Welcome to the 40th part in our series of troubleshooting articles dedicated to the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. In this latest installment we will tackle some of the latest emails that have been sent our way concerning this particular model. For those who don’t know yet, we offer this service where we try to help our readers with the issues that they are facing with their mobile devices. We have already provided more than a hundred solutions for this particular model alone and it looks like we will be providing hundreds more.
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Note 3 Switching Camera Issue
Problem: In my Samsung Note 3, while using camera, switch to front camera option doesn’t work. Rather it gives message “Beauty Face..” and then this message is also immediately overlapped with another message “MediaServer failed. Camera needs restart.” Then the rear camera doesn’t work as well. However after following the sequence as mentioned below its rear camera starts working again. Settings → Application Manager → All → Camera → Clear data. I have gone through the factory reset process as well but the problem still persists. Please help.
Solution: Beauty Face is a feature present in your phone that is activated once you us the front facing camera. What it does is it captures a portrait and automatically enhances facial features.
The issue that you are facing with the phone right now is the “MediaServer failed. Camera needs restart” error message that occurs whenever you switch to your front camera. A MediaServer error usually occurs when there is corrupt data stored in either your phone internal memory or the MicroSD card that is inserted.
Regarding the troubleshooting steps required to resolve this issue, clearing the data of the camera app and even performing a factory reset are two good solutions. Unfortunately in this case both seem to have failed to resolve the issue as the error message still occurs.
One other thing that has not been performed though is the formatting of the MicroSD card. The card you are using may just be the very cause of the problem. Before formatting the card it is important to back up its contents first. Take the card out from your phone and connect it to your computer. From the computer copy the contents of the card to a folder then format the card.
Once the format process has completed insert it back into your phone then check and see if the error still occurs when you use your front camera.
Note 3 Voice Recorder Issue
Problem: I’m new user of Samsung Galaxy Note 3 but not new in Android. I have two question about my galaxy and “boot the device” which you explain in your website; 1, when i want to use built-in application “sound Recorder”, I got this message “another application is recording now”. I dive in it, to find which application is running, finally I found “kid Record voice” is working, after force close that, I expected it work probably, but the same message again pop up. When I restart the device, it comes to work. But after a while, when I want to use it again the same problem, comes up. I cannot disable the kid mode because my little girl is playing with it. ( if you please, tell me how many apps should be disabled if I want to disable the kid mode, there are lots of apps belong to kid mode ). I try some other application like voice recorder, all work perfect with No Error! But I love the quality of built-in sound recorder. Please tell me, is there any solution for this problem. 2. I read almost the whole of your Solutions, for several solution you instruct to “boot the device” as below; While the phone is ON remove the battery and “hold power button” for… sometimes 1 minute, sometimes 3 minutes, and sometimes more than 3 minutes!! My question is, what’s the difference between these times. What happens if I hold the power button for less than or longer than this times?
Solution: Kid mode is a special feature available in this model that allows children to access kid friendly apps installed in the phone while the other apps are locked down. Regarding your particular issue you mentioned that you pinpointed the problem to that of “kid Record voice” however after closing the app the error message still pops up. This means that another app is accessing your phone microphone.
What you can do is to first disable Kid Mode in your phone. Just go to the main screen then tap on the X mark located in the upper right hand corner. If prompted for a passcode enter it. Ty using your Sond recorder app and see if the problem still occurs.
You can also try finding out what app is using the microphone by pressing and holding the Home button. This will generate a list of recent apps. If you find an app that you think may be using the microphone then you can just swipe it to the left or right to close it.
The error message that you get when using the Sound recorder app may also be caused by a glitch in the app itself. In this case you should clear the cache and data of the app.
From the home screen, tap Apps.
Scroll to and tap Settings.
From the General tab, scroll to and tap Application manager.
Swipe left to the ALL tab.
Scroll to and tap the Sound Recorder application.
Tap Clear cache
Tap Clear data.
Review the message and tap OK.
You’ve now cleared the application cache and data.
Regarding your second question, the reason why you need to press and hold the power button is to discharge any current left in your phone. This current is needed to store data in your phone’s RAM. If there is any corrupt data in the RAM it will stay there even if the phone is off as long as current is still available.
As for the difference in time (1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes) I just pegged it at 3 minutes to make sure that the phone will be totally drained. In reality, even if you press and hold the power button for a mere 30 seconds the current will be discharged. It is however best to do it for a longer period of time just to make sure.
Note 3 Can’t Make Calls Using Line App
Problem: Hi, I have a Galaxy Note 3 with T mobile and I have 4G data, I couldn’t sent MMS so I restore the phone to default mode but now I cannot make calls through the Line app if you can please help me. Thanks so much in advance.
Solution: When you did a factory reset on your device it also erased the network settings that are needed to allow you phone to connect to T-Mobile’s data network. If you have Wi-Fi settings saved in your phone this will also be deleted.
The first thing you should determine is whether it is only the Line app that is not working or if the phone itself cannot connect to the Internet. If it is only the Line app that is not working then you can try to clear the cache and data of the app.
From the home screen, tap Apps.
Scroll to and tap Settings.
From the General tab, scroll to and tap Application manager.
Swipe left to the ALL tab.
Scroll to and tap the Line application.
Tap Clear cache
Tap Clear data.
Review the message and tap OK.
You’ve now cleared the application cache and data.
If the problem still persists then try to uninstall the app and reinstall it again.
If it is your phone in general that cannot connect to the Internet then you will have to enter the correct settings for your mobile data as well as Wi-Fi.
For the T-Mobile settings follow the steps below.
From any Home screen, tap the Menu key.
Tap Settings.
Tap the Connections tab.
Tap More networks.
Tap Mobile networks.
Tap Access Point Names.
If available, tap the T-Mobile US APN (the bullet point fills with green). If not available, tap the Menu key, and then tap New APN.
The correct settings are as follows.
Name: T-Mobile US LTE
APN: fast.t-mobile.com
Proxy: <Not set>
Port: <Not set>
Username: <Not set>
Password: <Not set>
Server: <Not set>
MMSC: http://mms.msg.eng.t-mobile.com/mms/wapenc
MMS proxy: <Not set>
MMS port: <Not set>
MMS protocol: WAP 2.0
MCC: 310
MNC: 260
Authentication type: <Not set>
APN type: <Not set> OR Internet+MMS
APN protocol: IPv4/IPv6
APN roaming protocol: IPv4
Enable/disable APN: <greyed out unless there are multiple APN’s>
Bearer: Unspecified
Once the settings are in place tap Menu then Save. You should also tap the desired APN profile you want to use. The bullet point fills with green next to the APN profile.
Check youe Line application and see if it is working.
For your Wi-Fi connection just scan for your wireless network then connect to it. You may need to enter a password to connect.
Note 3 Stops Charging At 98%
Problem: I own a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 (SM N-900). The only problem i face with my device is that it stops charging at 98%. it will indicate that its charging but wont go further from 98%. i am using the charger provided with the device. Would truly appreciate if you have a good solution for the above issue.
Solution: This issue doesn’t just affect the Note 3 but other mobile devices as well. One way to resolve this is to recalibrate your battery. You can do this by charging your battery to its full level. If you are stuck at 98% then disconnect the charger for around a minute or two then connect it again. In most cases your phone will soon show a 100% charged status. Once it reaches 100% disconnect the charger then use your phone normally until it fully drains (0%). As soon as your phone shuts down you can start charging it again. Do this procedure at least once a month.
Note 3 Battery Drains Fast
Problem: Hi, please help, ive noticed that my note 3 battery is draining fast, and when i opened the battery info., it says that 44% of battery consumes on android os. Before, it saves the battery in standby during i sleep and when i wake up, it will only consume 3-5% of battery, but now, i always wake up to 1% battery! I always used to turn off all my internet connections and clean/close all applications. Please help, how can i resolve this?
Solution: The first thing that you should consider in a battery drain issue is if certain apps are the culprit. Even if you have turned off most of the services and features of your phone if apps are running in the background then they will consume your battery life. Yo mentioned that the Android OS uses the biggest amount of power. In this case, you might want to consider doing a factory reset on your phone then observe its battery performance. Before doing thi procedure make sure to backup your data first.
Turn off the device.
Press and hold the following three buttons at the same time: Volume Up key, Home key, Power key.
When ‘GALAXY Note 3′ appears on the screen, release the Power key but continue to press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home key.
When the Android System Recovery screen appears, release the Volume Up and Home keys.
Press the Volume down key to highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset.’
Press Power button to select.
Press the Volume down key to highlight ‘delete all user data.’
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 turn the restart the device.
If the battery power still drains quickly despite performing a factory reset then you should consider getting a new battery.
Note 3 Forgets Default Apps
Problem: Hi DroidGuy, I really enjoy your posts. Ever since finding out your blog I keep checking for solutions for problems I took for granted. But the problem that bugs me the most with the Note 3 is that the phone forgets the default apps. For example, when the phone boots up and I unlock the screen I have to choose between Samsung’s default launchers. Same happens with all the other apps once I restart the phone. Can you please help? Thanks.
Solution: The first thing that needs to be done in this case is to check if there are any new software updates available for your phone and apply them accordingly. These updates come with improvements and bug fixes that may help resolve the issue.
Once you have made sure that your phone is running on the latest software you can then try to reset the app preferences of your phone and see if this helps. Just go to Settings-Apps- click on the three dots then click on reset app preferences.
When you perform an action you will be asked if you would like a particular app to complete the action always or just once. Click on always. Restart your phone and verify if the app preference has been sved.
If you are still required to choose which app should complete the action then there might be a glitch in your phone software. A factory reset should generally resolve this issue. Before performing the factory reset make sure that you have made a backup of your data.
Turn off the device.
Press and hold the following three buttons at the same time: Volume Up key, Home key, Power key.
When ‘GALAXY Note 3′ appears on the screen, release the Power key but continue to press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home key.
When the Android System Recovery screen appears, release the Volume Up and Home keys.
Press the Volume down key to highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset.’
Press Power button to select.
Press the Volume down key to highlight ‘delete all user data.’
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 turn the restart the device.
Note 3 Problems After 4.4.2 Upgrade
Problem: Hello, I have waited for a while to upgrade my device firmware to 4.4.2 and i finally did. I have noticed that there are a fee problems that i am facing after the upgrade.
The phone sometimes charge really fast 100% and sometimes it takes ages for it to charge to 100% (concerned).
The phone is slow unfortunately after the upgrade and also the apps take a little longer then it used too to open.
Did not find any significant changes after the upgrade.
Looking forward to resolutions fir such issues with the samsung note 3 upgraded to android 4.4.2. Thank you & regards.
Solution: Most of the issues that appear on a phone right after a major software update are generally caused by data from the previous software version that has not been completely removed from the phone. This old data conflicts with the new software version and causes various issues. The best way to remove this old data is to perform a factory reset on the phone. Maake sure that you back up your data first before proceeding.
Turn off the device.
Press and hold the following three buttons at the same time: Volume Up key, Home key, Power key.
When ‘GALAXY Note 3′ appears on the screen, release the Power key but continue to press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home key.
When the Android System Recovery screen appears, release the Volume Up and Home keys.
Press the Volume down key to highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset.’
Press Power button to select.
Press the Volume down key to highlight ‘delete all user data.’
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 turn the restart the device.
Note 3 MicroSD Can’t Delete Files
Problem: I need help with my Sandisk 64gb sd card. I cannot format it or delete any of the files. I took the card out of my phone and put in a adapter, and deleted the files manually. They they somehow just pop back on there. When i rename files they change back when I go to access card again. When i try to format i get a error. I’ve tried 3 different SD programs and none of them work. Can somebody help me please. I have no problem accessing files or my phone reading card. Just cant delete anything without it reappearing again.
Solution: It appears that this may already be a sign that your card is faulty. It still allows you to access data stored in it but it doesn’t allow you to delete data. Your best option is to buy a new card.
You can however try to troubleshoot the card by connecting it to your PC. Backup all data stored in the card then perform a full format (not a quick format) on it. A full format deletes any data stored in the card while a quick format just makes the data appear invisible to you while marking its space as available for rewriting.
Note 3 Randomly Plays Music
Problem: My note 3 sometimes plays music in my playlist randomly. Is there a way to get this to stop? (and no I was not listening to music or even touching the phone at the time)
Solution: Is your phone using a protective case? Most of the time these cases interfere with the phone operation and may sometimes lead to this issue.
If your phone does not use a case then you should check if there are any new software updates available. These updates contain improvements and fixes that may help resolve the issue.
The next thing that you should do is to clear the cache and data of your music app. Take note that you will have to recreate your playlists once this is done.
From the home screen, tap Apps.
Scroll to and tap Settings.
From the General tab, scroll to and tap Application manager.
Swipe left to the ALL tab.
Scroll to and tap the Music application.
Tap Clear cache
Tap Clear data.
Review the message and tap OK.
You’ve now cleared the application cache and data.
If the problem still persists at this point then start your phone in Safe mode. In this mode only the default apps are loaded while the third party apps you installed from the Google Play Store are disabled. This allows you to determine if certain apps are causing the issue.
Turn the device off.
Press and hold the Power key.
When ‘GALAXY Note 3′ 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.’
If in Safe Mode the problem does not occur then find out what app is causing this and uninstall it.
Note 3 Must Be Restarted to Receive Text Messages
Problem: Hi. I’m having an intermittent issue with my Note 3 on T-mobile service. Most of the time text works just fine but every once in a while I realize that I haven’t received a text for a few hours so I restart my phone and upon restart (or within minutes) I get a barrage of texts that had not come through over the course of the last few hours. To my knowledge my outgoing texts actually send perfectly fine, I just don’t get incoming. This has started happening more often recently. Sometimes I can go a couple of days and sometimes I have to literally restart several times in a day. I have tried a master reset and it seemed to work well for a few days and then right back to texting issues. Everything else seems to work just fine. Sometimes I’ll know to restart because someone will have to message me through facebook or hangouts to ask if I got their messages so I’ll restart and they’ll all start coming through. At least I eventually get them but this issue is still maddening. Any help or ideas are greatly appreciated. I have searched and searched with not much help. Thanks
Solution: The first thing you should do in this case is to contact T-Mobile and verify with them if there are any coverage issues in your area or if there are any issues with your account. You should also consider getting a new SIM from them to check if this problem is caused by your SIM.
You mentioned that a master reset only resolves the issues for a couple of days and then the problem comes back again. There might be an app that you installed that may be causing this. To verify if this is the case you should start your phone in Safe Mode. If the problem does not occur in this mode then you should find out what app is causing this and uninstall it.
Turn the device off.
Press and hold the Power key.
When ‘GALAXY Note 3′ 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.’
Note 3 Google Play Music Always On
Problem: On my Note 3 lately, especially, I am repeatedly finding that Google Play Music has launched and running in the background. I terminate it because I know no reason why I want it up and running. But it keep on coming back. Sometimes Facebook app does the same thing, too. I don’t see an obvious place in settings anywhere to stop this from happening. Do I need to go over to the dark side, and plunge into rooting and additional black arts? Sigh.
Solution: Google designed the Google Play Music app to stay running even if you close it since it also acts as a service. If you would like to stop this app then you can either uninstall it if your phone is capable of uninstalling it or you can just uninstall the updates of the app itself.
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