do with the actual port itself where you plug in the cable.

the same thing happened to my old Samsung s4 and now that won’t charge at all. i got a feeling when plugging the cable in it seems little loose not sturdy. apparently speaking to another person it’s a common thing with Samsung. but any help to fix this and not buying new phones cause I’m done with new phones. Haven’t had this phone for a year probably only 6 months if lucky. — Daniel

Solutions: Hi Daniel. Our blog only deals with software issues that can be fixed by basic software troubleshooting. Although many charging-related problems are caused by software bugs, which means that they fixable at a user’s level by doing software solutions, yours may be different. If you think that your S6 has a bad charging port, the best thing that you can do is to have that component or phone replaced. We don’t provide hardware diagnostics and troubleshooting. Obviously, hardware problems cannot be fixed software solutions. If you want to do a hardware solution yourself, do it at your own risk.

As we said, many charging problems are results of software problems. If you haven’t tried anything at your end yet, we suggest that you do the troubleshooting that we recommend in this post. For starters, wiping the cache partition is a good thing to do.

For minor firmware-related issues brought by apps and firmware updates, wiping the cache partition often does the trick. It’s because this procedure will literally delete all cached files in the cache partition, which will force the system to create new ones during the next boot up.

This procedure is also very helpful in fixing issues like random reboots, boot loop, stuck during boot up and random freezes after updates. Here’s how you wipe the cache partition on your S6:

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

You can also try restarting your phone in safe mode while charging to see if there’s any difference. Finally, a factory reset would be a good last step. If these procedures won’t work, you can assume that the issue is hardware in nature and the only way out is either repair or replacement.

Problem #4: Galaxy S6 screen not responding and speaker making crackling sound

Ok so today (20160607) I was on the way home from the gym and tried restarting my phone. It was playing music at the time and it did some weird flashing stuff on the screen then wouldn’t bring up the menu to restart it yet kept playing music. I stopped the music and looked in the drop down menu hoping to find a way to turn it off and maybe hit the back camera flashlight or something. but all i know is the screen went dark but the two lights in front next to the home button were lit and the flash light was on. I couldn’t get the screen to come on to stop it or reset the phone. it all flickered out soon after and then I plugged it in  and the front key lights came on, the flashlight started flickering again and the red notification light next to the ear speaker started flashing. all the while the main bottom speaker was making crackling noises and the back of the phone to the left of the camera started heating up.

I then unplugged it and let it sit for a bit then tried again and the same thing happened. I then unplugged it and let it sit there. I don’t know f if its water damage as I was careful with it while at the gym.

If there is a way to at least get my files off of the thing I’d appreciate it. It has everything important I need to do my job as a US Marine. — Mitchell

Solution: Hi Mitchell. The things you mentioned like the bottom speaker making crackling sound, flashlight turning on by itself, and LED flashing, and unresponsive screen are classic symptoms of hardware malfunction. That they are present all at the same time is a strong indication that the phone may have been exposed to elements or may have been dropped. Whatever the true cause is, the only thing that you can try right now is connect the phone to a computer and hope that it can still talk to it. If a computer no longer detects the phone, the files you’re trying to recover are gone.

If possible, try bringing the phone to a Samsung repair shop to see if there’s something that they can do.

Problem #5: Galaxy S6 Custom binary blocked by FRP Lock error

I bought 2 Galaxy S6 devices, unlocked by the store I bought them from. 3 days ago my wife’s phone rebooted and came up with the following error:

KERNEL IS NOT SEANDROID ENFORCING

Custom binary blocked by FRP Lock.

I tried doing the smart switch restore, but the app doesn’t like my model/SN combination. I got ODIN and a Lollipop 5.11.1 firmware for my model, flashed it using the ODIN flash procedure, that was successful. Once my phone power cycled it is now stuck on the SAMSUNG logo startup screen and will not boot any further, the error messages have gone away.

I can get it into recovery and download mode, but not sure what else to do to fix this bootup problem. Maybe the bootloader is toast? — Ben

Solution: Hi Ben. If your phone still responds to hardware button combinations to allow you to boot to recovery or download mode, we suggest that you try wiping the cache partition and/or wiping the phone via factory reset first. If that won’t change anything, try flashing another compatible stock firmware. This second procedure is your only hope in making the phone boot normally again. If that fails though, make sure that you flash the original stock firmware before asking for a replacement from the store.

 

Engage with us

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

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

Galaxy S6 “unable to play during call” error when playing music or video, other issues

Hello Android community! We bring you today some #GalaxyS6 sound issues and their solutions. We hope you’ll find this article a good source of information for your own sound-related problem.

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

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

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

Problem 1: Galaxy S6 volume won’t increase unless phone is restarted

Unless i turn my phone off then on, i have a volume up problem that will not allow my turning up any volume setting dealing with sound. I have AVAST VIRUS SECURITY AND it says my phone is safe and not infected with any outside influence. So is my Galaxy S6 having an update hiccup because people have said that in question form. i u$ually can fix any problems that could cause variant glitches , but this one has me stumped. Any help would be appreciated. — Justagrowr

Solution: Hi Justagrowr. Unless you install apps from all over without checking whether they’re from a trusted developer, you can leave malware or virus infection out of the picture here. Instead, we want you to focus your troubleshooting on other important possible causes like a poorly-coded app, or software glitch. These are the usual reasons why notifications and alert sounds behave erratically from time to time. There can be other reasons apart from them of course, including a possible hardware issue but there’s really nothing much that you can do about them. If hardware is to blame, you’ll most likely end up sending the phone to Samsung or to an independent service center.

Refresh the system cache

For now, we want you to do the things that you can control. You can start by wiping the cache partition so your device can refresh the system cache. Sometimes, a corrupted system cache can lead to unexplained behaviors and it’s good if any software troubleshooting begins with a cache partition wipe. To do that, kindly follow these steps:

  1. Turn off the device.
  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.

Third party apps

Bad third apps can affect systems differently. With hundreds of thousands of apps available in the Play Store, it’s only a matter of time before anyone can come across an inferior one. Low quality apps are not only full of risks but they might also lead to other problems. To see if the volume issue you’re having is due to a bad third party app, you can restart the device to safe mode. In safe mode, the phone will only run pre-installed apps and services, leaving possible glitchy ones off. If the issue won’t occur while your phone is in safe mode, you can bet one of your apps is to blame.

Below are the steps on how to restart your S6 to safe mode:

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

If you think a third party app is problematic (because the phone’s volume function appears to work normally in safe mode) you must uninstall third party apps one by one and observe how the phone behaves after every uninstall. This sure is tedious but it’s the only way to identify the culprit.

Perform a factory reset

Should the phone continue its present course and the first two suggested procedures won’t change anything, you should consider wiping the phone clean with a factory reset. Here’s how to factory reset your S6:

  1. Turn off your Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge.
  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.

Don’t forget, factory reset will erase user data such as photos, videos, etc. Be sure you create a backup before a factory reset.

Send the phone in

Software troubleshooting can only do so much. If the volume continues to act erratically like what it’s doing right now and factory reset failed to fix it, the phone is most probably messed up at the hardware level. Be sure to contact Samsung for repair or replacement.

Problem 2: Galaxy S6 sound notifications not working

Hi. my issue is one of notification sounds. They don’t always happen or sound properly. Sometimes it’s just a funny little buzz with a nano-second of the sound. It predominantly happens with alerts I’ve set for Twitter and occasionally with the Temple Bell sound set on the WhatsApp account of a good friend. Also with emails, they just don’t make a sound at all on occasions.

It started about five months ago and probably after a system update. My carrier is 02 (UK) and my Android version is 7.0 (from software info in settings) but underneath there is info for kernel version and Knox version. It’s annoying as I’m missing some important messages/emails and alerts that I need to respond to. I hope this is enough info. Christopher Shelvey-Tutt

Solution: Hi Christopher. We have no way of knowing what is happening right now but the first

thing that we want you to try is to clear the data of BadgeProvider app. BadgeProvider is a system app that alerts users whenever there are changes or incoming notifications to some apps like new messages, new versions, new missed calls, etc. If this app is not well, it may cause notifications to work erratically. If you haven’t tried wiping an app’s data yet, here’s how it’s done:

  1. Open the Settings menu either through your notification shade (drop-down) or through the Settings app in your app drawer.
  2. Navigate down to “Apps”. This may be renamed to something like Applications or Application Manager in OEM skinned versions of Android 6 or 7.
  3. Once in there, look for the application and tap it.
  4. You’ll now see a list of stuff that gives you information about the app, including Storage, Permissions, Memory Use, and more. These are all clickable items. You’ll want to click on Storage.
  5. You should now clearly see the Clear Cache and Clear Data buttons for the application.

If wiping the data of BadgeProvider app won’t help, do a factory reset.

Problem 3: Galaxy S6 “unable to play during call” error when playing music or video

Hey! I use a Samsung Galaxy S6 edge. The problem i’m facing is sometimes when i try to change my sound mode or simply play a music track or any media thing, an error pops up displaying “Unable to play during call.”Had this issue even with my previous regular S6. To solve this I have to restart my device and the error arrives again after few calls. Please help me fix this issue. — Omkar

Solution: Hi Omkar. Any phone is not designed to play any music when there’s an active call because the speaker can only handle one task at a time. The sound from the music app will simply remain muted as voice calling takes priority. When it comes to videos, your phone should still be able to run them but again, sound will be muted during calls. If your phone keeps showing “unable to play during call” error even when it’s not in a call at all, that’s a different story altogether. There must be something in the system, probably an app or operating system bug, that tells Android the device is currently in an active call session. To try and fix the problem, try wiping the cache and data of the Phone app you’re using. If you’re using a non-standard phone app, wipe its cache and data too.

Just like what we tell Christopher above, don’t hesitate to do a factory reset if the problem won’t stays.

 

Engage with us

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

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

Fix Samsung Galaxy S6 that’s not charging, won’t turn on & other power problems

“Hi guys. My Samsung Galaxy S6 (#Samsung #GalaxyS6) turned itself off all of the sudden. Since then, it won’t turn on and when plugged in, it’s not charging either. What is the problem with my phone? Thanks.”

Galaxy-S6-wireless-charging-problems

That’s just one of the power-related problems we received from our readers. It seems that more and more owners are experiencing this kind of issue with their phone. Below is the list of the problems I addressed in this post. Try to see if your concern is in it.

  1. Galaxy S6 isn’t charging and won’t turn on
  2. Fast charging only works occasionally, normal charging is very slow
  3. Galaxy S6 battery drains quickly even if WiFi & Bluetooth are disabled
  4. Galaxy S6 not charging prompt shows up followed with power sharing notice
  5. Galaxy S6 won’t turn on due to liquid damage

For those who have other issues, you can contact us directly by filling up this questionnaire. We are always willing to help you as long as you provide us with all necessary information about your problem. You may also visit our troubleshooting page and find issues related to yours and use the solutions we provided.

Galaxy S6 isn’t charging and won’t turn on

Problem: Hi droid guy. My new Galaxy S6 just turned off yesterday without any apparent reason at all. I though it just ran out of battery so I tried to plug it in but it wasn’t charging either. Whatever I do it won’t respond. It won’t turn on. I paid so much for this phone so I am really worried now. Can you guys help me please? What should I do?

Troubleshooting: If the phone didn’t suffer from either liquid or physical damage, it could be that the system crashed leaving it unresponsive. In this case, it won’t respond even if you plug in the charger and won’t turn on even if you pressed the Power key a hundred times. There’s one procedure you should do–Forced Reboot.

Unlike the Galaxy S5 and older Galaxy devices, the S6 doesn’t have a removable battery. So, you cannot perform the “battery pull” procedure. However, you can emulate such process by pressing and holding the Volume Down and Power keys together for 10 to 15 seconds. The device should reboot after that provided that there’s enough battery to power its hardware.

Assuming the battery was all drained out, the screen would still flicker. It’s a sign that the simulated battery disconnected has been done. This time, the phone should already respond when charged.

However, after doing all these and the phone still wouldn’t respond, it’s time you sent it in for repair; it might be a hardware problem.

Fast charging only works occasionally, normal charging is very slow

Problem: I have had my phone for a couple of months now and I’m having issues with both charging and battery life. Fast charging only works occasionally (yes, I am using the original Samsung charger). Normal charging works very slowly (if at all). For example, my phone died once yesterday and again right before bed. I plugged it in overnight and when I woke up it was at 30%. I’ve been using it for about an hour now and it’s already down to 10%. I’m very frustrated because this phone is almost brand new and it wasn’t cheap! Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Troubleshooting: The fast charging feature with the Galaxy S6 doesn’t have the On/Off switch, so it should be enabled if requirements are met. One of the things that prevent the S6 from fast-charging is when it heats up during the process. This is to prevent further damage to the device and during time, it would charge normally.

In your case, I think it will be wise to fix the normal charging issue first before attempting to fix the fast charging problem.

As you said, normal charging is very slow. I advice you to boot your phone in safe mode and observe if it charges at normal pace or if fast charging works. If so, then there could be a lot of third-party apps that run in the background when the phone is in normal mode. One way to address this issue is to disable some apps especially games or those that use so much resources on your phone.

However, if the problem still persists even in safe mode, then you have no other choice but to backup your data including your files, pictures, videos, music, etc. and perform a master reset. This will fix the charging problems.

How to perform the master reset on Galaxy S6

  1. Turn off your Samsung Galaxy S6.
  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.

Galaxy S6 battery drains quickly even if WiFi & Bluetooth are disabled

Problem: My battery drains a full charge in about 4 hours at work. Some days I charge it at work again and it is down to less than 5% while driving home.  I have charged it full when going to bed, and after 5 hours of non use the battery is only 80%.  I have turned off WiFi and Bluetooth and there is very little difference. Are any of the battery apps worth installing, or how can I make sure apps are not starting in the background and consuming my power. Help me. PLEASE.

Troubleshooting: There are two possibilities: it could be that there are so many things running in the background that use the battery or it’s entirely a battery issue. The starting point of your troubleshooting should be to rule out the first possibility. You can do that by booting your phone in safe mode:

  1. Turn off your Galaxy S6.
  2. Press and hold the Power key.
  3. When ‘Samsung Galaxy S6’ 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.

If the phone drains its battery at a normal pace (or even slower) in safe mode, then all you need to do is reset your phone. Otherwise, it’s time you sought help from a technician.

Galaxy S6 not charging prompt shows up followed with power sharing notice

Problem: Very often 1-2 minutes each time will pop up and vibrate saying that the phone is not charging. Also opens a dialogue box that says that power sharing requires an app and will not work properly otherwise. I have not toggled anything at all that should do this and I have updated just before this started. Very annoying.

Related Problem: There’s a power sharing notice that pops up and now doesn’t allow me to charge phone. How do I upload a pic?

Troubleshooting: I understand how annoying this issue is but here’s how you can fix it or stop those prompts from showing up again:

  1. Boot your phone in safe mode (follow instructions in the previous problem).
  2. Charge your phone up to 100% while in safe mode.
  3. Download the Power sharing app. (Don’t worry, the app comes from Samsung itself.)
  4. Boot your phone in normal mode.
  5. If possible, update the firmware of your phone.

That’s pretty much it!

Galaxy S6 won’t turn on due to liquid damage

Problem: I dropped it down the toilet took it straight out, wiped it, it went off after few seconds and put it in a bag of rice for 3 days will not come on.

Suggestion: Apparently, the water found it’s way into the phone that probably affected some of the components. Liquid damage isn’t covered by warranty but if you open the phone by yourself, you might damage it all the more. So, you really need a technician’s help to figure out what’s wrong with it, or if it can still be fixed.

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.

Galaxy S6 constantly shuts down and won’t stay on, other issues

s6

One of the common problems usually submitted to us is that the Galaxy S6 won’t stay on or having boot- or power-related problems. Once again, we publish a post that entertains these #GalaxyS6 issues. Below are the specific topics discussed in this material:

  1. Galaxy S6 constantly shuts down and won’t stay on
  2. Galaxy S6 stuck in download mode after rooting
  3. Google Chrome app in Galaxy S6 does not go back automatically to Google search page
  4. Galaxy S6 “intelligenceservice2 has stopped” error after it got wet | Pre-installed apps on Galaxy S6 keep crashing after water exposure
  5. Galaxy S8 Plus Edge won’t turn back on

If you are looking for solutions to your own #Android issue, you can contact us by using the link provided at the bottom of this page, or you can install our free app from Google Play Store.

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

Problem #1: Galaxy S6 won’t stay on and constantly shuts down 

Hi. I recently purchased a Samsung Galaxy S6 from India. I have been using it for over 10 days now. A couple of days ago, the phone suddenly turned off and wouldn’t turn back on. I connected the charger, and it had a charge of 34% and was charging further, but it wouldn’t turn back on.

I tried the next morning, it turned on, worked for 15mins or so and then turned back off. I tried restarting numerous times, and with all possible combinations: power, power-volume down, power-volume down-home, power-volume up, power-volume up-home, power-volume up-volume down-home. Nothing happened most of the time. Sometimes, some screen would come up and then go right back off. Sometimes I was left with a black screen and a blinking blue light. At times, the power-volume up-home combination shows a fallen android guy connected to a warning sign (exclamation mark within a yellow triangle).

It does get charged however, but doesn’t get detected on the computer. I noticed that something comes up for a short while if I try after a gap of 2-3 hours, i.e. the longer the time gap between attempts, the longer the screen stays on.

I used this to wipe the cache and perform a hard reset, both of which were successful (i.e. the phone didn’t turn off during the process), but it still didn’t solve the issue.

This morning, I tried again after about 8 hours of inactivity, and the phone stayed on for about 12 minutes. I also noticed that it turned abnormally warm during that period. The battery is on full charge, and it doesn’t get drained abnormally.

The Samsung service centre guys here in Manchester say that they do not have expertise in the relevant software for the phones manufactured in India.

Please help! — Lipsa

Solution: Hi Lipsa. Knowing that the phone does not show classic symptoms of battery malfunction effectively eliminates the possible involvement of battery failure in this case. That leaves us with three potential causes:

  • one of the hardware buttons is defective (usually the Power key),
  • a software glitch may have developed or one of the apps is problematic, and
  • an unknown hardware failure (probably a motherboard issue or one of the components)

The first and third involves some hardware troubleshooting and requires opening the phone to check it physically. We don’t recommend that you do these things yourselves as you may complicate problems further. You have to let a professional do the job to avoid damaging the hardware.

What’s left to do at your level is to check if software is to blame. You can start by booting your phone in safe mode. This will help you determine if the failure to boot normally or the system shutdown is initiated by an app you’ve installed. To restart your S6 in safe mode, kindly follow these steps:

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

The other procedure that you can do is boot the device in recovery mode so a factory reset can be done. Here’s how:

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

Now, after doing any of these procedures, you must observe the phone for at least 24 hours (if it stays on that long) so you’ll know the difference. We are aware that you’re having trouble booting the phone to other modes so if you can’t do it, you can safely assume that either the first and third causes is to blame. Call or go back to Samsung so you can file for repair or replacement request.

Problem #2: Galaxy S6 stuck in download mode after rooting

Hey! After quite a bit of persuasion from my friend, i decided to go ahead and root my Galaxy S6 [SM-G920T] but ever since i did (using CF Autoroot), I’ve been stuck on the booting page where it says Samsung Galaxy S6 and powered by Android. however the only thing different from the traditional booting screen is that there are small red letters in the top left which read, “RECOVERY IS NOT SEANDROID ENFORCING”.

At this point, there are only two things that i can do with my phone: Either i press Volume Down + Power + Home and manage to get to the download screen, or i can make it run out of battery and when i charge it back up, it returns to the booting screen.

I can’t access other screens such as the recovery menu. I don’t want to lose all the personal data which is on my phone so how would i go about reverting my phone back to normal and still have everything one it?

Many thanks. — Paul

Solution: Hi Paul. Although a lot of Android users modify the official software on their device in the form of rooting, not everyone enjoys a risk-free experience. Modifying Android has inherent risks due to a lot of factors that can come into play during the procedure. If you’re using a defective USB cable while changing critical files in the OS and some files are not copied properly to the device, it can potentially create a complication. The same can be said if the saving process is accidentally interrupted for some reason. There are other variables that can lead to  boot loop and similar issues. That’s why we don’t usually recommend rooting and flashing.

Well, since you’ve already committed to doing it, and you’re left without much leeway in this case, the only thing that you can do is to flash a stock firmware. This will allow you to boot back normally (and personally swear not to root again, hopefully). We trust you can find your way on how to do it, given the fact that you’ve even already rooted the phone, albeit unsuccessfully. Flashing a new firmware to your S6 will wipe the storage device so forget about file recovery, your files are good as gone now.

Problem #3: Google Chrome app in Galaxy S6 does not go back automatically to Google search page

Hi there! 🙂

Please accept my apologies in advance as I am completely new to the modern day smart phone technology after switching over from an old school flip phone that I’ve had for many years.

When I click on the Google Chrome icon on my Samsung Galaxy S6 cell phone to search on the internet, the screen unfortunately it takes me back to the site (i.e. Ebay, Amazon, IMDB, etc.) that I was just on last. This keeps happening even though I’ve clicked out of the opened search window or pushed the CLOSE ALL tab on the lower left corner of my actual phone. The only way that I can possibly get to a new Google Chrome search engine page is to keep clicking the back arrow on the bottom right corner of my actual phone. It has to go all the way back out of the program before allowing me to do any other searches.

Recently, I’ve called Samsung and spoke to one tech person on the phone and I also spoke to another tech person via the online chat support. They both had me try restarting it in various modes, clearing caches, and clearing data without any luck. Neither tech was able to help me fix the problem and said that I will need to reset everything back to the original factory settings for it to work correctly. I’m very reluctant in doing this as I have several hundred photos (which I have been able save to my desktop) and numerous videos of family events (which I can’t save to my desktop due to having an older computer by choice with basic Windows XP).

I’m extremely frustrated at this point and I honestly just feel like throwing my phone away.  If you could please possibly take the time to help me out with any suggestions, I would be so very grateful.

Thanks for all of your time and consideration in doing this for me. I hope you have a wonderful day!

Sincerely. — Dick

Solution: Hi Dick. We don’t think you need to do the drastic step of factory reset to fix this issue. If you’re running the updated version of Google Chrome app, there’s actually an option under its Settings menu that allows you to enable Home Page. The default home page is set to Google Search page (unless you changed it before). Enabling home page will give you the “home” icon at the top which you can simply tap to immediately go back to Google search page.

You can access Google Chrome settings menu by tapping on the three-dot icon at the top right section.

Problem #4: Galaxy S6 “intelligenceservice2 has stopped” error after it got wet | Pre-installed apps on Galaxy S6 keep crashing after water exposure

My daughter decided it would be a good idea to drop my phone in my drink and my phone has suffered water damage.

I did turn it on straight away and saw the screen had an error. I decided to turn the phone off and attempt to dry it out. 3 days since the phone switches on, however I am having issues with my pre-installed apps.

I have completed a factory reset and also wiped the cache partition numerous times however nothing seems to be fixing the issue of my apps constantly either stopping or saying it has stopped when I haven’t even opened up the app, such as Samsung Health. I also keep getting an error stating “intelligenceservice2 has stopped”.

I am now at a loss as to how to progress as i think the phone has completely dried out and i don’t appear to be having any hardware issues, just software.

Any help would be massively appreciated. — Peter

Solution: Hi Peter. First of all, we don’t want to give you the impression that everything is fine after exposing your S6 in water. Most of the cases wherein an electronic device saw water don’t end well. The curious thing about your situation is the fact that there seems to be only software problems after the incident.

The rule of thumb in dealing with a water-damaged electronic device is to see if software solutions can fix issues. If they don’t, then it can assumed that the software symptoms are being caused by a defective hardware. In your situation, the most effective software solution is factory reset. That it does not work in your case is an indication that the problem is never due to a software glitch in the first place. There is no other “advanced” techniques or troubleshooting that you can do on your level to resolve the issues. It’s likely that a water-damaged hardware component may be sending false signal to the circuit, creating a chain of commands that overwhelm the system, resulting to the errors that keep on popping up.

Call Samsung and see if you can have the phone repaired, or better still replaced.

Problem #5: Galaxy S8 Plus Edge won’t turn back on

I own a Samsung Galaxy S6 Plus Edge and I’ve only had it for a few months. Lately when it’s charging it says that it’s charging slowly and I should use the original charger. I’ve only ever used the original charger with this phone but unplugging and plugging again usually solves that issue.

Last night my phone was at 4% so I charged it and went to bed. When I woke up it was completely dead. The LED light wasn’t red or green and nothing was on the screen.

So I tried to play around with it a little and plugged it back into the wall and the icon with the lightning bolt showed up but it still wasn’t charging. I went through a couple of your suggestions from what I could find off of Google but nothing has worked.

I plugged it into my laptop and the lightning bolt showed up again but still no charging light. I don’t think it’s my charging cable as I’m charging my dead Galaxy S4 and the LED light on that is showing up and it’s charging fine.

Lots of your suggestions included resetting the phone but I can’t really “turn it off” or “reset” as it won’t even turn on!

Please let me know if there’s any other information I can give you. I hope you will be able to help me out with my problem. — Natasha

Solution: Hi Natasha. As discussed above, if you can’t boot your phone in any other mode like safe mode, recovery mode, or Odin mode, then the problem is most probably a failing hardware. It can be the device’s battery no longer holding a charge, or some other components. If leaving it charged for at least an hour won’t power it on, nothing will. Call Samsung or the relevant party so it can be physically checked and repaired if needed.

 

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