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overheating issue

Galaxy S7 edge camera photos are not being saved to SD card, other issues

Hello S7 users! Here’s another post that addresses some #GalaxyS7 issues reported to us from the past few days.For those readers who are new to our site, don’t forget to also visit our main Galaxy S7 troubleshooting page is this article won’t give a solution to your own issue.

For now, here are the specific topics we cover for you today:

  1. Galaxy S7 Google Maps app unresponsive | Galaxy S7 is stuck and won’t restart
  2. Galaxy S7 edge email won’t work after installing Android Nougat
  3. Galaxy S7 edge camera photos are not being saved to SD card
  4. Galaxy S7 fast charging feature not working
  5. Galaxy S7 keeps overheating and turning itself off and on randomly
  6. Galaxy S7 received SMS have incorrect time
  7. Galaxy S7 edge won’t power back on
  8. Galaxy S7 battery problem after accidental fall

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

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

Problem #1: Galaxy S7 Google Maps app unresponsive | Galaxy S7 is stuck and won’t restart

I updated my phone on Monday, and I keep having problems with Google Maps not being responsive or loading my map. I use Google Maps at least 2 hours a day, so I decided to try to restart my phone to see if that would fix the problem. Well the phone restarted, and I unlocked the phone, but it is now stuck on the unlock screen (shows a pad lock with a rotating blue/green circle going around the pad lock).  I have tried to hard restart the phone, but it seems like the buttons aren’t even working. I have been stuck on this screen for over 2 hours now with no change  I’m not sure where to go from here. — Samantha

Solution: Hi Samantha. If your phone has become stuck or unresponsive, try to simulate a “battery pull.” In older Samsung phone models, pulling out the battery is usually the most effective way to boot back on an unresponsive phone. Since your S7 has a non-removable battery pack design, you can only simulate a battery pull by doing a hardware button  combination. This process is also called soft reset. Here’s how to it’s done:

  1. Press and hold the Power (located on the right edge) and Volume down buttons (located on the left edge) for 12 seconds.
  2. Use the Volume down button to scroll to the Power Down option.
  3. Press the Home key to select.

Note: The device powers down completely. It is recommended that the device be powered up in Safe Mode.

Also, make sure that there’s at least 5% battery left before doing a soft reset. This ensures that there’s enough energy left to power the battery circuit.

If you’ll be able to power the phone back on normally after a soft reset but the Google Maps continue, consider wiping the app’s cache and data. 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.

Problem #2: Galaxy S7 edge email won’t work after installing Android Nougat

Since doing Verizon’s Nougat upgrade to my S7 edge, I can no longer connect to my work email (an IMAP account). I have deleted and recreated the account and verified all the settings are correct with our IT. They can see me hit the firewall. Then I receive a security error. For incoming server, we are using SSL Accept all certificates. We have a home grown certificate, rather than one from a traditional supplier.  Could the OS be having an issue with the certificate? — Will

Solution: Hi Will. The error appears to be a security warning coming from the phone itself so yes, we think it’s an OS-related problem. If the only change you’ve made so far is to install an update on your phone and there are no modifications on your work email side, there may be some compatibility issues with your work email and Android. If you’re using the stock Samsung email app, try using another email app like Google’s Gmail or Microsoft’s Outlook and see if it works. You can also confirm our suspicion by using another phone, preferably one that runs on older Android version, so you can add your email and see if it works. If it does work on an older Android version, you have to work with your IT department to update the security certificate to allow you to access your work email on your phone again.

Problem #3: Galaxy S7 edge camera photos are not being saved to SD card

Hello, I have an S7 Edge with a 128GB micro SD card. The card seems to be working fine as I can create albums on it and transfer photos to it just fine; however, the issue I have is that photos are not being saved to it by default, despite having directed photos to my SD card in my camera’s settings. These are NOT burst shots, just regular photos and videos. They are all going to my DCIM folder on my regular camera memory. — Andrea

Solution: Hi Andrea. To select the SD card as the default storage for an S7 camera app, you must do the following:

  1. Open the “Camera” app.
  2. Select the settings gear icon located at the upper-left corner of the screen.
  3. Scroll down and tap “Storage location“.
  4. Select “Phone” or “SD card” as desired.

If you’ve already done the steps above but the camera app continues to behave erratically by saving to the internal storage device, try to reset the camera app settings to default.

If resetting the camera app settings won’t help, make sure to clear its cache and data. Refer to the steps above on how to do this procedure.

Finally, if the problem won’t go away, there may be a software problem that causes this bug. Make sure that you factory reset the device. Here’s how:

  1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
  2. Find and tap Settings and then touch Backup and reset.
  3. Tap Factory data reset and touch Reset device.
  4. If you have screen lock feature turned on, enter your password or PIN.
  5. Touch Continue.
  6. Tap Delete all to confirm your action.

Factory reset will erase all data in the phone’s internal storage so make sure to create a backup of all your files.

Problem #4: Galaxy S7 fast charging feature not working

I had my phone for a year and this is the first time I’ve had a problem. About two weeks ago my phone stopped fast charging sometimes. It would fast charge when I’d use a new cord but only for a day or two. I’ve tried using a different wall piece along with new outlets in different houses. Nothing has worked. Everytime it will fast charge for a day or so it would then revert back to cable charging.

Also some cords that i used previously will work again after awhile. I want to know if you know of any solution before i have to take it to the store. — Kaelen

Solution: Hi Kaelen. Most of fast charging issues are due to a bad charging port, which means that the only way to fix them is by doing either repair or replacement. To check if that’s the case in your phone, first you want to do an ocular inspection of the port. Try to use a form of magnification so you’ll see the inside of the port more clearly. You’re looking for possible damage that may be preventing the charger from making good contact when it’s connected. Sometimes, a bent pin or lint can cause this problem so what you want to do is to check if something looks out of place.

If everything appears to be in order in the charging port, you can then try to do some basic software troubleshooting such as cache partition wipe and master reset. Below are the steps to do them:

How to wipe the cache partition of Galaxy S7

  1. Turn off your Samsung Galaxy S7.
  2. Press and then hold the Home and Volume UP keys, then press and hold the Power key.
  3. When the Samsung Galaxy S7 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.
  5. Using the Volume Down key, navigate through the options and highlight ‘wipe cache partition.’
  6. Once highlighted, you may press the Power key to select it.
  7. Now highlight the option ‘Yes’ using the Volume Down key and press the Power button to select it.
  8. Wait until your phone is finished doing the Master Reset. Once completed, highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and press the Power key.
  9. The phone will now reboot longer than usual.

How to master reset a Galaxy S7

  1. Turn off your Samsung Galaxy S7.
  2. Press and then hold the Home and Volume UP keys, then press and hold the Power key.
  3. When the Samsung Galaxy S7 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.
  5. Using the Volume Down key, navigate through the options and highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset.’
  6. Once highlighted, you may press the Power key to select it.
  7. Now highlight the option ‘Yes — delete all user data’ using the Volume Down key and press the Power button to select it.
  8. Wait until your phone is finished doing the Master Reset. Once completed, highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and press the Power key.
  9. The phone will now reboot longer than usual.
  10. Observe the phone while charging for a few days without installing any app or update.

Remember, if both cache partition wipe and factory reset won’t change anything, send the phone in for repair or replacement.

Problem #5: Galaxy S7 keeps overheating and turning itself off and on randomly

Hello. I have a Samsung Galaxy S7 and my phone keeps getting hot and turning itself off. This happens quite often and when it doesn’t it doesn’t keep a charge. I have charged it with the phone in the off and on modes till it reaches 100% and then within a few hours it will be at 15% even if i did not use it at all that day. The phone is having to be charged everyday at least 3x a day which is not convenient for me being a teacher and a mother.

Along with all these, the screen is separating from the phone in both right and left top corners. Again this phone is not even a three year old and it has been in a lifeproof case the entire time. Please help me solve what is going on with my phone. I love the phone just get tired of having to charge it and holding a hot phone is never pleasant. Thank you. — Stephanie

Solution: Hi Stephanie. The symptoms you mention here are consistent with an on-going hardware malfunction. The battery may not be working properly or that the charging port may have been damaged. It’s also not normal for a screen to split vertically or in half so it’s also possible that your phone has a general hardware failure. Overheating is definitely an indication of a problem and if it keeps happening without a clear pattern, you can assume that bad hardware is to blame. That your phone shuts down once it becomes hot is usually an indication of a damaged component. Samsung phones are designed to shut down automatically once the internal temperature reaches a certain limit to prevent further damage. Whatever the true cause is, you need to let a professional check the phone’s hardware.

We doubt any software solution can fix all the problems you mention here but you can definitely try them if you want. You can start by wiping the cache partition. If that won’t change anything, you can then try the factory reset solution. Again, there’s no amount of software troubleshooting that can fix a hardware issue. If wiping the cache partition and performing a factory reset won’t change the situation, have the phone checked by a service center.

Problem #6: Galaxy S7 received SMS have incorrect time

Hi there, I’m having a (relatively) new problem with my text messages. I looked at your website in hopes that someone else has had the same problem and I could fix it on my own, but I didn’t see anything in the troubleshooting sections.

Anyway, when I receive a text message, my phone records the incoming time as a few minutes ahead of the actual time. So, when I respond to a text immediately, my message goes ahead of the message that I received. Hopefully that makes sense? And, if so, do you know how I can fix it? Thank you!! Sincerely. — Eileen

Solution: Hi Eileen. This issue is usually caused by incorrect system time in either the sending or receiving platform. Make sure that your phone’s system time and date are correct. If they are already, the issue must be coming from the sender of the messages.

Problem #7: Galaxy S7 edge won’t power back on

Hi. I obviously have an issue with my Samsung Galaxy S7 edge. It was fine last night running perfectly. I charged it before I went to bed so it wasn’t on charge during the night. but when I woke up it just wouldn’t turn on. This is my usual routine cause I don’t like the lights flashing on the phone while I’m trying to sleep lol.

I’ve tried everything on this website to try and turn it on. I’ve even tried different chargers to see if that was the issue but to no avail. So now I’m completely dumbfounded as to what to do. I

I’ve had the phone for nearly a year and have never had an issue with it until today. Things I’ve tried:

  • 10sec/15sec/1min/2min ( tried all these times with every different action )
  • Holding the power button holding the power button and home button
  • Holding the power button and volume down button
  • Holding the power button and volume up button.
  • Holding all buttons
  • Holding just the home button

 I’m at a loss as to what to do and all I really care about are the pictures of my child on the phone. If you need anymore information please feel free to email me. Thanking you in advance. — Amber

Solution:  Hi Amber. We’re pretty sure we’ve mentioned this in one of the articles you’ve read but if your phone remains unresponsive after attempting to power it back on to three alternate boot modes, that means there’s nothing else that you can try. You should have the phone physically checked by a professional so the hardware can be examined.

Try not to send the phone to Samsung as they tend to erase the internal storage during repairs. If you’re lucky and the issue is only due to bad battery, you may be able to power it back on without losing your data after a battery replacement via your local service center. Be sure to tell the attending technician not to wipe the internal memory of the phone during repair. Battery replacement is a simple repair procedure and it doesn’t involve the internal memory. However, if the problem is something else and the phone needs a new logic board, there will be no way for you to recover your files.

Problem #8: Galaxy S7 battery problem after accidental fall

I fell off a roof with my phone in my tool belt. Didn’t land directly on it but some sand got into the charge port. I cleaned all that out after work, phone stayed on the whole time. Ended up dying, went to charge it and the charge symbol comes up but usually it shows a percent after and instead it goes back to black screen for a few seconds. then the charge symbol comes back, phone only turns on sometimes but says 0 percent most of the time. then other times it turns on and says 90 percent. Sometimes a green light flashes on my screen close to charge port. Not where the lights usually flash. Could the battery be lose or bent? I just bought it and love it. I have the regular S7 too. If it’s not too much to fix, I’d fix it before getting something else. — Matt

Solution: Hi Matt. If the problem was not there before the accident, the phone is most likely damaged after that fall. To know which part is broken requires doing some hardware diagnostics so if you can’t do that, let a trained professional check the phone for you. The green light flashes on the screen can also be a sign of malfunctioning screen so make sure to mention it as well to a technician.

The only battery-specific troubleshooting step that you can do is battery recalibration and factory reset. Below are the steps on how recalibrate the battery:

  1. Use the phone by playing games or doing tasks to hasten power discharge, until the phone turns itself off.
  2. Turn the phone on again and let it turn itself off.
  3. Charge the phone without turning it back on.
  4. Wait until the battery says it fully charged to 100%
  5. Unplug the charger and turn the phone on.
  6. If the phone says it’s not 100% anymore, turn it off, plug the charger back in and wait until 100% charge is reached.
  7. Unplug the charger the turn the phone on again.
  8. Use the phone until you drain the battery down to 0.
  9. Repeat the cycle once.

If nothing changes after a battery calibration, you can try a factory reset. Again, these are solutions meant to fix software issues so if the problem continues, go ahead with repair.

 

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

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How to fix your Huawei Mate 10 Pro that is overheating [Troubleshooting Guide]

Overheating problem in mobile devices is often inflicted by software errors like errant apps, improperly configured device settings, and faulty updates. In worst cases, overheating can occur among other symptoms of hardware damage like a bad battery. Often times, the underlying cause is attributed to software errors, making it possible to transpire in both new and old devices, unexpectedly. Should you happen to encounter the same issue on your Huawei Mate 10 Pro smartphone, I have demonstrated some simple ways to deal with it. Read further and learn what to do if your new Huawei device is suddenly overheating.

Before we proceed, if you’re looking for a solution to a problem with your phone, try to browse through our troubleshooting pages to see if we support your device. If your phone is in the list of our supported devices, then go to the troubleshooting page and look for similar problems. Feel free to use our solutions and workarounds. Don’t worry it’s free. But if you still need our help, then fill up our Android issues questionnaire and hit submit to contact us.

First solution: End all background apps then reboot your phone.

Background apps that crashed or went rogue might have triggered the phone processor to continuously work and eventually get exhausted. When this happens, the device could get warmer than usual. As first remedy, try to end all background apps and then reboot your device. Here’s how:

  1. Tap the Recent Apps button from the main screen.
  2. Select the Active apps icon.
  3. Tap End next to an app’s screen, to end background apps individually.
  4. To quit all background apps simultaneously, tap End all.
  5. Then tap OK to confirm.

To dump errant cache and refresh the internal memory, reboot or soft reset your Huawei Mate 10 Pro with these steps:

  1. Press the Power button for a few seconds or until the menu options appear.
  2. Select Power off option and then tap OK. Doing so will shut down your phone.
  3. After 30 seconds, press the Power button again until your device restarts.

Performing a soft reset will rectify any software errors that might have triggered the device to heat up. This won’t affect any saved data on the phone.

Second solution: Boot in safe mode and diagnose apps.

Rogue apps are also among the usual triggers. Any of your stock apps or third-party apps may be acting up and inflict such trouble. If the problem started after installing a new application, then that app must have triggered the device to overheat. In that case, deleting the errant app will fix the problem. Booting your device in safe mode will also help you determine whether or not the problem is attributed to built-in apps. If your phone does not overheat while in safe mode, then third-party apps are likely to blame. To find out, follow these steps to enable safe mode on your Huawei Mate 10 Pro:

  1. Turn off your phone by pressing the Power button until it shuts down.
  2. Then press the Power button again to turn it back on.
  3. As soon as you see the Huawei animation screen, press and hold the Volume Down button until your phone boots up.

A safe mode label will then appear at the bottom left corner of the display. That indicates that the phone is already running in safe mode. Only built-in apps are permitted to run in this mode, thus it’s easier for you to isolate the problem. If your device is still overheating while in safe mode, then you’ll need to troubleshoot your device software further or take it to a technician for hardware assessment or if necessary, repair.

Third solution: Update apps and phone software to the latest version available.

Rogue apps that might have caused the device to heat up so quickly can still be remedied by updating them. App updates also offer bug fixes to clear an app from bugs and malware that make it erratic. To manually check for, download and install pending app updates on your Huawei Mate 10 Pro, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Google Play Store app.
  2. Tap the Menu icon (three vertical lines) then tap My apps & games.
  3. Navigate to the Updates section to view available app updates.
  4. Tap the Update button next to the name of the app to install pending update for the application.
  5. To update all apps at once, tap the Update All button instead. You can select this option if multiple pending app updates are available.

After installing app updates, check for any available software update for your device. Updating the device to the latest software version can also be the key to resolving the issue especially if software bugs are to blame. Follow these steps to manually check for new update on your Huawei Mate 10 Pro:

  1. Tap Settings from the Home screen.
  2. Scroll to and tap System.
  3. Tap About phone.
  4. To view the current software version of your phone, scroll to and tap Android version.
  5. To check for new updates available, tap System Update instead.
  6. On the System update screen, tap the Check For Updates button and then wait for your phone to scan for new updates.

If an update is available, ensure that your phone is connected to the Internet and has enough power and memory space before updating. Backing up essential data is also recommended for safekeeping. Then follow the onscreen instructions to download and install new update on your phone. Don’t forget to reboot your device when the update is finished installing. This will clear the internal memory and phone system and prevent apps from going rogue following the new system changes.

Fourth solution: Wipe cache partition on your Huawei Mate 10 Pro.

Wiping the cache partition clears the system cache on your phone. Aside from apps, the phone system also has its own folder for temporary system files stored as cache. Like an app’s cache, system caches are utilized to speed up reloading of similar information on the phone. But when any of these cached files gets corrupted, system functions can also be affected. And this is when adverse symptoms including overheating instigate. To clear this out, it is recommended to wipe cache partition regularly or after installing new software update. Here’s how it’s done:

  1. Power off your device.
  2. Hold the Power button and the Volume Up button simultaneously for a few seconds.
  3. When you see the Huawei logo, release both buttons. Doing so will route you to the EMUI or Android Recovery menu with a list of options to choose from.
  4. Press the Volume Down button to scroll and highlight wipe cache partition option.
  5. Then press the Power button to confirm the selection.
  6. Wait until your phone is finished clearing the cache partition and then highlights the Reboot system now option.
  7. Then press the Power button to confirm and reboot the phone.

If that doesn’t help and the phone still overheats, then you may have to consider performing system resets.

Fifth solution: Reset and restore device to factory defaults.

This can be a complex software issue if it persists after exhausting all prior methods. It could be due to some tough bugs or fatal system errors on the phone. Should this be the underlying cause, performing a master reset can help. This will delete everything from your phone and restore its factory defaults. Fatal errors, tough bugs, and invalid settings are therefore cleared, thus gives your device a clean fresh start. Should you wish to continue with this reset, be sure to back up all important files beforehand. Then follow these steps:

  1. Tap Settings from the Main menu.
  2. Scroll to and tap Advanced settings.
  3. Scroll to then tap to select Backup & Reset option.
  4. Tap Factory data reset to continue.
  5. Then tap Reset phone twice to confirm.

Allow your device to finish resetting the system and restore the default settings. It will then reboot automatically when done. By then, you can proceed with the initial setup process and prepare your device for use again.

Other options

If your Huawei Mate 10 Pro is still overheating after carrying out all applicable workarounds to get rid of any software-related triggers, then your next option to consider is service. Take your device to the nearest Huawei service center and have it assessed by a technician for hardware damage. It’s possible that some hardware components like the battery have been damaged and needs to be replaced. For other options and official recommendations, you can also contact your carrier or Huawei Support.

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What to do if your Samsung Galaxy S9 is overheating after a minor firmware update (easy steps)

Overheating is a serious problem and you should not neglect it as it’s dangerous; if the battery has gone beyond its heat threshold, it will explode. This kind of problem doesn’t only happen to entry-level devices, it also occurs to premium phones like the Samsung Galaxy S9.

Some of our readers who own this device reported that their devices started to heat up after they updated the firmware. There is a big difference between “heating up” and “overheating” but the former may actually lead to the latter if you just turn a blind eye. You must try to do some procedures to determine if the problem is caused by hardware problem or not because if it is, then you should immediately bring it to the tech.

Now, there are times when a phone heats up badly especially you’re into gaming while the device is charging with it’s screen brightness set to the max. But even if that’s the case, it will take several hours before the phone shuts down due to overheating. You can leave the phone for 15 minutes and then you can go back to action. However, if your phone overheats even if you’re just using an app you usually use, then that’s not a problem. Continue reading as this short post may help you one way or another.

But before anything else, if you have another issue with your phone, drop by our troubleshooting page as we have already addressed hundreds of issues reported by the owners. Odds are that there are already existing solutions on our website or at least, there are similar problems we already fixed. So, try to find ones that are similar or related to your problem. If you need further assistance, however, feel free to contact us by filling up our Android issues questionnaire.

How to troubleshoot Galaxy S9 that overheats after an update

First off, if your phone heats up too much while charging, disconnect it from the charger immediately and then turn it off. That should prevent further troubleshooting. If you accidentally dropped it or left submerged in water for so long and then this problem started, you should bring it to the tech so it will be examined properly. But assuming none of this happened to your phone and if the problem started after a firmware update, here’s what you should do.

First solution: Forced reboot

Minor glitches may also cause overheating sometimes but don’t worry because if it’s just due to a glitch, you can immediately fix it by a simple reboot. However, instead of rebooting your phone the usual way, it’s better to do the Forced Reboot which is far more effective as it refreshes your phone’s memory and reloads all apps and services.

To do this, press both the volume down button and the power key at the same time and hold them down together for 10 seconds or more. Your phone will reboot like it normally does and when it becomes active, use it normally and observe if it still becomes too hot to the point that it will overheat. If it does, try the next solution.

Second solution: Find out if your downloaded apps have something to do with it

Applications may also cause your phone to overheat so it’s important to know if this is the case with your phone and if it’s due to third-party apps or not. You should reboot your phone in safe mode to temporarily disable all downloaded apps. If the phone doesn’t overheat in safe mode, then the problem clearly caused by a third-party app or some of them. At least, this is not a big problem as you only have to make sure each heavy application is closed before you use another. Just hit the Recents button and close everything before switching to another app and that should take care of the problem.

Here’s how you run your phone in safe mode:

  1. Turn the device off.
  2. Press and hold the Power key past the model name screen appearing on the screen.
  3. When SAMSUNG appears on the screen, release the Power key.
  4. Immediately after releasing the Power key, press and hold the Volume down key.
  5. Continue to hold the Volume down key until the device finishes restarting.
  6. When Safe mode appears in the bottom left corner of the screen, release the Volume down key.
  7. While in Safe mode, you can also uninstall apps that are causing a problem.

However, if the phone is still overheating while in safe mode, then the problem could be with the firmware.

Third solution: Reset your phone

After doing the first two steps and your phone is still overheating, then the next thing you should do is reset your phone. If this is just a problem with one of the apps or the firmware, a reset will fix it and your device may not overheat again. However, after the reset and your phone is still overheating, then you have no other choice but to bring it to the shop. Before the reset though, make sure to backup your files and data as they will be deleted. Now, here’s how you reset your phone:

  1. Back up data on the internal memory. If you have signed into a Samsung account on the device, you have activated Anti-theft and will need your Samsung credentials to finish the master reset.
  2. Turn off the device.
  3. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby key, then press and hold the Power key.
  4. When the green Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
  5. Press the Volume down key several times to highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset’.
  6. Press Power button to select.
  7. Press the Volume down key until ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted.
  8. Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
  9. When the master reset is complete, ‘Reboot system now’ is highlighted.
  10. Press the Power key to restart the device.

I hope that this troubleshooting guide have helped you one way or another. If you have other issues you want to share with us, feel free to contact us anytime or leave a comment below.

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Solutions to Galaxy S7 battery drain issue, other issues

A few months after the #GalaxyS7 was released, we were already getting reports of battery drain issues so this post is written to partly address it. Due to space limitations for every post, our suggestions regarding this topic is not exhaustive. We want to focus instead on the basic and often overlooked solutions for this case. If our solutions for battery drain issue on this post won’t make any difference in your own device, please look for other sources.

s7

For now, these are the specific topics we cover in this material:

  1. Windows 7 PC needs to reinstall drivers after every restart to detect Galaxy S7
  2. Solutions to Galaxy S7 battery drain issue
  3. Galaxy S7 not receiving group texts from iPhone users
  4. Galaxy S7 Edge screen won’t power on
  5. Android 6.0.1 update causing Galaxy S7 calls to keep dropping | 4G LTE disappears when Galaxy S7 turns on Wi-Fi
  6. Galaxy S7 Edge overheating issue | Galaxy S7 battery drain issue

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: Windows 7 PC needs to reinstall drivers after every restart to detect Galaxy S7

I have an S7 Edge and everything is working except that EVERY TIME I connect the phone to my Windows 7 computer, the following occurs: 1. The computer recognizes the phone however, it is unable to access data on the phone. 2. When I go to DEVICE AND PRINTERS and right-click on the Samsung icon, I must allow the computer to troubleshoot the issue. 3. The issue is ALWAYS “There is a problem with the driver for the Samsung S7 Edge. Reinstalling the driver might fix this problem.” 4. After applying the fix, I can use Smart Switch and the computer also sees the contents of the phone. 5. If I restart the computer, I must repeat steps 1-4. — Rdaj1950

Solution: Hi Rdaj1950. It looks like the issue is on your computer and not on the phone. There may be a software that protects your computer like Deep Freeze (and similar software)  that reverts the state of the operating system to its previous condition after every restart. Make sure that you disable or make an exception on such software if ever you have one installed.

Problem #2: Solutions to Galaxy S7 battery drain issue

My phone had a black screen and would not turn on last night, but it had a blue flashing light showing I had a notification. I left it all night and then this morning I tried turning it on and it showed a dead battery when it had some of a charge that night before I went to bed. Now after charging and starting the phone back up it is losing battery power like no tomorrow. It goes down 10% in 3 min and I’m not even using it. It is just sitting there on.

My husband’s phone has done the same thing and he will be at work all day and come home with 15% battery life after 12 hours of not using it and it was fully charged at the beginning of the day. These phone are not even a month old and we have gone to store about the problem and they said they can’t help. Basically we are shit out of luck when it definitely a system flaw and we should get new phones because this is crap. We had S7 before we switch carriers and never ever had this problem with them. We do not keep apps playing in the background. We are really good at keeping our phones maintained. And we never had this problem till after what I believe is a system failure and now our phone are acting up and running slow and draining battery life for no reason super fast. What is up? — Lotuslove809

Solution: Hi Lotuslove809. Causes of battery drain issue can vary and you have to consider a lot of factors when dealing with it. Identifying the exact reason for the problem can be tricky and does not always result to resolution.

Below are some of the important things to look into. You may have already tried some of them but we don’t think it will hurt if you go over the list.

Check what app is using too much battery

The new Android Marshmallow provides a useful battery utility to give users a visible reference on what app consumes more power than others. We don’t recommend that you install any third party app to give you the information you need for this job; the built in app is more than enough. Simply  open phone Settings and under Battery, look what app/s is consuming battery power. The battery usage should give you a breakdown of the various apps and services running on your device. Most of the time, the top of the list should say Android OS, the phone’s screen, or social media apps like Facebook, Twitter, or even email apps. However, if you’ll notice an old third party app consuming power, it may be contributing to the battery drain issue so you should disable it.

Keep in mind that the more apps you install (even if they are official or legitimate ones), the faster a phone drains the battery. Even if an app is not actively open, its services may continue to run in the background waiting for updates from remote hosts. This is true for social media and online shopping apps. Some gaming or productivity apps may be designed to prevent phones from becoming idle, thus saving power, so the general rule is to try to minimize the things you install. Doing so may not totally address the battery drain issue but it should still lessen the impact of those services working in the background day in and day out.

Disable auto-sync options for all apps

Almost all email, social media, and e-commerce apps enable auto-update or auto-sync options by default. While most folks are okay with it, those struggling with battery drain issue may not find it very helpful. Social media apps require regular updates to make them convenient for users but such automatic feature does not come free. We strongly suggest that you go into each app you install and switch auto-sync or auto-update feature to manual. Each app has its own settings so you must invest time in doing this.

Ensure that all apps are compatible and updated

Not all apps are created equal. Some apps receive updates shortly after or even before a new Android iteration comes along while others may receive them much later or not at all. Sounds harmless, right? Wrong. An app needs to work properly with the operating system. This is done by making sure that its code is optimized so it runs flawlessly when interacting with the new operating system or another app. Not doing so can lead to issues, also known as bugs. In fact, this is one of the main reasons why many average users find a lot of problems after migrating to a new Android version. Needless to say, you have to make sure that your apps are all updated, especially that you have a battery drain issue.

Lower down screen brightness

We know how pretty things look when viewed in a Galaxy S7 screen on full brightness but again, such appeal comes at a steep price. Try to lower down screen brightness level to the lowest comfortable setting. This will not only help lessen power consumption but can also lengthen the lifespan of the battery itself in the long run.

Wipe all app and system cache

Sometimes, basic software solutions can be effective in resolving battery drain issue. One such basic solution is by wiping an app’s cache and a phone’s system cache.

To wipe an app’s cache and data, follow these steps:

  • Open the Settings menu either through your notification shade (drop-down) or through the Settings app in your app drawer.
  • Navigate down to “Apps”. This may be renamed to something like Applications or Application Manager in OEM skinned versions of Android 6.0.
  • Once in there, click on an application.
  • 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.
  • You should now clearly see the Clear Data and Clear Cache buttons for the application.

To wipe the cache partition:

  • Turn off the device.
  • Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home key, then press and hold the Power key.
  • When the device logo screen displays, release only the Power key
  • When the Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
  • Press the Volume down key several times key to highlight ‘wipe cache partition.’
  • Press the Power key to select.
  • Press the Volume down key to highlight ‘yes’ an 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 to refresh everything via factory reset but we suggest that you find other materials in the web on things that you can do further. Remember, there’s no surgical way to identify the cause of your battery drain issue. You should take our blog as just one of the many other sources of ideas on how to fix your issue.

Also, don’t forget to use Power Saving Mode and Ultra Power Saving Mode in case you find yourself in an emergency and need to extend battery for longer.

Problem #3: Galaxy S7 not receiving group texts from iPhone users

Hi! I was a previous iPhone user and recently switched to a Samsung S7. I have been having issues receiving text messages from people in a group text. Haven’t noticed anything when it isn’t group text. Some of my phone contacts are saved under a SIM card; others are not. Does this make a difference? What should they be saved under?

Additionally, some people do not get pictures that I send; they show up as half pictures or with lines in the middle. The people I have been sending them to are iPhone users. Do I need to be connected to WIFI or can I just use data to send pictures? Thanks for your help! — Heidi

Solution: Hi Heidi. For your first issue regarding your S7 not receiving group texts the best thing that you can do is to ensure that your iMessage service is deactivated.

If you simply ported your old iPhone number to your current S7, chances are the main reason for the first issue is related to iMessage. Ideally, you are supposed to deactivate iMessage first before using your old number in your Android device. Not doing so will result to your iPhone-owning friends sending their group texts  to Apple’s proprietary server instead of them forwarded to your carrier’s servers. Make sure that you deactivate iMessage first before attempting another group texting. For more assistance, visit Apple’s official support site.

For your second issue, the fix may lie on the messaging app you’re using. Try to wipe the messaging app’s cache and data before you send another picture. Refer to the steps provided above on how to wipe an app’s cache and data. Multimedia Messaging System should work in both wifi and mobile data connection but for an accurate answer, we strongly suggest that you contact your carrier.

Problem #4: Galaxy S7 Edge screen won’t power on

Hello. I have a request. I use a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. I noticed that pressing no matter what button, the screen of my phone is unresponsive. I have tried the power button/volume combination and searched the web, but the phone doesn’t respond to anything. I can shut it down completely and turn it on, I can see a blue light blinking and yes, I have read the article related to that, but nothing works. Before seeking help at a phone shop and spending tons of money out again, I thought I’d ask you. Is there a way I can get the blank screen to respond? By the way, I do not remember what version this phone runs on. Thank you in advance. — Minty

Solution: Hi Minty. 99.9% of the time an issue like yours is caused by bad hardware so the only thing that you can do at this time is to submit the phone to Samsung or to any relevant party for repair and/or replacement. Our suggestion in this case is only to see if the phone can boot to other modes with the screen working. Since the suggestion did not work, then you can only blame hardware failure for the problem.

Problem #5: Android 6.0.1 update causing Galaxy S7 calls to keep dropping | 4G LTE disappears when Galaxy S7 turns on Wi-Fi

Hello. I have been having issues with my mobile connection since i updated my phone. I updated my phone 2 weeks ago to the 6.0.1 version. I used to be able to make and receive calls from inside my home with no issues before the update. After the update my phone calls keep dropping or the other person can’t hear me. When i am signed on to my wifi, i do not get 4G LTE. i just have 1 bar or zero connection. When i turn off my WIFI, I get 4G LTE but only 1 or 2 bars. I have taken my phone in to my carrier AT&T, and they ran a diagnostic and said nothing is wrong with my phone.  They also said that my area has good 4G service. They can’t help me. I did not have any issues before the update. I’ve cleared the cache and ran in safe mode. I’m trying not to do a factory reset because i don’t want to lose all my info. Is there a way to undo the update or anything that i could be missing. — Carmina

Solution: Hi Carmina. Unfortunately, there’s no way of reverting to previous Android iteration once you’ve installed the most recent version at this time. The only way to do that is by going through an unofficial way — flashing a stock firmware. Flashing as a procedure is relatively easy to do but it’s still risky and requires that you root your phone, which means that you will no longer be able to receive updates from your carrier, not to mention the fact that you’ll also be exposing your device to security risks.

We say you stay away from flashing at this time and do some basic stuff instead. You can start by making sure that all your apps are updated. This will help minimize issues due to incompatible apps. If nothing will change after you’ve installed all updates for your apps, the next thing that you want to do is factory reset. This will let you know if this glitch can be resolved by restoring all software settings.

For reference, follow the steps below on how to factory reset your S7:

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

Problem #6: Galaxy S7 Edge overheating issue | Galaxy S7 battery drain issue

I have a Samsung S7 Edge which has been having battery issues for a few months. Firstly the battery doesn’t seem to last long at all compared to when I got the phone. It also gets very hot sometimes and occasionally turns itself off during the night. This is very bothersome but my biggest issue is that once the phone gets to below 15% battery life it drains within minutes and if i don’t charge it immediately and it goes completely flat. Then the only way I can charge it back up is to put it on the pad and then it takes at least an hour before I can turn it on again.

If I were to plug it in to an ordinary charger from flat then it wouldn’t charge at all. It just shows the battery charge sign for a few seconds but the battery isn’t filling up or moving. Then it shows 0% for a few seconds followed by the S7 edge boot up screen before going blank. It continues like this in a cycle but never actually charges at all. Please help as it is driving me insane! I said goodbye to I phones due to crap battery life! — Jodie

Solution: Hi Jodie. Like any other Android issue, the general rule that we should follow in this case is simple — start by doing software troubleshooting. Once you’ve exhausted all software procedures, you can assume that hardware is to blame.

To start, you must begin by wiping the cache partition. The steps on how to do it are provided above.

If clearing the system cache won’t work, then your next step is to check if there’s a difference when you boot the phone in safe mode while charging. If charging becomes normal, then a third party app is causing the problem. To boot in safe mode, follow these steps:

  • Charge the phone for at least 30 minutes.
  • Press and hold the Power button.
  • Once the ‘Samsung Galaxy S7’ logo appears, release the Power key and immediately press and hold the Volume Down button.
  • Continue holding the button until the phone finishes rebooting.
  • Once you see the text “Safe mode” at the bottom left corner of the screen, release the Volume Down button.
  • The only difference of safe mode from normal mode is that the former prevents third party apps from running. If you can boot the phone in safe mode but not in normal mode, uninstall all apps until the issue (that prevents you from booting normally) is eliminated.

You can also try to recalibrate the battery so the phone’s operating system can gauge the remaining battery power correctly. Here’s how:

  • Use the phone by playing games or doing tasks to hasten power discharge, until the phone turns itself off.
  • Turn the phone on and let it drain the battery until 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.

You can also try a factory reset to see if that will make any difference. If this final procedure doesn’t seem to change the charging behavior of your S7, contact Samsung or your carrier so they can repair or replace it.

 

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

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How to fix Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge that’s heating up or overheating [Troubleshooting Guide]

While it is normal for smartphones to develop heat over time, it is absolutely worrisome if your device, in this case a #Samsung #Galaxy S7 Edge (#S7Edge), heats up too much to the point that it overheats.

Galaxy-S7-Edge-overheating

#Overheating is one of the worst cases that will happen to your phone due to mishandling and misuse. For instance, if you’re playing a CPU intensive game (and set at a very high resolution) while charging, the phone will probably overheat especially if you use it like that for an hour or so. Fortunately, smartphones have a fail-safe procedure to prevent its hardware to get seriously damaged–they automatically shut down to cool off.

Furthermore, if the phone got dipped in water and the latter found it’s way inside, the device may also overheat due to short-circuit. This case is worse than the first one because depending on how serious the problem is, the phone may still overheat even when powered off. If the short-circuit is somewhere near the battery terminals, there’s a chance the battery may explode or expand, which will cause really serious problems to the hardware not to mention a chance to crack or break the display.

Before we jump into the details of this guide, if you have other concerns with your device, make sure you drop by our S7 Edge troubleshooting page as it contains hundreds of problems we’ve already addressed. Find issues that are similar to yours and use the solutions we suggested. If they don’t work for you or if you need further assistance, you can always reach out to us by completing our Android issues questionnaire.

Troubleshooting Galaxy S7 Edge that heats up or overheats

It is imperative you troubleshoot or take time to inspect your phone once you notice that it’s developing too much heat or at the point wherein you feel uncomfortable touching it. Overheating may often be accompanied with random shut downs and screen flickering issues but don’t wait for these symptoms to occur. That said, here are the things you can do if your Galaxy S7 Edge is heating up…

Step 1: Verify the LDI (Liquid Damage Indicator) isn’t tripped

It is very important that before you go to other troubleshooting procedures, you must verify if the cause of the heating up or overheating is liquid damage because if it is, DO NOT continue troubleshooting your device.

I personally saw batteries explode due overcharging, short-circuit and exposure to heat and fire. At this point, we really don’t know what’s the real cause of the development of heat in your device but as part of a safety pre-caution, immediately check the Liquid Damage Indicator if it’s tripped or not.

Remove the SIM and microSD card slot from your phone and look into the port and check the LDI. If it’s white, then it might not be liquid damage but if the sticker appears to be purple, pink or red, there’s a bigger chance that it’s really liquid damage that’s causing the device to heat up. In this case, NEVER attempt to turn on your phone (if it powered off) nor charge it even if the battery level is low. Doing so may cause more problems.

Assuming your phone is suffering from water damage, don’t put the SIM and SD cards back. Instead, place the phone in a bowl of rice in an upright position to let the grains absorb the moist that’s within your phone. After a couple of days, try to turn it on and charge it for a few minutes. If it still heats up or if it doesn’t come back on, it’s time you let the technician check it for you.

MUST READ: Things you need to do if your Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge fell in water and won’t turn on after that

Step 2: Boot your S7 Edge in safe mode and observe

You should only try this if you’re 100% sure your phone hasn’t gotten wet or submerged in water. We are now trying to find out if your apps have something to do with the problem. As you know, there are apps or games that use too much resources (CPU and RAM plus display, etc.) and these are the kinds that can cause the phone to heat up.

Booting your phone in safe mode will temporarily disable all third-party apps. This will immediately give you an insight whether it’s the third-party apps that cause the problem or pre-installed ones depending on the result. But please note that booting in safe mode doesn’t fix anything. You’re doing this to observe the performance of your device. Here’s how you boot your Galaxy S7 Edge in safe mode:

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

Once in this state and the phone is still heating up, then the problem might be caused by pre-installed apps or the firmware itself. Otherwise, you just need to find third-party apps that might be causing the issue and try disabling or uninstalling them. You may also try to re-install them to see if that makes a difference. If this is the case, you don’t have to worry so much about your phone as it is fine.

Step 3: Perform the Master Reset to rule out firmware issue

You only have to do this if your phone still heats up while in safe mode, that is, of course, if the device is still powered up with enough battery. The purpose of this procedure is simple; to rule out the possibility that one or some of the pre-installed apps or the firmware itself is causing the problem. As you know, a reset will bring the phone back to its factory settings or state wherein everything works fine.

However, you need to backup every file and data you don’t want to lose as they’ll be deleted during the process and can’t be retrieved if that happens. That’s also the reason why this procedure must come in last.

  1. Turn off your Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge.
  2. Press and then hold the Home and Volume UP keys, then press and hold the Power key. NOTE: It doesn’t matter how long you press and hold the Home and Volume Up keys, it won’t affect the phone but by the time you press and hold the Power key, that’s when the phone starts to respond.
  3. When the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge 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. NOTE: The “Installing system update” message may show on the screen for several seconds before displaying the Android system recovery menu. This is just the first phase of the entire process.
  5. Using the Volume Down key, navigate through the options and highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset.’
  6. Once highlighted, you may press the Power key to select it.
  7. Now highlight the option ‘Yes — delete all user data’ using the Volume Down key and press the Power button to select it.
  8. Wait until your phone is finished doing the Master Reset. Once completed, highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and press the Power key.
  9. The phone will now reboot longer than usual.

This 3-step troubleshooting guide is for units that are heating up but can still boot up or turn on successfully.

Other Overheating Problems

  • For units that heat up only when charging, just try to charge them while powered off. If they’re still heating up to the point that it’s uncomfortable holding them, immediately send them in for repair.
  • For those that heat up when using or playing games, a reset is necessary to fix the issue especially if the device wasn’t heating up during the first few weeks of using the app.
  • Units that got dropped on a hard surface and started to heat up after that, it’s obviously physical damage and you need a technician for that.
  • If your phone started to heat up without apparent reason, backup your data and reset it. If the problem persists, consult a technician right away.

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How to fix Samsung Galaxy A5 that’s overheating due to possible liquid damage (easy steps)

The Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) like the flagships is water-resistant as it has the IP68 certification. However, that’s not a guarantee that your phone would no longer suffer from liquid damage. In fact, we did receive some complaints from our readers who reported that their device started to heat up or overheat after being splashed with water.

In this post, I will tackle this problem for the benefit of our readers who reached out to us seeking for assistance. We will try to look into every possibility and rule out each one of them until we can easily determine what the problem is or what caused the phone to overheat. I understand it’s probably due to liquid damage but we’ll have to do some procedures to know for sure.

But before we actually move on to our troubleshooting, if you have other issues with your phone, then visit our Galaxy A5 troubleshooting page as we’ve already addressed some of the most common problems with this device. In case you need more help with your problem, fill up our Android issues questionnaire and hit submit to contact us.

Few easy steps to troubleshoot Galaxy A5 that overheats

Overheating is no simple matter but there are times the phone heats due to some minor issues with apps or the firmware itself. This post is dealing with overheating that’s possibly caused by liquid damage but we shouldn’t stop there because it could be something else. Here’s a few easy steps you can do to try and fix this problem…

Confirm if there are signs of liquid damage in your phone

This must be the first thing you should do because if you can confirm that the phone is actually overheating due to liquid damage, then there’s no point in doing more troubleshooting procedures; the only way to deal with it is to clean the phone from the inside. Follow this simple procedure to verify if there’s indeed a sign of liquid damage in your phone…

  1. Look into the USB / charger port because it often harbors moisture especially if your phone got splashed with or dipped in water.
  2. Use a cotton swab to clean around the area or insert a piece of tissue paper to absorb the moist.
  3. Blow into the hole to get rid of any foreign objects or if you have a can of compressed air, give it a blast or two.
  4. You also need to check the Liquid Damage Indicator (LDI) of your device to know if it’s tripped or not.
  5. Remove the SIM card tray and look into the slot to find a small sticker; if it’s white, then the problem may not be due to liquid damage but if it turned red, pink or purple, then it’s positive your phone is suffering from liquid damage.

If the phone has signs of liquid damage, then bring it to the service center so the technician can clean it up for you. A device that still powers on (even if it overheats) despite having signs of liquid damage can still be fixed. On the way to the tech, just keep the phone turned off so the problem won’t get worse.

However, if there are no clear signs of liquid damage, continue your troubleshooting as you may be able to fix the problem all by yourself.

RELEVANT POSTS:

Reboot your Galaxy A5 in Safe mode

Assuming that your phone doesn’t show any signs of liquid damage, the next thing you should do is disable third-party apps to know if the phone still heats up after doing so. It would take you forever to disable apps one by one. There is, however, one way to disable them all at once and that’s by running your phone up in Safe mode:

  1. Turn the device off.
  2. Press and hold the Power key past the model name screen.
  3. When “SAMSUNG” appears on the screen, release the Power key.
  4. Immediately after releasing the Power key, press and hold the Volume down key.
  5. Continue to hold the Volume down key until the device finishes restarting.
  6. Safe mode will display in the bottom left corner of the screen.
  7. Release the Volume down key when you see Safe Mode.

Once the phone started up in this mode successfully, continue using your device like you always do to know if it still overheats. If it does, move on to the next step but if it doesn’t, then it’s clear that your downloaded apps (at least, some of them) have something to do with this problem. If you suspect an app or two, try uninstalling them to see if the problem gets fixed. This is how you uninstall an app from your A5:

  1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps tray.
  2. Tap Settings > Apps.
  3. Tap the desired application in the default list or tap 3 dots icon > Show system apps to display preinstalled apps.
  4. Tap the desired application.
  5. Tap Uninstall.
  6. Tap Uninstall again to confirm.

If finding the culprit isn’t as easy as it’s supposed to be, then backup your data and then do the factory reset:

  1. Back up data on the internal memory. If you have signed into a Google account on the device, you have activated Anti-theft and will need your Google credentials to finish the Master reset.
  2. From the Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
  3. Tap Settings > Cloud and accounts.
  4. Tap Backup and reset.
  5. If desired, tap Back up my data to move the slider to ON or OFF.
  6. If desired, tap Restore to move the slider to ON or OFF.
  7. Use the back key to move back to the Settings menu and tap General management.
  8. Tap Reset > Factory data reset.
  9. Tap Reset.
  10. If you have screen lock turned on, enter your PIN or password.
  11. Tap Continue.
  12. Tap Delete all.

Reset all settings in your phone

You only have to do this if your phone still heats up while in safe mode. This procedure will bring the phone back to its default settings and if the problem is due to some messed up or incorrect settings in your device, this should take care of the problem. None of your files and data will be deleted if you do this so there’s nothing to worry about…

  1. From a Home screen, swipe up or down from the center of the display to access the apps screen.
  2. Navigate: Settings Settings icon > Backup and reset.
  3. From the Reset section, tap Reset settings.
  4. Review the info then tap RESET SETTINGS.
  5. If presented, enter the current PIN, password, or pattern.
  6. To confirm, review the info then tap RESET SETTINGS.

If the phone is still overheating after this, then you will have to resort to a reset before bringing the phone to the service center.

Backup important files and do the Master Reset

After doing all the previous procedures and the phone is still heating up, there’s no guarantee that the problem would be fixed by a reset but I personally encountered overheating issues that got fixed by a reset before so I still suggest you do this. Besides, if the problem still persists after the reset, the next thing you should do is bring the phone to the service center so it would serve as a good preparation since all your personal stuff will be deleted.

Now, prior to the reset, make sure that you remove your google account from your phone so that you won’t be locked out and after which, follow these steps to reset your device:

  1. Turn off the device.
  2. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home key, then press and hold the Power key.
  3. When the Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds, then ‘No command’ before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
  4. Press the Volume down key several times to highlight “wipe data / factory reset.
  5. Press Power button to select.
  6. Press the Volume down key until ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted.
  7. Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
  8. When the master reset is complete, “Reboot system now” is highlighted.
  9. Press the Power key to restart the device.

I hope that this troubleshooting guide can help you one way or another. If you have other concerns you want to tell us about, feel free to contact us.

Posts you may also like to read:

Galaxy S6 takes a very long time to charge, fast charge not working, other issues

With a few more weeks left until the new #GalaxyS8 is released, we plan to continue supporting the millions of #GalaxyS6 users for as long as we can. This material is just another series of posts that we will be publishing in the coming months. If you have your own S6 question, make sure to contact us by using the questionnaire we provide at the bottom of this article.

For now, here are the specific topics that we cover for you:

  1. Galaxy S6 turns off on its own when battery has 30% | Galaxy S6 overheating, takes long time to charge | Galaxy S6 very slow
  2. Galaxy S6 edge plus keeps showing “not charging” notification even when it’s not connected to charger
  3. Galaxy S6 won’t charge and turn on
  4. Galaxy S6 takes a very long time to charge | Galaxy S6 fast charge not working
  5. Galaxy S6 Message+ app keeps crashing
  6. Galaxy S6 overheating and lagging due to bad hardware
  7. Galaxy S6 won’t work if not connected to a charger
  8. Galaxy S6 stops working after changing its IMEI

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 off on its own when battery has 30% | Galaxy S6 overheating, takes long time to charge | Galaxy S6 very slow

The past 2 weeks my Galaxy S6 has been acting up. I read about the soft reset but I can’t get to my battery. My phone has been dying very quickly through the day when normally it will last me all day long. I’m not really on my phone that much until after school but when I get out of school my phone is at 30 or less %. And my phone will sometimes say I have 9% and then goes straight to 3% then I plug it in at 3% and it dies as soon as I plug it in. I used to have a fast charger but the one I’ve been using for awhile now isn’t, and sometimes I will use a wireless charger.

My phone has also been over heating a lot even when I’m not using it. In the recent 2 weeks, I plug in my phone and it says it’s going to take 6 and a half hours in order to fully charge when before it didn’t take but 2 hours.

My phone has also been glitching from time to time and has become a lot slower than normal. I have tried other outlets than the one I use most of the time and one outlet will say 6 and half hours and then the other tells me 2 and half. I have had this phone for over a year, but not sure what’s going on and whether I need a new battery or a new phone. — Danielle

Solution: Hi Danielle. To know whether the problem is due to a software glitch or bad hardware, you must do a series of troubleshooting steps.

The first one is to see if battery recalibration will help. Sometimes, Android can lose track of the actual battery level causing the phone to reboot prematurely even if the battery percentage is showing high figure. To fix the issue, you must do some steps to help the operating system detect the true remaining battery power. Here’s how:

  1. Use the phone by playing games or doing tasks to hasten power discharge, until the phone turns itself off.
  2. Turn the phone on again and let it turn itself off.
  3. Charge the phone without turning it back on.
  4. Wait until the battery says it fully charged to 100%
  5. Unplug the charger and turn the phone on.
  6. If the phone says it’s not 100% anymore, turn it off, plug the charger back in and wait until 100% charge is reached.
  7. Unplug the charger the turn the phone on again.
  8. Use the phone until you drain the battery down to 0.
  9. Repeat the cycle once.

Observe the phone for a few days to see if battery calibration will improve the situation. If the phone continues to shut down randomly and drain battery power fast, the next troubleshooting step to do is factory reset. This troubleshooting step is meant to eliminate any software glitch that may be causing all the problems. Factory reset returns all software settings to their defaults, effectively removing any glitch that may have developed after you unboxed the phone. To do that, follow these steps:

  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.
  8. Observe the phone for at least 24 hours. Make sure not to install any app or update during this time.

If you observe the same problems after a factory reset, you can assume that bad hardware is the culprit. It can be a battery issue too so if possible, try to buy a new one and use it on your phone.

Should nothing change, simply send the phone in so its hardware can be checked and determined if it needs repair.

Problem #2: Galaxy S6 edge plus keeps showing “not charging” notification even when it’s not connected to charger

Greetings. I have started getting an issue on a S6 edge plus. It all began when i plugged in the device to be charged on a 5v 2A (the ones that come in the extension cords as a usb charging hub). As soon as i plugged it in, the phone went into VR mode and then blank. After that, i unplugged it and connected the original charger and that closed the VR mode screen and it went back to “normal.” However i keep getting a notification pop up saying “not charging” which is obvious as the device is not connected to any source of power. I think that’s all i got for you guys. Hope this info will help you so that you can help me. Thanks in advance. — Pablo

Solution: Hi Pablo. We think you need to ensure first that this is not a software issue. You can do that by doing a factory reset so you can compare how the phone behaves when the software is returned to its known, working state. Be sure that you don’t install anything so as to preserve the original software state during the observation period.

If “not charging” notification continues to popup, it can only be due to a malfunctioning hardware. The charging port must have been damaged for some reason, triggering the notification to popup even when the device is not being charged. In this case, you must send the phone to Samsung so it can be repaired or replaced.

Problem #3: Galaxy S6 won’t charge and turn on

Galaxy S6 won’t charge or turn on. I see the Lightning icon but nothing else happens. Things to note acted weird when I plugged it in last. It was dead but when I plugged it in it said 94% charged. This morning it was at 4% after being plugged in all night. Once it shut off and I attempted to turn it back on a yellow triangle with an explanation point in it along with the android man beneath it appeared. I believed it said rebooting a bunch of words appeared like it was rebooting then the phone shut off and never turned back on. Like I said I can see the charging symbol but nothing else. —Joellen80

Solution: Hi Joellen80. The only troubleshooting step that you can do in this situation is to see if you’ll be able to restart the phone to alternate modes. Only then can you do follow-up troubleshooting. If your phone remains dead, you must seek the help of a professional or Samsung so your hardware can be examined.

For reference, here are the steps on how to boot your S6 to other modes and their follow-up troubleshooting that you can do:

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 S7 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.
  5. Using the Volume Down key, navigate through the options and highlight ‘wipe cache partition.’
  6. You can either wipe the cache partition or do a factory reset when in this mode.

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 S7 shows on the screen, release the Power key but continue holding the Home and Volume DOWN keys.
  4. Wait until the Download screen appears.
  5. If you can boot the phone in download mode but not in other modes, that means that your only way out may be to flash a stock or custom firmware.
  6. Use Google to look for a guide on how to do it.

Boot in safe mode:

  1. Charge the phone for at least 30 minutes.
  2. Press and hold the Power button.
  3. Once the ‘Samsung Galaxy S7’ logo appears, release the Power key and immediately press and hold the Volume Down button.
  4. Continue holding the button until the phone finishes rebooting.
  5. Once you see the text “Safe mode” at the bottom left corner of the screen, release the Volume Down button.
  6. The only difference of safe mode from normal mode is that the former prevents third party apps from running. If you can boot the phone in safe mode but not in normal mode, uninstall all apps until the issue (that prevents you from booting normally) is eliminated.

Problem #4: Galaxy S6 takes a very long time to charge | Galaxy S6 fast charge not working

Previously when i plug the charger, it give me approximately 2 hours max to fully charge my battery. Suddenly it started giving me 6 hours. I tried to clean the USB thing and i tried switching to safe mode to see if any of the third party apps are the cause but it kept giving me 6 hours to fully charge. I tried the sysdump also and turned the low battery dump on but nothing worked.

Note: it’s not from the charger since my brother has a S6 edge also and it charges perfectly for him and i tried a lot of charges. they work for others but for me they are toooo slow. What should i do? — Toola.me1

Solution: Hi Toola.me1. If you’ve already tried  factory reset and charging remains slow, there must be something wrong with the hardware. It can be a faulty charging port. Try to inspect the charging port for dirt or bent pins inside. Sometimes, they can cause erratic charging behavior so if you see anything amiss inside, that may be the cause of the problem. Most of the time, charging port damage occurs beyond the visible part so you must have the phone examined by Samsung or an independent service center.

Other power- and charging-related issues can be caused by a bad power IC in the logic board. Again, the phone has be physically checked by a technician to know this. The general rule is to try all relevant software troubleshooting such as wiping of cache partition, observing in safe mode, and factory reset. If nothing will change after doing such steps, send the phone in for repair.

Problem #5: Galaxy S6 Message+ app keeps crashing

Hello. Every time I have attempted to open the messaging app in the last hour it fails to work and only a white screen shows up with a red bar at the top. After about 5 minutes a message shows up saying, “Message+ isn’t responding. Do you want to close it?” Leaving me the choice to either report, leave or ok. I click ok every time and I’ve gone to extremes in attempting to make it work including deleting all of the apps that didn’t come with the phone to frequently restarting it. That’s it. Please tell me how to fix my problem. — Maddy

Solution: Hi Maddy. Try wiping the app’s cache and data first. Doing so is the virtual equivalent of uninstalling and reinstalling 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.

If this troubleshooting step will not fix the issue, you can then try to factory reset the phone. If we are not mistaken, Message+ is a Verizon messaging app so restoring the original version of the firmware may eliminate the bug. To factory reset your S6, follow these steps:

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

Finally, if the issue remains after a factory reset, contact the developer for support.

Problem #6: Galaxy S6 overheating and lagging due to bad hardware

My phone is overheating way too much and way to quick. It has started up recently. i haven’t downloaded any new app or anything.

I have restarted the phone but no luck. When i start to charge it, it heats up even quicker and now i am starting to have problems with its performance like it crashes a lot. Once it’s hot it slows down. The touches on my screen don’t work properly. No clue what it could be. i have tried cooling apps but they don’t work so i delete them. i don’t know what to do. My phone is a Samsung S6 edge. Please could you help me with this thank you. — Zulaikhah

Solution: Hi Zulaikhah. Like what we tell others above, you must do a factory reset first and proceed from there. This is the only way to determine whether you can fix the issue on your end or not. We do think hardware malfunction is to blame. Taken together with other symptoms you mention, the overheating issue must be caused by a failing component. What that component is is for a technician to know and to do that, the phone must be physically checked. Be sure to send the phone to Samsung or to an independent repair shop so the hardware can be examined thoroughly.

Problem #7: Galaxy S6 won’t work if not connected to a charger

Hi. I have a Samsung S6. i bought it around 3 months ago. Here is the problem: yesterday, i noticed it had turned itself off despite having 70 percent battery. i turned it back on a few times it comes on then just goes off again. however if i connect the charger it will stay on. I’ve also noticed it will say 100 percent charged, then when i unplug it, it reads something like 70 percent. Can you help please? — Des

Solution: Hi Des. An issue like this is almost always  due to a bad battery issue.

Try doing a battery calibration first and see how it goes. If there’s no change, proceed to factory reset. If a reset won’t work either, find a way to have the phone repaired or replaced. Steps on how to recalibrate the battery and factory reset are provided above.

Problem #8: Galaxy S6 stops working after changing its IMEI

Well, I got this Galaxy S6 that first I locked and I forgot the back up password and I try to reboot but ended up deleting the whole software. So I took it in to a shop and I guess they were being honest and told me they just get it to work and ended up installing a whole new software and gave the phone a new IMEI. Now the phone won’t work and the original IMEI work but the new one is blacklisted and seem like no one can fix it. — Luis

Solution: Hi Luis. Well, the only people that can help you are the ones who modified the software in the first place. Only them knows what things they did on the device. We can’t see the logic of modifying the IMEI when the original problem is about unlocking the phone only so there must be an underlying reason for them to do it.

We also don’t know what exactly you mean by your “phone won’t work” phrase. If you can get back to us giving us more details, perhaps there’s something that we can suggest.

 

Engage with us

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

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

How to fix a Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus that is overheating after installing a new update (easy steps)

Many factors can trigger a device to heat up or become excessively hot. In normal circumstances particularly in smartphones, a device can get warmer when the processor is exhausted from multitasking and continuous loading of heavy apps and services. It’s therefore normal for mobile devices like smartphones to heat up and get warmer with prolonged or extensive usage. The same thing happens while charging your device. However if the symptom is getting unusual or the heat is no longer bearable, then that already requires prompt attention. The most common trigger of smartphone overheating is a faulty update. If fact, you’ll find a number of relevant complaints raised online by smartphone users, following the release of major firmware updates. The problem can occur to any device even the new ones. Read on to find out what to do if ever you will end up having the same overheating problem on your Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus after installing a new firmware update. These subsequent workarounds might be able to help you out.

Before going further, if you found this post because you were trying to find a solution to your problem, then try to visit our Galaxy S9 Plus troubleshooting page as we’ve already addressed most of the commonly reported issues with the phone. We’ve already provided solutions to some of the problems reported by our readers so try to find issues that are similar with yours and use the solutions we suggested. If they don’t work for you and if you need further assistance, fill up our Android issues questionnaire and hit submit.

What you should if your Galaxy S9 Plus is overheating

Before you begin to troubleshoot, try to put your Samsung S9 Plus in safe mode so that you’ll know if the overheating problem is triggered by some third-party apps or not. If your phone doesn’t overheat while in safe mode, then bad apps are to blame. This means you will need to remove the bad apps first. More often than not, it’s likely the most recent app you’ve downloaded after the new firmware was installed. If your phone still overheats while in safe mode, then move on and troubleshoot software problems with these walkthroughs.

First solution: Force your phone to quit and restart (soft reset).

Performing a soft reset is often the key to fixing minor software errors including symptoms that instigate after a new update is installed on the device. The update might be too complex if not containing minor glitches that trigger the processor to work relentlessly. More often than not, these issues are rectifiable by a soft reset or reboot. So it won’t hurt to try it first. Here’s how a soft reset is done on your Samsung S9 Plus:

  1. Press and hold the Power and Volume Down buttons simultaneously for up to 45 seconds.
  2. Release both buttons when the Samsung logo appears.

Wait until the phone boots up completely then test your device to see if it’s still overheating or not anymore.

Second solution: Quit background apps.

Quitting background apps not only saves you power but also give the processor some rest. While background apps are in idle or standby mode, they’re still running continuously and that denotes more work for the processor to carry out.

  1. Touch and hold the Recent apps key at the bottom left corner of your phone. Doing so will open the recent apps previews.
  2. Swipe individual apps to the right to close them.
  3. Alternatively, tap the X to close the app.
  4. If you have multiple apps running in the background, tap the option to CLOSE ALL.

After closing the background apps, restart your phone to apply the recent changes. See if that fixes the problem.

Third solution: Update apps on your Samsung S9 Plus.

There may be some apps that needed updates to blend well with the latest firmware version installed on your phone. Unless you’ve set your device to auto-install updates for apps, you’ll need to manually do so. Here’s how:

  1. Open the Apps screen by swiping on an empty spot from the Home screen.
  2. Tap Play Store.
  3. Navigate to Menu-> My Apps.
  4. See if there are available updates for your apps.
  5. Tap Update next to individual apps to install new update for each app.
  6. If you see multiple updates, tap the option to Update All apps with updates available at once.

To complete the process, perform a soft reset or reboot your phone.

Fourth solution: Reset settings on your Samsung S9 Plus.

Software updates can also alter your phone settings automatically. If this is what happens in your case, it’s possible that the changes were altered in a way that triggers your device processor to continuously working. To rule this out, you an try to reset all settings and re-configure necessary options with these steps:

  1. Swipe up on an empty spot from the Home screen to open the Apps tray.
  2. Tap Settings.
  3. Tap General Management.
  4. Scroll to and tap Reset.
  5. Select the option to RESET SETTINGS.
  6. Tap Reset Settings.
  7. If prompted, enter your device PIN or password.
  8. Tap Reset Settings again to confirm action.

Your phone reboots when the reset is finished. Wait until it boots up completely then continue setting up your device for you to use it again.

Other options to consider if needed

Master reset/factory data reset. A master reset can likewise be regarded among other options to consider if the problem persists or your Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus is still overheating after performing the previous workarounds. There might be some more complex system errors that needed more advanced solutions like a full system reset or master reset. Not only that a master reset clears up invalid settings, it also wipes out tough bugs dwelling in and inflicting intricate errors on the phone’s charging system. You can carry out a master reset through the Galaxy S9 Plus settings menu.

  • To do so, open the Apps tray then tap Settings-> General Management-> Reset-> Factory data reset. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen then tap the option to RESET-> DELETE ALL-> then CONFIRM. If prompted, enter your credentials to unlock screen and/or verify your Samsung account.

Just wait until your phone instigates and completes the master reset. When the reset is finished, your device will reboot. After it boots up, all settings are restored to their factory default values. This means you will need to set up your Wi-Fi networks and enable necessary features you want to use again on your phone.

Contact your carrier or Samsung Support. You can always reach out to Samsung Support to escalate the problem for further assistance and recommendations. Or you may likewise report the issue to your carrier so they can note and include it among the post-update issues from the most recent firmware update released. Typically, a follow-up update will be issued to offer the required fix patches.

Repair options. If none from the software aspects is able to offer a resolution and that your Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus is still overheating, then you can have it further diagnosed by a Samsung technician to ensure safety. Should there be any damaged components like a bad battery perhaps, then that should be taken care of at the service center.

Connect with us

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Posts you may also like to check out:

Galaxy S7 not receiving SMS using stock messaging app, showing blank blue screen, other issues

Hello Android fans. We know that a lot of members of Android community are now using the #GalaxyS7 around the world so it’s not really a wonder that there’s an ever-increasing number issues related to this device. Our blog keeps getting requests for assistance every day so we hope that this post will help some of you out there.

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 S7 keeps overheating, works fine when in safe mode

The battery gets hot and phone resets. I rebooted in safe mode and it stopped resetting. I deleted most recent apps, but it would still reset. The only time it did not reset was when the phone was in safe mode…or when in normal mode with airplane mode. I am outside of the USA. Anytime I turn on the wifi to get an internet connection, the phone battery will get hot and within a couple minutes it resets. — Justin

Solution: Hi Justin. One of the results of an overheating phone is untimely reset. That’s a built-in mechanism to prevent heat from damaging the motherboard. If your phone won’t overheat in safe mode for an extended period (we assume you’ve already tried it before contacting us), that’s a clear indicator that a third party app or service is hogging resources causing the system to eventually overwhelm itself. Apparently removing recent apps is not enough. You should continue to eliminate possible problematic apps until the overheating issue stops. Once the phone stops overheating, that’s the sign that the buggy app has been removed from the system.

Problem 2: Galaxy S7 not receiving app notifications after an update

Hi. Since I did an update on my S7 a couple of months ago, I’ve stopped receiving notifications from apps. I do get text messages, missed calls. However, I’ve stopped receiving WhatsApp, Snapchat, Twitter and emails. Last year when I did the update, I stopped seeing contact names when they called. This recent update corrected that. But, has stopped my notifications. If I go into the apps, I can see my messages. But, it never comes through. My Gmail might come through, but only if I open the app, with for a few seconds then exit. This doesn’t work for Outlook or Snapchat though. Thank you for your time and assistance. Kind Regards. — Anandraadams

Solution: Hi Anandraadams. The first thing that you want to do is to wipe the cache partition. This will clear the current cache and replace it with a new one. Sometimes, updates and app installation can corrupt this type of cache so it’s good if you can deal with it first. Here are the steps to do that:

  1. Turn off your Samsung Galaxy S7.
  2. Press and then hold the Home and Volume UP keys, then press and hold the Power key.
  3. When the Samsung Galaxy S7 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.
  5. Using the Volume Down key, navigate through the options and highlight ‘wipe cache partition.’
  6. Once highlighted, you may press the Power key to select it.
  7. Now highlight the option ‘Yes’ using the Volume Down key and press the Power button to select it.
  8. Wait until your phone is finished doing the Master Reset. Once completed, highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and press the Power key.
  9. The phone will now reboot longer than usual.

Sometimes, installing app updates can also fix post-Android update issues. Make sure that you only install updated and compatible apps.

If that won’t help either, do a factory reset. Refer to the steps below.

By default, apps should make sound notifications after a factory reset. Make sure to go under Settings>Notifications to check if sound notifications for your important apps are set properly.

Problem 3: Galaxy S7 edge screen remains black, won’t turn on

I have a Galaxy S7 Edge with some issues. Currently my phone has the black screen of death so I can’t see the screen display. I’ve tried to hard reset the phone and when I do the screen is still black, but the blue light that usually lights up is there. I’ve tried to turn the phone off to try to manually factory reset it but I can’t turn it off. So I think that the touch screen is unresponsive.

When I press the power button as if I were to wake the phone the LED touch buttons at the bottom light up, but a brief green flash appears on the screen and disappears. I also had issues with my display before the black screen of death. Before this issue, I had to keep the screen on auto brightness turned up to 100% otherwise there would be green with a double vision like purple display. The lower the brightness the worse it got. So I tried to restart the phone, which ended up in the black screen of death and my unresponsive touch screen. I have no idea what to do. — Dakota

Solution: Hi Dakota. There’s nothing much that you can do about this issue. If the screen remains dead even if you try to boot the device to alternate modes, that means that the screen assembly is broken. You need to have the device checked so it the hardware can be assessed. The most likely outcome is a screen replacement. If your phone is within the warranty period, make sure to take advantage of whatever freebie you can avail.

Problem 4: Galaxy S7 keeps getting a blank blue screen and moisture detected error

My S7 edge was getting a blue screen blank and it is less than 3 months since I bought it. I had to drain the battery and completely recharge it to get it to work. It is continuing to do this at random. It seems like a software glitch. It’s like the screen of death!! Keeps saying there is moisture in the USB port and then won’t charge but took to the phone store and no moisture in the phone on the indicator. But they won’t do anything either. Honestly I can’t tell you the version because it is dead again Frustrated!!! — Geoffrey

Solution: Hi Geoffrey. Your Galaxy S7 has water resistance protection and part of that protection is the moisture detected warning you’ll get when the system detects moisture in the charging port area. As long as the device is reading that there’s moisture in that part, it will never charge by cable. If your phone was never near water recently and you’re 100% positive that there’s no moisture in the charging port, then it’s possible that the system is getting incorrect readings from the charging port. Keep in mind that smart as your phone is, it’s not that smart enough to actually check if the reading it receives from the charging port is true or not.

The erratic moisture detected error and the random screen of death issue may be signs of some deeper hardware problem so if a factory reset won’t fix them, send the phone in.

Below are the steps on how to factory reset your device:

  1. Turn off your Samsung Galaxy S7.
  2. Press and then hold the Home and Volume UP keys, then press and hold the Power key.
  3. When the Samsung Galaxy S7 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.
  5. Using the Volume Down key, navigate through the options and highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset.’
  6. Once highlighted, you may press the Power key to select it.
  7. Now highlight the option ‘Yes — delete all user data’ using the Volume Down key and press the Power button to select it.
  8. Wait until your phone is finished doing the Master Reset. Once completed, highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and press the Power key.
  9. The phone will now reboot longer than usual.

Problem 5: Galaxy S7 edge keeps overheating, keyboard not working

Good evening. I’ve recently bought a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge in Germany, and moved in to Brazil. Today, my phone’s keyboard all of a sudden stopped showing up. As I start the phone, everything else in the phone – every app, even the keyboard’s app – still works fine. But then, the phone restarts and get really hot in a specific area of the phone. I’m desperate, I have thousands of pictures which are really important to me there and aren’t synchronized with the cloud. I’ve restarted the phone countless times and wiped the cache out to no effect. I’ve also restarted the phone in Security mode, only to experience the same issue. If you think that a hard reset is necessary, is there any way I could retrieve my data? — Pedro Angst Maciel

Solution: Hi Pedro. You need a working touchscreen to allow an external device like a computer to access files in the phone. The phone also has to stay on long enough to allow the transfer to files to finish. If both are not satisfied, you can’t really create a back up of your files.

Try to bring your phone to your local shop and see if there’s anything that they can do about it, especially regarding the overheating issue.

Problem 6: Galaxy S7 mobile data is spotty, SMS won’t send

Just recently started having issues with my phone in the last couple weeks or so. Data is suddenly very sketchy in places where I never had problems before, like at my office downtown. Try to get on Facebook or something else and just get the “loading circle.” So I turn on the WIFI at the office and internet works fine but then I am unable to send any texts unless I turn the wifi off. If I attempt to send a text with the wifi on, it just says “sending” with the loading circle and it will do this forever, or until I turn off the wifi. I have never had these kinds of issues before and am not sure what is going on.

Also, I used to have full bars at my office, now only a couple. Not sure what is going on. — Jess

Solution: Hi Jess. If basic software troubleshooting like a cache partition wipe and factory reset won’t help, then the problem is either network related, or something with the phone. We suggest that you contact your carrier so they’ll know that you’re getting weak signal in an area with a previously good coverage. You also want to let them to help you with that text sending problem.

If they’ll say that everything’s good on their end, then it’s most probably a phone issue. Make sure that you do a factory reset and install Android updates afterwards. If both procedures won’t work, consider getting a new phone.

Problem 7: Galaxy S7 not receiving SMS using stock messaging app

S7 stopped receiving texts. I’ve done everything short of a factory reset. Which really I don’t have the time for. But the issue is fixed when I download a third-party messaging app. all the sudden my text work and it even sinks them into the stock messaging app. But once I uninstall the third party app Go SMS Pro, all the sudden I get no texts again and the stock messaging app stops working again and I get a message up that says messages has stopped working.

I uninstalled Go SMS Pro just to check and see if maybe my text were working again so want to go pay a bill and at the moment when I’m expecting the text that payment was received instead I receive a message saying messages has stopped working on my Android touch screen. — Vertimusmaximus

Solution: Hi Vertimusmaximus. Make sure that you delete the messaging app’s cache and data first. Here’s how:

  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 that won’t fix the issue, restart the phone to safe mode and see if the stock messaging app works. Safe mode blocks third party apps and services so it’s a good way to know if an app is responsible. Below are the steps to boot to safe mode:

  1. Turn your Galaxy S7 off.
  2. Press and hold the Power button.
  3. Once the ‘Samsung Galaxy S7’ logo appears, release the Power key and immediately press and hold the Volume Down button.
  4. Continue holding the button until the phone finishes rebooting.
  5. Once you see the text “Safe mode” at the bottom left corner of the screen, release the Volume Down button

If it still fails to receive SMS, that’s the time that you want to do a factory reset.

Problem 8: Galaxy S7 froze showing a black screen

Hello. I have a problem with my phone. I was having trouble connecting to my internet so I told my phone to restart. Sometime while it was restarting it froze on a black screen while the notification light was blue. tried holding all the power home and volume button combinations I could think of and find with a google search and eventually lead me to your page. Please let me know what I can do. Thank you. — Sheldoncheeks69420

Solution: Hi Sheldoncheeks69420. You should try to do a simulated “battery pull,” also known as soft reset. Here’s how:

  1. Press and hold the Power and Volume Down buttons until the Maintenance Boot Mode screen appears (approx. 10 seconds).
  2. From the Maintenance Boot Mode screen, select Power down. Utilize the volume buttons to cycle through the available options and the Home button (located below the display) to select.

A soft reset should force the phone to restart to normal mode. If that won’t help, do a factory reset via Recovery mode. Check the steps above.

Problem 9: Galaxy S7 stuck in boot loop, screen remains black

While charging I got a Whatsapp message. then I opened and read it, suddenly it goes tinted blue screen. I removed it from the charger and I tried to restart it. when I press and hold power button for around 20 seconds, I got the logo and after 1-2 seconds it disappears. I keep on doing this, but my problem is, I can’t  see anything, but I got message notification sounds. the notification light blinks, I don’t know what is the problem. but I am unable to see the screen, but I am able to boot to recovery. Please let me know the solution. — Srikanth

Solution: Hi Srikanth. Your phone may have become stuck in Samsung logo page, or doing a boot loop. Since we don’t know the full history of the device, there’s nothing much that we can say. However, if this issue started after you installed an update, or after flashing or rooting, you may to do a more drastic solution. That solution is to try and flash the bootloader and/or firmware back to stock. Below are the sample steps on how to flash a bootloader. They are provided here for demonstration purposes only so be sure to do your own research on how to flash a bootloader for your particular 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 10: Galaxy S7 not receiving calls and SMS

So my phone was doing fine for the first 3 weeks until my phone started getting issues. I would be able to text people and call them but not receive texts or calls. Sometimes I would be able to receive some texts but hours later when it was sent. Now, my phone doesn’t receive neither text messages or phone calls. I tried resetting and taking out the SD card, but didn’t work. I checked to see if it had to do anything with an app but it wasn’t that either. Also checked to see if it was on block mode but it wasn’t. If you can help that would mean a lot. Been trying to fix it for a couple of days now with no help. Maybe there’s a setting I new to change. I don’t know. — Alec

Solution: Hi Alec. If your phone was able to receive calls and text before, then it’s either a device configuration issue, or something network-related. Contact your carrier and ask help on how to reconfigure your device (assuming their network is working fine at this time).

Problem 11: Galaxy S7 won’t detect 2 SIM cards

I have been using my phone since April, 2016 when I bought it. All of a sudden, 2 weeks ago, the 2G compartment stopped connecting to network. It refuses 2 SIM cards activeness on the phone and as such disrupts my call and browsing activities. The phone did not fall, I just can’t understand what’s happening.

Meanwhile, if I insert the SIM cards in other phones, they work well but in my S7, I can’t make calls, send messages, receive calls or browse with either of my two SIM cards . The network signal for the 2G compartment disappears, indicating 2 SIMs can’t be active at same time. I got your mail address from a Samsung forum Casey.  — Caseygem4u

Solution: Hi Caseygem4u. If you’ve already tested two known working SIM cards on this phone, then that’s a clear indicator that something is not working properly on the device. Make sure that it’s running the latest Android version by installing updates. If you are an adventurous type and recently flashed a custom ROM or rooted the device, make sure that everything is back to stock.

You also want to see what happens when you factory reset the phone so be sure to that if you’ve already installed all Android updates.

If the phone still fails to detect any SIM card, have it replaced.

 

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

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Samsung Galaxy Note 5 started heating up after the Nougat update [Troubleshooting Guide]

It is normal for phones, especially powerful ones like the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 to heat up a little while charging and when used for hours. However, it’s not normal if the heat causes discomfort on the part of the user when the phone is held. There are also times when the phone lags, freezes or even shuts down due to heat; this case is already called “overheating,”  which is similar to “heating up” but more severe in a sense that it causes performance related issues.

In this post, I will walk you through in troubleshooting your Note 5 that’s heating up so as to prevent it from overheating. While the issue may seem like a problem with the hardware, there are cases wherein third-party apps cause the phone to heat up. There were also cases wherein the firmware was the one that caused overheating. In other words, anything could happen and we really don’t know for sure the cause. That’s the reason why we need to troubleshoot.

But before we jump right into our troubleshooting, try to visit our troubleshooting page if you happen to have a problem that’s not the same as the one we’re trying to fix here. We have already addressed hundreds of problems since the phone was released and odds are that there are already existing solutions to your problems. Find ones that are similar with yours and use the solutions and/or troubleshooting guides we suggested. If they don’t work for you, then contact us by completing our Android issues questionnaire.

Troubleshooting Galaxy Note 5 that heats up

The purpose of our troubleshooting is for us to know what the problem is all about, what caused it and what needs to be done to bring the phone back to its normal performance without heating up. Continue reading below for the steps but before that, here’s one of the messages we received from our readers that best explains this problem…

“Hi droid guy. I own the Galaxy Note 5 and it’s been more than a year now since I got it. I didn’t upgrade to Note 7 due to the problem that was reported on TV. My problem is that the phone is heating up even if I’m not using it. It scares me because I’ve read some owners got burnt with their Note 7 so I’m not really comfortable using my phone now that it’s heating up. So, if you guys can help me out, that would be great. Please help me.”

Yeah, after the Note 7 debacle, I think it’s normal for some Galaxy device owners to feel the same way as our reader when their phones start to heat up without apparent reason despite the fact that Samsung repeatedly said that other devices don’t have the same issue as with the Note 7.

Step 1: Reboot your Note 5 in safe mode

This doesn’t fix the problem per se but it gives you an idea as to what causes the heating up. When you start your device up in safe mode, all third-party apps will be temporarily disabled and all other apps that have been running in the background will be closed leaving the phone running with default apps and services. Usually, the device won’t heat up in safe mode so if this is the case, then it’s confirmed that one or some of the apps you installed is causing the problem. You have to find each one of them and uninstall them to fix this problem.

Here’s how you start your Note 5 in safe mode:

s have something to do with the error message and this is how you do it:

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

You may also try clearing the cache and data of suspected apps and if that won’t work, proceed with uninstallation. This is how you reset an app…

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

If the phone still heats up even in safe mode, then move on to the next step.

Step 2: Turn off the phone and charge

We’re charging the phone not because it has a low battery but because we want to know if it heats up even if it’s turned off. If so, then it’s most likely a battery problem and as early as now I would suggest you have a technician do further tests or even repair it for you. The battery may need replacement and you should not do it yourself.

But assuming the phone doesn’t heat up when powered down and charged, then try turning it back on and charge it. If it heats up, move on to the next step but if it doesn’t, continue your observation until you’re satisfied it doesn’t heat up anymore, however, I would still suggest you do the next step.

Step 3: Reset your Galaxy Note 5

There’s no guarantee that the problem will be fixed by doing a reset, however, we have to rule out the possibility that there could be hundreds of apps and services that are running in the background using the phone’s resources and causing it to heat up. It’s also best to know how the phone would work when given a fresh start. So, backup your important files and data, disable anti-theft and then reset your phone.

How to disable Note 5 anti-theft

  1. From the Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
  2. Tap Settings.
  3. Tap Accounts.
  4. Tap Google.
  5. Tap your Google ID email address. If you have multiple accounts setup, you will need to repeat these steps for each account.
  6. Tap More.
  7. Tap Remove account.
  8. Tap REMOVE ACCOUNT.

How to Master reset your Note 5

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

If the problem still persists after the reset, then bring it to the shop and have it checked.

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

Galaxy S5 overheating after it got hardware damaged, won’t turn back on, other issues

Here’s another list of #GalaxyS5 issues we’ve collected over the past few days. If you sent us a request for assistance but are yet to see the issue published in this blog, keep watching for upcoming posts in this next few days.

For now, these are the specific topics that we cover in this material today:

  1. Galaxy S5 screen keeps flickering
  2. Galaxy S5 with Tracfone account can’t make outbound calls
  3. Galaxy S5 lags a lot after installing Android Marshmallow
  4. Galaxy S5 can’t send SMS
  5. Galaxy S5 charges but won’t turn back on
  6. Galaxy S5 freezes when typing | Galaxy S5 freezes randomly
  7. Cannot install update to Galaxy S5 when used in another network
  8. Galaxy S5 overheating after it got hardware damaged

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

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

Problem #1: Galaxy S5 screen keeps flickering

After receiving my second hand S5, after few months the lower part of the screen about one forth started to flicker in a much brighter light than the rest of the phone screen. I thought nothing of it at the time. However, what happened today was when the lower part started to flicker it was in a normal light and it’s as if the rest of the screen light had gotten darker( I mean i could have still read whatever was there). I decided to turn off my phone because I just guessed that it needed sometime (that maybe i’m just using it too much). Anyways, after about 15 to 30 mins i turned it back on. The light still flickered at the bottom, so decided to hit the screen. I did  and shortly after everything seemed fine (normal again). Unfortunately a few seconds after that the top part (the other 3 quarters) started to flash with a red light and the lower part(1 quarter ) flashed with a yellow light. Now the lights are flashing fast and i hurts my eyes to look at my phone. Please help me. — Krystaphel

Solution: Hi Krystaphel. Anytime a screen starts to behave abnormally, it’s almost always due to hardware malfunction. We don’t know the full history of your phone to say for certain if that’s the case but the description you provide here is consistent with a failing screen. To check if that’s the case, do a factory reset and see if that will change anything. If the screen behaves exactly after a factory reset, that’s a sign of a bad hardware. In this case, you need to send the phone in so the hardware can be repaired or replaced.

To factory reset your phone, kindly follow these steps:

  • Turn off your Samsung Galaxy S5.
  • 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.

NOTE: Factory reset will delete all user data such as photos, videos, contacts, etc. Make sure that you back them up before proceeding.

Problem #2: Galaxy S5 with Tracfone account can’t make outbound calls

I have an unlocked Samsung Galaxy S5 from ATT GSM for use with a Tracfone account. I have installed the SIM provided by Tracfone and transferred my service and I can make outbound calls but I haven’t tested inbound yet. My account at Tracfone shows that my that the minutes, data and sms have all transfered to the new sim. I can get data via wifi, but there is no switch to turn mobile data on. I have looked in settings, notifications, quick notifications and every where else I can think of, but the switch doesn’t exist and the service is turned off. I have done a factory reset with no result. Do I need to go through that APN stuff with Tracfone? Bless you if you can help, thanks if you cant. — Gordon

Solution: Hi Gordon. In an ideal world, your phone is supposed to reconfigure all APN settings once you insert an active SIM card but if that didn’t happen, yes, you should work with Tracfone to fix the issue. There may be a provisioning issue that needs to be addressed on Tracfone’s end so make sure that you work with them to make their services work on your phone. There’s nothing a third party like us can do in this situation so the responsibility of making sure everything is working falls on your carrier’s shoulders.

Problem #3: Galaxy S5 lags a lot after installing Android Marshmallow

Hi. My name is James. I own an S5 and have had it for around 2 years now. It’s a great phone and I love it but when Samsung did updates a while ago it drastically slowed down the operating system. I currently have the 6.0.1 updated and I think I have come all the way from 4.0.1. Is there a way to speed the phone up? It seems to have a lot of lag. If you are texting it’s always letters behind. If you want to load a app like the camera or the internet it takes a while to load. It just has a lot of lag all the way around. Does any of this have anything to do with memory? I have a SD card in the system. Please let me know if you could help.        — Jamesbielamowicz

Solution: Hi Jamesbielamowicz. Although Samsung released a Marshmallow update for the Galaxy S5, there will be a noticeable slow down in terms of performance as this device was optimized for Android KitKat. The Galaxy S5’s hardware may run Marshmallow but at a much slower pace. This is the reason why a lot of S5 users who switched to Marshmallow are having problems. We have our own Galaxy S5 updated to Marshmallow ourselves and we can say that it’s become slower in its general performance compared to when it was running Lollipop. Marshmallow is best suited for newer and faster Samsung flagship devices like the S6 and S7 so yes, memory and processing power of the S5 can play a role when it comes to providing a smooth Marshmallow experience.

There are, of course, other reasons why an Android device can slow down after installing an update so we suggest that you do the basic stuff like wiping the cache partition, installing app and system updates, and factory reset to see a difference.

For reference, below are the steps on how to wipe the cache partition and factory reset in Galaxy S5.

How to wipe the cache partition in an S5

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

How to factory reset Galaxy S5

  • Turn off your Samsung Galaxy S5.
  • Press and hold the Volume Up, Home and Power keys together.
  • When the device powers on and displays ‘Power on logo’, release all keys and the Android icon will appear on the screen.
  • Wait until the Android Recovery Screen appears after about 30 seconds.
  • Using the Volume Down key, highlight the option, ‘wipe data/factory reset’ and press the Power key to select it.
  • Press the Volume Down button again until the option ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted and then press the Power key to select it.
  • After the reset is complete, highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and hit the Power key to restart the phone.

Problem #4: Galaxy S5 can’t send SMS

Your Samsung Galaxy S5 Problems  columns have been very informative. I’ve looked for my issue, but haven’t seen it.

My Galaxy S5 updated to Lollipop 3 or 4 days ago. Since then, none of my text messages I’m trying to send will go. The only information I get is that my attempt to send has failed. Tonight I called my daughter and had her send me a text message, which I did receive. But the reply I tried to send once again failed. Attempts to resend failed.

I’ve gone into settings and checked the different options. I don’t believe anything changed there. I’ve restarted phone and also did a full power off and let it be before turning back on.

Any help you can provide will be greatly appreciated. Thanks for all your help. — Bonnie

Solution: Hi Bonnie. Make sure that you check the Message Center number. Something must have changed it. An incorrect Message Center number is one of the common reasons why a device can send outbound SMS. To check, follow these steps:

  • Press Messages.
  • Press the menu icon.
  • Press Settings.
  • Press Text messages.
  • Press Message center.
  • Key in the Message Center number and press OK.

A Message Center number is specific to a carrier. Make sure to get the correct number from your carrier before changing it.

If the phone has already the correct message center number configured, the next thing that you want to do is to delete the messaging app’s cache and data. Here’s how:

  • Open the Settings menu either through your notification shade (drop-down) or through the Settings app in your app drawer.
  • Navigate down to “Apps”. This may be renamed to something like Applications or Application Manager in OEM skinned versions of Android 6.0.
  • Once in there, click on an application.
  • 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.
  • You should now clearly see the Clear Data and Clear Cache buttons for the application.

If both these procedures fail to fix the problem, make sure to let your carrier know about it so they can help find a solution.

Problem #5: Galaxy S5 charges but won’t turn back on

Hi. My Samsung S5 battery drained down to 1% while on charge and in use so we turned the device off. Now it won’t turn back on or even show that the charger is plugged in. it is just totally dead now but gets hot if the charger is plugged in.

I took it to a phone repair shop and they put in a new battery and put it on charge. It shows on the screen that it’s on charge with a new battery in but it just stays at 0% and still won’t turn on even though we know it’s a fully charged battery (by checking in another phone). They say it’s the motherboard and that its unfixable. Is this right or could i get a new motherboard? Nobody has opened it up to look inside. Thanks in advance. — Kirstie

Solution: Hi Kirstie. It must be a motherboard problem, like what the service center found out. A power IC or integrated circuit may no longer be working causing the phone to simply heat up while charging, while not really completing the whole cycle of powering the entire system. A motherboard issue is an expensive repair procedure but does not give a 100% guarantee of working so we highly suggest that you get a phone replacement instead. We don’t want you to spend hundreds of dollars for a repair and parts replacement only to end up having a non-working device.

Problem #6: Galaxy S5 freezes when typing | Galaxy S5 freezes randomly

Hello. I came across your article while searching for problems with my phone. My phone tends for freeze up/lag a lot in the last month.

It lags when:

-My phone is locked and I hit the power or home button. The screen quickly flashes on and off, and will stay dark until a minute or two later when it finally releases itself and then I can use the phone again.

-When I’m texting. The screen freezes and can’t type anything. After a few moments the screen goes black. I hit the power/home button and everything works again.

-I’ll be randomly using the phone, and then the phone freezes and like the previous post, have to wait until the freeze/lags releases the phone before I can use it again.

Note:

– The freezing/lagging happens randomly. It can happen after 6 hours of usage, or after 5 minutes after powering up my phone.

Is there a way to isolate the problem and figure out what is causing this? Thanks! — Andrew

Solution: Hi Andrew. Your situation can be caused by a number of things, including a possible hardware malfunction so you must be a series of software troubleshooting to narrow down the causes.

The first thing that you must do is to check if the system cache is corrupted or outdated. You can do that by wiping the cache partition (steps provided above).

If the cache is okay, or that the problem continues after clearing the cache partition, you also need to verify if a third party app is causing the trouble. To do that, you must boot the phone to safe mode and observe the phone for at least 24 hours. Here are the steps on how to restart your S5 to safe mode:

  • 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.

Instability problems can sometimes be caused by other apps simply because they are incompatible with the current operating system version. Make sure that you only install compatible apps. Try to uninstall those that you are unsure of. Old or outdated apps built years before may no longer run properly with new Android updates so go over your list of apps and try uninstall old ones. You will usually know if an app is problematic by checking reviews posted by other users. Try to visit the installation page of your apps in Google Play Store and see if a developer has indicated that such app is not compatible with the OS running on your device. Of course, you can also check the reviews to see what others are saying about it. Keep in mind that there’s no way to know what is causing a problem like yours so you must invest time and effort in getting down to the bottom of the issue.

Factory reset is a drastic but effective solution for everything that’s firmware or operating system related. However, it may not work if the problem is due to an app that you missed to check, or if the issue is hardware in nature. If you do a factory reset, make sure that you observe how the phone works for a day without installing anything. This will allow you to determine if the problem returns while the slate is clean. If it does, then that’s an indication of a hardware issue.

It can be a battery problem too so before sending the phone to Samsung for repair or replacement, make sure that you try a new battery first.

Problem #7: Cannot install update to Galaxy S5 when used in another network

Hi. My mom gave me her Samsung S5. She was with Telus and I’m with Fido so she paid to have it unlocked. The phone worked perfectly fine with Telus. When I put the Fido SIM card in and reset the phone to factory settings, it won’t update. It says it’s already up-to-date. it turns off on me and turns back on saying SIM card not detected. When I turn it off and back on sometimes I get the Fido service bar back, but not very often recently does that work. When the Fido service is connected to phone and detecting SIM card, it only texts; it won’t make calls and it says it’s out of service area. It won’t call voicemail box either says, Ontario. I’m in Alberta Canada. Any help would be great.

I’m wondering if I put a Telus sim card in and update the phone through that service would it work. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. — Dylan

Solution: Hi Dylan. First of all, OTA (over-the-air) update won’t work if you use an unlocked phone (like your Telus S5) in another network (like Fido). Carriers only release updates to devices actively registered on their network and using their provided software. Since the software in your phone is still a Telus one, Fido won’t release an update for it because their current software version is incompatible with what’s on your phone. If you want to check for updates, try inserting a Telus SIM card on it and see if you can install updates that way.

Secondly, even if your phone has been unlocked, it doesn’t’ always mean that all features will work with another network. Make sure that you check with Fido why some functionalities you mention here are not working. It’s possible that the software running on the device, which is from Telus, does not work when the phone is connected to another network.

Problem #8: Galaxy S5 overheating after it got hardware damaged

Hey Thedroidguy!

I have a Samsung S5. I placed it in my back pocket and somehow it got hardware damage. The SD card slot had been bent and the damage is visible in the back cover. The damage is visible in the top right part of the SD card slot (middle of the phone) though there is no damage to the front of the phone or the screen.

When this happened, the phone started heating up alot. I didn’t think it was much of an issue though while it was heated up the phone didn’t turn on. So I thought it was just dead. I noticed that most of the heat comes from the middle part of the phone right under where the bent part is.

I have removed the SD card using screwdrivers to pry it out (though the SD card slot didn’t take any further damage). I have tried to remove the battery and reinsert it, try a different charger, also try a different battery. I tried to charge it for 20 minutes but that only caused it to heat up.

Also, I have done the hold the power button for a minute to discharge the RAM but that didn’t work. I have taken out the SD card and the SIM card.

I hope you guys can help me. Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. Sincerely. — Arthur

Solution: Hi Arthur. Hardware damage, whether due to accidental drop, water exposure, or heat, can cause serious problems. Oftentimes, damage to the motherboard and other parts are permanent so you can’t hope for some software magic tricks to fix it. If the overheating issue started right after you removed your phone from your pocket, it’s possible that other components in the motherboard may also be damaged at this time. The best course of action that you can take is to have the phone checked by Samsung or an independent service center so the extent of the damage can be assessed. Our blog does not provide hardware troubleshooting and solutions so if you are intent on checking the hardware yourself, try to look for other websites that can give you what you need.

 

Engage with us

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

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

Galaxy Note 4 always restarting on its own, won’t boot normally, other issues

If you’ve been wondering what causes a Note 4 random reboot issue, this material may help. This issue can potentially happen to all smartphones so the solution we outline for this specific topic can also be applied to all Android devices.

On top of the #GalaxyNote4 random reboot issue, we also cover other problems shared by other readers. Here’s the complete list:

  1. Galaxy Note 4 stuck in boot loop
  2. Galaxy Note 4 totally unresponsive and won’t turn on
  3. Galaxy Note 4 keeps lagging, overheating | Galaxy Note 4 battery drain issue
  4. Galaxy Note 4 restarting on its own when battery level is low
  5. Galaxy Note 4 always restarting on its own, won’t boot normally
  6. Galaxy Note 4 keyboard not working when used on Facebook app

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

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

Problem #1: Galaxy Note 4 stuck in boot loop

Hi there. Read a few of your help pages online and found them really useful! Not sure how much you know about this kind of stuff but I have a serious bootloop problem with my phone.

On Christmas Eve my phone just turned off randomly and refused to turn back on… I’m on a contract with Vodafone and they sent it off for repairs and when they sent it back I re-wiped it and then it started doing this bootloop thing.

It does it all the time… At least 4 times a day. I have wiped it twice, started it on safe mode, deleted apps, updated everything, cleared that cache partition like you suggested and it still does it 🙁

I’m paying £35 a month for this stupid phone and Vodafone won’t help me – don’t want to buy a new phone unless I absolutely have to.

I don’t suppose you have any suggestions?? Or is it just well and truly buggered?

I’m quite desperate haha I just want a phone that doesn’t cut out randomly. Thanks!! 🙂 — Amy

Solution: Hi Amy. Having done all the basic software troubleshooting yourself, we don’t think the problem here is on the software side. If the problem happens right after a factory reset (and without apps installed yet), that’s a clear indication of an on-going issue with hardware.  To check further, try recalibrating 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.

Battery recalibration, if done correctly, can help retrain the operating system in detecting the true level of remain battery power. Sometimes, random reboot issue is caused by Android not getting accurate readings of battery levels so you want to ensure that it doesn’t happen on your device.

If the problem is not resolved by battery calibration, consider getting a new battery to see if the current one is problematic. If a new battery won’t help at all, you have no other choice but to send the phone in for repair again, or better still, have it replaced.

Problem #2: Galaxy Note 4 totally unresponsive and won’t turn on

My Samsung Galaxy Note 4 has not been working for the last week and 1/2. The problem was I tried to upload my daughter’s dance practice to her Facebook. it was being very slow to upload video and the battery was at 27% at the time so I attached the charger and left it running and charging at the same time. I went and make dinner, forgotten about it, until I was ready for bed and wanted to check to make sure the alarm clock is set. That’s when I noticed the phone was turned off.

I took off the charger and turn on the phone; it didn’t do anything. I repeated the process several times but nothing works. I took off the battery, waited, and reinserted, nothing happened. I took it to two other service repair places to have it looked at and fixed but they couldn’t do anything because the phone did not turn on. and I just replaced a brand new battery less than a year ago too. So my questions to you are: is it a software issue on my note 4? Should I replace the battery and see if it is a battery issue? Is this a common problem with Samsung Note 4 when the phone is old, or are there other problems that I don’t know about? Greatly Appreciate a professional advise. —  Adora

Solution: Hi Adora. Let’s answer your questions one by one.

Is it a software issue on my Note 4? There’s no way to know for sure. An issue like this can be caused just as easily by a software glitch as a hardware problem. Based on our experience with similar cases though, the most likely cause is hardware. The thing is, there’s no direct way to test what hardware component may not be working properly. In your case, the only thing that you can do at this point is to see if the phone will respond to hardware button combinations to boot it to different modes. If the device is totally unresponsive, you can assume that bad hardware is to blame. For reference, below are the steps on how to boot your Note 4 to alternate modes:

Boot in Recovery mode:

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

Boot in Download Mode:

  • Charge the phone for at least 30 minutes.
  • Press and then hold the Home and Volume DOWN keys, then press and hold the Power key.
  • When the Samsung Galaxy S7 shows on the screen, release the Power key but continue holding the Home and Volume DOWN keys.
  • Wait until the Download screen appears.
  • If you can boot the phone in download mode but not in other modes, that means that your only way out may be to flash a stock or custom firmware.
  • Use Google to look for a guide on how to do it.

Boot in safe mode:

  • Charge the phone for at least 30 minutes.
  • Press and hold the Power button.
  • Once the ‘Samsung Galaxy S7’ logo appears, release the Power key and immediately press and hold the Volume Down button.
  • Continue holding the button until the phone finishes rebooting.
  • Once you see the text “Safe mode” at the bottom left corner of the screen, release the Volume Down button.
  • The only difference of safe mode from normal mode is that the former prevents third party apps from running. If you can boot the phone in safe mode but not in normal mode, uninstall all apps until the issue (that prevents you from booting normally) is eliminated.

Should I replace the battery and see if it is a battery issue? Getting a new battery is a must do in this case but if you think that the battery is okay because it’s relatively new, you can skip this step. But just like what we said above, battery problem is a real possibility in this case so if you want to invest in another battery, you can do so. If you notice that the current battery has obvious signs of damage like bulging on the sides, go ahead and replace it. The best way to test if a Lithium-ion battery is defective is to spin it on its side over a flat surface like a glass table. If it does spin on its side, that means that the side is flat and there’s no bulging. If you can’t spin it on its side, that indicates that side is bulging and the battery may be damaged.

Is this a common problem with Samsung Note 4 when the phone is old, or are there other problems that I don’t know about? If your phone won’t respond to different hardware button combinations and a new battery won’t make a difference, there may be motherboard problem that has to be addressed. The thing is, a bad component in a motherboard can mean motherboard replacement, which, for us, is not worth performing at all. Motherboard replacement may or may not work so you will end up risking hundreds of dollars for a non-guaranteed repair.

If possible, consider having the phone replaced instead.

Problem #3: Galaxy Note 4 keeps lagging, overheating | Galaxy Note 4 battery drain issue

My phone is becoming impossible to use. It was “laggy” about 6 months ago so I replaced the battery with a new one and the phone was like new. Unfortunately, over the past couple of weeks, the problem is back but with more symptoms than before. It’s very slow to respond to my touch (ex: I will touch SMS messenger app with the white/yellow envelope icon, and it will not load the messages for at least 30 seconds). It often shuts off randomly (ex: sometimes when I open an app … any app really… if it takes a very long time to load, the phone will just reboot and sometimes even gets stuck in a reboot cycle that I end up having to do a soft reset to bring it back to life).

The screen gets very hot sometimes and it isn’t necessarily only while charging – this hot battery/screen is usually followed by the phone turning off again.

i will get a call (I can hear the ringtone and feel the vibration notifying me of the call) but the screen doesn’t come up for me to slide the green circle and answer. This is causing lots of trouble as I depend on phone conversations for my work. I’m a Realtor. I have missed numerous calls because of this and I have tried speaking the word “answer” because I have that feature enabled, but this doesn’t work either. It’s like the phone is frozen until the call has finally gone to voicemail. Then the screen will display the missed call.

Sometimes the “OK Google” listening assistant will come on randomly without me speaking or touching the phone. No reason for it to activate. Has a mind of its own!

All camera applications (Camera, Facebook, Instagram and especially Snapchat) are very slow, drain the battery, and almost always cause the phone to die or restart.

If you have an idea as to what’s causing all of this, I would love to hear your suggestions on how to fix it. I would prefer not to do a master reset if at all avoidable. There is a Gmail account that was associated with a work email and has been discontinued from my old place of business but still gives me access to contacts and old emails that I need. I will never be able to log into this account again so resetting the phone will delete any old info stored.

Please help! I’m trying to hold out and wait to upgrade to a new phone until this fall, whenever they release the newest version or new successor to the failed Note 7. My patience is wearing thin. Thanks in advance for whatever insight you can provide. — Stephanie

Solution: Hi Stephanie. All the symptoms you mention (slow performance, overheating, battery drain, and apps popping up on their own) in your issue description can be signs of a hardware problem. To confirm that, you must do software troubleshooting steps such as wiping the cache partition and factory reset. If you want to avoid factory reset, you can try to boot the phone to safe mode as well to see if a third party app is causing the problem. But again, factory or master reset is a necessary step if you want to rule out software glitch as a possible cause. We know that this is a drastic troubleshooting step but you need to do it if you want to get to the bottom of the issue.

Below are the steps on how to  do these mentioned software troubleshooting.

How to wipe the cache partition on a Note 4

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

How to boot a Note 4 to safe mode

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

How to factory/master reset a Note 4

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

Remember to create a back up of your files before you do a factory reset. If possible, try using Smart Switch for this task.

Problem #4: Galaxy Note 4 restarting on its own when battery level is low

Hi. I have a Samsung Galaxy Note 4, and am having battery issues. My phone keeps randomly restarting and it gets really frustrating because it will be fully charged, then drop down to around 70 or 80% or even less in a few minutes.

Also, after only using my phone on for a few minutes, my phone will suddenly restart and continuously restart until I take out the battery. I have attempted to use different batteries, and the problem is still the same. I have also tried to preserve the battery and have tried using my phone briefly after unplugging it from the charger, and then immediately putting it on airplane mode in order to save the battery until later in the day when I need to use it. However, this did not work either, and when I turn off airplane mode and attempt to use it, it turns off suddenly after drastically decreasing it’s battery percentage in only a few minutes of use.

I have also tried turning off the battery instead of putting it on airplane mode, but the issue still exists. I have tried taking out the battery several times whenever my phone starts restarting nonstop (because it will continue to do so until I charge it or take out the battery), but the battery shows up to be a very low percentage, and then proceeds to turn off and restart all over again.

Sometimes, when I charge it once it goes into a cycle of restarting. it will show a gray charging symbol, and then will show that the battery is charging and will automatically fill up all the way to 60% or less. This is very frustrating for me for I do not know what is wrong with my phone, and have even attempted clearing the cache partition several times. I do not understand as to why the battery drains drastically from 100 to 70% in a few minutes, and then restarts repeatedly.

Occasionally nowadays, it will turn off after decreasing to around 90%, and even after i take out the battery or charge it, it will not turn on and keep restarting, or will turn off again. And I also don’t want to try factory resetting my phone, as to not being sure if it will work, and I have a lot of pictures and contacts, etc that I do not wish to lose, because I have heard that sometimes factory resets do not work, and I am scared to take that risk. I really hope that you and your team can find a solution as to what exactly is wrong with my phone, for I am getting very frustrated over not being able to use my phone for a couple of minutes. —  Pixienayeon2002

Solution: Hi Pixienayeon2002. Try to recalibrate the battery by doing the suggested steps for Amy above. If that won’t work, you must do a master reset to eliminate possible software glitch. Make sure to observe how the phone works after a factory reset by letting it run for a day or 2 without installing any apps. With a clean software environment after a factory reset, this will help you tell if the problem is due to software issue or not. If nothing changes, you can assume hardware is to blame. Consider having the phone repaired or replaced.

Problem #5: Galaxy Note 4 always restarting on its own, won’t boot normally

Hi! My Note 4 – N910G got a problem. At first the phone gets extremely hot every time I use it. The charging became longer and the battery dies faster. After few days I can’t use it anymore because it just keeps on restarting, it does not even reach to the main screen, it stops in the Samsung logo and then restarts again.

I tried to change the battery but it is still the same. I tried to wipe the cache partition but it’s still the same. I actually want to get the files that is saved in the device but it does not connect to the PC as well even if I change cables.

I don’t want to change phone because the phone has a sentimental value to me…

Can you please tell me what to do? Thank You. Best Regards. — Charm

Solution: Hi Charm. If the phone no longer boots normally at this time, the only available option for you is to try booting the device to other modes. Please refer to our suggestions for Stephanie above on how to do each procedure. Keep in mind that if your phone continues to fail to boot to any of these modes, that’s an indication of a hardware issue. You need to have Samsung or an independent service center assess the situation to see if repair is possible.

Problem #6: Galaxy Note 4 keyboard not working when used on Facebook app

Hello. I have a Galaxy Note 4 and am having problems with my keyboard while on Facebook. Whenever I try to post a status update, the keyboard will not appear. If I add a picture with the update, the keyboard works fine. Comments, keyboard is fine. It also seems to work fine on all other uses such as texting or email. It only will not work when doing a words only status update. I’ve tried uninstalling and reinstalling the app.  Messing with the keyboard settings. All to no avail. Not sure if it’s an app problem or a phone problem. I look forward to your response on a possible solution. — Thanks

 Matt

Solution: Hi Matt. If this problem only occurs when trying to use Facebook app, there may be a bug causing it. Make sure that the Facebook app is up-to-date by installing updates for it if they are available.

If it’s updated at this time, try wiping its cache and data. Here’s how:

  • Open the Settings menu either through your notification shade (drop-down) or through the Settings app in your app drawer.
  • Navigate down to “Apps”. This may be renamed to something like Applications or Application Manager in OEM skinned versions of Android 6.0.
  • Once in there, click on an application.
  • 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.
  • You should now clearly see the Clear Data and Clear Cache buttons for the application.

Other apps can cause conflicts with another so if wiping the cache and data won’t work, try to uninstall apps one by one until the issue has been eliminated. We don’t know what apps you have on the device so try to remove first the ones you installed recently. Keep uninstalling apps until you notice that the issue is gone.

Otherwise, just do a factory reset and see if that will make any difference.

Engage with us

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

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

Galaxy Note 5 keeps losing mobile network connection, can’t install system update, other issues

Hello Android community. We bring you another #GalaxyNote5 post that covers 6 other issues reported to us by some readers over the past few days. If you want to visit our main Galaxy Note 5 troubleshooting page, kindly follow this link.

Below are the specific topics we’re discussing for you today:

  1. Galaxy Note 5 sensors need calibration
  2. Galaxy Note 5 keeps losing mobile network connection
  3. Galaxy Note 5 apps takes a long time to send messages | Galaxy Note 5 slow internet connection issue
  4. Galaxy Note 5 cannot use keys during calls
  5. Galaxy Note 5 can’t install system update
  6. Galaxy Note 5 keeps showing overheating error screen

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

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

Problem #1: Galaxy Note 5 sensors need calibration

My wife and I both have the Note 5. Overall we are extremely pleased and have had relatively few issues. The one that my phone does have has to do with calibration. I like using mapping apps and star charts. The problem is with device orientation. I can do all of the recommended calibration actions and this does not fix the issue. A factory reset for other problems did not make any difference. GPS charting will update the path I am on, but the direction arrow will be facing a different vector. It will not rapidly change during a session, but will drift over time. When using star charts I can be facing the North Star but the chart will display random chart information. I have tried using the *#0*# but it does nothing. This is noticeable when using VR Gear. If I watch an episode or movie I will have to adjust the screen position. Any other ideas on how to calibrate or at least stabilize this drift? — Wade

Solution: Hi Wade. Apps designed to work with VR Gear and similar gadgets usually use a combination of different sensors to work properly. These sensors include the GPS, gyroscope, magnetic sensor (compass), and sometimes the accelerometer. They are built-in components and can only be calibrated by going under your phone’s service menu. For example, if you think the phone’s compass needs recalibrating, you must pull up the service menu first and run a magnetic sensor test first. Here’s how:

  1. Open on the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 the Phone app.
  2. On the keypad, dial the following code: “*#0*#” without the quotes.
  3. Wait for the service menu to load.
  4. Tap on “sensor” to see different sensor values ​of your Note 5.
  5. At the bottom you will see the entry “Magnetic Sensor.” If you see a “0” in the circle and the text “Need for Calibration”, then you need to calibrate the compass. Otherwise, you can either leave it or tap the self-test button. You’ll see PASS after the test if the compass is good.

As a user, you are limited to doing a self-test of this sensor. If the test says PASS, that’s an indicator that the compass is working fine. If it doesn’t, you either have to simply accept it, or you can have the phone replaced. Forget about “other” troubleshooting steps for the sensors. There’s nothing an end-user can do about that. These built-in sensors are calibrated at the factory by a computer so the only solution for you, if you think your Note 5’s compass is acting out, is by getting another phone.

Of course, there’s also the app factor. There’s no such thing as perfect app so there’s a chance that the experience you’re having is app-related. Try to contact the developer of the app you’re having troubles with so they can look into it. Developers of paid apps strive to improve their products all the time and one way to do that is by getting feedback from users. If you think it’s worth the time and effort, talk to the app developers so the issue will be examined.

Problem #2: Galaxy Note 5 keeps losing mobile network connection

I got this Samsung Galaxy Note 5 (SM-N920W8) from Canada. It is a used piece and I have bought this from my friend. It had Bell as carrier but I already got it unlocked from Canada. The problem I am facing is that my SIM card is not detected for much time of the day. Sometimes network is there but otherwise it shows “Emergency Calls only.” Then I have to check and search for mobile network again. Also, I got it checked from Samsung. They said that phone was fine. I tried putting the paper filling but the situation has not changed. Also I went to Vodafone store. I tried changing Sims. After changing I used a SIM for some more minutes than usual and after that the network was lost. If you have any solution then please tell me. — Dweet

Solution: Hi Dweet. If Samsung is positive that the phone is working fine, then the problem must lie in your carrier’s network. An issue like this can be caused by a number of factors so you must try to rule one thing at a time. Such factors can include:

  • a software glitch
  • a problematic third party app
  • a bad SIM card
  • damaged SIM card slot
  • corrupted/outdated baseband version
  • unknown hard problem
  • wireless carrier issue

If you haven’t done it yet, we suggest that you try to factory reset the phone before contacting the technical support of your wireless carrier. Factory reset should take care of any operating system or third party app issues. Make sure that you observe the phone for a few hours after a factory reset so you’ll know if the problem remains. If it does, continue the troubleshooting with your wireless carrier. To factory reset your phone, follow these steps:

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

REMEMBER: factory reset will erase all user data such as photos, videos, contacts, etc. Make sure that you create a back up before doing it.

Problem #3: Galaxy Note 5 apps takes a long time to send messages | Galaxy Note 5 slow internet connection issue

I have a Samsung Note 5 and the problem i am facing is having trouble accessing Internet as usual. All apps are having hard time connecting and i thought the problem was my carrier but i have tried different 3 carriers and still the same problem. The connection on my other devices is fine. For example when i send a message on Whatsapp, it might take even 30 minutes for it to be sent and i hardly receive messages from Whatsapp. The same with Instagram app. My feeds are taking more than 5 minutes to update. I think the problem is associated with the Marshmallow update. — 26cbcb

Solution: Hi 26cbcb. If the issue started after you installed an update of Marshmallow, below are the steps that you can do.

Wipe the cache partition. The cache partition is a part in your phone’s storage that stores the system cache as well as other files associated with all your downloads. Sometimes, some of the files in this location becomes duplicated, corrupted, or outdated, resulting to all sorts of problems. Problems usually arise after installing a system update so the first thing that you want to do is to clear the cache partition. Here’s how it’s done:

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

Observe the phone in safe mode. Once you’ve refreshed the system cache but the issue remains, the next good thing that you must do is verify if the slow connection issue you’re having is due to bad third party apps. This is done by booting the phone to safe mode first, and observing it for some time. While safe mode is enabled, all third party apps and services will be blocked so if the issue won’t occur, that’s proof that an app may be to blame. Here are the steps on how to boot your Note 5 to safe mode:

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

Wipe the phone clean via factory reset. Another recommended troubleshooting step for this issue is factory reset. Doing so will force the phone to return all software settings to their known, working state. If a glitch developed after installing the latest system update, factory reset should eliminate it. Like in safe mode, you want to observe the phone for a few hours to see if the phone can now use internet normally. During the observation period, try to avoid installing anything except the apps you’re having problems with (Whatsapp and Instagram) so you’ll notice if there’s any difference.

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

NOTE: If the problem continues even right after a factory reset, the cause of the issue must either be hardware in nature or a bad coding in the operating system version you installed. To fix the issue, you should talk to your carrier about it so they can replace the phone, or advise you on how to deal with the firmware you’ve installed.

Install all pending system and app updates. This step must be done if the issue won’t occur right after a factory reset. If the issue won’t return after a factory reset, that’s an indication that the glitch may have been introduced by an incompatible app. Make sure that you only re-install apps that are 100% compatible.

Basically, what you want to do is to identify which of your apps may be problematic. To do that, you must perform the following:

  1. Install an app.
  2. Check if it’s updated or not (install an update if it’s available).
  3. Observe the phone for a few hours.
  4. Do the same steps for the rest of your apps.

Problem #4: Galaxy Note 5 cannot use keys during calls

I am having issues with being on a call and NOT being able to use any keys to go to any prompts. What can I do to fix this? I followed the steps that were on the website, but I cannot find the “Phone Application.” This is getting upsetting as I am not able to do much on my phone with this issue. My phone is a Note 5. Also my phone is a Verizon, but on ATT plan.

From the home screen, tap the Apps icon. Tap Settings. On the More tab, tap Application manager. Tap the All tab. Scroll to and tap the Phone application. Tap Clear cache. The application cache is now cleared. — Tera

Solution: Hi Tera. The “phone application” being referred to here is the native Samsung app you’re using when you make a call. It should be labelled “Phone” under Application Manager. If you can’t find it for some reason, try using a different phone app. There are many similar apps that you can get for free in Google Play Store. If that won’t help fix the issue either, perform a factory reset (steps provided above) to fix your main issue.

Problem #5: Galaxy Note 5 can’t install system update

Hi. I downloaded the updates for my Note 5 yesterday, some 700MB of them. When prompted, I hit the install button and for a while the green figure appeared showing that the installation was taking place. Then the Android sign started flashing and continued to do so for several hours. So I Googled this problem and found a blog that suggested I reset the factory default settings by pressing & holding the volume, home and power keys together until prompted to re-set the phone. I tried this and got to another screen that said that I was going to customise the OS and asked if I wanted to do that. I said yes, and got another green Android sign saying that it was downloading something and warning me not to turn off the data(?). Well that message stayed all night. I am now back to the initial flashing Android sign & I cannot access or use my phone. I thought that it would be safe to install updates. What do I do now? — Creswell

Solution: Hi Creswell. We think you pressed the incorrect volume rocker by booting the phone to download mode instead of booting to recovery (so you can do a factory reset). The correct steps on how to factory reset a phone via recovery mode are detailed above. If your phone remains stuck in download mode, do a soft reset by following these steps:

  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. The device powers down completely.

Once the phone boots back normally, try to install the update again.

Problem #6: Galaxy Note 5 keeps showing overheating error screen

Hey guys, here is what I can tell ya. After looking to find solutions to my problem. I realized that I was experiencing the, “Sorry messages has stopped” Where that app crashes when I try to receive a picture through text and the app is open. That part might be a smoke screen to the real issue I am dealing with. I left my phone on my bed overnight and it died. When I went to charge it, the normal charge battery symbol with the lightning bolt inside. After a few seconds, the screen turns off, few more seconds, it gives the same screen. Trying to load the app. I tried holding down the home button and the lock screen button when it was trying this. I got a message saying that the phone was overheating and try to unplug the charger and replug it in. The phone was not hot on the outside. Maybe ive blown a capacitor or something else inside. When trying to get it to work and pressing the home key and the lock key I got to a interesting screen where it said there is possible a OS crash and if I want to boot it in a (cant remember this important word) OS to press the volume down button now. It was like a user OS or a different OS. The screen was all blue or maybe it was green. I did a system reset by holding volume down and home key. then plugged it in. it was charging at this point. When i went to turn it on, it gave me the battery symbol with a thermometer in it. saying its overheating i assume. Hopefully you’ve seen something like this before. Thanks I’m guessing its Nougat, might be Marshmallow. But I’ve updated whenever it asks. but usually i wait a week or two of it telling me to update before I do. — Connor

Solution: Hi Connor. We don’t know the full history of your phone to say for certain if the issue is due to a software glitch or bad hardware. Try to do the basic software troubleshooting steps first such as wiping the cache partition, observing in safe mode, and factory reset. If they won’t help fix the problem, especially the overheating screen you’re getting, the most likely cause must be hardware malfunction. Have the phone’s hardware checked by Samsung or a professional so you will know if it can be repaired or not. If the phone is still covered by a replacement warranty, we highly suggest that you have it replaced instead.

 

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