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Galaxy S7 keeps freezing and turning itself on and off, other issues

S7 edge

Welcome to another post that provides answers to some #GalaxyS7 issues submitted by our readers. Don’t hesitate to consult our previously posted articles about Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge if you can’t find the solution you’re looking for here.

  1. Galaxy S7 keeps freezing and turning itself on and off
  2. Galaxy S7 suddenly stopped working and no longer turns on
  3. Galaxy S7 can’t send SMS/text message after updating to Marshmallow
  4. Cannot preview or buy a song in Galaxy S7 Google Music app
  5. Galaxy S7 has no audio or sound but audio works when Bluetooth headset is connected

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 keeps freezing and turning itself on and off

Hi. I got a Samsung S7 and the very next day in the morning it froze. I got it exchanged immediately without trying anything. My second handset worked pretty well for about a month and a half. And suddenly one night it heated up and shut down, just like my first piece.  I tried a number of rebooting and hard resetting techniques. The mobile would switch on and switch off by itself in a couple of seconds. Until finally it stopped responding to anything I did. Even after I plugged it in for charging for almost an hour.

The screen wouldn’t turn on at all. I realized I had to give it in too and get a new handset. But I’m paranoid now and am planning to sell the new handset. And I have kind of completely sworn off Samsung now. And i didn’t have a lot of apps installed either. Just WhatsApp, Snapchat, Instagram, Kik Candy Crush and Temple run 2. Unless you can tell me that there is a way I can fix this issue with my third handset in 2 months, I have no plans of keeping it and will maybe completely shift to an iPhone. Sorry about the huge description I just wanted to be completely clear. Hope you can help. Thanks! — Ishraq

Solution: Hi Ishraq. We are not Samsung to give you an assurance that a new S7 will not go bad after a few months. Doing so would be like telling you to pick a particular car brand because you’ll never be at risk while driving it. Keep in mind that as a user, you are partly responsible in maintaining your device. The only sure thing that we can tell you is that there are millions of other Galaxy S7 users who do not experience the same exact problem like you do after a couple of months. Either you are simply unlucky to have received two defective products in a row, or you are misusing your phone. While not impossible, it’s highly unlikely that a brandnew Samsung Galaxy S7 would have the same exact problem. We think that the problem is user initiated.

The best thing that you can do is to do a factory reset and observe your phone for a few days to know if firmware/software bugs have developed over time. During the observation period, make sure that you don’t install third party apps. Try to observe the phone for at least 3 days. If you don’t want to do this, go ahead and switch to iOS as we will not ask you to stay with Android.

For reference, these are steps on how to perform a factory reset, also known as master reset, on your Galaxy S7:

  • Turn off your Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge.
  • Press and then hold the Home and Volume UP keys, then press and hold the Power key.
  • When the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge 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 #2: Galaxy S7 suddenly stopped working and no longer turns on

One day I went to the gym with my phone and wanted to listen to some music. I connected my phone to my Bluetooth wireless headphones. I started playing some music so I could workout. Then, I noticed that all of a sudden, the music stopped playing. I looked at my phone and noticed the red light on the top left corner of my phone is now lit up and even now, is still on. I found this strange because my phone was fully charged before I left for the gym. I decided to try and turn it back on by holding down the power button but the phone did not turn on. I decided to go home and charge the phone because I assumed that maybe for some reason it was just dead. My phone actually cannot charge nor will it turn on for me. Is there any solution to this problem? — Tiger

Solution: Hi Tiger. A red LED light indicates one of the following:

  • glows red when the device is connected to a charger and is charging.
  • blinks red when the device is connected to a charger but there is a problem with charging.
  • blinks red when the battery is low.

Your first task is to know if you can still turn the phone back on to a different boot mode other than normal mode. Actually, this may be the only thing that you can do at this point unless the phone can restart to, say, safe mode, or recovery mode. If the phone remains unresponsive even when it’s connected to a charger and no hardware button combinations can get it to turn back on, it’s probably suffering from a hardware failure.

To boot your phone in safe mode, here’s the steps that you can try:

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

If the device boots in safe mode, that’s an indication that a third party is the reason behind the trouble. However, if nothing changes and it remains unresponsive, try to see if you can boot it in recovery mode. Here’s how:

  • Turn off your Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge.
  • Press and then hold the Home and Volume UP keys, then press and hold the Power key.
  • When the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge 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.

Under recovery mode, you have a few options that you can try like wiping the cache partition and performing a factory reset.

Another boot mode that you can try is Odin or download mode. Enabling this mode is usually done if you want to manually modify your device’s firmware. If you haven’t tried it before, simply follow these steps:

  • Turn off your Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge.
  • Press and then hold the Home and Volume Down keys, then press and hold the Power key.
  • When the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge 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.

In general, if a phone can boot to any of these modes but not to normal mode, that’s an indicator that the problem is on the software level. However, if the situation won’t change a thing, you can safely assume that there’s a hardware failure. In some rare cases, bad Power or Volume buttons can cause the phone to remain stuck in a certain mode, or force it to never turn on at all. If you are going nowhere, asking for a replacement phone may be your only recourse.

Problem #3: Galaxy S7 can’t send SMS/text message after updating to Marshmallow

Dear Droid Guy(s). My phone recently updated to marshmallow, and now I can’t send SMS text messages.  I can receive texts and make and receive calls.  I can send MMS text messages.

I’ve tried all the fixes listed in your article but they didn’t work. 

For some reason, I can’t see my message center number in the settings of my messaging app. I’m not using a third-party app, and, when click on “safe mode,” I can only choose whether to allow access to all links and whether to be alerted to potential threats.

I wiped the cache partition in recovery mode and did a factory reset of my phone, but neither of those fixed the problem.

My network is Credo Mobile and piggy backs off of Sprint – could this be part of the issue? I’ve contacted Credo, but wanted to contact you as well.

Thank you very much!  Your articles have helped me a lot in the past, and I really appreciate your help with this.

All the best. — Catherine

Solution: Hi Catherine. If the new firmware (Marshmallow) has blocked your access to Message Center, even after a factory reset, then the problem is with the operating system. Users are always given access to change the Message Center number in case an issue like yours happen. Make sure that you work with Sprint or Credo so they can notify their developer team to release a patch to address the issue. There’s nothing more than you can do on your end except this.

Problem #4: Cannot preview or buy a song in Galaxy S7 Google Music app

I tried to go into my Google Music to preview a song to purchase & a triangle w/red exclamation mark came up. I went into settings to see if I could figure out the problem & when I click on Google Play it comes up saying “unfortunately settings has stopped working” & takes me back to home screen.

I called Google and they had me clear cache, clear data, uninstall, reinstall & nothing helped. She told me to restore to an earlier version but it didn’t work. I was then told to go into setting>accounts>clik on google music & uninstall so it goes back to factory version, and she would give me 5 minutes & call me back. That was Saturday, I never heard back from her. It is still not working.

I have tried to reinstall Google music & reupdate my phone & it won’t let me do anything. It is still doing the same thing. Triangle/red exclamation, cannot preview or purchase any music & it’s back to factory version. I have just about had it with this phone.  Please help, apparently ALOT of people are having the same issues & Google isn’t helping. — Cheryl

Solution: Hi Cheryl. Google Music is just one of several Google services running on your phone. We recommend that you clear the cache and data, or uninstall the update for Google Services Framework app. This is a critical app for all Google services and if the issue lies on it, making sure that it’s working back to normal is priority. If wiping the cache and data of this app won’t change anything, we suggest that you go ahead and do a factory reset instead. Doing so will not only address a potential issue with Google Services  Framework app but also Google Music.

Keep in mind that the issue may remain even after a factory reset if it’s caused by a third party app or an unofficial modification of the firmware. Be sure to bring everything back to stock first and observe how Google Music behaves to know the difference.

Problem #5: Galaxy S7 has no audio or sound but audio works when Bluetooth headset is connected

Hello! I have problems with my Galaxy. 🙁 I have no sound on the phone and even when if I plug in my headset I don’t get any sound in it. But I found a temporary fix to it. When I connect a bluetooth headset to my phone I get sound. And the phone crasches often and on any video (Facebook, twitter, youtube ect) it is in slowmotion/lagging without the bluetooth headset. And when I connect to the bluetooth headset when a video is on the video goes to normal speed and I have sound on my bluetooth headset.

I have tried to clear all cache and I have wiped my phone. It didn’t work. Also many of the apps is crashing or being very slow. And sometimes when a app crash I can’t go to homescreen. After that the whole phone restarts. And sometimes it is not even restarting it is stuck when it it restarting.

I have tried to just leave it there to restart but it took over 2 hours so I hold in the power button for 4-7 secound and I restarted it manually. I don’t get any alarm sound and when someone is calling me I don’t hear a sound for that.

I would be really happy if you have a fix for this but if not I will live with it. — Rick

Solution: Hi Rick. There may be a third party app that’s causing a conflict with other apps or the firmware. Try to boot your phone in safe mode first (steps provided above), then see if the issue continues. If the phone appears normal while in safe mode, you can assume that one of your apps is to blame.

Otherwise, follow our suggestion for Cheryl above for resolution.

If the issue remains after you’ve factory reset the phone, the issue may be on your phone’s hardware, particularly the speaker. Have the phone replaced by calling Samsung or your carrier.

 

Engage with us

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

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

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

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

Below are the specific topics we are discussing today:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Should nothing change, do a factory reset.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

Problem #6: Galaxy S6 ringtone and notification volume setup

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

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

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

 

Engage with us

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

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

Sprint Galaxy S7 can’t “view all” MMS after installing Nougat update, other issues

Hello Android fans! Welcome to another article that answers some #GalaxyS7 issues. As customary, these issues are taken from reports submitted by some members of TheDroidguy community. We hope that this post will serve its purpose of helping those experiencing problems mentioned here.

Below are the particular topics we cover for you:

  1. Galaxy S7 edge overheating, rebooting on its own, and showing snowy screen
  2. Galaxy S7 randomly shuts down, stuck in recovery mode
  3. Galaxy S7 Messages app can’t “view all” long SMS after installing Android Nougat
  4. Galaxy S7 camera app keeps crashing
  5. Galaxy S7 edge won’t connect to the internet via home wifi
  6. Galaxy S7 Facebook cannot be uninstalled
  7. Sprint Galaxy S7 can’t “view all” MMS after installing Nougat update
  8. Galaxy S7 formats an SD card but reads it as corrupted afterwards

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 edge overheating, rebooting on its own, and showing snowy screen

Hi there. I have what seems to be a battery/power issue. My Galaxy S7 edge has started freezing. Sometimes there’s a buzzing sound, sometimes there’s a rainbow or snowy static screen. Then it turns off. Once off, sometimes it overheats. Once off, it cannot be charged or switched back on until the battery is allowed to fully discharge (i.e. left overnight). I can usually then charge it and reboot, but the same thing happens. I’ve tried rebooting in safe mode, but it makes no difference. Do you have any suggestions on how I may be able to repair this fault? Kind regards. — Joe

Solution: Hi Joe. The symptoms you mention here are consistent with signs of a hardware malfunction. If the phone was dropped or exposed to elements (heat, cold, moisture) before, stop wasting your time looking for a software fix. Hardware problems cannot be solved by doing software tweaks. You need to send the phone in so the hardware can be examined.

If the phone was never dropped or exposed to liquid or heat, try doing a factory reset and observe it for 24 hours. This should be enough to let you see if there’s a difference. If the cause of the problem is software in nature (which is very unlikely), factory reset should solve it. Be sure not to install any app or update during this time. If nothing happens after a factory reset, contact Samsung so the phone can be repaired or replaced.

To factory/master reset your S7 edge, follow these steps:

  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 #2: Galaxy S7 randomly shuts down, stuck in recovery mode

My S7 all of a sudden started cutting off and on while i was browsing my Gallery today. Then it came back on, and started up normally. I went to the home screen and then a box popped up that said Android app has stopped then cut off completely. By this point I’m on my desktop looking for solutions to this problem, because i GOTTA have my phone. Anyways that’s how i found this website.

So, i followed the steps to fix my phone…but no luck…with any of them. Oh and none of the other problems i read on this site mentioned their phone getting hotter than normal…but not saying anything about the temperature at all. The only screen i can get it to go to is a black screen with Recovery booting….in blue. Please, please help me….i gotta get this fixed!!! —  Ilovecupcakes0329

Solution: Hi Ilovecupcakes0329. If you’ve already tried all the applicable software troubleshooting steps for this issue, then that only means one thing — you have a hardware problem at hand. There are a number of possible hardware malfunctions that can result to random reboot issue. Among the most common of these issues include:

  • a bad battery
  • a malfunctioning power IC
  • a defective charging port

All of these issues can have similar symptoms and there’s no way to know for sure which of them is the true cause. A technician must physically check the hardware and do some diagnosis tic tests to pinpoint the problem.

If your phone becomes uncomfortably warm to touch before it shuts down, that means that it’s overheating, most probably due to a bad component. Because there’s no direct way to identify what hardware part is failing, you need to have the device checked by a professional.

If you tried to modify the software by rooting or flashing prior to encountering the problem, try to revert all software to stock or official versions.

Keep in mind that physical damage can result to hardware failures. We don’t know the full history of your device so we can’t say for certain if the hardware was physically damaged or not. You’re supposed to give us possible or relevant information that may have led to this problem. If the issue happened all of a sudden and there was no prior incidents that may have caused physical damage, have the phone repaired or replaced.

Problem #3: Galaxy S7 Messages app can’t “view all” long SMS after installing Android Nougat

Hi. This has now happened several times since the Nougat update that my phone received at the beginning of the month. If someone sends me a long message or I send a long text message through the standard Samsung Messages App, it won’t show the entire message, but it will have a “view all” button to expand it at the bottom. Most of the time it works; however, I have received several messages in the last month since the update that I cannot open or “View All.” It just goes to a blank page. Very frustrating to only see a part of the message. Any help would be much appreciated! I have screenshots as examples, if needed. I’m on Sprint. Thanks!        — Jessica

Solution: Hi Jessica. The first thing that you want to do is to clear the cache partition. This will ensure that the system cache used by the phone is up-to-date. Sometimes, app and system updates can corrupt the system cache resulting to all sorts of problems so deleting the old one is an effective way to rectify things. Here are the steps on how to clear the cache partition:

  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.

Once you’ve cleared the cache partition, you then need to install all pending app and system updates. Check Google Play Store and make sure that all your apps are updated. If you install apps outside of the Play Store, it’s your responsibility to ensure that your apps receiving updates from their developers. You also want to make sure that you only install compatible apps. Although majority of apps in the Play Store are compatible with Samsung Galaxy S phones, there’s also a chance that one of them is not. Updating to the most recent Android version may have put one of your apps out of sync or incompatible, leading to the problem you have. Needless to say, you must ensure that you only install updated or compatible apps. If you’re not sure whether or not an app is compatible, check their Play Store page or contact the developer.

Another good thing to try is to wipe the cache and data of the Samsung Messages app. 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 6.0.
  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.

Finally, if all else fails, don’t hesitate to reset all software settings to their defaults. This is done by factory resetting the phone. Be sure to create a backup of your files prior to doing it.

  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.

Problem #4: Galaxy S7 camera app keeps crashing

After the Nougat update which I applied less than a week ago, the phone crashes every time I take a photo or a video. I get a warning dialog “An unknown error occurred” after taking a photo, I tap the OK button but then the whole phone crashes. I’ve tried clearing the cache by booting it into maintenance mode and also tried taking a photo in Safe Mode which gives the same behavior. I’ve installed AVG AntVirus Free and run a scan which has come back clear. My husband also has a Samsung Edge S7 and also has the Nougat update installed but his camera works fine. — Rachel

Solution: Hi Rachel. Try to reset the settings of the camera app to see if it will make a difference. The said app may have become corrupted for some reason. You can also try to wipe it’s cache and data. If the issue remains, kindly refer to our suggestions for Jessica above.

Problem #5: Galaxy S7 edge won’t connect to the internet via home wifi

Hello. I have a problem with wifi on my Galaxy S7 edge. i am not yet sure if it’s the phone that has an issue or my router. If i connect my Samsung to my home wifi, it shows “connected, no internet.” When i log in to the residential getaway configuration i can see the phone is connected but there is no internet. all my other devices in the house connect to the internet except the s7 edge. When i share my internet using my Macbook pro as a hotspot, my S7 edge connects well. when i go to any other wifi network, my neighbour’s, at work, my friends-couple of my friends…i connect with no problem. i have forgotten and remembered the network countless times to no avail. I have reset the phone to no avail. I have reset the wireless router settings to no avail. i have even used my wifi open, without password- nothing. tried changing the channels-nothing. my router is a numericable model number is cbv383z2. If anyone can shed some light ill really appreciate it. thank you. — Samuel

Solution: Hi Samuel. If you are the administrator of your wifi network, or if you can access its graphical user interface (GUI), make sure that there’s no block or filtering system (IP filtering or MAC filtering) that’s preventing your phone from connecting  to the internet. If you have no idea how to check this on your router’s GUI, contact your internet service provider (if they provided the router to you), or the router manufacturer itself. If possible, try to factory reset your router to see a difference.

If you are 100% certain that it’s not the router (after doing a factory reset), troubleshoot your phone as well by doing a factory reset on it.

Problem #6: Galaxy S7 Facebook cannot be uninstalled

I was prompted by Facebook that someone may be posting as me on my Facebook page and I was to reset my password. I did all that but then when I went back on Facebook through the app, all my info was gone. My name was still on the page but that was it. If I go into Facebook through the Internet, everything is there which is a big relief…I thought I had lost all my photos & Info.

I tried to uninstall the Facebook App and reinstall but on the Samsung S7 it looks like you can only disable. Tried a couple of times but my page still turns up blank. Can you help me put the Facebook App back on my phone so I can view my photos and timeline through the App??? Thanks. — Pam

Solution: Hi Pam. Some carriers may bundle social networking apps like Facebook together with their own services so this may be the reason why you can only “disable” it. Usually, Facebook app is manually added by a user. If you did not install the Facebook app before, it’s possible that it came pre-installed. Pre-installed apps cannot be uninstalled but it should have the option to allow you to wipe its cache and data. We suggest that you try wiping the cache and data first and proceed from there.

  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, for some reason, clearing the cache and data option is not available you must do a factory reset to refresh it. Refer to the steps above on how to factory reset your phone.

Problem #7: Sprint Galaxy S7 can’t “view all” MMS after installing Nougat update

When I received a large text message, my phone converts it to one message (MMS) and gives me the option to “view all” underneath it. However, when I select view all, it just takes me to message details and does not actually show me the whole message. This issue only began when my phone updated recently. I have tried adjusting my message settings so that it won’t “block” a long message together, but this did not fix the problem. My data settings are already adjusted to allow downloading on mobile data. On Sprint. — Mary

Solution: Hi Mary. Kindly check our suggestions for Jessica above. If your issue won’t go away after doing all software troubleshooting, contact Sprint technical support. This may be a coding issue with the firmware update they released, which means that only their software developer can fix it. There may not be an immediate solution available at this time but letting Sprint know of the problem should be the best that you can do at this time.

As a temporary remedy, try to use a third party messaging app if the bug on the stock messaging app goes unfixed for some time.

Problem #8: Galaxy S7 formats an SD card but reads it as corrupted afterwards

I bought a NEW Samsung Galaxy S7 and have inserted a 256GB Micro SD card into the phone. The phone gives the option to format the card and shows it as “READY TO USE.” When I check the SD card in the DEVICE MAINTENANCE under STORAGE and the 3 dots up in the right hand corner of the screen, it shows the SD CARD as CORRUPTED. How can I get the phone to recognize the SD card? I have taken it out, turned phone off and restarted it several times and yet card is still same. Shows after formatting it is ok yet corrupted and not being able to be used. — Jmce_56

Solution: Hi Jmce_56. This can either be due to bad SD card or a phone glitch. Take out the SD card from the phone and try to format it on your computer instead. After that, re-insert it to your S7 and see how it works. If the same thing happens, try to use another SD card. If the second SD card continues to be detected as corrupted, it must be a phone problem. Do a factory reset, then reformat the SD card one more time.

 

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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.

 

Engage with us

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

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

Galaxy S5 lags and very slow in opening apps, touchscreen won’t respond when outdoors, other issues

Hello Android community! We welcome you again to another #GalaxyS5 article that answers some questions thrown at us for the past few days. If you can’t find any solution to your problem here, make sure to also visit our other S5 articles in this page.

Below are the specific topics we cover for you today:

  1. Galaxy S5 is dead and won’t turn back on
  2. Galaxy S5 won’t connect to mobile data
  3. Galaxy S5 “Unfortunately, the process com.android.phone has stopped.” error when making calls | Galaxy S5 can’t make calls
  4. Galaxy S5 overheating and freezing
  5. Galaxy S5 touchscreen won’t respond when outdoors
  6. Galaxy S5 lags and very slow in opening apps
  7. Galaxy S5 lags a lot after installing Android update | Galaxy S5 has multiple issues after an update

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

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

Problem #1: Galaxy S5 is dead and won’t turn back on

Hi. My Samsung Galaxy S5 is only 3 months old. I noticed last week on 2 occasions that when I thought I had taken a picture it didn’t capture it (thought it must have been my fault but now with what’s happened maybe it was a sign something was wrong).

Yesterday my phone did an update (can’t tell you which one) which I tried to decline but it did it anyway. The phone switched off and back on again. Throughout the day I found it was a bit slower than normal to bring up apps, e.g. Facebook and when I clicked on a link, say on Facebook, it would bring up a white page and seem to be attempting to load but would just take ages.

About 6 hours after the update my phone just died without any warning. Battery life was at about 50% at the time. I have tried removing the battery, tried holding all 3 buttons down, tried charging it but it it still remains dead. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks. —  Rhonda

Solution: Hi Rhonda. The main concern that you want to address here obviously is how to turn the phone back on. To do that, you must try to see if you can make the phone respond by booting it to other modes. If your phone would boot to any of the three alternate modes, you can then do follow up troubleshooting. For example, if you’ll be able to turn the phone on to recovery mode, you would then be able to wipe the cache partition and perform a factory reset.

If your phone remains unresponsive though and won’t boot to any of the alternate boot modes below, you should send the phone in.

For reference, here are the exact steps on how to start your phone to alternate modes:

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 #2: Galaxy S5 won’t connect to mobile data

Thank you for all of your tips on S5 data connection issues. I have tried them all including the factory reset. I am at my wit’s end and I cannot find a solution to my problem. December 2016, we switched to Cricket from Verizon. I took my S5 to their network. Everything has worked beautifully up until 3-13-17. I updated some apps over the weekend. When I went to work on Monday, Chrome & some of the other apps that access data would not work. I did everything, then a factory reset, still Chrome will not work. I live 11 miles from town, my data connection works fine, I can use Chrome and any of the apps that require data but when I get to town my S5 shows that I have a data connection and I can make phone calls & text but I cannot use chrome or any other app that uses data. They just spin their wheels. I tested my phone by driving outside of city limits in all 4 directions. On average I got all functionality of my apps back when I was 1-2 miles from town. I don’t know what is going on! — Jessie

Solution: Hi Jessie. If factory reset did not fix the issue, then the problem must be account- or network-related. The update you installed must have changed some network settings so there may be a need to reconfigure your phone. We have no idea how to do that so you should ask help from Verizon. Be sure to let your carrier know of the problem so they can assist you directly.

Problem #3: Galaxy S5 “Unfortunately, the process com.android.phone has stopped.” error when making calls | Galaxy S5 can’t make calls

I have issues with my S5 Android phone. When I receive or make a call, it cuts the call short and immediately the network signal strength fades away completely!!!! This is immediately followed by: “Unfortunately, the process com.android.phone has stopped.” Once I tap OK, it takes a while before the network gets back again, but sometimes it again fluctuates between ON and OFF! I have completely failed to make a call that lasts even a minute! I have tried troubleshooting but no luck. Kindly help. — Joy

Solution: Hi Joy. Any app that starts with “com,” like the com.android.phone is part of the phone’s core apps so you can try to force close it under Application Manager. If you can’t find the com.android.phone app in the list of apps, look for the Phone app instead. Depending on how an app is designed, force closing it may also return it to its default or original state so make sure that you that first. Here are the exact steps:

How to clear cache and data (in Android Lollipop)

  1. Go to Settings.
  2. Proceed to Applications.
  3. Select Manage Applications.
  4. Tap the All tab.
  5. Choose the name of the app that has been going rogue.
  6. From there, you will see the Clear Cache and Clear Data buttons.

How to clear cache and data (in Android Marshmallow and Nougat)

  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.

Clearing the cache partition may also help in this case so make sure that you do it if clearing the phone app’s cache and data won’t work. Here’s how:

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

Problem #4: Galaxy S5 overheating and freezing

Gets hot and stops everything. Frozen on. New battery helped about a week. I also went back to default and redownloaded apps. Contact restored when I signed into outlook/msn and photos restored when I signed into google. My SD card was wiped out with going back to default. Today it happened again. It was so hot I put it in the freezer then did the 45 second deal to hold the power button on followed by volume up. It is now charging and I hope it did not go back to default again. I am trying to hold on for Samsung 8 due for release March 29th. — Onthego78

Solution: Hi Onthego78. If overheating happens randomly, it may be due to a software glitch but when it’s happening together with other symptoms like the ones you mention here, it’s almost always a sign of bad hardware. To check, try wiping the phone clean with factory reset and see how it goes. If the phone continues to overheat and freeze after a factory reset and even without any apps and updates installed, that’s proof enough that hardware is to blame.  In this case, you can choose the phone to be sent in to Samsung, or wait for the new Galaxy S8.

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

NOTE: Factory reset will delete everything in your phone’s internal storage device so make sure to create a backup of your files before doing it.

Problem #5: Galaxy S5 touchscreen won’t respond when outdoors

Hey. My touch screen has been acting up really badly particularly when I’m outdoors. What happens is that the touch screen becomes completely irresponsive and then it’s similar to the Nintendo 2DS ghost touch issue where I cannot even touch my screen and it will spam numbers into the password box on my lock screen. It starting to occasionally happen while I’m indoors as well. I did get a small crack (just the one it didn’t web) on it in February 2016 but my touch screen only started to act up a few weeks ago. Have any ideas on what’s going on? — Kate

Solution: Hi Kate. This screen behavior is definitely not normal and we haven’t heard of it before. It can be due to a software glitch so we recommend that you try a factory reset first. Because factory reset will return all software setting to their defaults, it’s an effective way to eliminate bugs that may have developed over time. If there’s an operating system glitch causing the problem, factory reset should remove it easily.

And like what we tell Onthego78 above, be sure to replicate the issue and observe the phone right after a factory reset without installing any apps or updates. If the screen continues to behave erratically, have the phone repaired or replaced.

Problem #6: Galaxy S5 lags and very slow in opening apps

Hi (sorry I don’t know your name?).

I saw your article of speeding up a mobile phone. My case is that my dad’s Samsung Galaxy S5 android version 4.4.2 is running INCREDIBLY slow. I mean it’s still running, but you know that type of device to requires you to sit in front of it for three days until the app you tapped on finally opens (yeah I’m exaggerating but it seems really literal-like). It’s driving ME crazy. yeah I have my own phone and all but my dad had just freaking bought that phone and it freaking treats him like that?? I think you understand that parents don’t follow up with technology these days and I was the only one handling most problems on his previous devices, fixing things and stuff and whatnot. I just wanna see him using his tab happily after a day’s of hard work and rest. Instead he has to go through a most stressful time waiting, even thinking it as a normal phenomena. I really need your help to boost it. I mean something more than removing widgets and clearing cache. You know that sort of stuff. And apps like Flipboard and Dropbox etc. are uninstallable. Some Androids don’t have them and you don’t even really use them, you know what I mean? That just helps lag the device. Do you have any really good and recommended device-boosting app that really lives up to its name and not just an addition to the lag? Or any one-tap trick that makes the tab go fast. At least it goes in a normal pace, not a slow one let alone an incredibly slow one. I think we get each other. Just please help me as a daughter who wants to see her hardworking dad enjoy his new electronic. Thanks, DroidGuy.

Yours. — Mary

Solution: Hi Mary. A brand new Galaxy S5 should not have any perceivable performance problem so we’re assuming that your dad’s phone is not brand new at all. It may be a used one and had seen better days since the Galaxy S5 was released about 2 years ago. If it belongs to the first batches of Galaxy S5 released a couple of years back, you should never expect much from it when it comes to performance. The older a smartphone is, the more cluttered its storage and memory becomes. This results to slower overall performance. From this point on, the phone’s performance will only degrade and never improve. And there’s no app that can help you reverse the degradation at all. The thing is, the more app you put in the system, the more that it slows the phone down.

If you’re willing to do some advanced stuff to remedy the situation, we recommend that you do some research on how to root the phone and on how to flash (install known, good firmware). Rooting and flashing procedures are beyond the scope of this article so try to invest some time reading some literature on who to do these procedures on your phone.

Problem #7: Galaxy S5 lags a lot after installing Android update | Galaxy S5 has multiple issues after an update

Good day. Recently my phone updated it’s Android system to 6.0.1, and after that next problem began to occur:

When I call someone my phone just lags a lot. Contacts and Phone apps just freezes and I can’t do anything except rebooting it by taking off battery. Sometimes it says that System app stopped to work.

And the most interesting thing is when I take my phone and listen to it (display turn off because I take phone to my ear) there are no crashes, lags or freezes and everything works just fine.

I believe it happened because of new Android update (I haven`t been installing any new apps or doing some work to phone for last few months).

With best regards, Oleksii 

P.S.

I’m sorry for my awful English language skills.

Solution: Hi Oleksii. The first thing that you want to do is to install app updates. This is often an important step that many Android users fail to do after install an Android update. Updating the operating system without making sure that all apps are compatible and updated as well can lead to incompatibility issues. You must make sure that all your apps are up-to-date and compatible with the current Android version that you have. If you aren’t sure about the compatibility of an app, try to visit its installation page in the Play Store and check reviews of other users. You can also contact its developer for direct answers.

If all your apps are updated at this time, the next steps that you want to do should include wiping the cache partition, observing the phone in safe mode, and doing factory reset (steps provided above).

 

Engage with us

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

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

Note 5 sound notifications and ringtones not working properly after Nougat update, other issues

Hello #GalaxyNote5 fans! Welcome to our first Note 5 post for the week. This article addresses 9 more Note 5 issues sent our way since the past week. Be sure to check our other Note 5 posts in the coming days.

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

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

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

Problem 1: How to hide content of incoming SMS in Galaxy Note 5 lock screen

On the home screen, all incoming text messages are shown. I’d like to stop this. I’ve looked on the internet for a solution however what is shown doesn’t apply to my phone. Perhaps due to the updates since. I’ve searched in settings from the main screen in text messages as well as in settings, apps and notifications. I am able to turn off text notifications and it stops the messages from showing on the home screen however, my phone will not buzz for any incoming text. Thank you. I don’t know how to tell what version I have. Sorry. — Lanaparks88

Solution: Hi Lanaparks88. If you want to receive sound notifications for incoming SMS but prefer not to show the messages in the lock screen, here are the things that you need to do:

  1. Open Settings app.
  2. Tap Notifications.
  3. Make sure that the messaging app you’re using is allowed to receive notifications. Simply set the slider to the right to allow notifications.
  4. Tap ADVANCED (at the top right corner).
  5. Tap the messaging app you’re using.
  6. In On lock screen section, make sure that Hide content option is selected.

Problem 2: Galaxy Note 5 keeps losing cellular signal

I have just got a brand new Note 5. I inserted a 3G SIM card and it had signal. Then after 5 minutes the internet signal just disappeared. And i cannot ring or do anything. Tried Lyca as well as Vodafone SIM cards and having same issue. It works for 5 minutes then data signal goes, comes back briefly and then disappears totally. Tried resetting but same issue comes up. Once a SIM card has been inserted when reset it won’t work at all then unless a different network SIM card is inserted. — Ffiorik

Solution: Hi Ffiorik. There are two types of network technology phones are using nowadays — CDMA and GSM. Phones of both varieties can have a SIM card slot although there’s a big difference. CDMA phones have a SIM card slot to allow them to use 4G LTE while GSM phones use the SIM card slot to do almost all its cellular network functions. If you have a CDMA Note 5 but your carrier is using GSM technology, an incompatibility issue can occur. The issue can happen for the reverse — if you have a GSM phone and your network is CDMA. Make sure that you know what device you’re using by checking the documentation that came with it. Take note of the model number, do some online research whether it’s CDMA or GSM device, then contact your carrier for direct assistance on how to set it up.

If your carrier can’t help you either, have the phone replaced.

Problem 3: Galaxy S7 alarm clock not working, videos won’t play after an update

My alarm clock doesn’t work, and videos won’t play (Facebook and Youtube). It’s never 1 or the other, always both same time. The clock shows the notification but no sound. The videos just show error.

This started after nougat update. If i restart the phone, it all works but will soon stop working again. I tried the new clock widget, no difference. I called Samsung’s smart tutor, and all he did was turn off all the apps. I had to give permissions to all again, and the clock and videos stopped working again. —  Michael

Solution: Hi Michael. A third party app may be causing this problem so your first task is to observe how videos and alarm clock work while your phone runs in safe mode. Safe mode blocks third party apps so it’s a good way to check if our suspicion is correct. Here are the steps on how to restart your S7 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.
  6. Observe the phone for a few hours and try to replicate the problem. If the issue won’t occur, that’s proof that a third party app is causing the problem. To fix it, you must uninstall apps until the issue is gone.

Wipe the cache partition

If the problem continues even in safe mode, your next move would be to refresh the system cache. Here’s how that’s done:

  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.

Revert all software settings back to their defaults with factory reset

If both solutions above won’t work, consider wiping the phone to make it clean slate again. Here’s how to do that:

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

Problem 4: Galaxy Note 5 screen becomes unresponsive when SIM card is inserted

I have a Galaxy Note 5 which works wonderfully in every single way except for when there is a SIM card in it. The touchscreen becomes unresponsive except for in certain spots when a SIM card is in it. I have replaced the SIM card 3 times and it might work for a day or two but it always goes back to being unresponsive after a while. I have reset it to factory settings, used samsung smart switch to initialize, updated the OS to nougat (this problem existed before i updated to nougat), and a multitude of other software resets. Do you think this is a weird hardware malfunction (phone is not under warranty). — Generalmike99

Solution: Hi Generalmike99. We haven’t heard of any hardware issue similar or close to what you’re experiencing but we know for a fact that it’s not a software issue either so this may be an isolate case. If you need to use a SIM card all the time, we suggest that you contact Samsung so they can take a look at the problem. This may lead to a replacement so make sure to back up your files and wipe your phone clean before sending it to them.

Problem 5: Galaxy Note 5 screen is unresponsive, can’t create back up

Recently, my Note 5’s screen became unresponsive. It appears normal, but it will not read my finger. It appears to be a glitch, as it has randomly started working perfectly for short periods of time, but reverts backs to being unresponsive. It was time for my upgrade anyway, and was told by my carrier that I would not need the old phone’s screen to work to use “Smart Switch” to transfer files. Wrong. You have to “allow” transfer of files on the old phone. How can I get around this? The new phone is a Galaxy S8 plus. The old phone doesn’t have an accessible SD card, and I did not store my phone to Google so cannot recover files that way. — Maggie

Solution: Hi Maggie. You’re right. You need to give permission to Smart Switch app to access your phone’s data by tapping on the “okay” button on a prompt. If you can’t do that, there’s no way you’ll be able to back your files up. Unfortunately, this is also true even when you use other back up software; you still need to give express permission to let another software access your files. If your files are worth a couple of hundred dollars, you can have the screen assembly replaced first. This is the only solution for this issue.

Problem 6: Galaxy Note 5 screen stays black, won’t respond

On Friday night, I watched a movie on my Samsung Galaxy Note 5 using an streaming app called Kodi with an add-on called Exodus. Afterwards, I was looking at different streaming providers and, sometimes you have to get an “authorization/permission/whatever” from an external website. They are something like https://xxx.xx/pair, can’t remember the actual website.

Anyway, a pop-up came up that said something like “my Samsung Galaxy Note 5 model had been infected with some virus and if I didn’t click on the box provided, my browser would be locked in 24 hours”. Well, I figured it was some scam, so I didn’t click on it, closed that tab, and all the others in my Chrome history. Well, the phone was fine over the weekend and into the early morning today. About mid-morning, I was going to make a call and my phone is basically fried. I know it’s on. The “recent” and “back” lights show, but do nothing. I can hear it change volume, receive a call or message, but can’t do a thing to get the phone to respond. It’s like my screen is unusable. I can barely see a discolored Samsung Galaxy Note 5 when I reboot it, but then everything just goes away. Coincidence or virus? Do you have a clue? — Pat

Solution: Hi Pat. We can’t really say for sure whether your phone has been attacked by malware. It has most likely just stopped responding so the first thing that you want to try is soft reset. Here’s how to do that:

  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. The device should now power down completely

If the problem persists, or if the screen remains black, try booting to Recovery mode so you can try either a cache partition wipe or factory reset. Here’s how:

  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.

If the phone is still frozen and won’t respond to a hardware button combination, have it repaired or replaced.

Problem 7: Water damaged Galaxy Note 5 keeps rebooting on its own

I have a Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and my dog recently peed on it and I read your article about the guy who dropped it on wet pavement but for his it constantly showed and on mine it would switch back and forth between charging and the battery with a yellow triangle with an exclamation point. I sent mine to my cousin who works with phones and he said he cleaned the battery connecters but my phone is still switching from charging to the sign please help. — Kat.nash05

Solution: Hi Kat.nash05. Well, there’s really nothing much that we can say about this issue. Liquid, water, or moisture don’t work with electronics. If you’re lucky, a good technician may still be able to save the phone by replacing some components. Otherwise, you really are looking at an expensive paperweight at this time. Still, we recommend that you let a professional check the hardware.

Problem 8: Verizon Galaxy Note 5 shows error when dialing a code

Hello. I’m Yinka from Nigeria. I recently bought an unlocked Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 5. I’ve not noticed any other issues but my main problem is that when I try to dial a code (*737#), it’s a code for my Nigerian network. It keeps showing “*73 call forwarding will be deactivated.” when I click turn off it will just attempt to dial *73 and nothing ever happens. How do I deactivate all these * [star] codes that came with my unlocked Verizon? — Drjonade

Solution: Hi Drjonade. Your Note 5 may be network unlocked, meaning some of its software has been modified to allow it to use non-Verizon network, but its main software and pre-installed apps are still technically that of Verizon. Because each network has their own way to communicate with their own system, we think that Verizon’s programming is not compatible with your carrier’s system. That may be the reason why you keep getting that message when dialing a certain code.

As a possible workaround, consider using a different Phone app. There are many free apps in the Play Store that can allow you to call so try using one of them to see if that will circumvent the restriction set by Verizon’s phone app.

If that won’t fix the problem, we’re afraid there’s nothing more that you can do.

Problem 9: Galaxy Note 5 sound notifications and ringtones not working properly after Nougat update

Since the Nougat update, all sound is intermittent. No ringtones, no notification sounds, no alarms, no sound of any kind. Rebooting the phone will restore the sound temporarily. I usually have to reboot several times a day.  I have called Verizon tech support twice and visited a local store with no help.  This same problem has been reported by several others. No fix has been found to date. Factory reset does not work. — Bettywright234

Solution: Hi Bettywright234. If you’ve already tried factory reset, then the problem is either caused by a bad third party app, or by poor, inefficient firmware coding.

To see if it’s a third party app, wipe the phone clean one more time with factory reset and observe how notifications and ringtones work when there are no third party apps installed. If the problem stays after a factory reset and there are no apps installed, that’s proof that it’s an operating system issue. You must report the problem to the firmware developer — Verizon.

 

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.

GIF option missing on Galaxy S7 Samsung keyboard, preview SMS on lock screen, other issues

Welcome to another #GalaxyS7 post for today as we bring you 10 more issues and their corresponding solutions. We hope that this material will also be helpful to other S7 users experiencing similar problems.

Below are the specific topics discussed here today:

  1. Galaxy S7 edge mobile data not working
  2. Galaxy S7 speaker plays sound for a second then fade
  3. Galaxy S7 from UK rebooting by itself in New Zealand
  4. Galaxy S7 edge can’t connect to the internet via mobile data
  5. Galaxy S7 cannot access company OWA after updating to Android Nougat
  6. Galaxy S7 can’t make or receive calls
  7. Galaxy S7 edge screen is cracked and randomly becomes unresponsive
  8. How to show options to call, mark as read, or reply for SMS in Galaxy S7 lockscreen
  9. How to preview SMS on Galaxy S7 lock screen
  10. GIF option missing on Galaxy S7 Samsung keyboard

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 edge mobile data not working

I hope you can help me. I have had a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge for about 6 months without any problems until this morning. I am unable to open any internet pages using mobile data. Nor can any app that links you to articles on the internet open pages. I constantly get the web page is unavailable error message. I have cleared my phones cache, turned it on and off multiple times & also wiped the cache partition using your instructions but I’ve had no luck. Please, please can you help? — Colinjbriggs1

Solution: Hi Colinjbriggs1. First of all, your issue is best addressed by your network rather than by third party support teams like us. That’s because only them has access  to information relevant to troubleshoot any account-related issue you may have.

And speaking of account issues, there’s a big chance that the main reason for your problem is account related. If you haven’t yet, we recommend that you talk to your carrier’s technical support team so they can double check the status of your account and whether or not it’s been properly setup to allow mobile data connection. You must do this before you perform any device troubleshooting. A lot of mobile data connection cases are account related so calling your carrier is a must do step.

Insert SIM card to another smartphone

Another good way to check if you have an account-related issue at hand is by checking if mobile data works on another device if you insert your SIM card to it. This is of course applicable only if you are on a GSM network and not on CDMA.

Wipe the cache partition

If you are 100% positive that your account is fine, the first device troubleshooting that you want to do is to wipe the cache partition. This will force the phone to refresh the system cache by deleting the current one and replacing it with a new one. Here’s how to do it:

  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.

Make sure apps are up-to-date

A lot of Android users encounter software problems simply because an app is creating a conflict with the operating system. Such an issue can easily be mitigated first of all by updating all apps, and secondly, by making sure that you only install compatible and malware-free applications. If you set your Google Play Store to let you manually install app updates, be sure to regularly check if there’s any pending app updates.

Observe the phone in safe mode

With so many free and easily downloadable apps around, it can sometimes be difficult to effectively screen what to install and what’s not to. Thus, there’s always a chance of experiencing problems due to a bad app. For this reason, we suggest that you try to observe the phone to safe mode and see if mobile data works in this mode. Safe mode blocks third party apps and services so it’s a good way to know if a third party app is involved. Here’s how to do it:

  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.

Do a full wipe with factory reset

If mobile data continues to fail after doing all the troubleshooting above, you must do the more drastic possible solution of factory reset. Here’s how it’s done:

  1. Create a backup of your important files such as photos, videos, etc.
  2. From the Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
  3. Find and tap Settings and then touch Backup and reset.
  4. Tap Factory data reset and touch Reset device.
  5. If you have screen lock feature turned on, enter your password or PIN.
  6. Touch Continue.
  7. Tap Delete all to confirm your action.

Problem #2: Galaxy S7 speaker plays sound for a second then fade

Hello. Any sound coming from my speaker (using speakerphone, music/video, alarm clock, etc.) plays for only a second then fades out. The call doesn’t die or the video or whatever app playing the sound is still active, there’s just no sound. On a call, I can switch back to regular phone mode and hear just fine but that speaker will only work for a second. I can put in ear buds and hear just fine as well. I’ve done research but can’t find anything that helps with this. — Michael

Solution: Hi Michael. An issue like this is more likely caused by a malfunctioning hardware so the only software troubleshooting that we suggest is factory reset. This will eliminate possible software bug that may have developed over time. We are not aware of any specific bug that can lead to the exact issue you’re having so this may also be an isolated case. If factory reset won’t fix the problem, you can bet bad hardware is to blame. In this case, you want to send the phone in so it can be repaired or replaced.

Problem #3: Galaxy S7 from UK rebooting by itself in New Zealand

My wife has recently bought an imported S7 here in NZ and has been having some power issues with the device. The phone was originally from the UK and on the Virgin network and works great on our NZ network. The problem is that it has now shut down several time on its own and can’t be revived unless doing a “battery pull”. On only one occasion has the blue light been flashing, the others it has been completely dead. The battery has always had plenty of charge. A couple of questions:

  1. The phone is running MM and is quite out-of- date (security patch shows August last year with no OTA updates available) whereas my own NZ issued S7 is running Nougat without problems. Could it be possible the out-of-date firmware could be causing issues?
  2. I copied some pictures from her old phone (Nexus 5X) to the SD card in her S7. Could that cause an issue? Should I reformat the SD card a (Samsung Evo+)?
  3. Do you think changing the CSC of the phone to NZC like my own and flashing the latest firmware available might do the trick? (I’m not new to tinkering with firmware, rooting etc. But as we use NFC payments the firmware has to be stock unrooted!) Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. — Alex

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

  1. There are a lot of Android phones and Galaxy S7 in particular that still runs older Android versions without experiencing boot problems so we don’t think having Marshmallow is an issue here. It’s always recommended though that you install the latest updates to minimize security  threats and run the latest in Android technology. We understand this phone can no longer be updated by air (OTA) because it’s not from a New Zealand network. If you want to update it, you really have to manually flash Android Nougat to it either via Samsung Smart Switch, or Odin.
  2. We’ve seen some random reboot cases caused by a bad SD card so yeah, you can definitely consider the SD card as a possible cause. Simply reformat it using the S7 in question and observe the phone for a few days to see if it continues to shut down on its own.
  3. As mentioned above, we don’t think this is a firmware issue but so updating Android to the most recent one may not make a difference. We want you to focus troubleshooting the other possible factors though by doing a cache partition wipe, installation of all app updates, and factory reset. Prior to resetting the phone, you can also try to observe the phone in safe mode first to see if a third party app is causing this trouble.

Problem #4: Galaxy S7 edge can’t connect to the internet via mobile data

I have an AT&T unlocked Samsung Galaxy S7 edge phone. I changed the carrier to T-Mobile. The data is not working on the phone. I set the APN to the required one and cleared the cache on the phone. Still data and internet is not working. Please help. Thanks. — Remya

Solution: Hi Remya. Your issue is similar to Colinjbriggs1 above so please refer to our suggestions for him.

Problem #5: Galaxy S7 cannot access company OWA after updating to Android Nougat

After I upgraded to Android seven version, I couldn’t access my company OWA account. The application require me for device administrator activation. However, it prompt me for the device encryption with an option to continue. The whole system was stucked there and not allow me to access to the following page. — Irene

Solution: Hi Irene. This is an issue that only your company’s IT department can shed light on. This can be a phone firmware issue, or a problem with your company’s security policy.

As far as device troubleshooting is concerned, you are only limited to the basic ones such as wiping the cache partition, clearing the email app’s cache and data, and factory reset. If these three procedures won’t help, there must be an external factor that prevents your phone from accessing your company’s email service.

We’ve provided the steps above on how to wipe the cache partition and do a factory reset. If you don’t know how to clear an app’s cache and data, here are the steps:

  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 #6: Galaxy S7 can’t make or receive calls

My Galaxy S7 will not make or receive phone calls. The carrier is Straight Talk with service on Verizon towers. This happened before when I was traveling I65 north through Kentucky and is doing the same thing now, again while I’m in Kentucky on i65 north. My phone number is 334-429-1712…HELP PLEASE! — Ricky

Solution: Hi Ricky. We’re afraid there’s nothing that we can do to help except to suggest some basic device troubleshooting such as the following:

  • restart
  • manually changing network modes
  • wiping of cache partition
  • factory reset

The best people that you want to talk about this problem though is your carrier’s technical support team. This is especially true if your phone is showing good signals but can’t avail of voice call service.

Problem #7: Galaxy S7 edge screen is cracked and randomly becomes unresponsive

My Samsung Galaxy S7 edge screen seems to be split with a line about a centimeter from the top bezel and below that line my screen is very twitchy. My screen also only turns on every couple minutes and stays not responsive for several minutes. I haven’t dropped it recently but the screen is cracked. I think it is a software issue. — Satvik912

Solution: Hi Satvik912. There is no software issue that can crack a screen so if you didn’t drop the device ever, you should seriously consider sending it in so the hardware can be checked. The only problems end users can fix on your end are software-related so if you really think software is to blame, do a factory reset. If the screen continues to behave similarly afterwards, let a professional examine your phone so you’ll be advised on what to do next.

Here are the steps on how to factory reset your S7:

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

Problem #8: How to show options to call, mark as read, or reply for SMS in Galaxy S7 lockscreen

Hi. The issue I’m having with my Samsung S7 is I am no longer given the option to reply to a text whenever I get a new message. I use to be able to hit clear, view or reply when I got a message but since the update it’s not even an option in settings anymore. Thanks for your time. — Jenn

Solution: Hi Jenn. If you are missing the options to call, mark as read, or reply to a shown message in your lock screen, that’s because Google did it by design. To show the options, you must tap the shown message in your lock screen and gently pull it down.

Problem #9: How to preview SMS on Galaxy S7 lock screen

Hey, Just like the other people, I can not preview my messages at all. I followed the directions that you gave last time but couldn’t complete them because I do not have a preview button at all. I have look in every setting and it doesn’t exist. What should I do to fix the problem? — Bharper228

Solution: Hi Bharper228. In order to preview an incoming SMS while on the lockscreen, you must do the following steps:

  1. Open Settings app.
  2. Tap Applications.
  3. Select Messages.
  4. Select Notifications.
  5. Tap On lock screen.
  6. Select show content.

Problem 10: GIF option missing on Galaxy S7 Samsung keyboard

I was using my GIF’s last week on my Samsung keyboard and now the option is no longer available when I hold down the Mic Key next to the space bar. I cannot find any options to change to be able to access the GIF’s that are preloaded. I do not want to get an app in the store to support this. I also checked, and my phone says it has the latest updates. — Laura

Solution: Hi Laura. We don’t use GIF that much in our Galaxy S7 but we can’t find the same option you’re missing in at least two of our Galaxy S7 as well. We can confirm that we had GIF option when using Samsung keyboard before so Samsung must have stopped supporting the feature in Android Nougat. We are still looking for a confirmation for this change from other sources so we’ll update this post once we have an accurate information.

As a workaround, try to use another keyboard app that may provide GIF at this time.

 

Engage with us

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

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

Galaxy S6 Power Sharing message keeps popping up, fast charging not working, other issues

Hello everyone! Welcome to another post #GalaxyS6 issues and solutions. In this post are 6 more problems submitted to our mailbag questionnaire during the past few days. We hope that the solutions we provide here will not only help users mention in this article but also others who may have similar experiences.

Below are the specific topics we are covering in this material:

  1. Galaxy S6 Power Sharing message keeps popping up
  2. Galaxy S6 won’t boot normally after a system update
  3. Galaxy S6 fast charging not working
  4. Galaxy S6 screen not responding | Galaxy S6 black screen issue
  5. Galaxy S6 Active reboots on its own when it’s not connected to charger or when battery level is low
  6. Galaxy S6 screen turns black and a small “x” appears in the corner

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 Power Sharing message keeps popping up

To start off, I have had my phone for over a year now and not had any problems with it in any way. However, this all started yesterday when I saw it come up with a pop up of device power sharing or something along those lines and told me to download an app. This was new and I wasn’t going to do it right away without first being told what it is. My device wouldn’t charge at my girlfriend’s house using either one of two chargers which both usually worked fine. When on my way home I used a portable charger and it charged a bit (about 3-4%) before stopping and not charging anymore.

When I got home, I used my keyboard passthrough to charge it (Corsair Strafe) and it charged fine so I wasn’t sure whether it was a problem with the portable charger or the lead. I then went to charge it over night using an official Samsung charger but it wouldn’t charge. I turned my wifi off and battery down so it would survive and my alarms would still go off in the morning. It didn’t. I then tried to charge it on the bus (they feature USB ports used for device charging) but it wouldn’t charge and is now charging again on a Mac at my College. So it seems to be a case of my device only charging on computers. I have tried both hard reseting and safe mode but nothing seems to work and I’m not sure why. Please help! — Daniel

Solution: Hi Daniel.  We’ve encountered Power Sharing problems with older Samsung Galaxy devices before so we think that your phone may be getting this message: “Power Sharing: You must download the app in order to control the amount of power shared. If you connect your device to another device with the Samsung Power Sharing Cable EP-SG900 without the app, the entire battery amount will be transferred to the other device. Connect to Samsung Apps and download the application.”

The message comes from a legitimate Samsung app, Power Sharing, but Samsung is yet to issue an official fix for the problem like yours. Even at this time, we are, frankly, still at a loss on what causes this issue to occur. We think it has something to do with a specific firmware version but we don’t know what that is either. If factory reset or master reset did not change anything at all, we suggest that you try to manually install older stock firmware. Flashing stock firmware varies by device, so make sure that you use a correct guide for your phone model to prevent bricking your phone. You also want to make sure that you use the correct firmware version. Due to space limitation for every article, we can’t post the step-by-step guide here. Please use Google to search for it instead.

Problem #2: Galaxy S6 won’t boot normally after a system update

My S6 just installed an update yesterday and was working fine after. All of the sudden it shut off and was unresponsive. It eventually restarted and worked for a couple minutes only to shut off again. This time it would not turn back on. I plugged it in and the red light came on that it was charging and the screen came on with the battery charging symbol and then the battery with 0%. The phone had a 70% battery when it shut off. I tried doing a soft reset, but nothing happened. It did finally start in recovery mode, but it had “installing system update” with the Android guy. After a few seconds the Android guy died with an exclamation triangle above. It then entered recovery mode and I’ve tried wiping the cache and a factory reset. but now it is stuck booting in recovery mode. If I unplug it, it will turn off and not come on. Plugged it back in, and it will go to the install system update, then dead Android, then back to recovery mode. — Steve

Solution: Hi Steve. As we’ve been repeating in almost all our posts in the past, there’s little to nothing that can be done for an issue like this. While you may be able to attribute the reason for the trouble probably to a bad system update, fixing the problem itself can be difficult. The usual solutions that you should try if problems occur after installing a system update are limited to wiping the cache partition, factory reset, and flashing of stock ROM. Since there’s nothing that can be done when you try to boot the phone to Recovery mode, your only way out may be flashing via Odin. Like what we tell, Daniel above, flashing can potentially lead to more problems than solutions if not done properly so make to follow a good guide on how to do it.

Problem #3: Galaxy S6 fast charging not working

Hi there! I am having an issue when I am charging my phone. At first I thought it was my cable/plug but have bought a new one and tried others and the problem still occurs. When I plug it in it starts to charge and then will flicker on and off of charge very quickly. Sometimes it will charge a little bit but then go off and as I said sometimes it will flicker on and off quite rapidly. I tend to unplug it when it’s doing that because I don’t want to destroy the battery completely.

Also the fast charge isn’t working anymore so I have this problem and it will take about 7 hours to fully charge the phone. Is this a problem with the software or do I need to take it to the shop to replace the battery/charging port? Thank you! — Samantha

Solution: Hi Samantha. A lot of charging problems like what you’re experiencing are caused by bad hardware. Hardware problems in this case can be due to damaged charging port, bad battery, or some unknown hardware issue. Because the phone’s battery can’t be removed easily, the only thing that you can do on your end is to check if there’s a damaged pin insider the charging port. To do that, you want to use some form of magnification like the one you usually see in many electronic repair shops. This tool is necessary to let you see the inside of the port clearly. If you look closely inside the charging port, you’ll be able to distinguish the pins. If one of them appears out of place or bent, that may be the reason why charging is erratic. Before you decide to send the phone to a repair shop, we suggest that you do some software troubleshooting first to see if they will fix the issue.

The first software solution that you want to do is wiping the cache partition. This will force the phone to delete the old system cache and replace it with a new, updated one. Sometimes, system or app updates can corrupt the system cache. Deleting the old one may fix some problems. Here’s how it’s done:

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

Should the issue continue after wiping the cache partition, your next move would be to observe how charging works when safe mode is enabled. Safe mode  blocks third party apps and services so if your phone charges fine, that’s proof that an app is to blame. Here are the steps on how to boot your phone to safe mode:

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

Finally, if nothing works, don’t hesitate to wipe the phone and reset all software settings to default with the help of factory reset. This process will erase all user data such as photos, videos, contacts, etc., so make sure that you back your files up before you proceed. To factory reset your phone, 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.

Problem #4: Galaxy S6 screen not responding | Galaxy S6 black screen issue

Hello. My Samsung Galaxy S6 is not functioning. The screen is black, the far left LED light at the top of the screen is white (not blue). I had it charging via cable for an hour, then unplugged it to see. And nothing, still a black screen. Then i plugged it back in. The charging batter signal comes on for 15 seconds and says 0%. I then tried charging it via my wireless charger and the same thing occurs, all while the white LED light does not shut off. I tried the master reset. But for some reason a green screen pops up with a message about installing custom OS. I pressed volume down button but this does nothing. The screen prompt stays up/unresponsive until the screen fades to black after 30 seconds and stays black with a white LED continuously on (not blinking but constant light) — SE

Solution: Hi SE. The usual LED colors for a Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge includes blue, red, and green only. These colors are for standard notifications and functions of the phone. Below are their meaning:

Blue

– Pulsing: the device is turning on or off.

– Blinking: there is an unread notification (missed call, message etc) or during voice recording.

Red

– Glowing: connected to a charger and charging.

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

Green

-Glowing: connected to a charger and fully charged.

-Blinking: fully charged.

Other non-standard colors may be shown if you’ve installed a third party app or custom firmware that changes LED color. For example, Whatsapp app can show white LED color.

If you rooted the device or installed custom firmware/ROM on it, there’s high likelihood that such software is causing the boot up problem. Make sure to contact the developer of such software to see if they’ve encountered this problem before. Otherwise, try to see if you can boot the phone to different modes so you can try a different approach to solution. For reference, below are the steps on how to boot your phone to other modes:

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 #5: Galaxy S6 Active reboots on its own when it’s not connected to charger or when battery level is low

My Galaxy S6 Active has been being weird the last few days. It is acting like the battery is being pulled from it randomly, but when it reboots [well, tries to], it goes through the Galaxy screen and the SAMSUNG screen fine, but when it gets to the AT&T logo screen it lags and the shuts off again, starting a boot loop. When it is on the charger it works fine, restarting with no lag or anything, never shuts off. I have factory reset the device, cleared the cache. It seems to work fine after a full charge, but it is shutting off anywhere between 5-15% battery usually. — Jrclego1998

Solution: Hi Jrclego1998. Based on your short problem description, the issue may lie on the battery itself. Either the (a) operating system no longer detects the actual battery level accurately, or (b) the battery itself has lost capacity to hold a charge due wear and tear or damage. The only suggestion we have for you is to recalibrate the battery to fix the former. If battery recalibration won’t work, you must find a way to have the battery checked or replaced. Below are the steps on how to calibrate the battery again:

  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.

Problem #6: Galaxy S6 screen turns black and a small “x” appears in the corner

When I try to charge my phone it sometimes comes up a black screen and vibrates and a small white “x” appears at corner of screen. And it looks like the screen tilts then this disappears and my phone is no longer charging. This is really annoying. I have tried wiping my phone 3 different times. I have disabled Gear VR app on my phone (only because I have researched this online and says could be related to this app even though I don’t use it). I have tried using in Safe Mode which worked for couple of hours, then same problem again. Was wondering if you could help. — Dionne

Solution: Hi Dionne. As we say above, safe mode blocks third party apps and services. If your phone went back to charging normally when it was on safe mode but reverted back to the same issue after you boot the phone back to normal, that’s a sign that one of the installed apps is causing this trouble. You must do further troubleshooting by identifying the culprit through individual removal of apps. Make sure that you observe the phone after every uninstallation to see the difference. This is the only way to pinpoint the problematic app.

On the other hand, if you’re saying that the phone charges normally initially after booting to safe mode, but suffers the same problem a few hours later (with the phone still in safe mode), that’s a different story altogether. You must then try factory reset to see if that will make fix the problem.

 

Engage with us

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

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

Galaxy S7 won’t install Android updates, other issues

Here’s another list of #GalaxyS7 issues. As usual, the topics are taken from messages we received from our readers over the last few weeks. We will continue to publish more of the same articles in the near future so keep watching.

s7

In the meantime, here are the specific topics that we cover in this material today:

  1. Galaxy S7 messaging app keeps freezing
  2. Galaxy S7 won’t turn on
  3. Galaxy S7 Edge won’t power back on
  4. Galaxy S7 won’t install Android updates
  5. Galaxy S7 won’t automatically connect to cellular service
  6. Galaxy S7 camera won’t focus

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 messaging app keeps freezing

Hello, I have a problem with my Samsung’s Messaging app. I cannot text this one contact anymore. I think because there are way too many texts in the conversation. I tried deleting texts one by one and the app just stopped working. Then I tried deleting the whole thread/conversation at once, but the app still stopped. I would like to know what I should do to get rid of this thread because I would like to use the phone’s Messaging app and not download 3rd party messaging apps. My phone is the Samsung Galaxy S7. I should not have transferred my messages onto my new phone… hopefully something can be fixed. Thank you so much. — Kat

Solution: Hi Kat. Samsung’s messaging app (assuming this is the one you’re using right now) can only keep a certain number of conversation threads. It will eventually show performance problems or may simply freeze and crash if its nearing its maximum storage capacity. To resolve whatever problem you have at this time, the first thing that you want to do is delete the messaging app’s cache.  If the issue is isolated to the cache of this particular app, this procedure should fix it. Here’s how it’s done:

  • Open the Settings menu.
  • Tap Apps (some versions may show Applications or Application Manager).
  • Look for mentioned app above and tap it.
  • Tap Storage.
  • Tap Clear Cache.

If wiping the messaging app’s cache won’t change anything, you have no other choice but to clear the app’s data as well. Doing so will virtually re-install the app, which means that you will lose all your conversation threads, but it may be the most effective solution to your problem right now.

Problem #2: Galaxy S7 won’t turn on

Hi. I recently got a Samsung Galaxy S7 and have only had it for a couple months without an issue. This morning I woke up to find my phone dead. I plug it in and nothing happens. It will not display anything or charge whatsoever. However it did briefly show an update screen with the “Downloading do not then target off” message when I plugged it in my vehicle charger. Unfortunately I had bad service so it probably didn’t get very far, and I was forced to turn my vehicle off to attend work so this screen immediately turned off as well. I haven’t been able to bring this screen back since. The phone doesn’t respond to anything now including attempted hard resets and any sort of charging. Its acting like it doesn’t even have a battery in it at all. I understand I may have to have it sent away for repair but I decided to ask for help before that so I don’t have to lose my phone for any further amount of time. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you. — Chris

Solution: Hi Chris. This issue has already been addressed countless times in this blog (and our answer is always the same) so it is interesting that you continue to ask for assistance anyways. If the phone won’t respond to any hardware button combinations to boot in different modes, then there’s nothing that you can do at all. Find a way to have it repaired or replaced to have a good working device as soon as possible.

For those experiencing the same symptoms on their phone, please check this article for solution: How to fix Samsung Galaxy S6 that won’t turn on [Troubleshooting Guide]. Keep in mind that the last point in this material says: SEND THE PHONE IN FOR REPAIR. That means that if the previous solutions won’t work, repair (or replacement) should be the last resort. It also means that there’s nothing that we can do for you.

Problem #3: Galaxy S7 Edge won’t power back on

Hi I have a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. I bought it from a little store that sells phones for 540 dollars. The phone worked fine until two days ago. I unlocked the phone and it said that “unfortunately amazon has stopped” and I clicked ok. But 5 seconds later I got it again and again until I just restarted the phone. And now it doesn’t want to boot up at all, even after performing the wipe cache. It doesn’t want to boot up at all. is there anything else I can do? now this phone is from Sprint but it got switched over to Metro PCS. I think it was rooted that’s why I don’t want to perform a master reset because I might mess up the phone’s root and it might not work again with Metro PCS. Please help. — Kevin

Solution: Hi Kevin. You should know that solutions to possible software troubles include doing a master reset or factory reset. If you don’t want to do that, then go back to the store where you purchased that phone from and ask for a replacement.

Problem #4: Galaxy S7 won’t install Android updates

Hi there! Happy Sunday! I’ve been continuously having problems both updating and installing my prompted system software updates since I got my phone. I either have a hard time downloading or installing the new updates. Today, I had a hard time installing it. It just failed while in the process of rebooting for installation, which it usually does. I’ve learned that I need to clear space, the cache system and make sure I have enough battery to download and continue with the install, but I get to the install and it crashes. Then, I go to re-install and it says that it successfully installed and to check again for software updates in 22 hours; however, that contradicts the failed update notification…?!?

I had 3.33GB of space, but I haven’t tried uninstalling more apps to create more space. Is this something other users have run into? If so, what’s a sound solution? Should I try uninstalling more apps? I can try to wait another day or so for more info, but wanted to see what your thoughts on this was. Thank you so much and I think you have a great website set up here…very helpful and easy to follow! 🙂 — Katy

Solution: Hi Katy. The indicated remaining storage space of 3.3GB (assuming you’re talking about primary memory and not the SD card) should be more than enough for whatever update your phone needs. We’ve come across this issue with previous Galaxy phones so this is not something new. We don’t have enough data though to see a pattern to pinpoint the cause. We suggest that you try a factory reset and attempt another update before re-installing your apps. This will help you determine if a third party app is preventing the system from updating itself, or if the update itself may be broken. For reference, these are the steps on how to do a factory reset:

Step 1: Turn off your Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge.

Step 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.

Step 3: When the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge shows on the screen, release the Power key but continue holding the Home and Volume Up keys.

Step 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.

Step 5: Using the Volume Down key, navigate through the options and highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset.’

Step 6: Once highlighted, you may press the Power key to select it.

Step 7: Now highlight the option ‘Yes — delete all user data’ using the Volume Down key and press the Power button to select it.

Step 8: Wait until your phone is finished doing the Master Reset. Once completed, highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and press the Power key.

Step 9: The phone will now reboot longer than usual.

If the update will continue to fail after a factory reset, contact the source of the update file for more assistance. If you receive updates via OTA, contact your carrier’s technical support team. If you do a manual update yourself, ask assistance from the developer of the ROM you’re using.

Problem #5: Galaxy S7 won’t automatically connect to cellular service

I have a Samsung S7 on Verizon. There is no service at my house so we have Verizon’s Network Extender. My phone initially had no problem connecting to the Network Extender and when I left the house and get where there is cell service, my phone would automatically connect. Now for the past several months when I arrive home the majority of time I have to restart my phone. when it comes back up it is connected to the Network Extender.

Also most of the time when I get in cell service range it also won’t connect and just states searching for service. Again if I restart my phone – when it comes back on it is connected without any problem. Sorry do not know what Android Version – On my phone it has Android Version 6.0.1, but does not state Marshmallow. Appreciate any suggestions. — Yvonne

Solution: Hi Yvonne. This phenomenon has been observed in other phones (both Android and iOS) so it may not necessarily be an issue with your device. This may be a network-related problem, or an operating system glitch. There’s no known official solution to this issue so the best thing that you can try is to do trial-and-error troubleshooting. The first thing that you want to do is wipe the system cache. Here’s how:

  • Turn off your Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge.
  • Press and then hold the Home and Volume UP keys, then press and hold the Power key.
  • When the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge 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.’
  • Once highlighted, you may press the Power key to select it.
  • Now highlight the option ‘Yes’ using the Volume Down key and press the Power button to select it.
  • Wait until your phone is finished wiping the cache partition. Once completed, highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and press the Power key.
  • The phone will now reboot longer than usual.

Should wiping the cache partition won’t change anything, don’t hesitate to do a factory reset. Refer to the steps above.

Problem #6: Galaxy S7 camera won’t focus

I was wondering if you could help me or steer me in the right direction with my Galaxy S7. I’ve been having problems with the camera not focusing. I used to fix it by tapping the back of my phone on my hand, however that doesn’t do anything anymore. The first solution I have found is to take the black lens piece off of the camera and clean the lens. However, I think it is the fact that I am touching it and possibly loosening something up rather than just cleaning it. This makes the camera work great, but anywhere from 10 min to an hour later, it no longer works. If I repeat the same steps it once again works. I have also tried replacing the black cover and silver piece underneath it and it did nothing. I don’t know if there’s anyway you would know what’s wrong, but I do greatly appreciate your time. — R.n.a2012

Solution: Hi R.n.a2012. This is a hardware problem and can only be fixed by doing either a component replacement or general hardware repair. Contact Samsung for repair, or better still, replacement.

Our blog does not provide support for hardware troubleshooting, diagnostics, and repair. If that’s what you expect from us, we’re sorry to disappoint you.

 

Engage with us

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

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

Galaxy S7 screen has green lines running on top and in the middle, reboots when playing a game, other issues

For most people, a phone’s screen is usually the most important consideration when buying a smartphone these days. This is also one of the reasons why Samsung’s latest flagship, the #GalaxyS7, remains at the top of its class. However beautiful an S7’s screen though, it sometimes can also become a source of frustration for some users. This post shows you why that is for a certain user. We also bring 5 other S7 issues in this material so we hope you’ll find this helpful and interesting read.

Below are the topics we cover for you today:

  1. Solution to Galaxy S7 speaker issue due to faulty SD card
  2. Galaxy S7 edge stuck in boot loop after an update
  3. Accidentally dropping resulting to damage of Galaxy S7 voids Samsung warranty
  4. Galaxy S7 won’t charge | Galaxy S7 stuck in charging screen (with yellow triangle icon)
  5. Galaxy S7 screen has green lines running on top and in the middle
  6. Galaxy S7 reboots when playing a game

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: Solution to Galaxy S7 speaker issue due to faulty SD card

Just thought I’d pass this on. Recently purchased Samsung S7. Worked fine. Then I noticed speakers seemed lower, then it got louder with extremely crackly or static plagued sound but very intermittent. Finally decided I should return to Verizon store. They said they had some other S7s people bought in with similar issues and they helped me setup a process to mail me a new phone. When I got home I decided to remove the SD card I had installed from my old phone, which contained a lot of music. When I removed the SD card, I noticed I could hear the tapping sounds again when I typed. So I played some songs and ringtones and sure enough, the sound was working fine again. It appears that some issue with SD card was the culprit. I can’t figure out how a memory card could interfere with audio but it was repeatable. So you may want to pass on to your readers. — Doug

Solution: Hi Doug. We’re glad to hear that you fixed the issue on your own. We agree that there’s no logical explanation why an SD card will affect the audio function of a smartphone, but since you said the issue can be replicated, we’re going to publish this. We may not be able to give an explanation why this is so, but we’re definitely happy to share your experience. We hope that other users experiencing the same or similar problem will come across this post in the future.

Problem #2: Galaxy S7 edge stuck in boot loop after an update

Hello DG! Last night, I was on my S7 edge around 12:30 and then put it down. Around 2:30, it lit up because it was restarting. I hadn’t touched it in over two hours. When I tried to put in my password to unlock it, it switched to a black screen with “Installing system update.” After that it went through a series of various loading and rebooting screens, but nothing ever actually finished loading before the phone would crash. Since then, I can’t get any kind of response out of it. I have tried a “battery pull,” a soft reset, rebooting it in safe mode, and rebooting it in recovery mode. I have also tried plugging it into both a wall outlet and my laptop. Nothing is receiving a reaction, including my laptop when I plugged it in. I just don’t know what else to try. Thank you for your help! — MF

Solution: Hi MF. So what happened after booting the phone to safe mode and recovery mode? You can’t just say that and leave us guessing. Were you able to boot the recovery mode and tried cache partition wipe or factory reset? If nothing happened, especially after a factory reset, then the only thing that you can try on your end is to try flashing a stock firmware. If you haven’t done that before, use Google to find a good tutorial on how to do it.

If flashing is unsuccessful and the phone continues to reboot randomly, find a way to have it replaced.

Problem #3: Accidentally dropping resulting to damage of Galaxy S7 voids Samsung warranty

Hi. I have an S7 that has been freezing about 10 seconds after I turn it on, no matter what I do. I’ve turned it on in Safe Mode, and have tried resetting it but the phone just freezes after 10 seconds. I’ve sent it to a repair shop and they’ve told me that it was a software issue, but a week later, they told me that it was a mainboard issue and that it overheated. I’ve dropped my phone and the rear glass cracked but it functioned well even 2 months after the drop. What do you think could be the problem?

Also, if I were to send it to a Samsung contact centre, would it still be covered under the warranty (the mainboard not the rear glass)? Am very desperate to know what is wrong with my phone. Thank you so very much! — Wan

Solution: Hi Wan. If a non-Samsung service center has already examined the phone and told you that there’s a hardware problem, it’s most likely true. Keep in mind that if the problem is on the software side, doing a factory reset should have fixed the problem by now. That you dropped your phone before does not help either. Like water damage, accidental drops can have a short-term and long-term effects depending on the damage. Hardware damage cannot be fixed by doing software hacks on your end, obviously. This makes the phone either an expensive paperweight at this time, or something that needs repair to get going again. If what the third party repair shop said was true, that the motherboard has been damaged, then the repair and replacement of parts can be a very expensive proposition. Sometimes, phones don’t work properly even after a repair so it’s also a risky operation. If you’re lucky, you may be able to use the phone normally again after the motherboard has been replaced.

Sending the phone to Samsung service won’t help you financially too. Accidentally dropping a Samsung device is considered customer misuse, thus automatically voiding the warranty. This means that if you let Samsung repair the device, you are still going to pay hundreds of dollars, especially if the motherboard has to be replaced.

Problem #4: Galaxy S7 won’t charge | Galaxy S7 stuck in charging screen (with yellow triangle icon)

Hello. So I had my phone and it had been working fine and then just yesterday it stopped cooperating. While I was at work my phone died because the battery drained. When I got home to charge it, it wouldn’t charge. Instead the battery charge symbol would turn on for five seconds, then turn off for 10 seconds and it would cycle this way until removed.

I came to this site to try and trouble shoot it and so I tried the steps. First, when I cleaned the lint and whatnot out, my phone acted differently. When I tried to charge it, the charging animation came up but for 30 minutes it stayed at 0 and then it shut off and went back to the charging indicator cycle (5 on, 10 off). I let it do this for ten minutes to see if maybe anything would change (which it did not).

I then turned on my phone to see if anything happened, and my phone was at 7 percent. While it was on, it went from 7 percent to 0 in about 3 minutes and the screen and battery bay were really warm. Then I tried a soft reset and re-cleaned the pins and the charging port. After I did this and plugged my phone back in, the yellow triangle charge icon showed up and that is where I am stuck. Any Ideas? — Seanmalota

Solution: Hi Seanmalota. We don’t know how old your phone is at this time but if you’re not careful when plugging or unplugging the charging cable from the USB port, you may be looking at a bad charging port as the cause of this problem. Your description of the situation seems consistent with a damaged USB port. Since there’s no direct way to check the actual condition of the said component, you must try other indirect troubleshooting steps to help you check if our hunch is correct.

The first thing that you want to do in this case is to try other chargers. If you can find an original charger for an S7, that’s better.  Your aim is to check whether or not the current charger you’re using is bad.

If using another charger won’t change anything, the next best thing to do is to boot the phone to safe mode. Not only will it help you check if a third party app is the culprit (very highly unlikely), but it can also aid in checking if restarting the phone to a different software environment will make any difference. Here’s how to do it:

  • 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.

If the phone remains stuck or won’t charge at all, visit your nearest Samsung or third party service center so the hardware can be checked.

Problem #5: Galaxy S7 screen has green lines running on top and in the middle

About a month ago, I was outside in very cold weather for about an hour and a half. That was the first time I noticed my phone became unresponsive. I moved it to my chest pocket where it warmed up and eventually the screen turned on. Since then I’ve noticed flickering on the lowest level lighting. And in the last week, whenever it has sat for awhile (typically a few hours or overnight), when I press the power button or the home button, the screen zaps…green lines across the top and/or middle. The screen is black, and the blue lighted touch buttons at the bottom go out, then turn on. The volume buttons seem to work (tones when pressed), seems as if the only thing not working is the screen.

I ran a scan of the phone to clean out any bad files and check malware. I take care to close apps after each use. I never let apps just run in the background continuously. Should I be looking for a new phone? I’m really happy with my S7. I’m not sure of my operating system — Mszornyi2

Solution: Hi Mszornyi2. One of the ways to check if those green lines that runs on top and in the middle of the screen are signs of a bad screen assembly is by booting the phone to another mode. If those unnatural lines will persist while the phone is restarted to recovery or download mode, that’s a sure indication of a bad screen. In this case, you must have the phone checked by Samsung so they can decide if they should replace the defective component or just replace the entire phone altogether.

To boot the phone to either Download or Recovery mode, follow the steps below:

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 the issue happens to lie on the touchscreen, you can also check it by accessing the service menu. Here’s how:

  • Open the Phone app.
  • Dial “*#0*#” (without the quotation marks).
  • Tap the Touch box.
  • You’ll then see an “X” inside a rectangle. Try to run your finger on the portion of the screen where the green lines usually occur to see if the touchscreen will register your input. If there’s an unbroken line in the portion where you ran your finger, that’s an indication that that part is working.

If you think that touchscreen is bad, you also need to have the phone either repaired or replaced.

Problem #6: Galaxy S7 reboots when playing a game

I have a Samsung S7 and today it started to glitch. I had it plugged in for most of the afternoon (about 4 hours). One of my children dropped it behind my couch and my oldest got it out and gave it to me. Here is when the problems started. I notice that it was turned off, which I never do. When I turned it back on, it had the droid in the middle of the screen and said “downloading do not turn off target.” I left it alone for about 10 minutes and nothing happened so I turned it off and back on again. All seemed fine until I tried to play a game (Simpson’s: tapped out). It lets the game load but when I start playing it shuts off the phone after about 3 minutes. When I try and turn it back on it shows me a battery on the screen, but it’s not plugged in. And eventually, after a few minutes I’m able to turn it back on, but if I play the game it keeps turning off. 

What happened and how do I fix this?! Thanks. — Victoria

Solution: Hi Victoria. Does the issue only happen when you’re playing this game? If the answer to that is yes, try to delete the app’s cache and data and see what happens. Here’s how it’s done:

  • 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.
  • Play the game again.

If your phone continues to restart when playing the game, or when using any other app, the next logical thing to do is to wipe the cache partition. Doing so will force the phone to delete the old system cache and build a new one. Sometimes, a corrupted system cache can lead to all sorts of problems so it’s best to keep the system cache fresh. If you haven’t tried it before, follow these steps:

  • 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 cache partition.’
  • Once highlighted, you may press the Power key to select it.
  • Now highlight the option ‘Yes’ using the Volume Down key and press the Power button to select it.
  • Wait until your phone is finished doing the Reset. Once completed, highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and press the Power key.
  • The phone will now reboot longer than usual.
  • Observe the phone again.

Should the issue remains after wiping the cache, the last thing that you want to do is factory reset. As the name implies, all software settings will be restored to their original, factory state. If a glitch was introduced after you’ve unboxed the phone, factory reset should eliminate it. That means that the problem should not be there right after a factory reset. Follow these steps 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.
  • Observe the phone without installing anything.

If the problem remains, an unknown hardware problem must be the cause of this trouble. Keep in mind that overheating can also cause a phone to shutdown automatically. This is a mechanism designed to prevent damage to internal components due to heat.  If your phone gets warm while playing, there’s a chance that overheating is actually the reason for the unexplained shut down. You can either stay away from the game, or contact its developer so they will know that their product is way too demanding for the hardware.

If the phone is not overheating but continues to restart even after a factory reset, send it to Samsung for repair or replacement.

 

Engage with us

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

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

How to recover files if your Galaxy S7 won’t turn back on, other issues

Hello and welcome to our new #GalaxyS7 article. Our post for today discusses 8 more S7-related issues and solutions. Don’t forget to let us know of your issue if you can’t find anything helpful in this post.

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: VR headset mouse cursor not working properly

I recently bought a VR headset and remote, but when i try to use the remote the mouse cursor drifts to the bottom right of my screen. I’ve went through all the settings and didn’t see anything for a mouse. I’ve done a reset on my phone and tried restarting it neither worked. Please tell me how i can fix this mouse drift issue i am unable to figure it out and i didn’t see anything about it on the forums. — Josh

Solution: Hi Josh. We don’t know what VR device and remote you have so we can’t give any specific instruction on what you need to do. We suggest that you try checking the manual of said devices, or contact their makers.

Problem 2: Unable to install Samsung Secure Folder app on Galaxy S7 edge

I recently updated my Samsung S7 edge G935W8 to Nougat 7.0 I purchased this phone from Best Buy April 2015 with Rogers carrier originally but paid the carrier to have it unlocked and now use it with Bell carrier. After doing the newest update, I went to download the secure folder app out of the Galaxy app store. But when I went through the set up wizard for the secure folder it popped up a message saying ” Secure folder cannot be set up as unauthorized software was installed on this device.” I had no idea what this message meant so I spoke to a few friends and Googled it to learn this often indicates my device was rooted. I did not root this phone (didn’t even know how or why it would be rooted) so I looked up how to see if your device is in fact rooted which showed me a few websites and apps. Each one I tried confirmed to me my device was NOT rooted. So are these apps/websites wrong? Can I get my phone into a mode to have it realize it isn’t rooted? I’ve tried factory resetting it both through smart switch and through recovery mode but they didn’t work. — Steve

Solution: Hi Steve. In a lot of cases, yes, the message you are receiving usually indicates that a phone may be rooted or running non-official software. In some cases, it can also be an indicator that Samsung does not detect the software as official even though it is. This usually happens if a carrier modifies the software, making it lose the original configuration that Samsung system recognizes. If the issue continues after a factory reset and without any apps or updates installed, there’s really nothing much that you can do, unless you want to revert the firmware version the one it came with originally.

Problem 3: Galaxy S7 keeps freezing, screen becomes unresponsive, reboots randomly

Hi, my S7 stays with unresponsive screen, freezes, lags and reboots without apparent reason. Sometimes, I can force the reboot with the [power + volume down], but the most of the times it stays unresponsive until the battery is empty (sometimes with the LED indicator turned on or blinking in green and blue). Then I have to charge and use it until it freezes again. I already did the master reset. It works for a week then it started to freeze again. I appreciate your help. Thank You. — Iván

Solution: Hi Iván. If your phone works fine after a factory reset, the main cause of your problems may be one of the apps you installed afterwards, or a hardware issue that can develop over time. One such hardware issue is a malfunctioning flash or memory. If it’s not an app problem, you should consider phone replacement as repair won’t fix it.

To see if it’s an app problem, you can either boot the phone to safe mode, or do another round of factory reset and see to it that only good apps are re-installed. Booting to safe mode prevents third party apps and services from running so if the issues won’t occur, you can bet there’s a bad app causing it. To start your S7 to safe mode, follow these steps:

  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.

Problem 4: Galaxy S7 phone calls keep dropping, battery drains fast, fingerprint reader not working after Nougat update

I updated my phone last night. it is a unlocked USA version. The software update is listed as G935UUEU4BQE2/G935U0YM4BQE2/G935UUEU4BQE2. It says text messages are not being sent but they are being received by people. I’m dropping a lot of phone calls, my fingerprint reader is not working at all, and my battery is draining quickly. I cleared the system cache but I am holding off on doing a full system. Is there any known version issues I am running an Android Nougat 7.0 not 7.1. I’m using Straight Talk wireless on Verizon towers. — Steve

Solution: Hi Steve. With millions of people using Galaxy devices running all sorts of Android versions, it’s not surprising to receive all kinds of issues following updates. There are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of possible points of failure in an Android system so anything can happen. Your issues are some of the common problems, even when updates are not installed so you should address them by doing software troubleshooting and solutions. We suggest that you try a factory reset and see what happens from there. Make sure to hold off installation of your apps until you have observed how SMS and other functions are working. This will allow you to check whether the issue remains or not. If the problems won’t occur, that’s an indication that either (A) a problematic app is responsible, or (B) the firmware version you installed is poorly coded. To fix a possible app issue, you can simply uninstall the offending app by doing trial-and-error. For the second possibility (poorly coded firmware), there’s not much that you can do about it. If you received updates by air (over-the-air update or OTA), you should let your carrier know so they can do something about it.

Below are the steps on how to factory reset your Galaxy S7:

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

Problem 5: Galaxy S7 won’t go past carrier logo screen

Hello. My name is Steve and i recently bought an unlocked Samsung S7 whilst travelling in New York (on the 10th June 2017). I have been assured that the phone will work with other networks but i have entered another different SIM and the phone cannot go past the Metro PCS screen. Basically it seems that the phone just cycles around. I tried removing the SIM and the Micro SD card as well but no luck. I have tried using the Smart Switch software but since the phone does not get to start up properly, the software does not even communicate with the phone. Can you help with some advise on what i could do? I have left the United States already and back in my country, Solomon Islands. — Steve

Solution: Hi Steve. A working smartphone will work normally, that is, load the operating system properly, with or without a SIM card or SD card. We can’t see your logic why you chose to tell us that the phone won’t load at all (can’t go past the Metro PCS screen) with a different SIM card. Did the phone work while you were still in the US? You should have told us if it did, or if you tried doing so after purchasing the device.

We assume that your S7 is not brand new when you bought it (otherwise this issue won’t happen) but if it is, you should have it replaced right away. If phone replacement is out of the question, try to see if you can fix it by doing a cache partition wipe and master  via Recovery mode. Here are the steps on how to boot to Recovery mode:

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

If wiping the cache partition or master reset won’t fix your problem, you can also try to flash the bootloader and/or firmware. Be aware though that flashing is a risky procedure and can potentially brick your phone. Make sure to do more research on how to do it on your particular phone model before doing it.

For demonstration purposes, here are the sample steps on how to flash a bootloader. The exact steps may vary on your phone. Again, you should research beyond our website how to the exact steps on your phone to prevent problems.

  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 6: Galaxy S7 edge becomes unresponsive, overheats when charging

Hi there .. I got an Ss7 edge. The last few days, my phone start to freeze. The screen became blank and all buttons not responsive. I try all button combination like power + volume down, power + home + volume up or down and nothing is happen. It keeps black. But i feel my phone getting warmer. It will cool after the battery drain i guess (knowing by plug in charging and starts from zero again). When it freeze, all button not working, charging also not working.. please help me. This is really annoying.. i mean wait the battery to drain for a whole day and after charge who knows when it will freeze again ( mostly once a day ). This happen a month after i replace the screen. I don’t remember is there any update but the first time it happen is when i connected to wifi. Thats all… waiting for you suggestion Should i flash it back down to before update or …. well i don’t know anymore.. Thank you. — Primandayosepriadi

Solution: Hi Primandayosepriadi. Android troubleshooting is simple and your issue is not an exception to one particular rule — if no software solution can help, bad hardware must be to blame. That said, we suggest that you try factory reset and yes, if you did flash a non-official firmware to it, flash it back down to an older Android version. If those won’t work, have the phone repaired or replaced.

Problem 7: Galaxy S7 edge won’t charge, won’t turn on

I just read your article “How to fix your Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge that doesn’t charge via wired or wireless, heats up when charging [Troubleshooting Guide].” I had hope until I got to step 4. I can’t do anything from step 4 on as my battery is DEAD! However, I believe it to be a firmware issue as the battery had gone dead was remained in that condition for 4 days before I had the time to deal with it. But with a dead battery I cannot reboot, get into Recovery Mode or Safe Mode and it won’t charge by the Samsung Rapid Charger or the Samsung Wireless charger. I am desperate as I have so much on the phone (a lot saved but too much unsaved to lose). How can I get some energy into it? Just enough to get into Recovery Mode?? Thank you. — Rick

Solution: Hi Rick. If your phone does not show any indications of life (LED light lit, vibration during restart, sound or vibration when there incoming notifications), then the only thing that you can do is send it in. Sometimes, the phone can appear dead or not charging due to bad charging port so if you have a wireless charger, try wireless charging for at least 30 minutes. If the phone remains dead, have it repaired or replaced.

As far as data recovery is concerned, you can only do that if you can make your phone boot to normal or safe mode. If the phone is totally dead, you won’t be able to access its memory and transfer contents from it. There’s no software “magic” that you can do to fix bad hardware. It’s possible that the problem is isolated to the battery only so having it replaced by a technician first may solve the issue easily. If the problem is more serious and involves the motherboard, you can kiss those data goodbye.

To prevent losing irreplaceable data (photos, videos, documents, etc.) in the future, always make it a habit of creating a backup. We don’t know how many times we’ve emphasized this in almost all our articles but there’s a reason why this wisdom persists for decades now and that’s because digital storage devices and electronics are unreliable. If you won’t back your files up regularly, you only have yourself to blame.

Problem 8: How to recover files if your Galaxy S7 won’t turn back on

My phone got stuck while rebooting and was showing blue screen. I tried everything on your website and nothing worked then took the phone to the Samsung office. They performed something on it and now all i can see is the black screen with Galaxy S7 edge logo (same logo as you see when you restart the phone). From here I’m unable to start my phone or take it to the safe mode by pressing the keys as per your website. I want to recover my data from my phone before factory reset if required. Need your assistance. If you could help would be genius. — Talat1426

Solution: Hi Talat1426. As mentioned above, you can only access an S7’s memory or storage device if you can boot it to safe mode or normal mode. There’s no other way to moves files from and to the storage device in your phone’s current status. Even Samsung can’t do anything about it.

If you want to fix the issue though, consider doing a factory reset. That would, of course, wipe everything up but you may have a good working phone again.

Also, we don’t know what Samsung did to your phone but if they did try to flash it before, that is, installed a new copy of software, your files must already be gone by now so there’s no point holding off factory reset.

Some users were able to fix a similar issue by booting their phones to alternate modes. For reference, here are the steps on how to do that and the possible follow up troubleshooting that you can do for each:

Boot in Recovery mode:

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

 

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.

Solution to “Unfortunately IMS Service has stopped” error on AT&T Galaxy S7, other issues

Are you having an issue with your #GalaxyS7? Keep reading and you might find a solution. This post covers 6 more Galaxy S7 issues that were reported by some of our readers. If you don’t find a solution to your own problem here, don’t forget to check previously published S7 posts.

s7

Below are the topics covered in this post today:

  1. Galaxy S7 unable to read encrypted SD card after Marshmallow update
  2. Galaxy S7 keeps showing SMS is not sent
  3. SMS are delayed on Galaxy S7
  4. How to fix “Unfortunately IMS Service has stopped” error on AT&T Galaxy S7
  5. Enhanced Feature box keeps popping up on Galaxy S7
  6. Galaxy S7 fails to power on after charging

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

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

Problem #1: Galaxy S7 unable to read encrypted SD card after Marshmallow update

Hey you guys seem fairly knowledgeable so here it goes. I buy the phone when it drops — no problem. About a week later my brother comes up and he has a Samsung 32 Pro Plus SD card. We do a quick test and it’s faster than my 2-year Sandisk 64 Extreme plus. The test is just dragging a movie file back and forth in Windows. It hits like 100 a. He lets me keep the card.

Sometime later, i encrypt the card — still no problems. Sometimes after that, the first OTA update comes. And that’s when all the problem started. Basically, I’m locked out of the encrypted card. The phone that encrypted has forgotten it encrypted it. In short I’ve tried everything except probably a witch doctor.

I’ve refreshed it, Live Chat with Samsung and they have refreshed it. I brought it to a local Best Buy Samsung kiosk and they basically refresh. With that I’m saying I’ve never seen anything like this. It makes it seem like there is an SD slot issue when in fact the card can’t be accessed because its encrypted.

While reinserting the card does offer to decrypt the card, it doesn’t actually do it. And its stuck in no man’s land. While i use a big secret letter to encrypt and decrypt the card, the underlying hash key must have been lost or spun during the OTA. This has all happened a while back in 6.0 days. l have long since put it back in its adapter and in a drawer waiting for some future technology to come along and decrypt it. I’ve also never seen this mention as being a problem ,and don’t know how many people bother to encrypt their cards. Meanwhile Sandisk is dropping the extreme 256 in a couple of days, and the old S7 is starting to show its age Cat 9 vs Cat 12 USB 2.0 vs USB C and UHS1 vs UHS2  🙂 Any help would be most appreciated. — Zeno

Solution: Hi Zeno. Updating from one Android version to another (like moving from Lollipop to Marshmallow) is not supposed to change how the encryption key is handled. In fact, it’s our first time to encounter this issue so it may be caused by something unique to your phone. This unforeseen variable can be anything — a bad app, an unknown operating system glitch, a rare firmware quirk — anything. Since the issue did happen anyway, the only suggestion we can give is proven and effective factory reset. That if you don’t mind losing whatever files you’ve stored in that SD card anyway. While you’re within your right to wait for a more advanced decryption process that might be made available in the near future, we can’t really say it’s happening in the next few years. As far as our knowledge regarding encryption is concerned, current SD card encryption method being used by Samsung is still state-of-the-art and will not going away soon. That said, there’s really nothing much that you can do on your end at this time. There’s still no new decryption method that will help you unlock that SD card. Even Google and Samsung won’t be able to.

Problem #2:  Galaxy S7 keeps showing SMS is not sent

I have had issues with sending texts messages and it will show up grey with an exclamation point and pop up with a message not sent box with options to delete, resend, or edit text. When I asked my mom and my best friend if the messages I sent to both of them when through they both said yes. So even though it’s saying not sent it’s really being sent.

Also it takes my phone or Rogers about 20 minutes when off the LRT train (mostly underground) for me to get reception back to send a message. I can receive texts while I’m waiting for reception but not sending. I have talked with Samsung and Rogers and they both blame the other person. Plus when the big update was pushed thru on Oct 7 it made my phone so hot it blistered my hand (I have the S7) and phone was not working from before 6 am to 6 pm when I took it into the Samsung store. — Heidi

Solution: Hi Heidi. Hi Heidi. The first thing that you want to do here is wipe the cache partition of your phone. This will force the phone to build a new system cache afterwards. Technically, the system cache helps the system load apps faster but sometimes, a corrupted cache can also affect how they perform. Making sure that the system cache is up-and-running is a must. To do that, please follow these steps:

  • 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.

After wiping the cache partition, your next troubleshooting is deleting the cache and data of the messaging app you’re using. Here’s how to do it:

  • 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, look for the messaging app and tap it.
  • 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.

After wiping the messaging app’s cache and data, observe how it works for a few days to see the difference. If nothing changes, do a factory reset.

Problem #3: SMS are delayed on Galaxy S7

Just yesterday I started noticing my friend’s messages where coming, but they were delayed — I was receiving them hours after they were being sent. It got worse now; I can longer get messages from anyone. I tried with my mom’s phone which is the same one with the same carrier; hers worked fine but mine didn’t.

I have already deleted messages and turned off my phone for at least 3 hours. I also noticed my bleacher report notifications were also delayed (I was getting scores to games 5 hours after it had already been completed). Youtube notifications most of my app seemed to be delayed. — Ronny

Solution: Hi Ronny. Please follow our suggestions for Heidi above. If nothing works, do a factory reset. Make sure that you create a backup of your important files before doing it. Here’s how to factory reset your S7:

Step 1: Turn off your Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge.

Step 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.

Step 3: When the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge shows on the screen, release the Power key but continue holding the Home and Volume Up keys.

Step 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.

Step 5: Using the Volume Down key, navigate through the options and highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset.’

Step 6: Once highlighted, you may press the Power key to select it.

Step 7: Now highlight the option ‘Yes — delete all user data’ using the Volume Down key and press the Power button to select it.

Step 8: Wait until your phone is finished doing the Master Reset. Once completed, highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and press the Power key.

Step 9: The phone will now reboot longer than usual.

Keep in mind, if the issue persists after a factory reset, the SMS delay may be network related. Contact your carrier for assistance.

Problem #4: How to fix “Unfortunately IMS Service has stopped” error on AT&T Galaxy S7

Hello. I’ve been searching your site for my issue. I just got the Samsung S7 Active yesterday. I did the upgrade late last night. I have been having the “unfortunately IMS Service has stopped” message popping up every 30 seconds. It doesn’t matter if I’m on my phone or if it’s sitting. It has been popping up non-stop since the update. I saw a section on here where a person had said it was popping up only when they were in text message. I tried doing all that was suggested but to no avail. The only thing I can think of is taking it back in to the ATT store. But it’s such a hassle especially since I’ve already personalized it. — Damaris

Solution: Hi Damaris. This error is caused by a bug from one of AT&T’s apps following a Marshmallow update. Make sure that you turn off any AT&T cloud service or any app that offers saving to the cloud. To fix it, do these steps:

  • Go to Settings.
  • Tap Applications.
  • Tap Messages.
  • Tap AT&T Messages Backup & Sync.
  • Tap Stop Backup (link).

Problem #5: Enhanced Feature box keeps popping up on Galaxy S7

The Enhanced Feature pop up popped up on my phone. I activated it and went through with it and a notification was sent to me with a specific code. The enhance feature is activated on my Galaxy S7 and one of my capacitive buttons does not work. My quick launch doesn’t too and notifications don’t show anymore . I’d really like to recieve some help with disabling the enhanced feature ASAP, without having to do a factory reset. If there is no other way, if I back my phone up right now and then wipe the phone, restore the data, would I not have the problem Still? Please get back to me . Thank you. — Sibusiso

Solution: Hi Sibusiso. Try checking if this error is caused by Simple Sharing Feature. To do that, follow these steps:

  • Tap Apps from the Home
  • Tap Gallery to continue.
  • Tap on the image you want to send. You may choose any image to share from the Downloads, Camera or More tab.
  • On the image preview screen, tap the Share icon at the bottom.
  • Tap the Contacts icon to proceed.
  • Select the contacts you want to send the image to from the phone’s All contacts To select a contact, just tap on the checkbox next to the contact (recipient).
  • Tap Done to continue.
  • Verify the recipients are correct, and then tap OK to initiate file sharing via Simple sharing. Please note that additional charges may apply when sharing files via the mobile network. To make sure, please contact your service provider and verify if extra charges are applied when sharing files using your mobile network.
  • Wait until the files are completely uploaded and successfully shared.

If that won’t change anything, try toggling Enhance messaging. here’s how:

  • Go to the Home screen.
  • Touch Apps.
  • Touch Messages.
  • Touch More from the Messages screen.
  • Touch to select Settings from the given options.
  • Touch Enhanced messaging.
  • Touch the ON/OFF switch to turn on (enable) Enhance messaging.

If any or both of these procedures won’t help, you must do a factory reset.

Problem #6: Galaxy S7 fails to power on after charging

Hi. My Samsung Galaxy S7 is less than a month old. It’s been working fine until two nights ago. Overnight, I plugged it in to charge. It does this fancy charge that I don’t need where it only takes 1 hour or less to fully charge the battery (could be part of the problem?). I wake up in the night to check the time and find my phone won’t turn on and has a steady-on green LED indicator. I have to hold the volume and home buttons (which I learned from your site at 2am. sigh) in order to reboot the phone, at which point it works perfectly… Until the following night when I plug it in to charge and the same thing happens. Should I get replacement phone or is there a way to find out what’s causing this? Thank you for your help, Amy

Solution: Hi Amy. Like you, there’s no way for us to know what is the exact cause of your issue. Try doing the basic software troubleshooting first to see if they will help. We suggest that you try booting in safe mode while charging. If this issue is being caused by a third party app, the problem should not happen while safe mode is enabled. To boot in safe mode, follow these steps:

  • 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.

Remember to boot in safe mode first before charging the phone. If the same thing happens, wipe the cache partition and/or do a factory reset steps provided above. We think the issue should go away after a factory reset but should it stay, find a way to have it replaced.

 

Engage with us

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

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

Galaxy S7 battery drain issue after installing AT&T Nougat update, other issues

Welcome to another article about Samsung’s #GalaxyS7 and #GalaxyS7edge devices. As usual, we will be answering some of the issues sent our way for the past few days. We hope that the solutions in this post will help not only those mentioned here but others with similar problems as well.

Below are the specific topics we’re covering today:

  1. Galaxy S7 can’t upload photos and videos in one conversation thread
  2. Galaxy S7 network service not working properly in some locations
  3. Galaxy S7 screen remains black but continues to ring or vibrate when rebooted
  4. Galaxy S7 battery drain issue after installing AT&T Nougat update | How to change icons while in Maximum Power Saving Mode
  5. Galaxy S7 edge Verizon Messaging app not showing envelop icon notifications when receiving messages
  6. Galaxy S7 screen is damaged after it was dropped accidentally
  7. Galaxy S7 audio not working
  8. Galaxy S7 edge unable to receive messaging using stock messaging app | Galaxy S7 edge not showing log of sent and received messages for certain contact
  9. Galaxy S7 stock calendar app not syncing with Facebook calendar
  10. Galaxy S7 won’t read mp3 files after an update, SD card corrupted after an update

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

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

Problem #1: Galaxy S7 can’t upload photos and videos in one conversation thread

Good Afternoon. Recently, may have been just after the firmware update received, there is one specific conversation thread that will no longer upload all of the previous message photos and videos. Conversation thread was started back in January 2016 until now, photos will only upload as of December 20th, 2016. Anything before this dates shows as continuously trying to load. I haven’t changed anything in the phone, SD card is the same since I purchased. I can’t understand why only this one contact will not load all previous photos and videos. I look forward to any insight and or enlightenment on my situation. Thank you. —  Douglas

Solution: Hi Douglas. There may be a bug causing this problem. There are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of potential points of failure in a complicated software environment as Android so it’s hard to determine what specific coding issue is behind it.

Wipe the cache partition

To troubleshoot your problem, we recommend that the first thing you want to try is to wipe the cache partition. This may help in this case as this process will force the phone to create a new system cache. Installation of app and system updates can sometimes cause problems due to a corrupted system cache. Deleting the old one and replacing it may be the fix. Wiping the cache partition won’t erase your messages or any of your user files such as photos, videos, documents, etc. so it can be done safely. Here’s how to do it:

  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.

Delete the conversation thread

Should wiping the cache partition won’t fix the problem, you have no other option but to delete the conversation thread and see if it will help. There may be a bug associated with the said thread and creating a new one may clear it. Before you delete it, consider creating a backup of your messages to a computer or another device using Samsung Smart Switch app. This app can create a copy of your messages so you can restore them back to your S7 if you’ll be able to eliminate the bug.

Wipe the cache and data of messaging app

If deleting the conversation thread won’t work, the next step is to make sure that you deal with the messaging app you’re using. It’s possible that the bug is being caused by the app itself so you must restore it to its default settings. Be sure to back up your messages via Smart Switch before you do the steps below:

  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 network service not working properly in some locations

For several weeks now I have been dealing and service connections. My feeling is that my phones wireless signal is damaged but I’ll illustrate. There are times that I have great service and shitty service all in the same minute and in only particular locations that I go to. Anywhere else I have perfect reception and I haven’t worries. Any help you can give me?? I have had my SIM card changed, I have completed a factory reset, had my networks reset. And I am going to give my phone back to my local technician to send off to Samsung but I would desperately need some answers please. — Gareth

Solution: Hi Gareth. A network service problem that occurs only in one location is more of an indication of poor service or signal reception than a phone issue. If this issue is due to software or hardware error in your phone, it should happen regardless  where you are located.

Telling us that you network service issues without giving any specific details is not very helpful in identifying the problem. You must work with your carrier in solving this problem rather than with third party support teams like us. There’s nothing that we can do given how little information you provide here. We also don’t have the right tools to conduct some tests to see if there are any on-going service interruptions in the area you’re having problems in. This problem is the territory of your carrier so contact their technical support department for answers.

Problem #3: Galaxy S7 screen remains black but continues to ring or vibrate when rebooted

I have a blinking green light, and a black screen that will not turn on. Lower buttons light up, and phone rings/vibrates still. I have tried the reboot methods and after holding the volume and power buttons, after 10 seconds or so the phone will vibrate for a second, but not turn on.

Also the right side of the screen will light up for a second, with white lines, only the right 1/8th of the screen will do this though. Any ideas what this could be? Thanks. — Nathan

Solution: Hi Nathan. Was the phone accidentally dropped before noticing this problem? This problem is often caused by unnecessary shock on the screen assembly after a drop. In some cases, exposure to water or heat can also damage the screen which can manifest in a situation you’re describing here. If the phone suffered any physical damage at all, stop looking for software solutions. Obviously, you won’t be able to fix a hardware problem with any software “magic” trick. Just contact Samsung  so they can check the screen and do the necessary repair. If there’s no nearby Samsung service center you can run to, you have no other choice but to let an independent service center do the repair for you. Letting a third party repair your device will automatically void the Samsung warranty and Samsung may refuse to fix your S7 later if they’ll discover that someone has opened the device first. Only send your phone to a third party service center if you have absolutely no way of sending it to Samsung.

Problem #4: Galaxy S7 battery drain issue after installing AT&T Nougat update | How to change icons while in Maximum Power Saving Mode

My Galaxy S7 has never really had good battery life, but at least it lasted through out the day. In the last month, AT&T has pushed out the Android 7.0 and then an update and at 100 % charged, the phone tells me I have less than 9 hours of use.

My question is tri-fold. I have over 140 apps on my phone, they are all set to not run in the back ground. I have had them since I had my S3. Occasionally, adding a few new ones, could they be affecting the S7 7.0 performance?

Secondly, I have taken to setting my phone to maximum power saving mode and would like to switch out one of the eight icons allowed to a different one. How do I do that?

Lastly, what else can I do to correct this power drain as my S3 and S5 worked fine with these apps installed? I have already done a factory reset after the update and nothing changed. Thank you in advance for any help you can offer. — Faye

Solution: Hi Faye. There are a number of factors that can negatively impact battery performance in your Galaxy S7, with the most significant ones include the following:

  • the number of apps installed,
  • the number of apps and services running in the foreground and background,
  • display settings
  • connectivity functions remaining on most of the time

One of the most important considerations in extending battery life in a daily basis and battery performance in the long run is to limit the number of installed apps  to the minimum as much as possible. We know this doesn’t bid well for modern users but sadly, current smartphone battery technology hasn’t really improved much for the past 10 years so while the devices become faster and more powerful, the power source (Lithium-based battery) has significantly lagged behind. However, Samsung and other smartphone makers market their devices as amazingly fast and feature packed, there’s no doubt that the main weakness remains that battery. We don’t know how much longer you expect your S7’s battery to last but based in our experience with our own S7 (with bare minimum of less than 50 apps installed), 10 hours is the longest time in a day that we can use it before topping it off again. To answer your questions, continue reading.

Question #1. Like all Android versions, Nougat may or may not perform up to par due to a number of reasons. The vanilla operating system version released by Google is pretty decent and works satisfactorily with most flagship phones we’re used so far. Keep in mind though that the Android Nougat version is no longer the original Google  version but most probably a slightly modified one from your carrier. Poor or inefficient coding may be introduced in the firmware version running in your phone after installing updates or apps so the answer to your first is, it depends. In general though, Android Nougat is stable enough that it even works better than Marshmallow (based in our own experience). This may not be true in your case. Just bear in mind that the more apps you install, the higher the chance of possible points of failure there are. That said, it’s possible that apps may be hampering the performance of the operating system.

Question #2: While in Maximum Power Saving Mode, you will only be able to edit the four lower icons. The first four icons on top can’t be changed at all. To change the  second group of icons at the bottom, do the following steps:

  1. Run the phone in Maximum Power Saving Mode.
  2. Tap the options icon at the upper right hand side of the screen (the three-dot icon).
  3. Tap “Edit.”
  4. Tap the minus sign for each icon you want removed or changed.
  5. Tap the “+” sign inside the box where you want to add the new shortcut or icon.
  6. That’s it!

Question #3: Fast power drain issue can only be remedied and there’s no permanent fix for it in general. You must use your phone smartly, keeping in mind that whether you use it or not, its battery is draining power. Lithium-ion batteries like the one in your S7 gradually loses capacity to hold a charge the moment it left the factory. The rate of this capacity loss quickens the more you charge and discharge (use) the phone day in and day out, meaning you’ll eventually be charging it more often. The more apps you install, the more power the system needs to maintain them. There’s also the chance that some of the apps you have may not be coded properly, draining more battery power that they’re supposed to. If you can’t live the apps you’ve installed right now, then you simply have to focus in other aspects in minimizing battery consumption such as lowering screen brightness or turning off unnecessary network functions such as wifi and bluetooth whenver possible. If you’re looking for a permanent fix for a battery drain issue, we’re afraid there’s nothing available for you, unless of course there’s a particular case that causes it like a bad app or malware.

Problem #5: Galaxy S7 edge Verizon Messaging app not showing envelop icon notifications when receiving messages

I have a Galaxy S7 Edge which I updated last week. I use the Verizon Messaging App. Before the update I would receive an envelope on my lock screen that would indicate how many text messages had come through. Since the update the envelope no longer appears. I still receive the LED letting me know I have a new message, sounds still work etc., but I depend on the envelope. Under settings I no longer see where I can mark this app to allow messages on lock screen. I have tried a soft reset and everything else I can think of. How do I keep my envelopes back?        — Gingermeyers4

Solution: Hi Gingermeyers4. We’re assuming that you installed Android Nougat or one of its follow-up patches. If nothing changes when you set up Notifications under the Settings app (Settings>Notifications), you want do our suggestions for Douglas above. If the solutions we suggest for him will not work, the new update may have changed the behavior or the app or the operating system for this particular feature. This is a coding change and there’s nothing that we can do about that. Consider letting Verizon know of the issue so they can help you.

Problem #6: Galaxy S7 screen is damaged after it was dropped accidentally

Hi there! Dropped my phone last night. On the locked screen, where the date, time and battery life is displayed, there’s a constant green and white big bar that’s dropping down from the top non stop. It moves at a pretty quick rate (I counted over 60 repeats in less than a minute). Clicking the home button on the device brings a black screen. Using the side button to get to the unlock screen causes RAPID flashing and the entire display is completely out of order. I can see that there are duplicates of everything, as it’s constantly scrolling down. For instance, I have the weather on the front screen, and I can see where it normally is; top left. When I unlock, I can see the weather down where the first row of applications would be. It seems holding it a certain way will completely stop all of the flickering, scrolling and odd colors, but it’s hit or miss. I’m wondering if replacing the screen is needed, if it’s a lose wiring, OR if there’s a problem with the back light. It almost seems as if the phone still thinks I’m touching the screen and trying to predict where I’m going to swipe/click. But it’s completely erratic. — Heather

Solution: Hi Heather. The only way to know what causes the screen to behave erratically is open the phone and check the screen assembly. We are certain though that you have a damaged hardware but if you’re lucky and the shock from the drop did not damaged other components, a screen replacement may restore all normal workings of the device. Kindly contact Samsung and let them handle the screen replacement for you.

Problem #7: Galaxy S7 audio not working

Sounds is not working on my Samsung GALAXY S7. I’ve tried “Wipe Cache” from the reboot screen, factory reset, testing out sounds in safe mode, and none of these helped. I even took my phone to a Samsung Service center an hour away, only for them to tell me it’s not a hardware issue and it’s software, and then I need to factory reset again and download one app at a time. I’ve uninstalled a lot of apps and tried uninstalling one app at a time to see which is the problem. None of them have worked. I’ve also taken my phone to a Samsung specialist at Bestbuy and they did a hard reset and it didn’t help. Please help :(. — Yeeliau

Solution: Hi Yeeliau. The general rule in troubleshooting any Android problem is to always start with software troubleshooting first. If nothing will change after you’ve exhausted all software solutions, especially after a factory reset, you can assume that it’s a hardware problem. As far as troubleshooting this issue on your end is concerned, you’ve already done all of them at this point. Contact Samsung again and have them repair or replace the phone.

Problem #8: Galaxy S7 edge unable to receive messaging using stock messaging app | Galaxy S7 edge not showing log of sent and received messages for certain contact

Hi there. Using the stock message client, on S7 Edge, I am having an issue with a particular recipient. It doesn’t happen with anyone else. When I type a message to her and click send, the message is sent and received at her end. But it does not save or appear anywhere on my end. There is no history or log or record of any message being sent to her. I also can not receive messages from her. We have checked the obvious, that she has been blocked somehow, but all those settings appear to be normal. Really bizarre and frustrating. As I said – it doesn’t happen with anyone else in my contact list. Appreciate any help! — Rob

Solution: Hi Rob. Your issue may not be identical to Douglas’ above but the solutions are the same. Make sure to back up your messages before attempting to clear the cache and data of the messaging app.

You can also try to narrow down the causes by using a third party app to see if that will work. There are many free messaging apps in Google Play Store that you can use for this purpose. If you can send and receive messages normally for this contact on another app, you may need to reset all software settings to default via factory reset. Here’s how:

  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 #9: Galaxy S7 stock calendar app not syncing with Facebook calendar

Hi. I have an Samsung S7 and I am facing 2 issues. 1) It seems that my Facebook calendar cannot sync with Samsung calendar. When i go to settings/account, under Facebook there are no options. the same for contacts. Also, it seems the notification are not getting pushed to my phone, i have to access the app to see updates. 2) outlook calendar and email doesn’t sync. When i am trying to set up the EAS, i login in but then it doesn’t sync. When i click in the server settings and it tries to connect to the server it says cannot connect to server, so nothing gets synced.

I also have the Outlook app and that works fine but the calendar and info from the outlook app doesn’t sync with the Samsung. I have to access Outlook app to see any of the data. i use 2-step verification thank you in advance for the help. —        Fivos

Solution: Hi Fivos. Samsung Calendar app appears to only support 4 accounts which are:

  • Samsung account
  • Exchange
  • Google
  • Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync

We can’t see any option to add or sync Facebook calendar to the stock Calendar app either so it’s limited by design. That means that it’s not built to sync with the account types you’re trying to sync here. Unfortunately, there’s nothing much that you can do about it right now.

Problem #10: Galaxy S7 won’t read mp3 files after an update, SD card corrupted after an update

March 30, 2017 came a new update for my phone so I plugged it in and let it run its course. When it finished I realized that none of the mp3 files on my SD card worked saying “Sorry, this player does not support this type of audio file.” The photos on my SD card were also blank, yet all the files showed they were still there with their respective sizes. I’ve deleted and downloaded the same app, a new app, tried opening the files on another S7, restarted the phone (once with and once without the card inside), moved them to the phone and back, moved them to Google drive and back, and all with the same result. Nothing supports the files and shows blank pictures. I’m confused as to why the update even touched anything on the encrypted SD card, much less why it did what it did. What should I do? — Felix

Solution: Hi Felix. Since you have an encrypted SD card, you have very limited options at this time as the only device that can read it is only your phone. Letting another device access your files is obviously pointless so your only chance of using it normally again is to reformat it. We know this will delete the files you’re keeping in it but there’s really nothing that you can do at this point. We can’t say what happened exactly but the update may have changed some operating system parameters, which may have affected how it reads the card. An unknown software or app glitch may have caused the problem after the update. Whatever it is, there’s no way to find out. To prevent this issue from happening again, always make it a habit to create a back up of important files regularly to another device before installing an update. Updates change core operating system parameters so there’s always a chance that some things may not work as expected afterwards.

 

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Galaxy S7 won’t boot up, only restarts to Download mode, won’t connect to mobile network, other issues

The #GalaxyS7 has been with us for some time now so we expect that there will be an ever increasing number of issues our community will report to us. As usual, we bring you this post that handles some of the reported S7 problems so far.

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 “invalid sim card” error, won’t charge, won’t turn on

Hello. Starting yesterday, I have been having two main issues with my phone but I am not sure if they are related.

1) My phone will periodically give me an “invalid sim card” message. During this time, I obviously cannot make and calls or send/receive texts. If I restarted the phone, it would work for 5-10 minutes before giving the “invalid sim card” message again. The sim card issue lasted all of yesterday but eventually subsided at night.

2) Although the first issue passed, I now have a larger issue. My phone will not charge. When I plugged it in last night (had around 20% charge left) the phone would not show the lightning bolt on the battery icon and would turn off. Even after turning it back on and seeing that there was about 20% charge, if I plugged the charger into the phone, the phone would almost immediately turn off. I tried this a few more times and, after a while, when I would plug in the charger, the screen would go black and two small, white “x’s” would pulse at the bottom of the screen before the phone was completely unresponsive again.

I tried using multiple different chargers. I also tested the chargers on other products to make sure that they were working. Now, my phone battery is dead and when I plug in the charger the large gray icon of a battery with white lightning bolt shows up in the middle of the screen but nothing else– no charge percentage or anything. When I try to turn the phone on, it just turns back off or doesn’t respond. I have tried the “power-volume down-home button” reset to no avail, either.

 Any advice would be greatly appreciated, as this issue came completely out of the blue. Roland P.S. I’m not sure what version of Android is running, so I just put “other.” — Rdewgard

Solution: Hi Rdewgard. The SIM card issue you had was probably due to a network glitch. It can also be caused by a broken SIM card slot so if it returns in the future, these are the order of things that you must do:

  1. Check if SIM card works fine on another device.
  2. Replace SIM card if it’s defective.
  3. Do a factory reset to check if it’s a software problem.
  4. If nothing will change after a factory reset, bad hardware must be to blame. Get a phone replacement.

For your second issue, the most likely cause is hardware malfunction, particularly the charging port. To check, do a factory reset first and observe what happens. Here’s how:

  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.

As mentioned, we suspect that the phone’s charging port is busted. If factory reset won’t fix the charging problem, or if you won’t be able to turn the phone on at all, stop looking for software solutions. An issue like this can’t be fixed on your end. Let a professional check the status of the hardware so you’ll be advised whether you need to have the phone repaired or replaced.

Problem 2: Galaxy S7 screen is black and won’t turn on

I plugged my phone in last night and I am still getting alerts for email or text, but the screen is black, so I cannot see anything. Is there anything you can do? Thank you! — Sarah

Solution: Hi Sarah. An issue like this does not happen overnight so there might be a preceding event that caused it. Was the phone physically impacted, dropped, or exposed to elements before? Any of these three can damage the screen permanently so the only course of action for you is to have the phone repaired or replaced.

If you don’t think bad hardware is to blame though, a possible reason can a software glitch. To check, try to see first if you’ll be able to start the device to any of these alternate modes:

Boot in Recovery mode:

  1. Charge the phone for at least 30 minutes.
  2. Press and then hold the Home and Volume UP keys, then press and hold the Power key.
  3. When the Samsung Galaxy logo shows on the screen, release the Power key but continue holding the Home and Volume Up keys.
  4. When the Android logo shows, you may release both keys and leave the phone be for about 30 to 60 seconds.
  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 logo shows on the screen, release the Power key but continue holding the Home and Volume DOWN keys.
  4. Wait until the Download screen appears.
  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 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 3: Galaxy S7 keeps rebooting, won’t turn back on, after accidental drop

S7 dropped in March 17. Worked for a week then shut down 10 min into a charge. It has 38% battery at present when I can turn it on which has been only twice through a normal one press of the power button , otherwise it is completely unresponsive, to any boot sequence. fails to charge at this point. After finally getting it to turn on (big surprise when it did) I transferred 5GB of pictures. (So relieved I got them ) there after I maintained a charge from laptop only to have it go to sleep then suddenly shutdown (or crash) . Reconnected charger , it starts charging ( shows an empty battery) then slowly shows correct valve at 38%. Seconds later it’s all gone again. Normal start up then instant reboot. Then nothing. Its unresponsive again. Spent hours trying to turn on. — Daphpavlicek

Solution: Hi Daphpavlicek. There’s no permanent fix for a hardware problem unless you have the device repaired or replaced. If this problem started after dropping the device before, there’s no software solution that can help. If you’re lucky and the issue is isolated to the battery or the charging port only, replacing them would fix the problem for good. In most cases though, unnecessary shock from accidentally dropping an electronic device results to permanent motherboard damage, which sadly, may not be fully repaired at all. Have the device checked by a professional so a thorough hardware check can be done.

Problem 4: Galaxy S7 edge can’t install Android Nougat in Cricket network

I currently have the Galaxy S7 edge plus on 6.0.1. Obviously 7.0 OS is out so I tried to check for software updates manually in the phone’s setting. When I go to check it asks “check at&t server for updates?”, so I  click yes and it tells me my software is up to date. To try and fix this I factory reset my phone but still nothing. Its stuck on 6.0.1. One possible reason, that I can think of, is that the phone belongs to AT&T and I bought it second hand from someone. I currently use Cricket wireless (which uses AT&T towers) and maybe for some reason because I do not have service with AT&T directly it does not properly check for software updates in their server.        — Ag.21

Solution: Hi Ag.21. Over-the-air (OTA) updates are Android updates provided by carriers to phones built for them. This means that these phones have modified Android versions developed by said carrier. AT&T phones run AT&T firmware only so if it you use it in another network like T-Mobile, you can’t expect to receive any OTA update. WE don’t know how Cricket Wireless network is set up but if your phone does not receive any firmware update, you can assume that Cricket is unable to provide updates to your AT&T phone at all.

If you want to install Android 7 on your phone, you’ll have to do it manually by flashing it. Flashing your phone is risky as it involves modifying core system files. If not done correctly, you may brick your phone. Also, you run the risk of losing features and services from Cricket that may be working right now. Make sure to work with your carrier before doing such a drastic solution.

Problem 5: Galaxy S7 stuck in Samsung logo screen after failed update

Good day. This is Eric, a guy from Ghana. I was actually using a customized Galaxy S7 which has trad or UAE and i used Odin to remove it. It was working fine as in 6.0 version and after that i had an update showing on my notification. so i updated and another update came up and it was 7.0. So i updated it to that but i couldn’t call anyone from my phone but i could receive calls. Then i later came back to use Odin with the old file and since then my Samsung has been showing only Samsung logo but can’t do anything about it. Please kindly help me because the was my last money i used to buy my phone. Thank you i hope to hear from you. — Sticky454545

Solution: Hi Sticky454545. Make sure that you flash the right firmware for your device. We can’t emphasize that enough. Using a wrong firmware version can lead to boot loop or other software problems. Remember, there are hundreds, if not thousands of Galaxy S7 firmware versions around the world. If, for example, you use a firmware version for an African country in your Asian device, you can’t expect your S7 to work.

This is one of the reasons why Samsung never encourage end users to tamper with the software. We know it’s within your right to do whatever you want with your device but if ever you’ll encounter problems like this, don’t expect Samsung or even third party support teams like us to provide you with a ready-made solution. When it comes to rooting- or flashing-related problems you must figure out the solution by yourself. There’s no way for anyone, even for Samsung, to know where the bug lies. There are hundreds of thousands of possible points of failure in an Android environment so it’s basically impossible to pinpoint the problem like the one you have.

The most that we can do to help is to tell you to reflash the device with its stock  or official firmware and hope for the best.  Other than that, you may end up with an expensive paperweight.

If you got the custom firmware from forum or website that entertains questions, try to reach out to them to see if someone from their community experienced this particular problem with this specific firmware. This is usually how other Android users who modified official software get issues resolved.

In some cases, flashing the bootloader to stock also helps. Try to see if reverting your phone’s bootloader can fix the problem before flashing the firmware itself.

Problem 6: Galaxy S7 won’t connect to mobile network

Hello! I have a Samsung Galaxy S7 and it is not connecting to the mobile network . I’ve selected the Network mode to Lte/wcdma/gsm, and at the network operators selected orange, restarted. Then i’ve tried to select automatically and still it haven’t worked. It gives me unable to connect

Also, I’ve taken out the SIM card and tried another and nothing works. I’ve also tried to update the software and because of this issue it doesn’t let me . Now I’ve returned the phone to the factory reset and still nothing. Please help me! Waiting for your answer. Thank you! — Ancaacroitoru

Solution: Hi Ancaacroitoru. We don’t know anything what you did before to cause this problem. If you’ve already checked if the phone’s APN settings are correct, we suggest that you contact your carrier for additional assistance. There may be other settings that must be enabled on their end, or in your device to allow it to work again in their network.

Problem 7: Galaxy S7 does not make sound notifications for SMS

My Galaxy S7 notifications all work except for my message notifications. I hear the notifications for my emails and Google calendar but not for any text messages. Recently in the past this was not an issue. Nothing with my phone has changed since then except for the update. I have turned up the volume on my notifications. I set my message notifications to sound when I receive a message. In my message settings, I made it so that my phone does not automatically delete old messages when they reach 1000. I read somewhere that if you have it set to delete old messages on the galaxy’s that It can make your message tones stop working. I changed my message notifications sound to a different one in my Zedge Ringtone App. I then also change my message notifications sound using the options that came on my phone rather then an app. Throughout all of this I did several soft resets. After nothing worked I turned my phone on in safe mode to check if a third party app installed on my phone is causing the problem. In safe mode incoming messages still did not give a sound. I did a factory reset about 6 months BEFORE the issue. Is there anything else I can try before going through the hassle of another factory reset? — Alexis

Solution: Hi Alexis. Try to wipe the cache partition first and see how the phone works. Here’s how:

  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.

If the problem stays afterwards, you can also try to wipe the messaging app’s cache and data before finally doing a factory reset.

To wipe an app’s cache and data, you need to do the following:

  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.

Problem 8: Galaxy S7 won’t boot up, only restarts to Download mode

Hello and thank you for having a way of contacting you. Yesterday my phone crashed and stayed on the start up screen for 3 hours with no movement. The screen went blank (assuming it ran out of battery) and i put it on charge to see if i could fix the issue. When put on charge the charge logo came on but no green charging simulation on the battery logo. Red charging light also not coming on. I left it on charge overnight and no progress in the morning. When tried to turn on it either does nothing or crashes onto the Galaxy S7 start up screen. tried a soft restart, nothing. Tried a reboot and nothing. Tried another thing  called a custom os where the screen goes a turquise colour and warns me about updating software. There are 2 options at this point — push Volume Down to cancel and restart phone, volume up to continue with customs os. tried both. cancel does nothing and continue takes me to a screen where it says downloading and not to turn on but it stays on that screen for hours. I don’t know what to do from here. Any advice is appreciated Thank you. — Amy

Solution: Hi Amy. Since your phone appears to still boot to Download or Odin mode, you can try to flash the bootloader first. As mentioned above, flashing can potentially ruin your system so be sure to do research on how to do it properly. Below are the sample steps on how to flash a typical bootloader. Keep in mind though that the exact steps for your phone model may be slightly different. The following steps are only for demonstration purposes:

  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.

Flashing the bootloader is not a guaranteed fix so if it won’t work, you can try proceed to flashing a stock firmware.

Problem 9: Galaxy S7 won’t turn on, won’t boot to Recovery mode

Hi. I have a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. I was due the latest system update but kept postponing it and it was fine. it just stayed in my notification tray. I woke up in the morning and my phone would charge and showed the charging logo but wouldn’t turn on. I tried to boot in safe and recovery mode and no luck. Then I tried all the options in your boot loop page. https://thedroidguy.com/2015/06/how-to-get-samsung-galaxy-s6-edge-out-of-boot-loop-107653#BootLoopProblem1.  I have tried everything apart from flashing the firmware which I am not confident on performing. I have never installed custom roms or anything. I literally just postponed and update and woke up and now I am stuck in the “no command” loop despite trying everything including even a master reset. Any help would be appreciated. Kind Regards. — Danny

Solution: Hi Danny. Your phone won’t boot to Recovery mode so you really don’t have much choice except to try flashing. Unless of course you simply want to skip it by getting a new phone replacement.

 

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