Hey guys! This post is the 45th part of our troubleshoot series for the Samsung Galaxy S3. I addressed 11 problems here so try to read or skim through it to find out if I addressed your concerns. We’ve already answered hundreds of Galaxy S3 problems, questions and errors after a couple of years of supporting the device and all of them are posted on our site. So, if you have issues, I strongly suggest you go through our Galaxy S3 Troubleshooting page to find solutions to your problems.
We are always open to your emails, problems or questions but before sending us an email, try the troubleshooting procedures and solutions first. If nothing works, feel free to email us at mailbag@thedroidguy.com and provide as much details as possible so we can correctly assess your problems and provide correct solutions. For social networkers, we have a Facebook wall or Google+ page we also use to address our readers concerns. Feel free to post your concerns there.
Now, for the problems, click on any of the links below:
Galaxy S3 Keys Won’t Function
Galaxy S3 Has Issues Making Calls
Galaxy S3 Camera Not Working
Question About Hard Reset Procedure
Facebook App Doesn’t Play Videos On Galaxy S3
Galaxy S3 Mini Won’t Charge
Galaxy S3 Turns Off If Not Connected To Charger
Can’t Update Galaxy S3, Services Crash
Galaxy S3 Bluetooth Issue, No Update Available
Galaxy S3 Stuck In Safe Mode
Galaxy S3 Can’t Send Picture Messages
Galaxy S3 Keys Won’t Function
Problem: My phone was working fine and then when I went to use it again, I couldn’t get any of the keys to function. I have my phone password protected so I am unable to do anything except maybe answer it for incoming calls, but since no one has called me recently, can’t confirm that either. I tried taking out the battery & then put it back, but all I can do is turn it on.
Solution: All of our readers had their phones working fine until one day, they just don’t. What I’m more interested to know is when the problem started and how it happened. I assume that when you said “keys” you meant the “keyboard” because you can’t enter your password with hard keys like Volume Up / Down or the Power key. And when you said “won’t function” you meant that the phone won’t respond when you touch any of the letters on the keyboard. Sorry, I have to make this clear for our readers or, at least, I have to make these logical assumptions so we can proceed.
If it were my phone, I would boot it in safe mode to find out if I could make the keyboard function in that state. Just turn the phone off completely and then start it back on and while it’s booting, keep on tapping the Menu key (left of the Home key) until the phone has booted successfully.
Of course, you will be prompted to enter your password, so try. If the phone still won’t respond when you touch any of the letters, it’s a possible issue with the digitizer but there’s also a possibility it’s a firmware problem.
How would you know if it’s a digitizer or firmware issue? Well, you’re the only one that can answer that but consider these: if the phone fell or was soaked in water and then this problem started, it’s a hardware issue; if, however, the issue started out of the blue without apparent reason, it’s the firmware.
If you’re suspecting the firmware, then I suggest you boot the phone in recovery mode and perform factory reset. There is no guarantee the problem will be fixed but it will rule out the possibility that it’s just a firmware issue. But note that it will delete all your data that are stored in your phone’s memory.
Galaxy S3 Has Issues Making Calls
Problem: Please help! All of the sudden I have issues making calls. I dial number or go thru contacts it stays on screen a few seconds then screen goes black after a few more seconds screens turns on and decides to make the call. I tried the restart trick no work took battery and sim card out waited 15 minutes still no fix!! If I take it to Sprint they will want to reset or sell me a new phone!! Done the hard reset on another phone had to repay for all my apps again so that’s not an option for me!! Any help would be appreciated!! Have a great night!! Thank you! — Best Regards, Belinda.
Solution: If the problem just happened “all of the sudden” without apparent reason, it could be just a glitch caused by any of the apps or the firmware itself. I understand why you don’t want to do the master reset so let’s set that procedure aside for now.
The first thing I want you to do is boot the Galaxy S3 in safe mode. This will temporarily disable all third-party apps or those you downloaded and installed from the Play Store. While the phone is in safe mode, try to dial a number to find out if the problem still happens. If it was fixed, it means one of the apps you download is causing the issue and you need to find that app and disable or uninstall it.
However, if the phone still malfunctions in safe mode, go to Application Manager, find the Dialer app and clear its cache and data. If it didn’t fix the issue, then turn the phone off and boot it in recovery mode, then wipe the cache partition. This procedure is effective for minor glitches but if it doesn’t work, then there’s a necessity to perform the factory reset.
Galaxy S3 Camera Not Working
Problem: Hi Droid guy, I have been really frustrated after the camera app on my s3 i9300 stopped working. I have tried all the steps you suggested, from clearing the camera cache and data, right down to factory reset and wiping the cache partition, but alas this was to no avail. I even found camera.2.apk and tried to overwrite the original apk in system/app but this also failed. I am now running out of both patience and ideas. so any help would be greatly appreciated. I have i9300 international running custom Rom = efeEXTREME Lite Rom v2 with Boeffla kernel 5.3. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance, Kelvin.
Troubleshooting: Try to use other camera apps. If they work just fine, then the problem could be in the ROM you use. However, if they too won’t work, then there’s a possibility that the camera sensor itself isn’t functioning well. It could be a hardware or a firmware issue. One way to find that out is to flash the stock firmware back to your phone. I know you have an advanced knowledge when it comes to these things so you’ll manage.
Question About Hard Reset Procedure
Question: Harold, I just got done following your steps on How To Fix A Galaxy S3 That Won’t Turn On. Step 2 worked great for me! I was just curious, how does step 2 actually work? What do you mean by “we’re trying to drain electricity stored in electronic components inside the phone”? My phone works great, I just didn’t understand what actually happened. Thanks again! — Kacey
Answer: Hey Kacey, I’m glad your problem was solved by one of our troubleshooting guides. Electronic components like capacitors store electricity and it stays in them unless drained. Taking the battery out of the phone and pressing the power key will “close” the circuit and since there’s no power supply to fire up all components, small amount of electricity stored in capacitors are drained out. This procedure refreshes all components inside the phone and that’s why it is effective in fixing minor hardware glitches and the like.
Facebook App Doesn’t Play Videos On Galaxy S3
Problem: Hi,
My phone is SG S3 4G LTE (GT-I9305)
Android Ver: 4.1.2
Storage says:
Total Space: 10.94GB
Available: 1.81GB
My problem is that now phone does not play Facebook Videos. When I touch on a video it does not load & that little loading circle icon rotates (with little breaks or not smoothly) for ever. No any error message comes. This is happening since few days & earlier it plays all very well.
Even now YouTube Videos play through the app. (I have installed Flash long ago. How can I know it has to be updated?)
Appreciate if you can give any tips to solve the matter. I learned that lot of problems have aroused after KitKat update from Jellybean. So I gave up updating. But my question is that Why Samsung is doing this? Why do they update S3 4G LTE? Haven’t they tested this before? Thank you. — Indika
Solution: I think this is all Facebook problem, at least, based on my experience. I encountered this issue several times with my other phone before and there were two procedures that fixed it. First, try to clear the cache and data of the app. This procedure often fixes problems like this. However, if it failed then uninstall the app and just install it back. It’s a bit extreme but also effective.
The problem is not with the version of Flash because the one you’re using right now may be an ICS version; Adobe stopped supporting Android that’s why developers use alternative ways to make their apps play videos.
Samsung has to update its devices because Google releases Android system by version. If Google released an “ultimate” Android version that doesn’t need updating, then we don’t have to go through all the hassles of updating our phone. But there’s nothing much we can do about it.
Galaxy S3 Mini Won’t Charge
Problem: Hello, the problem started a few days ago and really want to resolve the issue. I have a Samsung galaxy S3 mini and the battery is drained so I need to charge it. When I try to charge it, it does not show me the ‘battery charging sign’ that it usually does. Although when I angle the adapter, it comes up with the loading sign that it did before it showed the charging sign but then it disappears and I’m just left with a blank screen again.
Yesterday I went to an Orange store (as this is my network) and they said they could not do anything other than check for basic problems as I did not buy the phone there (I got it off Amazon). They tried charging the phone in the store but then again nothing happened. Sometimes when I put the battery in the phone, it vibrates a little but nothing happens to the screen. Orange recommended me to a phone accessory shop to see if it was the battery that was the problem. I went to a little phone accessory shop and they gave me a battery to try and it worked and turned on the phone (35% charged). Surely enough I bought the new battery and the guy advised me not to charge my phone overnight as it does not stop charging and overloads the battery (I was doing this before). He also said to drain the battery completely until it turned off then to charge it back up.
When I got home the phone worked fine but as I drained it down to turn off I tried to charge it again.. the same thing happened to this battery .. it would not charge and occasionally when I move the adapter about inside the phone socket it comes up with a white loading sign. Personally I think it is the socket that needs tampering with but I don’t know for sure! Could you help me please? Would appreciate any advice you can give or anything. Thank you, Anna.
Suggestion: Yes, I think the problem is with the USB / utility port, at least, based on your description. Anna, there’s nothing much we can do about it considering it’s a possible hardware issue. So, I suggest you have the phone checked by an authorized Samsung technician and demonstrate in front of him how the problem is replicated or how the phone behaves if plugged in to charge.
Assuming the problem is with the socket or port, it might be fixed by re-soldering it to the board. If not, then you may have to buy the USB charging port, which I believe wouldn’t cost you more than $20 not including tech’s services of course.
Galaxy S3 Turns Off If Not Connected To Charger
Problem: Hi, I’m having problems with my galaxy s3, it only works when it’s charging & once I disconnect it ,it turns off, do I need a new battery or what can I do? I need help.
Related Problem: Hi Droid guy. Recently my phone developed some kind of a power issue. It turns off when it’s not connected to the charger. But when connected, I can use it fine and all its functions are working. The problem is, I can’t take it out of the house and it heats up fast. What is the problem?
Troubleshooting: It could be the battery but could also be the USB charging port itself. If the phone shows the charging sign if it’s connected to the charger, then the battery may be at fault. However, if the charging sign doesn’t show and the phone powers up, then the USB charging port may be faulty. If you have access to an extra battery, try to use it just to rule out the possibility of a battery problem. If the phone still doesn’t work with a new battery, bring the phone to a technician.
Can’t Update Galaxy S3, Services Crash
Problems: Hi guys,
Please help. I have 3 issues concerning my phone after sending it away for repairs.
When using kies, a firmware update is available. When it reaches 99%, it says failed to update. I have tried numerous times & no luck upgrading.
A pop up occurs saying ” unfortunately calendar storage has stopped working.” Previously I had just disabled it & it gave no further issues.
When finishing the whatsapp installation, it bombs out. I see a pop up “the unfortunately process.android.process has stopped working.
I have tried to see thus issue on our website but clicking on the part 4 link sends me to part 1? I have gone to app manager & reset app preferences. That has not helped. Please help me guys.
Thanks, Doug.
Solution: Hey Doug, it seems the current firmware on your phone is corrupt or, at least, some of its data. That could be the reason why the update can’t finish as it fails the verification process. Personally, if it were my phone, I would perform factory reset. Why? Because we really don’t know what the problem is.
After factory reset and these problems still happening, it may help to re-flash the firmware using Odin. If the phone is still under warranty, the procedure will void it but I think it’s necessary. If you don’t know how to do it, please have someone do it for you.
Galaxy S3 Bluetooth Issue, No Update Available
Problem: I’m sure there’s postings holding your page, but I couldn’t find a solution. I have a Samsung Galaxy S3 that I just got a week ago on straight talk service. Its running android 4.1.2 system. I CAN NOT find any devices when trying to pair bluetooth. I tried power cycle, soft reset removing the battery, restarting, holding the on button of the device while the phone searches for nearby devices. I’m stumped. And when I search for a system update it says the phone is up to date. Do you know any other ideas? Please help, very frustrated. Thank you. — Kyle
Troubleshooting: Hey Kyle. First of all, try to toggle the Bluetooth switch of your phone, at least, twice or more. If it still can’t detect your other BT devices, then try pairing them with other phones just to rule out the possibility that it’s them that have issues. If they pair with other device, then it’s your phone that has a problem.
About the update, I think you should call Straight Talk about it or you can try using KIES to pull down the update. But my suggestion is that have the phone replaced as soon as possible. It’s a week old and you already have issues with it. I know it’s not a solution but it’s the most convenient way of addressing problems with a “new” phone.
Galaxy S3 Stuck In Safe Mode
Problem: Hi guys. I have a Samsung Galaxy S3 with Verizon but just recently, the phone gets stuck in Safe Mode. I tried a million times restarting it but it still boots in safe mode. Called Verizon, they wanted me to reset the phone. Well, I will consider that after I have exhausted all possible fixes. Can you help?
Related Problem: My Samsung galaxy s3 often gets stuck in safe mode. I don’t want this safe mode. I have tried many times to remove that by restarting by pressing vol keys and power and control keys. But no result. I have made the is installation too but no result. Please guide me how I can recover this problem permanently. — Sundara
Solution: The most common reason why the phone boots in safe mode is when there’s an app that has gone rogue affecting the phone’s operation. So, find that app, uninstall it and try booting the phone normally. How to find that app? Well, start from the most recent installation. If you can’t figure out which one, then backup your data and factory reset your phone. I’m sure that will fix the problem.
Galaxy S3 Can’t Send Picture Messages
Problem: Hi, I have a Galaxy S3. I was able to send photos by text but a couple of weeks ago I cannot. My phone is only 2 months old. Just spins and spins and then undeliverable. Am not sure what to do. Any suggestions? Thanks.
Related Problem: Hi, my Galaxy S3 has always been working fine until about a week ago. One of the functions I use is MMS. About a week ago, it lost the capability to send picture messages through text. I don’t know what to do to fix this so if you can suggest a solution, please tell me. Thanks.
Solution: I don’t know what your service providers guys so I can’t provide you the exact data you need. But I believe the problem has something to do with the APN settings. But before doing anything else, make sure mobile data is enabled in your phone. It is necessary to send/receive MMS.
Now, call your service provider and ask for correct APN for your device. At the same time, ask for the status of your account to make sure it’s not an account-related issue.
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