What to do if Galaxy S8 notifications stopped working after an update

Updates usually bring drastic changes so it’s not surprising that some users may find familiar features or functionalities gone. In some other cases, updates can outright result to obvious issues. In today’s troubleshooting article, we want to address a common issue that a lot Android users encounter: notification problems after installing Android Oreo. If you’re one of the unlucky users who have notification problems after updating, make sure to refer to the solutions mentioned in this article.

Problem #1: What to do if Galaxy S8 notifications stopped working after an update

I’m having the same issue that I see a lot of others are having. I don’t get notifications from my messaging app.after updating to Oreo, which I hate and I’m sorry I updated now. Everything is turned on to get notifications and I’ve cleared all the caches storage. I’ve spend hours going through menus.  And there is no way I can open the back to take the battery out. I thought because it was waterproof, this made access to the battery impossible for the user. So there is no way I can see for a soft reset. I really don’t want to do a factory reset, which might not even solve the problem. It takes days to get everything back the way it was and I don’t have the time. But if it gets rid of Oreo and goes back to what it was, it may be worth it.  Please let me know if there are any fixes for this problem that I haven’t found yet. 

Solution: With Android Oreo update, Samsung did some changes how notifications work. Users are now unable to use custom ringtone and notifications for text messages when using the stock text messaging app. There’s no official explanation from Samsung why they did it so we can’t tell you as well why that is so. If you used to set custom (non-default) ringtones and notifications for your messages before updating, that’s the reason why your S8 may no longer be getting notifications at this time. If you wish to use the same text messaging app, then we suggest that you reset all notifications settings to default and use Samsung provided tones only. If you’re using a third party app to customize ringtones and notification sounds like Zedge, you won’t be able to use it with Samsung stock text messaging app.

If you are amenable to using another text messaging app, then you should be able to continue using your custom ringtones and notifications. There are many alternate text messaging apps in the Play Store that you can try. You can start with Google’s own Android Messages.

In case there’s a problem with your device’s notification app, try wiping the cache and/or data of BadgeProvider app. Here’s how:

1. Open Settings app.
2. Tap Apps.
3. Tap on More settings at the upper right (three-dot icon).
4. Select Show system apps.
5. Find and tap BadgeProvider app.
6. Tap Storage.
7. Tap Clear Data button.
8. Restart your S8 and check for the problem.

Problem #2: Galaxy S8 apps won’t open when using app shortcuts

The apps appear on the homescreen but when I swipe to the applications list, all the apps stored on my SD card have grey android icons and the “apps not found” error message pops up. But I know the apps work and are not corrupted because when I tell Bixby to open the app it opens. But once again shortcut does not work on the app list. I restarted multiple times. I have unmounted and remounted the sd card. I tried uninstalling and reinstalling the apps, and it is a very temporary fix sometimes. This is a hassle though that I don’t want to keep going through. The phone is otherwise phenomenal. I have had an excellent experience up to this point but would really appreciate it if this problem could be fixed. Thank you. Jose Mendez

Solution: Some apps are not designed to work on SD cards so if tapping an app shortcut results to a crash or failure to load, you should consider moving such app to the phone’s internet memory.

Also, you can try to reset all app preferences in order to ensure that all necessary default apps that may be needed by the app you’re trying to open are enabled. Resetting app preferences will have the following effects:

• re-enables previously disabled apps and services
• resets default apps for actions
• turns off background data restrictions for apps
• return app permissions to their defaults
• unblock app notifications

To reset app preferences on your S8:

1. Open Settings app.
2. Tap Apps.
3. Tap More settings (three-dot) icon at the upper right.
4. Tap Reset app preferences.

Should nothing work at this point, you can also try to clear your phone’s settings to return all default software information. This is often an effective solution when dealing with apps or notification issues. To clear your phone’s settings:

1. From the Home screen, swipe up on an empty spot to open the Apps tray.
2. Tap General Management > Reset settings.
3. Tap Reset settings.
4. If you have set up a PIN, enter it.
5. Tap Reset settings. Once complete a confirmation window will appear.

Problem #3: What to do if Galaxy S8 has multiple issues: apps won’t load, overheating, keeps freezing

My galaxy S8 a few months ago lost all sound, only when headphone is connected sound works, batteries get really hot and phone generally slow and freezes but works okay. 3 days ago suddenly started with this message on home screen in a loop: The application TWLauncher ( LogsProvider process com.sec.android.provider.logsprovider) has stopped unexpectedly. Please try again. Force Close.” I cannot access any apps as the time between loop messages is seconds. I have force close but the loop message continues. I have switched off re opened in developer mode and Wipe cache partition and rebooted but I get this message. E:copy_kernel_file :: Can’t open /data/log/recovery_kernel_log.txt, then goes back to restart and the loop messages reappear. I have tried connecting to PC (Kies), but it cannot connect as its seeing applications open on the phone, and as I cannot get past the loop to close anything. I have removed batteries and reinserted. No luck. Lots of sentimental family photos and messages form, but nothing was back up and phone not rooted Please help me SOS thank you. PC could not select device.

Solution: We don’t have the full history of your device in order to pinpoint where the problem lies. We suggest that you simply do a factory reset right away, especially since you seem to be having multiple issues right now. With a factory reset device, you will know if the issues are due to a software bug or not. If they remain after you factory reset, you can assume that there’s bad hardware involved. In this case, you need to send the device to Samsung so they can examine and repair it.

For reference, here are the steps on how to factory reset your S8:

1. Create a backup of your data.
2. Turn off the device.
3. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby key, then press and hold the Power key.
4. When the green Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
5. Press the Volume down key several times to highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset’.
6. Press Power button to select.
7. Press the Volume down key until ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted.
8. Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
9. When the master reset is complete, ‘Reboot system now’ is highlighted.
10. Press the Power key to restart the device.

Problem #4: How to remove Blocked Messages folder from Galaxy S8 text messaging app

How do I keep texts from blocked numbers being visible to me? I had touched the 3 dots & went to settings in the texting app of my Galaxy S8 Active to block a number & saw the “Blocked Messages” choice. I touched that & could read 200 texts from a mental abuser that I had already blocked. I block numbers for a reason & I don’t want to receive their texts period. How do I deactivate the Blocked Messages storage? I am new to Android. My old iphone did not have this ridiculous feature. Thanks for your help!

Solution: Blocking a number or numbers in your Samsung Galaxy device does not mean messages will no longer be received by your phone. Blocked messages would still be received by your S8 but they will no longer be shown in the inbox. Instead, they will be forwarded to the Blocked Messages folder so in case you change your mind, you can unblock a number easily. There’s no option to remove the Blocked Messages folder so you have to be creative when dealing with your particular situation. For one, you can simply stop checking your Blocked Messages folder. If you can’t stop doing that for some reason, you may have to try more drastic workarounds like change your number, report the person to the authorities, or ask support from your carrier to see if they can provide you with more advanced solutions.

 

---