What to do if Galaxy S9 Plus does not receive calls or texts from multiple contacts [troubleshooting guide]

Hello and welcome to another troubleshooting episode! Many people encounter the problems we are discussing in this post today so we’ve decided to come up with a guide specifically for the #GalaxyS9 and #GalaxyS9Plus devices. If you’re one of those unlucky Android users having trouble receiving calls and texts, this guide might help.

Problem #1: Galaxy S9 Plus not receiving calls or texts from multiple contacts

Hello. I hope this message finds the reader at a good time. I just recently purchased a Samsung GS9+, switching over from an iPhone 6s. I am getting complaints from friends and family (also on Galaxies) that they have been texting and calling and I haven’t gotten ANY of it. My iPhone stopped working, and being the second iPhone to fail me I switched over. I just recently got in contact with a prospective job offer and he had texted and called as well. It was only once I called him that I found out. To this minute, I receive nothing from him. This is a very scary problem, being it threatens a prospective job/income. I would greatly appreciate some help. I am in the human version of SOS mode currently. Apps I downloaded so far youtube instagram whatsapp AMC theatres WellsFargo Messenger Snapchat Best regards. — Gabriel Gabriel

Solution: Hi Gabriel. Your problem is most likely caused by an account or network issue so the ideal thing to do is to contact your operator. However, there’s also a chance that the issue may be due to an incorrect network setting or a software bug so before you report it to your carrier, we suggest that you do the following steps below.

What to do if you can’t receive calls:

There’s a number of things that you need to check to know the reason why your S9 does not receive incoming calls. Let’s see what you can do:

Check for call diverts or call forwarding setups

This is often the common reason why some users are not getting calls. Make sure that you did not set any calls to be diverted or forwarded to another number or voicemail. The exact steps may on how to check for call diverts may vary depending on your phone’s firmware build. If you are not familiar on how to do this, get support from your carrier.

Soft restart

Some users were able to fix calling issues before by doing a simple procedure called soft reset or restart. We suggest that you do it too and see what happens next. Here’s how:

Press and hold the Power + Volume Down buttons for approximately 10 seconds or until the device power cycles. Note: Allow several seconds for the Maintenance Boot Mode screen to appear.
From the Maintenance Boot Mode screen, select Normal Boot. You can use the volume buttons to cycle through the available options and the lower left button (below the volume buttons) to select. Also, allow up to 90 seconds for the reset to complete.

Check for call blocks

Just as call diverts or forwarding may prevent you from receiving calls, blocks can have the same result. If you’ve been blocking some numbers in the past, it’s possible that you may have forgotten to turn it off. Be sure to go into Phone app settings and disable all call blocks you may have created.

Delete Phone app data

Sometimes, the best way to fix an app issue is by restoring the said app to its factory state. If incoming calls are still not getting through at this point, make sure that the next step that you do is to deal with the Phone app. Basically, what you want to do is to clear its data to restore it to its factory state. Doing so would delete your call history so if you want to keep them, make sure that you back them up via Samsung Smart Switch or Samsung cloud. Once you’ve done that, follow these steps to delete Phone app data:

From the Home screen, swipe up on an empty spot to open the Apps tray.
Tap Settings.
Tap Apps.
Tap the desired application in the default list or tap 3-dot icon > Show system apps to display pre-installed apps.
Tap Storage.
Tap CLEAR DATA.
Restart your Galaxy S9 and check for the problem.

Make sure that they have your number in correct format

If the one’s calling you are from outside your country, or if they formatted your number incorrectly in their list of contacts, there’s a chance their calls may not get through. This means that the problem might be on their side. Try to call them and see if they got your number correctly.

Turn off Do not Disturb

Do Not Disturb is a notification setting that you can use in order not to, as the name suggests, not be disturbed by calls, messages, or alerts. If you’ve been using this for some time now, try turning it off and allow contacts you’re having problems with call you. If DND is important for you, try to set allowing exceptions and see if that will work. Here’s how:

From home, swipe up to access Apps.
Tap settings app icon Settings > sounds settings icon Sounds and vibration > Do not disturb.
Tap Allow exceptions, and then tap one of the following options:
- No exceptions: Allow no exceptions.
- Alarms only: Allow exceptions for alarms.
- Custom: Set your own exceptions.

Check for rogue apps

A bad app may interfere with Android or other apps. To check if one of the added apps is preventing calls from coming in, boot your S9 to safe mode and see what happens. In this mode, no third party app will be allowed to run so it’s a perfect way to know if an app is behind the troubles. Once you’ve set your S9 to safe mode, ask your contacts to call you.

To restart your S9 to safe mode:

With your S9 off, press and hold the Power key past the model name screen.
When “SAMSUNG” appears on the screen, release the Power key.
Immediately after releasing the Power key, press and hold the Volume down key.
Continue to hold the Volume down key until the device finishes restarting.
Safe mode will display in the bottom left corner of the screen.
Release the Volume down key when you see Safe Mode.

To know which app is causing a problem, follow these steps:

Boot to safe mode.
Check for the problem.
Once you’ve confirmed that a third party app is to blame, you can start uninstalling apps individually. We suggest that you begin with the most recent ones you added.
After you uninstall an app, restart the phone to normal mode and check for the problem.
If your S9 still refuses to power back on, repeat steps 1-4.

Reset network settings

Some voice calling issues are fixed by deleting the current network configuration and forcing the phone to use a new set. Many Android owners have used this step to fix all kinds of network errors in the past so it’s worth trying in your case too.

To reset the network settings on your S9:

Open Settings app.
Tap General management.
Tap Reset.
Tap Reset network settings.
Tap RESET SETTINGS button.
Restart your S9 and check for the problem.

Factory reset

We don’t know the history of your device but if your calling issue remains unresolved after doing the steps above, you should not hesitate to wipe it clean and start over again. Factory reset only covers possible software bug that may have developed after some time. If the problem is way deeper, say, due to bad hardware, operating system coding glitch, or network issue, the same problem may return afterwards.

To factory reset your S9:

Create a backup of your personal data.
Turn off the device.
Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby key, then press and hold the Power key.
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).
Press the Volume down key several times to highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset’.
Press Power button to select.
Press the Volume down key until ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted.
Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
When the master reset is complete, ‘Reboot system now’ is highlighted.
Press the Power key to restart the device.

Contact your carrier

There’s no way for us to know if the main reason why your S9 does not receive calls but one of the best things that you can do now is to report the trouble to your operator. An issue like this has many aspects and some of them can only be checked by your carrier. There may be an account problem or an on-going maintenance issue that affects your account or area. The most that you can do on your end is to restore the phone to its factory setup. If that won’t give you resolution, even when there are no third party apps installed, there’s a big chance that it has something to do with your carrier or their service.

What to do if you can’t receive texts:

Troubleshooting steps and solutions for text issues are very similar to the ones we provide for your voice calling issue above so there’s not much that you can do at this time. Both voice calling and texting issues right now must be caused by one and the same factor. Because both issues involved your operator, be sure to mention them when talking to a representative from your carrier.

Basically, these are the list of things that you can do specifically if you only have a texting issue at hand:

Check your message inbox is not full
Make sure contacts are not blocked
Clear cache and data of messaging app
Reinsert SIM card
Reset network settings
Factory reset
Contact your carrier for network issues

Problem #2: Galaxy S9 won’t connect to the internet

I bought this phone on May 8th. By the 10th, I noticed it couldn’t connect to the internet. Neither Tracfone nor Samsung text talk techies or phone talkers could solve in. None of the procedures worked. I took it back to the store. The tech manager tried all kinds of stuff. I couldn’t exchange for replacement because I had unknowing thrown a piece of tracfone cardboard box into recycle. The tech manager on 13th talked about the in solubility; the tracfone person said try them again today; if not resolved, tracfone send me new phone. I was on the phone with tracfone for 113 mins on my other tracfone. The personnel had me do the same useless, ridiculous tests over and over. I talked to 5 or 6 of them. I knew all along that they were following a rule: the customer is never right. They just transfer the problem to another person, who puts me through this monotonous, dead end bilge. This phone is a lemon. The last one before I gave up said, if I go back to the store the tech manager can arrange for tracfone to send to send me a replacement. I have PTSD from childhood and since; this situation is stressful. — Haphazardtopology

Solution: Hi Haphazardtopology. There are two ways to connect your S9 to the internet — cellular data connection and wifi. Which of them are you having trouble with? If you have a wifi problem, we suggest that you visit some of our S9 and S9 Plus troubleshooting guide regarding the issue:

If you have a problem with mobile/ cellular data connection, you can still follow some of the solutions for wifi not working articles but the most that you can do is factory reset. If that won’t work either, you need to talk to your carrier so they can check whether you have an account or network problem.

Unless you physically damaged your S9 that resulted to a broken antenna or motherboard, there’s very little chance that this is a bad hardware problem. In that case, getting a replacement phone won’t really fix the issue.

A good tip to follow before contacting your carrier is to try your SIM card in another compatible device (phone unlocked and worked on your network). If mobile data works on that phone when using your SIM card, that means you have to troubleshoot your S9. However, if the same issue occurs with the second phone, you need to contact your operator for help.

Read: Solved Samsung Galaxy S9 Mobile Data Not Automatically Connecting when Out Of Wi-Fi Range