We already addressed more than a hundred Samsung Galaxy S2 problems and errors, so if you got issues with your phone, browse through this page and previous parts because we might have already answered questions you are going to ask. We have thousands of emails stuck in our inbox that were left unanswered but we are now in the process of answering those emails through posts like this.
As usual, feel free to email us at mailbag@thedroidguy.com if you think your problems weren’t addressed yet. While we read every email we receive, we cannot actually guarantee that we could respond to all of them. That’s the reason why we publish our answers on our site so our readers can easily browse problems related to theirs. We are serious in providing support to our readers that’s why we also use our Facebook page as another medium to answer questions. Or, you may join the Google+ community [click here] I created to extend our free support service. I usually have that page opened on my laptop so there’s a big chance you can catch me when you post your problems there.
Click any of the links below to go to that specific problem:
Galaxy S2 Maps Stopped Working
Galaxy S2 Shows ‘Insert SIM Card’ Error
Galaxy S2 Camera, FM Radio Problems
Galaxy S2 Won’t Boot Up Completely
Galaxy S2 Won’t Play Facebook Videos
Two Chargers Busted While Charging Galaxy S2
Galaxy S2 Auto Scrolls To The Top
Multiple Problems With Galaxy S2 After Update
Galaxy S2 Calls, Voicemail Notification and SMS Problems
Galaxy S2 Becomes Unusually Hot
Galaxy S2 Won’t Boot Up After It Shutdown Itself
Galaxy S2 Volume Down Key Unresponsive
Galaxy S2 Battery Charging Problem
Galaxy S2 Shows ‘SD Card is blank’ Error
Galaxy S2 Maps Stopped Working
Problem: Hi, have a thought for ya. I run 4.1.2 on a Galaxy S2. After the latest updates from Google I clear my ram and every once in a while I get a notice that maps has stopped running. The problem is it shouldn’t have been running in the first place… I’m assuming it’s referring to the Google maps app. I’ve restarted my phone and still seen the problem even without starting maps after the restart. Tried clearing the cache and reloading the app. Wondering if y’all had any thoughts on that. I’m not sure what version of Google maps I’m running but it should be the latest from Google. I update my apps regularly. Thanks for any help, Chris.
Solution: Hey Chris. Since this problem occurred after you updated your phone, some data and caches may have been corrupted during the process including that of the Google Maps. The first thing you should do is clear the cache and data of the Google Maps. If that doesn’t work, then try wiping the cache partition. It is some kind of a general troubleshooting procedure but it is effective especially when the problem is caused by other apps you don’t know about.
Lastly, if wiping cache partition wouldn’t work, backup your data and perform factory reset. You may also want to get rid of apps that use Google Maps or those that require location data.
Galaxy S2 Shows ‘Insert SIM Card’ Error
Problem: In the last few weeks my phone has randomly quite recognizing networks. Removing the battery and restarting does not work. When I go to settings and to “mobile networks” it instructs me to insert a SIM card which is already inserted. However; this might go on for a few days or a week and then out of the blue, text messages and phone messages will start coming through and my phone will work again. My service provider says that they will need to do a factory reset but I really don’t want to have to do that. I have switched out SIM cards and it recognizes nothing. It is almost like my service provider is putting a lock on it and then lifting it. Although I pay for unlimited everything and my bill never goes past due. This is becoming very annoying. It seems to happen most when I go out of my own service area and then come back. It’s like Viaero can’t pick up. Thanks for your help. — Bruce
Solution: I understand why there are a lot of owners who refused to do master or factory reset when their provider’s representatives told them so. In your case, there are two possibilities: either the phone’s software or hardware has a problem, or it is a totally network issue.
At first, of course, the SIM card was the first suspect but after you switched out SIM cards and the phone still acted the same, then you are left between the two possibilities I mentioned earlier.
Your provider’s reps, however, will never assume it’s a network problem because, first, they know their thing; and second, tweaking their network settings may affect millions of subscribers. That is why they wanted you to perform factory reset. I suggest you follow their advice and see what happens.
Galaxy S2 Camera, FM Radio Problems
Problems: My Galaxy S2 has a front camera but when I try to use it, it tells me camera failed and my camera settings show camera off. Also my FM radio app doesn’t help me access my country’s radio stations. Am in Uganda. It only includes Europe. South Asia and America.
Solutions: About the front camera problem, try using the stock Camera app. If you still got the ‘camera failed’ error message, clear the app’s cache and data. In case that wouldn’t work, try using other app that use your device’s camera like Instagram and Facebook. If the problem persists, there is a possibility it’s a firmware issue. So, I suggest you proceed with factory reset. After that, if the problem is still there, it’s a hardware issue and you need to have your phone checked.
Now, about that FM radio problem, remember that the phone is equipped with FM radio tuner so you can actually listen to local radio stations even without the internet. However, you need to have the headset plugged in because that serves as the extension of the antenna. Additionally, you need to be within range of the radio station you want to listen to.
Galaxy S2 Won’t Boot Up Completely
Problem: My phone will not fire up! When I turn it on Galaxy 2 logo appears then the Telstra logo, then “Samsung” appears, then it just freezes and does not go any further hence I cannot use my phone? Please can you help, I have pulled the SIM card and the battery out quite a few time, but it does not work? I am desperate to get it working. Cheers, Steve.
Solution: Steve, I don’t have any idea what happened to your phone and why it’s acting that way, so I will give two general troubleshooting procedures: wipe the cache partition and/or factory reset.
It is important, however, that you attempt to boot the phone to Safe Mode. If it can, then backup all your important data while the phone is in that state. If the phone couldn’t boot to safe mode, then try booting to recovery mode. Even the most problematic Android phone could boot to recovery so there’s a big chance your phone can.
While in recovery, perform the wiping of the cache partition first and attempt to boot normally. For minor firmware issues, this procedure has been proven effective. If, however, it failed, then reboot to recovery and perform factory reset. In your case, this is the ultimate solution.
Galaxy S2 Won’t Play Facebook Videos
Problem: Hi I have the issue with my S2 suddenly not playing videos. It had always played them in Facebook until yesterday. I cleared the cache and the data, tried uninstalling and reinstalling Facebook and still pops up a message that says “ Sorry unknown error occurred while trying to play this video” and made me click OK. I tried the things listed but that still didn’t eliminate the issue so was hoping you might have an idea on what to try now. Thank you for your assistance. — Shellz
Solution: The question is, does this happen to all FB videos you play? If so, try playing videos using the YouTube app and if it’s the same, then the problem could be in the service that handles playing videos. But before anything else, try booting to Safe Mode and observe the phone closely. You could still be able to browse the web and play videos while the phone is in that mode so try playing some.
If the problem doesn’t occur in Safe Mode, there’s a third-party app that’s causing the issue. However, if it’s still occurs, then the problem is in one of the pre-installed app or the firmware itself. But either way, it is necessary to perform factory reset. That would surely fix the problem.
If you’re hesitant to do so, try clearing the cache and data of both the Media Storage service and Video Player app. If that fails, then there’s no other option.
Two Chargers Busted While Charging Galaxy S2
Problem: Hello, I have a Samsung Galaxy S2 GT-19210T. My phone was on charge overnight. Whilst still on the charger, I pressed the unlock button, and a small wisp of smoke came out of the charger socket. The phone switched itself off, but I was able to turn it back on and it worked as per normal all day.
That night, thinking there could be a problem with the charger, I plugged my spare charger into the phone. Immediately a small wisp of smoke came out from the socket. The phone switched itself off. I removed and reinserted the battery, and the phone is functioning normally again. I’m not game to try the charger again… Any idea what the problem could be? — Leon
Solution: Leon, we always take safety as the first priority whenever we suggest troubleshooting procedures. So, the first thing I want you to do is bring the phone to a technician who have knowledge with mobile phones. Tell everything that you observed with the phone and let him worry about it. The downside of this is that you may have to pay him a few bucks but I’m sure it will be worth it.
If it were me, however, I will buy another charger (or two) and experiment. The first thing I will do is plug the power adapter to a different power source. If it doesn’t puff smoke, then I will proceed with the plugging of the phone. If the charger got busted after that, then the problem is with the phone’s charger port. The most common cause is that the chargers have been short-circuited.
In case the charger got busted the moment you plugged it in to the source, have your home’s electrical system checked as it poses great threat not just to all your appliances but to people living in the building.
Galaxy S2 Auto Scrolls To The Top
Problem: Hello, I was reviewing your suggestions to fix the problem of auto scrolling on your website Drippler. I have a Samsung S2 and it constantly auto scrolls to the top of the page on all web pages except for the Drippler webpage which is kind of strange. I tried your suggestions, but nothing seems to help. have you discovered any new solutions or have any suggestions to stop the auto scrolling? Thank you, Bob.
Solution: The auto scroll to the top feature in Samsung Galaxy S2 is brought by TouchWiz itself. Swiping the screen with three fingers will bring you to either to the top or bottom of the screen depending on the direction of your swipe. I was kinda curious to know when this problem started and what browser you’re using.
Try using a different browser and if this problem doesn’t occur, clear the cache and data of the browser you’re having problems with. However, if it persists, then wipe the cache partition and if that fails, reset your phone to factory settings.
Multiple Problems With Galaxy S2 After Update
Problems: Hello Droid Guy, I upgraded to 4.1.2 about a month ago and wish I hadn’t! Numerous problems…
Photos are not arranged conveniently in albums any more. Very difficult to find what you want.
Phone will not send photos by whatsapp etc, message “Failed. Out of memory. Try again later” I had no problem before, and have deleted apps I don’t want.
When I refresh email, it always shows a random (7, 11, 23, 12, etc etc) number of emails as unread, when I HAVE read them.
But the worst is that now, it keeps turning itself off, saying battery critically low, even though it’s not. This is happening 10+ times a day.
Now I know you will say I should reboot in safe mode, but I don’t know how. Have read your other posts about holding menu key whilst turning on, but which is the menu key? And then what should I do? What does rooted mean? What does wiping the cache mean? As you can tell I’m not a great technician! Grateful for any help. — Jane
Solution: I know just a person who has the same problems as yours only that his photos remained organized in albums after the update. To tell, Safe Mode isn’t gonna help fix this problem, factory reset will. And no, you don’t need to root your phone but I want you to wipe the cache partition just before the reset. Here’s how…
Turn off the device.
Press and hold both Volume Up and Volume Down keys at the same time.
Press the Power key only until the phone vibrates once, then release only the Power key.
Continue to hold the Volume up and Volume Down keys until the Android System Recovery screen appears.
Press the Volume Down key to highlight wipe cache partition.
Press the Power key to select. Wait until the process is finished.
Press the Volume Down key to highlight wipe data / factory reset.
Press the Power key to select.
Press the Volume Down key to highlight Yes – Delete all user data.
Press the Power key to select.
Press the Power key to reboot.
This should fix the problem.
Galaxy S2 Calls, Voicemail Notification and SMS Problems
Problems: Hello Droid Guy, I have had my S2 for about 2.5 years. It has always been a great phone, but recently I am running into some problems with it.
The most aggravating is that when I am talking on the phone, about 50% of the time, the other person will be unable to hear me. I am not sure if this is a carrier problem, but my husband’s iPhone does not seem to have this issue.
Another issue is the phone can be sitting beside me, and I will have a voicemail, and the phone will not have rung. Sometimes text messages do not come through when they are sent.
I have noticed that the battery life isn’t as good as it used to be. I did buy two OEM Samsung batteries, but I returned both as they didn’t charge at all overnight and my phone seemed to be very hot while it was plugged in.
I am debating on getting a newer phone, but I love my S2 and hate to upgrade if these are carrier issues and not related to my phone itself. We have service through AT&T. Thank you, Sherry.
Solution: Hi Sherry, I have a feeling you haven’t cleared virtual cobwebs in your phone for a long time already. Actually, it is actually easy to blame the microphone of your phone. But in your case, I think the phone just needs to be refreshed so it can operate normally like new.
When it comes to SMS not coming in in a timely manner, it is more often a network problem but I think the fact that the phone hasn’t been reset to factory settings for quite a long time, the capability of the device to receive radio signals may have been impaired. And by the way, it could also cause disruption during calls. So, I suggest you backup all your data that are saved in your phone’s memory and do the factory reset.
From any Home screen, tap the Menu key.
Tap Settings.
Scroll to and tap Back up and reset.
Tap Factory data reset.
Tap Reset device.
Tap Delete all.
You know what? I think it’s about time you get yourself a better phone. Your S2 may have already served you well.
Galaxy S2 Becomes Unusually Hot
Problem: Hi. My problem seems to be be the phone gets hot when charging. Super hot. In fact I get nervous and unplug it. The one I have now is a replacement. The previous phone would get so hot I could smell it. Googled the issue and it seemed to be the battery that AT&T was not made aware of by Samsung. I have read articles of batteries exploding and catching fire. This phone has gotten so hot the corner of the screen cracked…it was laying on the table not on charge. I am seriously addicted to my S2 and considered an upgrade to a 3 or 4 until reading the reviews. Thank you. — Sherri
Solution: Sherri, if it were the heat that cracked the corner of the phone’s screen, then there’s a problem with the hardware itself. I mean, the phone may get hotter when used for hours but not that hot that it could crack the display. If it were my phone, I would have my provider replaced it (I understand it’s already a replacement unit but it’s unusable). Or, maybe it’s about time you upgraded to a better one.
I wouldn’t suggest you troubleshoot it because, apparently, there’s nothing you can do. It’s obviously a hardware problem and only device experts with proper training should take a look at it. I’m sure, you too, are terrified to troubleshoot it.
Galaxy S2 Won’t Boot Up After It Shutdown Itself
Problem: Hi, I’d check for all of the posts but still cant solve my problem. My phone turn off itself while I’m playing game. I thought it was battery problem, but I had tried with new battery it still can’t turn on. For your information, my battery is still functioning as I tried with my friend’s Samsung Galaxy S2, it still works well. So, I’m sure with that’s not battery problem and I tried to reboot the phone, but failed to reboot too. What happened to my phone? Can u help me solve it as soon as possible. Thanks regard! — Stephanie
Solution: Okay, so you’ve ruled out the possibility that it’s just a battery problem. So, let’s not tackle topic.
You also made it clear that the phone shut itself down while you were playing a game. I wish you included the name of the game so I could look into it. But based on your description, it comes out clear that it could be just an application issue. Maybe the game you were playing crashed and now it’s preventing Android from booting up.
My suggestion, boot the phone to Safe Mode. If you can do that successfully, then booting up normally wouldn’t be a problem the next time you reboot the phone. However, if the phone refuses to boot up to Safe Mode, you are left with no choice but to perform factory reset via the recovery mode.
Galaxy S2 Volume Down Key Unresponsive
Problem: I went to a theme park abroad last year and my phone got wet while I was on a water ride. It started back up but the power button and volume down buttons were unresponsive. I’ve given it a month and the power button works as good as normal now but the volume down button still won’t work….the volume up button works perfect though, I don’t know what the problem is…could you please tell me what it is before I fork out money to get the phone repaired. — Suhayb
Solution: Suhayb, it’s just corrosion between contacts. Have the phone cleaned up and point out to the technician who would dismantle it that the Volume Down button isn’t as responsive as before. I’ve encountered a lot of problems like this and they’re often caused by water or other liquid agents.
Galaxy S2 Battery Charging Problem
Problem: Hello, I am having problem charging my galaxy s2 though the normal port. I have tried charging the battery with another s2 phone and it works. I am assuming it’s a faulty port. Please can you help. Regards, Amin.
Solution: Hi Amin, your assumption may be correct. The best thing for you to do is have it checked. The worst thing that could happen is that you will have to buy a new charging port.
Galaxy S2 Shows ‘SD Card is blank’ Error
Problem: My Galaxy S2 shows an error in my tool bar that states “SD Card is blank or has unsupported file system”. All my pictures and apps that are on the card are not functional. Any ideas? I don’t know if it is related, but, around the same time, there was a spike in my mobile data usage of nearly 400mb. It may have been something I or my kids did, or it could be part of the issue. I don’t know. — Jody
Solution: Jody, the first problem you mentioned here is apparently an SD card problem, that’s all. The spike in your data usage may have been caused by an app.
I don’t know the history of your phone or your SD card but I’m sure it has already become unreadable by the device. The best solution for that is to let your laptop read it, copy all files inside it, and reformat with FAT32 format. However, if the computer prompts you to reformat it after you inserted it, then there’s nothing you can do about its contents.
In case the phone can’t still read from the SD card after the reformat, it’s time you bought a new one.
Engage with us
Feel free to send us your questions, suggestions and problems you’ve encountered while using your Android phone. We support every Android that is available in the market today. And don’t worry, we won’t charge you a single penny for your emails. Email us via mailbag@thedroidguy.com any time. We read every email but can’t guarantee a response. Lastly, if we were able to help you, please help us spread the word by sharing our posts with your friends or visit our Troubleshooting Page. Thanks.
The post Fix Common Samsung Galaxy S2 Problems and Errors [Part 17] appeared first on The Droid Guy.