This is, apparently, the second edition of our Samsung Galaxy S2 Problems and Solutions series this year. There were ten problems / questions I’ve addressed in this post but there are still a lot of emails from S2 owners that were left unanswered. But rest assured I am working and finding solutions to problems that even I haven’t encountered before. If you can’t find your concern here, please browse the first part.
Samsung Galaxy S2 Problems and Solutions [Part 1]
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If you own a Samsung Galaxy S2 and currently experiencing some problems with it, don’t hesitate to email us at mailbag@thedroidguy.com. You can also post on our Facebook wall or PM us and I guarantee I would respond as soon as I can. For owners who prefer to use Google+, we also have a Google+ page you could follow. We dedicated a page on our site to guide you how to get support, please head to our Troubleshooting Page for instructions.
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Problems and Solutions
#1. Messaging has stopped working
Problem
Hi there, my Samsung Galaxy S2 phone has been working fine ’til last night. I have been experiencing difficulty with MESSAGES!! When I try and open up a message, a message pop-up saying “unfortunately, messaging has stopped working”. I have tried restarting my phone several times, and the same message pops-up! Please help me out, as I need to txt important things out. Thanks. — Anna
Solution
Anna, it could be just a minor glitch on the Messaging app. Here’s a simple procedure that could help you fix this problem:
From any Home screen, tap the Menu key.
Choose Settings.
Tap the Applications manager.
Scroll to and tap Messaging.
Touch Clear Cache.
Touch Clear Data (please note you may lose your messaging settings when you do this).
Tap OK.
Now, reboot the phone and observe if the Messaging app still crashes.
#2. Cannot unlock Galaxy S2
Problem
I have a t mobile galaxy s2 and an s4. Both devices have bad reception and a super slow network. To resolve these issues, I asked t mobile to give me network SIM unlock codes for both devices. They gave me the codes. The code for my s4 worked with no problems and I replaced the SIM card with one from AT&T. Problem solved. On the other hand, the code for my S2 didn’t work. I confirmed the code was accurate with two other companies. It appears to be a problem with the device. Any advice you can give me on this issue would be greatly appreciated. It just keeps saying network unlock unsuccessful. Sincerely and respectfully, Zuri.
Solution
Find your phone’s IMEI; you can find it by removing the battery or going to Settings > About phone > Status. Now call your service provider and confirm they have the correct IMEI on their file. Note that the unlock code is based on the IMEI of the phone.
The last time I had my phone unlocked, I employed the services of cellunlocker.net where I purchased the unlock code that, of course, worked at first try. If, however, your phone was frozen after several tries of entering the code, you may want to get unfreeze code from here: Samsung IMEI Unfreeze Codes.
#3. Cannot download MMS pictures
Problem
I have 2 questions, First my Galaxy S2 wont download or open pics anymore from text messaging. I can send a pic to myself okay but cant receive from anyone else which I could for the first 8 months of service. Also I have tried to find a phone case that wont cause feedback to incoming callers. Works fine without case, but have tried several different cases with same result. I really like the phone, but it sure has its share of problems. It is an AT&T with SIM card but used on Straight Talk.
Solution
As to problems, yes, you can always expect them because these devices are far from being perfect. But when it comes to an MMS sending / receiving issues, there is a possibility that the APN settings were messed up or Straight Talk may have changed its settings again. The last time I check, the APN settings that works are the following:
NAME: STRAIGHT_TALK
APN: tfdata
MMSC: http://mms-tf.net
MMS PROXY: mms3.tracfone.com
MMS PORT: 80
Try to open the APN settings on your device and confirm that they’re the same as the one I posted above. If, however, you have the correct APN but you still can’t receive MMS from others, please Straight Talk because I’m sure they always have better answers than I am when it comes to network problems.
As to the best cases for your Samsung Galaxy S2, try Seidio’s lineups; they seem to have really solid products.
#4. Galaxy S2 shows it charges even if not plugged in
Problem
Hi there, I hope you can help with my Samsung Galaxy S2, it’s been acting a bit weird for the past few days now, randomly charging on its own when its not plugged in, and when it is connected and charging, the screen goes funny, lines move up and down it, like an old TV.
Now its started turning itself off and resetting the time and date every time I turn it back on. It just randomly died on me, switched itself off, then turned itself back on again, but as soon as I went to do something on it, it turned itself off again and now won’t turn back on. Have had to take the battery out, as after putting it on charge for a little while, its still doing nothing. Thanks. — Laura
Solution
I have a feeling that your phone has been submerged on water or has some kind of liquid damage. If not, it may have been dropped and the impact messed up components inside. But either way, or whatever the cause of the problem is, you need to have the phone checked by an authorized technician. I’m afraid it’s not about the phone’s software but hardware.
#5. Galaxy S2 opens another window
Problem
Hi, for some reason it seems that cooler temperatures causes my phone to jump to different screens. For example I might begin to start an email message and the menu settings will jump up or l might begin a search on Google and it will jump to another location. Ever heard of this before? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Lonnie.
Solution
If you’re using a third-party case, try to remove it and observe if the phone still acts the same. I’m sure there is a valid reason why the phone is acting like this but I’m certain it’s not the temperature. Another thing, please try to boot the phone to Safe Mode and see if it still happens because I think an app is causing this issue. When in Safe Mode and the phone still manifests the issue, Factory Reset may be necessary.
#6. Galaxy S2 screen turns on and off
Problem
So I have this issue with my galaxy s2. I will leave it on a surface, having the screen turned off. and usually around once every 10 minutes the screen will pop on and then pop back off. I’ve received no messages no alarms buzzers etc. The screen just comes on and then turns off. It’s kind of freaky and annoying and probably happens while it’s in my pocket, although obviously I can’t see it then. Thanks. — Brandon
Solution
Brandon, there’s an app or a service that’s causing the phone to act like this. The first troubleshooting step you should do is to boot the Galaxy S2 to Safe Mode and observe if it still happens. If it does not, then it is a third-party app that’s causing it. However, if the screen still automatically turns on then off even in Safe Mode, then one of the pre-installed apps or core services is causing the problem. Either way, if you don’t want to perform factory reset, download and install Wakelock Detector for you to know which app wakes your phone up. The app comes the most recommended app for this kind of issue.
#7. Galaxy S2 drains battery faster
Problem
Hi, I have a Samsung S2 I9100, right now I have updated it to 4.1.2 and always keep cleaning its cache for better performance but it keeps draining the battery very fast and heats up during charging and some times get very slow despite cleaning cache regularly. Please help me out. Regards, Abbas.
Solution
There could be a lot of factors that contribute to the fast draining of the battery and you need to find those. Of course, start with the third-party apps. Boot to safe mode to stop all third-party apps then mind of how long the battery could last. Of course, it will take hours to complete but it’s for the sake of knowing what causes the fast draining of the battery and to prevent further inconvenience of charging the phone every few hours.
If the battery lasts longer when in safe mode (of course, there should be a significant difference) then find the app that’s causing the draining. Otherwise, boot normally and enable Power Saving Mode just to rule out the possibility that your phone’s CPU is always on the overdrive or the screen was set to the highest level. You also need to turn off haptic feedback.
If your phone frequently gets disconnected from the mobile data network, it could also cause fast draining because the phone will keep searching and reconnecting every minute. So, the radio hardware and the CPU are always working. I’m sure you know some tricks on how to maximize the juice and if all those procedures fail, then you must consider buying a new battery.
#8. Galaxy S2 with cracked screen
Problem
Hi, glass etc slightly fractured and although phone does work (it will ring) LCD no longer does. As advised, it is swipe pattern protected but as a result I can’t unlock it because of LCD fault (I do remember pattern). O2 Guru suggested connecting via Kies as this would bypass swipe security, it didn’t.
Another suggestion was to buy b/tooth mouse and MHL/HDMI , connect phone to TV thus using that screen, apparently this works on all phones…except S2, Different encryption it seems. So, any ideas how I might retrieve data remaining on the phone? Many thanks, Tom.
Solution
There’s only so much we can do for a phone whose screen is broken. KIES can only access phones that are already unlocked, so the swipe pattern is the only hindrance to retrieve some data. There is another thing you could; use Samsung’s Find My Mobile service that would allow you to unlock your phone provided that your phone is connected to the internet. If you could unlock the phone using Find My Mobile, then you can use KIES to retrieve your data, otherwise, you have one last option below.
If the phone’s display still lights up and display picture normally, the digitizer could have been the only component that was fractured. Just a little info, all touchscreen phones have display panels and digitizers. The former displays the picture while the latter conducts touch commands. Between the two, the digitizer is often the first one to get damaged during impacts simply because it is the outer layer and way thinner than the display panel.
If only the digitizer was broken, then you could buy a replacement and use your phone again. If you want, you can install it yourself or you can employ the help of an authorized technician. Other than the two procedures I mentioned here, there’s no other ways proven to get the job done.
#9. Talkback can’t be disabled on Galaxy S2
Problem
After upgrading the OS by OTA from ICS 4.0.4 to JB 4.1.2, my S2 will read out ‘page 1 of 7, page 2 of 7′ and so on as I swipe the screen, or ‘folder open’ and ‘folder closed’ which is most annoying, to say the least. I had set Talk Back to OFF to no avail. To get rid of the talk back, I had to disable Google-Text-to-Speech. The S2 didn’t give this problem when running ICS 4.0.4 and I am unable to revert to previous version. Can you please advise. Thank you. — Yap
Solution
There could be an app that also uses Talkback’s services. It’s always been like this when it comes to Talkback problems–the service has already been disabled but the phone still reads aloud every action you do on the phone as well as the pages on the screen. Lightflow was one of the apps that could trigger this problem. In case you don’t know which app causes it, try booting the phone to Safe Mode and observe if it still talks back. If not, then a third-party app should be found to stop this.
If the phone still reads aloud every word on the screen even when in Safe Mode, then it is necessary to perform factory reset but before you actually do that, try wiping the cache partition first.
#10. Galaxy S2 won’t turn on
Problem
Good morning I wonder if you can help. My Galaxy S2 won’t turn on when I press the power button, is there a way round this. I do have insurance on it but have to pay the excess, I’m not due to upgrade yet. Love the phone. Hope you can help. — Jacqui
Solution
First of all, make sure your phone’s battery has power; plug the charger in and let the phone charge. While the phone is charging, look at the screen and see if there’s a charging icon–the one used to see. If there is, then perhaps there’s no problem with the phone, just a drained battery. If there’s none, try to wiggle the cable or make sure the cable fits well on the phone’s microUSB port. There is a possibility that the phone has drained its battery completely but your charger is busted.
I would also recommend you press and hold the power button to see if the phone responds to that. If all else fails, then use your insurance. After all, that’s the purpose of it.
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