Welcome to our first #GalaxyS5 post for 2017! One of the issues we cover for you today has something to do with intermittent mobile data issue. We hope that our suggestions for every problem will help not just the users mentioned here today but other Android users as well. Don’t forget to visit our main Galaxy S5 troubleshooting page should you not find anything useful in this post.

Below are the topics we discuss in this material:

1. Galaxy S5 charges very slow
2. Galaxy S5 mini stuck in Samsung logo screen after updating to Marshmallow
3. Galaxy S5 mobile data not working | Galaxy S5 won’t send/receive MMS
4. Galaxy S5 mobile data connection is intermittent
5. Verizon Galaxy S5 no longer connects to Straight Talk mobile data after an update
6. Galaxy S5 takes screenshots of games but photos can’t be found

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 charges very slow

I currently own a Galaxy S5. Tonight i was holding it and it made the noise the phone makes when you plug a charger in, but I was not using a cord at all. I went to plug it into the charger (not the original) and it charged for a second and then it kept flashing and then eventually, the phone showed a “please use original charger” flag. I then found the original charger (that hasn’t completely charged correctly for some time. The phone showed the same message. I then proceeded to try 3 other chargers, one original from another Galaxy and one that was just a compatible Samsung charger, but none worked.  Then i took the battery out, numerous times and still nothing. i then took the battery out for a few seconds and re-placed it and then put the phone on airplane mode. The phone seems to be charging, but it’s very slow. Please don’t tell me I will need a new phone!!! Thank you. — Adrianne

Solution: Hi Adrianne. For an issue like yours, the most effective solution is almost always to get a replacement phone. The symptoms you describe are consistent with a malfunctioning charging port. To check if it’s indeed a hardware issue and not a software one, you must try to factory reset the device. If the cause of the problem is on operating system or apps level, factory reset should fix the problem, as the phone should charge normally right after the reset. If nothing changes though, there’s only one thing to blame — a bad charging port. Try cleaning the charging port with compressed air. Try to avoid poking the inside of the port to prevent breaking or bending possibly unaligned pins. Before using compressed air, try to use bright lighting and, if possible, magnification to look inside the port. If you’re lucky, removing a foreign object like lint or dust inside may bring back the normal functionality of the port.

Charging ports are usually one of the first hardware components that fail due to general wear and tear such as plugging and unplugging, mishandling of the device, corrosion, internal damage, and bending of metal contacts. Usually, a bad charging port is accompanied by overheating so if the charging port area heats up abnormally while charging, you can almost certainly assume that bad hardware is to blame. If you don’t have the knowledge and tools to perform a charging port replacement, your only choice in the matter is either repair or replacement. If you have access to a nearby Samsung service center, be sure to bring the device there. Otherwise, simply let a professional take a look at the said component so he/she can assess if it can be fixed or not.

For reference, below are the steps on how to factory reset your phone:

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

Problem #2: Galaxy S5 mini stuck in Samsung logo screen after updating to Marshmallow

Hi. I have a mini S5 which i bought 2 years ago. Yesterday i got to upgrade my software version to Marshmallow. After an hour when i came back to see if it’s completed i noticed it was turned off and every time i was pressing the switch button only a small LED light at the top of my phone was showing. When i put it to charge my battery was low. After it charged i tried to switch it on but it was stuck and showed only the Samsung logo. I let it for a while but again my battery was low. After numerous tries i pressed the power on and volume down button but is asked for the custom OS warning which says a custom OS can cause critical problems. Please help me if you can. — Yash

Solution: Hi Yash. How did you get the Marshmallow update? Is it via over-the-air (OTA), or by manual flashing? If it’s the former, you must try to fix the software via Smart Switch emergency recovery tool, or with the help of Samsung Kies software. Both of these apps are provided by Samsung so simply install them in a computer and see which of them will work. If nothing changes after trying both of them, you must let your carrier know about the problem. You can also try to boot the phone to recovery mode so you can wipe the cache partition and factory reset. Here’s how to boot your phone to 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.

If you tried to update the software via Odin mode, then the main reason for the problem may be an incorrect firmware or a step that you didn’t do right. Make sure that you use the correct firmware next time and follow the steps properly.

Problem #3: Galaxy S5 mobile data not working | Galaxy S5 won’t send/receive MMS

My Samsung Galaxy S5, ever since it updated, has been running slower. But my two major issues are:

• it doesn’t allow me to send or receive any picture messages

• it also doesn’t allow my mobile data to kick in while I’m not around wifi

It’s very frustrating. I have Google how to fix everything. it tells me to do it’s on already. How do I fixed these major issues I’m having? My plan is unlimited Internet so I know I should have mobile data when not around wifi but it won’t kick in. Please help me with these two major issues. I want to be able to send pictures, throw text messaging and can’t send or receive. It just keeps trying or keeps saying download. Please email me back  the solutions to these issues. Thank you. — Lilprincess6790

Solution: Hi Lilprincess6790. first of all, we want to make it a point that our blog does not send solutions to emails of those who ask assistance from us. We want to make our suggestions public so we apologize if you won’t receive any email from us. We do hope that you’ll find this post relevant at this time.

Secondly, your problem appears an account issue (with your wireless carrier) more than a phone problem. Sending and receiving of MMS won’t work unless mobile data on your phone is working. If you are in a GSM network, try to insert your SIM card to a known, working phone to see if mobile data is working or not. This is the only way to check on your end if the service is still active on your account. If mobile data remains non-functional in a second phone, contact your wireless carrier so they can assist you. We can’t do anything about a mobile data connection problem when the cause of the issue is due to billing or account problem.

Problem #4:  Galaxy S5 mobile data connection is intermittent

Hello. Got an issue with my Galaxy S5 for a week now. It is starting to get on my nerves. 🙂

Mobile internet works for few seconds then stops working and resumes again between 30 – 180 seconds. Sometimes I have to wait even more, but working internet last just for a few seconds. Reception is fine, no changes there. it shows data connection, when internet stops I see only arrow representing upload lit up, not flickering. Using Viber, Skype, just trying to browse news has become annoying. Since i have to wait for those “online” intervals. Now here is what i tried and what I didn’t. Got new configuration messages installed, rebooted, no help. Deleted configurations from phone, installed again, no help. Haven’t tried to put my SIM card to new phone (unable at the moment), so maybe it is the phone or SIM card (hopefully, it is easy to replace). As soon as i have time i will backup my phone reset to factory settings, install latest update to Android (still on Lollipop). Thanks. — Miki

Solution: Hi Miki. Aside from your plan to factory reset the device and try the SIM card to another phone, we also suggest that you contact your wireless carrier so they’ll know about the issue. There may be an on-going issue in the area affecting some of their subscribers so telling them about your problem should help them assist you more effectively. There’s really nothing much that we can tell you on what to do as issues like yours are better handled by carriers.

In case the issue is due to a third party app, you can observe the phone while it’s in safe mode. Safe mode blocks third party apps and services so if the issue won’t occur, that’s proof that our hunch is correct. Safe mode won’t help you identify the culprit though so you must invest some time narrowing down the possible causes. Below are the steps on how to boot the phone to safe mode:

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

Problem #5: Verizon Galaxy S5 no longer connects to Straight Talk mobile data after an update

Hi! Love your site, loads of good info. My issue is as follows. I bought a Samsung Galaxy S5 used and bought an accompanying “bring your own phone” package. Everything set up fine and I used it for several months. Recently there was a software update available which I started. There was a problem and the phone ended up getting turned off. The update was then failed and the phone would then only show me the screen saying that the update had failed and I needed to run the Verizon Software Upgrade Assistant (the repair portion) to repair the phone and finish the update. After a few failed attempts, the repair assistant finally worked overnight while I was sleeping. The phone was usable again. It sent and received texts and calls and hooked up to wifi fine but will not connect to the internet via data. When I go to look at the APN it shows VZWINTERNET and only that one. Doesn’t give me the option to add others either (plus sign is gray and unclickable). So I tried having Straight Talk update my APN and data settings but it shows up as an incompatible SIM, even though it is absolutely the same Straight Talk SIM I’ve had and was working. Did the repair assistant mess up my SIM? Is there any way to fix it or do I now need a new SIM? Thank you in advance for your consideration. — J. Scott

Solution: Hi J. Scott. We don’t think it’s the SIM card that’s messed up. The Verizon software assistant must have reconfigured the device’s firmware, erasing non-Verizon settings and restoring the default factory settings. Try bringing the phone to a shop that’s equipped with more advanced software so they can manually change some network settings. Alternatively, try to contact the original owner of the device and ask for instructions how the device became compatible with your current carrier. Keep in mind that reconfiguration of a CDMA phone like your S5 from Verizon is not straightforward. Most of the time, special software that require rooting the device may be needed to make a CDMA phone work in another network. We don’t have the knowledge or the tools to do the job so try to do some research when you have the time.

The usual dose of software troubleshooting such as wiping the cache partition and factory reset won’t help in this situation.

Problem #6: Galaxy S5 takes screenshots of games but photos can’t be found

Hello! I’m having a problem with my S5 and would love some insight on how to fix it or even an explanation on why it does it. I’ve had my S5 for almost a year now and until recently I was unaware that it takes screenshots/pictures of the games I have downloaded on my phone.  I recently started taking my phone to Walmart to use the Kiosk to print photos from my phone. When I plug my phone into the machine, it says 1200+ files found. I have around 800 pictures so I couldn’t understand where the extra pictures came from. When they load on the screen, more than half are screenshots of advertisements I’ve watched or screenshots of games I play. There are so many and it’s now taken up so much memory that I can’t download any apps or take any more pictures.  When I look for them on my phone to delete, I can only find the pictures I’ve taken. Where are these snaps going and how do I delete them? I just had a baby and can’t save any pics or videos because the stupid  memory is full of crap!  I hope you can understand my problem and give me some advice. Thank you for your time. — Heather

Solution: Hi Heather. If you can’t find the screenshots in the Gallery app, then they must be kept somewhere by the app that took them. Try using the pre-installed My Files app from Samsung to search every nook and cranny in your phone’s directory. We can’t tell you where to start because we are not aware of any app (malicious or not) that does this thing. If you want to get to the bottom of the problem, we suggest that you back everything up first with the help of Samsung Smart Switch app. Simply install the said app on your computer, then connect your phone to it via USB cable. Smart Switch will give you an option what files to transfer to your PC so you can either have everything moved or only a select few. Once you’ve created your back up, you can then factory reset your phone to wipe everything. Here’s how to do that:

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

Once the phone has been factory reset, connect the phone to your computer again and restore your back up. Be careful not to install all your apps though. You have to filter every app you want to install as one of them is culprit. Make sure that you only install the ones you are familiar of. Try not to install back apps you don’t need at all. If the problem will return after a factory reset, that means that you simply re-introduced the app to your device. It’s up to you on how to identify which of them is the problem.

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