What to do with Samsung Galaxy S9 that started to freeze and lag after an update?

When a phone starts to freeze or lag, it could be a sign of a firmware issue as such is the case with many of the problems we’ve addressed in the past. However, there are times when these performance issues are caused by some problems with applications. In other words, we really cannot know for sure when the issue is without doing some basic troubleshooting.

So, in this post, I will walk you through in troubleshooting your Samsung Galaxy S9 that started to freeze and lag after a firmware update. At the time of posting, there are no big updates for the device yet as Google is yet to release Android 9 Pie. If your phone recently received an update, it should still be Oreo and could be a minor one. Should the problem started after the update, then it would be easier to fix. So, read on to know more about these issues and how to deal with them to make your Galaxy S9 run perfectly again.

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

Troubleshooting Galaxy S9 that started to freeze and lag after an update

In this troubleshooting guide, we will try to consider every possibility and rule them out one by one until we can determine what the problem really is and what you need to do to fix it. We will begin from minor issues and progress into complicated ones. To begin with, here’s what you should do first…

Run your Galaxy S9 in Safe Mode

This is to know if the problem is caused by third party apps or not because if it is, then the next thing you must do is find out which app causes your phone to freeze and lag and then uninstall it.

By running your phone in safe mode, you’re temporarily disabling all third-party apps and if it runs smoothly while in this mode, it confirms the suspicion that the problem is caused by a third-party app.

Here’s how to reboot your Galaxy S9 in safe mode:

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

Assuming that the problem is fixed while in this mode, try to run your phone in normal mode and continue using it but be mindful of the apps you use so that you would soon know which app is the culprit. Upon knowing the app, you may try clearing its cache and data first and if that won’t work, then uninstall it.

Reset all settings

Try bringing the phone back to its default settings and configuration by resetting all settings. This has the same effect as the reset but none of your personal files and data would be deleted. It’s easy and convenient to do but very effective in dealing with issues that might have something to do with your phone’s configuration. Here’s how to do it:

1. From the Home screen, swipe up on an empty spot to open the Apps tray.
2. Tap Settings > General Management > Reset > Reset settings.
3. Tap RESET SETTINGS.
4. If you have set up a PIN, enter it.
5. Tap RESET SETTINGS.
6. The device will restart to perform the reset of settings.

If your Galaxy S9 still freezes and crashes after this procedure, then try the next one.

Wipe cache partition

You need to do this to rule out the possibility that the problem started due to some corrupt system cache. These files help your phone run smoothly but when they become corrupt, they will also cause performance-related issues like this. By wiping the cache partition, you’re not just deleting the system cache but also replacing them with new ones. Here’s how you do it:

1. Turn off the device.
2. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby key, then press and hold the Power key.
3. When the Android logo displays, release all three keys.
4. An ‘Installing system update’ message will show for 30 – 60 seconds before the Android system recovery menu options appear.
5. Press the Volume down key several times to highlight wipe cache partition.
6. Press Power key to select.
7. Press the Volume down key to highlight yes, them and press the Power key to select.
8. When the wipe cache partition is complete, Reboot system now is highlighted.
9. Press the Power key to restart the device.

Should the problem continue to bug you after this, then you have no other choice but to reset your phone.

Backup your important files and reset your phone

A reset will be able to fix any performance issues provided the firmware hasn’t been tampered with or modified in any way. If you happen to root and installed a custom ROM on your device, then that could be the reason why it’s freezing and lagging. Just reflash the stock firmware and the problem will go away. But assuming that the firmware is still intact and untouched, then a reset would be enough to fix the problem. Just make sure to backup all your personal files and data as they will be deleted during the reset and you may not be able to retrieve them. After the backup, follow these steps to reset your phone:

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

I hope that we’ve been able to help you one way or another. If you have other issues with your Galaxy S9, feel free to contact us or leave a comment below.

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