What to do with your Samsung Galaxy Note 9 with screen flickering issue?

A screen flickering issue is very common and it may be just a minor problem caused by some apps or a very serious one due to a hardware issue. We have readers that encountered this problem with their Galaxy S9 and Note 8 smartphones and we anticipate it to also happen to the new Samsung Galaxy Note 9. That’s the reason we publish troubleshooting guides like this to give our readers enough information on what to do should the problem occur.

In this post, I will walk you through in troubleshooting your new Galaxy Note 9 that has flickering screen. We will try to look into every possibility and rule them out one by one until we can determine what the real problem is. That way, we can try to formulate a solution that may fix it for good or know if it’s a hardware issue because if it is, then you can immediately bring the device back to the store and have it replaced. So, if you are one of the owners of the new Note 9 and are currently bugged by a similar issue, continue reading as this article may help you.

For those who are looking for a solution to a different problem, drop by our troubleshooting page for we have already addressed some of the most common issues with this phone. Browse through the page to find issues that are similar with yours and use the solutions we suggested. If they don’t work for you or if you still need our help, contact us anytime through our Android issues questionnaire.

How to troubleshoot Galaxy Note 9 with a flickering screen

As users, all we can do is find out if the screen flickering issue with your phone is due to apps or firmware because if it is, we can fix it on our own without having to see a technician or take a trip back to the store. Software related issues are often pretty minor but if the problem goes beyond that, then there’s not much you can do because even just removing one screw may void the warranty of your device and you could no longer claim a replacement if it’s problem with the hardware.

With all that being said, here are the things (safe procedures)  you can do by yourself to find out if the screen flickering is a software or hardware problem…

First solution: Run your Note 9 in Safe Mode

The purpose of this procedure is to know if your third-party apps have something to do with it. In safe mode, all third parties are temporarily disabled so if the flickering doesn’t happen while your phone is in this mode, it means that there’s an app or two that’s causing the screen to flicker. In such case, all you gotta do next is find out which app causes the problem and get rid of it or you may even just need to clear it cache and data to fix the problem.

Here’s how to reboot your Note 9 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.

You can still continue using your phone even if it’s in safe mode so continue your observation to know if the screen still flickers. If it doesn’t, find out which of the apps you installed causes the problem and reset it first and if it won’t fix the problem, then uninstall it.

However, if the flickering continues even in safe mode, the problem could be with the firmware that you should do the next procedure.

Second solution: Wipe cache partition

This will delete and replace the system cache which consists of temporary files created by Android to make your phone smoother after the first boot. There’s a cache for every service and there’s a service for every hardware component. While these files are temporary, they need to be replaced from time to time as they will cause some performance issues when they become corrupt. That could be the case here so wipe the cache partition to deleted the system cache and replace the files with new ones.

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.

Wiping the cache partition is actually very effective and you don’t have to worry about your files and data as they won’t be touched. However, if the problem continues after wiping the cache partition, then the next thing you should do is to reset your device.

Third solution: Master Reset your Note 9

This is your last resort and f the problem is due to a firmware issue, then this procedure will fix it. However, you have to make a backup of your important files and data especially ones that are stored in your phone’s internal storage as they will be deleted. After the backup, follow these steps to reset your new Galaxy Note 9…

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.

If the problem or screen flickering continues after the reset, then it could be a hardware problem. Bring the phone back to the store where you bought it and have it replaced. A brand new phone should work perfectly without a hitch. At least, you’ve done you’re part now.

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