Hello guys. This is the 2nd part of our troubleshooter series for the Verizon Galaxy S4. At least, 10 common problems are addressed in this post so if you have an S4 and under Big Red’s umbrella, you may want to browse for issues that are related to yours and try the fixes we provided.
Verizon Wireless has its own tech support department that may be able to help you better, especially for network-related problems, so you may consider calling the hotline first before reaching out to us. But it’s your call. If you think we can help you with your problem, we are always open to your concerns and questions. Feel free to email us at mailbag@thedroidguy.com and provide all necessary details so we can assess your problems well.
We are not trying to replace Verizon’s tech support, rather we are complementing it. If you read this post from start to finish, you will notice that many tried calling tech support first to no avail. If the same thing happens to you, contact us because we will do our best to help you.
For other Galaxy S4 owners who may also have issues with their phones, I suggest you browse our Samsung Galaxy S4 Troubleshooting page as we’ve listed all issues we’ve addressed since we started supporting the device. And for those who prefer to use social networks to reach out to us, we have our Facebook and Google+ pages that we also use to help our readers.
Click any of the link below to jump to a problem:
Verizon Galaxy S4 Stuck On Boot Up Screen
Verizon Galaxy S4 Cannot Read From SD Card
Verizon Galaxy S4 Can’t Download / Update Apps
Verizon Galaxy S4 Physical Damage Question
Verizon Galaxy S4 Signal Reception Question
Verizon Galaxy S4 Stuck On Verizon Logo
Verizon Galaxy S4 Stuck In Manual Mode
Verizon Galaxy S4 Messaging Has Stopped Error
Verizon Galaxy S4 Music Has Stopped Error
Verizon Galaxy S4 Gallery Has Stopped Error
Verizon Galaxy S4 Stuck On Boot Up Screen
Problem: Hi Harold! I’ve been following TheDroidGuy for more than a year now since I got my Galaxy S4 from Verizon. This is the first time I contacted you because my phone seemed to have been acting weird as of late. I noticed first that it became slow to the point that I have to reboot it a few times a day to regain its performance. But even so, the performance now is just bad. Today, I rebooted it hoping I can make it faster but it’s stuck on the Samsung logo. This is the first time I experienced this problem so I’m quite surprised and at the same time don’t know what to do. Can you help me please? Thanks. — Jade
Related Problem: Droid guy, I found your email via Drippler. I have a problem with my Galaxy S4; it’s kind of stuck somewhere between Verizon and Samsung logos. The last time I used my phone was 3 days ago and as what I remembered, there was some kind of an update but not sure if it were for the firmware or apps. I need your expertise on this issue. Thanks. — Megan
Potential Solution: Jade and Megan, we don’t know for sure if the problem was caused by a glitch in the one of the apps or in the firmware but it’s easier if we get to rule out the possibility of a glitch in the apps.
The first thing I want you to do is boot the S4 in Safe Mode. Just turn it off, boot it back on and while booting up, keep tapping the Menu key on the left side of the Home key. If the phone boots up successfully in safe mode, there is a bigger chance that one of the third-party apps is causing the problem. My question is, have you installed or updated an app prior to this problem? Or, in Jade’s case, before the phone’s performance dropped. If yes, then find that app, clear its cache and data and uninstall it. After doing that, boot the phone normally to see if it can successfully.
If, however, the booting up would still be stuck somewhere before or after the logos, I want you to pull the battery out while the phone is on; this will “power-shock” the device. But don’t worry, it’s safe. While the battery is out, press and hold the power key for a minute, and then place the battery back in and attempt to boot the phone.
In case the problem persists, it’s time you booted the phone in recovery mode and wipe the cache partition. And if that fails as well, boot back in safe mode, backup your data, and perform factory reset. That should do it.
Verizon Galaxy S4 Cannot Read From SD Card
Problem: Hey guys. How’s your day? First off, thank you for providing free support to us users. Your suggestions are really helpful. I have a problem with my Galaxy S4, all pictures and videos I stored in the microSD card cannot be read by the Gallery app. There were also apps that I know I moved to the SD card that are greyed out now and can’t be opened. What’s the problem with my phone and how could I fix it? Thanks. — Jerry
Related Problem: Hey, you guys rock! I never found a website that is more useful than the one you have. Keep it up. I have a somewhat minor issue with my phone, a Galaxy S4. Recently, I keep getting a prompt saying the SD card was unmounted unexpectedly but I never touched it. It stayed mounted physically to the phone. When the error pops up, other errors also pop up like some apps stopped working. It’s apparently, an SD card problem but do you guys know a workaround to address this? — Rico
Potential Solution: Hey, Jerry and Rico. I have this rule of a thumb; if the SD card starts failing, don’t trust it anymore. These issues you guys are experiencing are apparently due to the fact that microSD card mounted on your phone is almost or already damaged. But we will not delve into fixing an SD card issue, rather, let’s try to see if you can recover or continue using it.
First off, turn off your phone, open the back cover, remove the battery and unmount the microSD card. Using a card reader, let your laptop or computer read from it. Two things will happen; either the computer will tell you right on that the card cannot be read or it will ask you how to manage files in it. If it’s the latter, then there is still a chance to copy all you data inside but if it were the former, that’s the end of it.
I know a couple of people who may be able to fix a damaged microSD card but try to see if someone in your locality knows it, too. But my point is, there very few people who can. It doesn’t hurt if you try fixing it yourself, so try logging on to YouTube and find some tutorials on how to fix microSD cards.
But then again, if your SD card started failing, don’t save important data in it. I suggest you buy a new one. Yes, I myself would do that just for the sake of keeping myself away from trouble in the future and keeping my data safe.
Verizon Galaxy S4 Can’t Download / Update Apps
Problem: Hello guys! My S4 seems to be having tantrums for a couple of days now. It’s from Verizon so I already called its tech support number and the rep told me to reset my phone right on. I said no because apparently he didn’t know what the problem is. I tried googling for solutions but I found your articles online. This may be a long shot but it doesn’t hurt if I tried right? The problem is I cannot download nor update apps from the Play Store anymore. I’ve tried a hundred times downloading an app or updating some that have available updates and download bar just keeps going and going without displaying how much data were already download and how much are left. Of course, I tried leaving the phone be but it was almost 30 minutes and it wasn’t done download 2MB of data. I will greatly appreciate it guys if you can provide a solution to this problem. Thanks! — Glenda
Related Problem: Hi. My Galaxy S4 just refuses to download apps from Google Play Store. Why is this happening? What’s the cause and is there any fix to it? I tried installing an .apk file and it went through. So basically, the problem occurs only when I download rom Play Store. Thanks in advance. — Robert
Potential Solution: This is a common issue and any Android user may encounter this problem. The good thing about common issues is that there are a lot of owners who may have successfully found a workaround or a fix for it. The following are the most common workarounds you can try:
Remove Google account and just set it up again. There were reports from owners who have experienced this kind of issue that the cause what their account. It’s sure worth a try since many recommended this workaround.
Clear cache and data. This is a very logical workaround considering the cause may be corrupt caches or data. All you have to do is go to Application Manager, find Play Store and hit Clear Cache and then Clear Data buttons. You may also have to setup your account after doing this. Many reported this workaround fixed their issues with Play Store.
Uninstall updates. I suggest you do this after you did the first two and the problem remained. This is also the procedure you need to follow if the problem occurred after updating Google apps. It’s effective, too.
Verizon Galaxy S4 Physical Damage Question
Question: Hey I saw your e-mail on a Samsung Page. So my phone dropped, not sure how it fell, nor the impact… I’ve had it less than a year, do you think Verizon or Samsung would give me a new one? Or how I could fix it? It’s really important, I use it for my business and to keep up with schedules… Please let me know something.. thanks. — Tara
Answer: Hey, Tara. One of the questions Verizon or Samsung would ask is, “What damaged due to owner’s negligence or not?” If you can prove to them that everything was just accident and that the incident was within the terms and conditions of the warranty, then you may be provided a replacement unit. But they will ask you to send your damaged phone in first so that they can check it thoroughly. How long would it take? Only Samsung knows. I suggest you call Samsung or your provider about it. They can provide better answers than we are.
Verizon Galaxy S4 Signal Reception Question
Question: In my home, my galaxy phone and text connection is less than one bar using Verizon. I cannot text or receive phone calls in this space. My two iPhones each have 3 bars at all times using Verizon. They function perfectly. Can you explain?
Answer: No, I can’t but Verizon can. It’s apparently a network issue so you better call your provider and ask why you don’t have good signal reception at home.
Verizon Galaxy S4 Stuck On Verizon Logo
Problem: Hello there, I’m want to ask if you have solution/assistance for getting galaxy s4 to turn on. Mine will turn on but stays at the Verizon white screen with Verizon logo on it. And the upper left hand indicator light is blue regardless if it’s plugged in charging or unplugged. Additionally the phone now gets very warm when stuck on this logo screen. Also, if I can’t get it to move from this screen and turn on to get to camera gallery for photos, can you advise if way to download them off of phone? Thank you for your time, Lisa.
Related Problem: Hi, Dave here. I have a Galaxy S4 and I’m with Verizon. For the last couple of days I’ve been trying to turn on my phone as it won’t go past the Verizon logo. I mean, when I hit the power switch, the phone lights up, the screen comes on but it won’t continue to the Home screen. I have no idea what caused this or what happened to the phone. So, hopefully, you can give me a fix for this. Thanks.
Potential Solution: Hi Lisa and Dave. Two of the most common causes of this kind of problem are software glitch and corrupt data. If this problem just happened without apparent reason, it could be just some kind of a glitch. To address that, I want you to pull the battery out while the phone is on. While the battery is out, press and hold the power key for a minute, then place the battery back in and attempt to turn the phone on.
If the phone is still stuck on Verizon logo after doing the first procedure, then the problem may not be as simple as a minor glitch. But at least we know that the phone’s hardware is still working so we can continue troubleshooting.
This time, try the safe mode remedy. Boot the S4 in Safe Mode to temporarily disable all third-party apps. If the phone can boot up successfully, there is a big chance the problem will be fixed. So, after it has fully booted, just restart it to boot normally. This procedure usually works.
However, if the safe mode procedure failed, you have to boot it up in recovery mode. Based on these descriptions, there is 90% chance the phone can boot in that mode, so while in there, try wiping the cache partition first and reboot the phone. If it failed, boot in recovery again and perform factory reset. You will lose you data when you do this, so before trying this procedure, try to boot the phone in safe mode many times.
Verizon Galaxy S4 Stuck In Manual Mode
Problem: Hi guys. Have you encountered seeing the little Android robot lying on his back with its belly open with red triangle and exclamation point? That’s what I’m seeing on my screen right now and it says I’m in Manual Mode?
Called Verizon twice already but both reps didn’t know what to do with it. They had me press the Power, Volume and Home buttons together but nothing happened. The phone is unresponsive and it has been like this morning. I’m really stumped with this problem guys I really need your help.
Just a backgrounder, I dropped my phone on my table but the impact may have been minimal because it landed on a stock of paper. I was still able to use the phone for a couple of hours and it shut down on its own with 79% battery left. When I tried to power it up again, this poor little Android guy showed on the screen.
I also called Samsung and all they wanted me do is buy a new phone? Are you kidding me? This phone is less than a year old and I’m not going to upgrade until I finish my contract with Verizon. So, please help me guys. Thanks in advance. — Viola
Potential Problem: Viola, please try to check the power and volume buttons to see if one of them is stuck. If so, try to press it over and over until it loosens and functions normally. If no button is stuck, then I want you to take the back cover off and pull the battery out of the phone. This will “power shock” the phone draining stored electricity off capacitors.
You said that Verizon reps made you press the Power, Volume and Home keys together? Well, they wanted to boot the phone in recovery mode but that would never happen if the phone is on when you pressed those buttons.
Now, going back to our troubleshooting, with the battery out of the phone, press and hold the Power key (yes, just the power key for now) for about a minute. After doing so, place the battery back in and the cover then attempt to power the phone up. Two things could happen; either the phone will boot up normally or go back to the same page. If it’s the latter, then I want you to take the battery out again to turn the phone off. Place it back in and this time, press and hold the Volume Up, Home, and Power buttons. Once the phone vibrates, release the power key but continue holding the other two until you reach the recovery screen.
When you can reach the recovery mode, there are two significant procedures you can do to try to fix this problem. The first thing you should do is wipe the cache partition and if that doesn’t work, perform full reset.
Verizon Galaxy S4 Messaging Has Stopped Error
Error: Hello guys, I got your email address from Drippler app. I keep getting the error message “Unfortunately, Messaging has stopped” when I try to open the app I use for texting. There’s no other option or button but the OK button so I don’t really have a choice. My phone is an S4 and I’m using Verizon services. Is it a problem with my account or plan? Please give me a fix for this as I’m really a noob when it comes to technology. Oh, my phone is well taken care of, I use this for texting, calling, browsing, facebook and reading. There’s no game in it and I only have very few apps, though I have a lot of files and ebooks and pictures. Thank you. — Erin
Potential Solution: Hey Erin. The problem you’re experiencing is a minor issue. Don’t worry it can be fixed. But the thing is, we really don’t know what caused this problem, or at least, you never mentioned what might have caused it. It’s a very common issue and most common fix for it is clearing the Messaging app’s cache and data via Application Manager. You may lose your SMS and MMS messages, so back them up first before doing the procedure. In case you’ve installed another messaging app and this problem started, uninstall it because it might be the reason why you’re getting this error.
Verizon Galaxy S4 Music Has Stopped Error
Error: The music app in my Galaxy S4 started to load very slowly since yesterday and today it started giving out the error “Unfortunately, Music has stopped.” The phone is relatively new, just 2 months old, so I’m frustrated that I cannot even listen to decent music with it because of this error. I installed other music related apps from Play Store and every single one of the is free. I don’t want to spend money on things that aren’t necessary. I remember that prior to this, there was an error about an equalizer that also stopped working. I don’t know what that is. I’m 65 years old and could use really good music and phone. This device is seems very advanced for me so I really don’t know how to fix the error. Help me please. — Sheena
Potential Solution: Hi Sheena. I’m glad you found us and reached out to us. It seems like one of the apps you installed is an equalizer and it may not be working properly. If you can find and uninstall it, there’s a big chance the problem will be fixed. So, please try to follow these steps:
Go to Settings
Tap Application manager
Select All
Scroll down and look for anything that says “equalizer.”
Once you can find one, touch it. You will be brought to a new screen.
Now, find the Uninstall button and touch it, then press OK.
After you’ve uninstalled the equalizer, reboot your phone and try to open the Music app again.
Sheena, based on your description, it seems that this is the only procedure we need to do. If the problem persists after this, do not hesitate to email us back and provide as much details as possible. Include all error messages if there are some because they are very helpful in determining what the problem really is.
Verizon Galaxy S4 Gallery Has Stopped Error
Error: Hi droid guy. I have a weird problem with my Galaxy S4 (Verizon model). Whenever I open the gallery app, it opens just fine and display pictures saved in my phone’s storage and those that are synced from Google+ and Facebook. However, whenever I try to open even one of the pictures saved in the microSD card, the error message “Unfortunately, Gallery has stopped” will pop up. What is it between my pictures and my phone? Is it a compatibility issue? Help me fix this problem please. — Gerald
Potential Solution: Gerald, if you think the Gallery app is the problem, you’re looking the wrong way. The problem can be your microSD card. The fact that you said the app works fine for pictures saved in your phone’s internal storage and those that are stored in the cloud but crashes when you access any one of those that are stored in the SD card, it’s clear it’s a microSD card issue. To confirm that, try to access the card using the file manager. If you can’t access it, then our suspicion is confirmed. Otherwise, it may be just a glitch and can be fixed by clearing the app’s cache and data.
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