Welcome to the 56th part in our series of troubleshooting articles dedicated to the Samsung Galaxy S4. This is also going to be our first for the S4 this 2015. Despite the fact that Samsung has already released the S5 and rumors of the S6 has already started to leak this model is still one of the most popular for the company. Proof of this is the huge amount of emails we receive from our readers regarding this particular device.
Most of the emails we receive concern minor issues about the phone which can usually be resolved by a quick reboot while we also get some complicated issues that require several troubleshooting steps to be performed.
If you own a Galaxy S4 or any other Android device for that matter then feel free to send us an email at mailbag@thedroidguy.com. We will be more than happy to assist you with any concern that you may have with your device. This is a free service we are offering with no strings attached. We however ask that when you do send us an email ty to be as detailed as possible so that an accurate assessment can be made and the correct solution can be given.
If you would like to browse the previous parts in this series then check out this link.
Aside from sending us an email you may also reach us at our Facebook and Google+ social media accounts.
S4 Does Not Change Network Mode
Problem: My s4 gt 19500 it does not allow me to activate any other network mode apart from gsm(E). when I select wcdma or CDMA, it can’t change instead gsm only.
Solution: Normally you should be able to make changes on the network mode of your phone. If you are not able to then the first thing that you should do is to restart your phone then check on the network mode settings again.
You should also verify if this issue exists in just one particular area. Try checking this setting in your home, office, or at the mall. If you are able to make changes to this setting while you are in other areas then this may be a network coverage issue. The signal your phone may be getting is only GSM(e) which is why you can’t choose the other network modes.
Another factor to consider is that there may be an issue with the SIM card you are using. Try to replace it with another one.
S4 Wi-Fi Not Working After Update
Problem: I recently got a galaxy s4. A few days ago (about 2 or so) there was an update, I downloaded it. The next day the wifi wouldn’t turn on. I resetted it about 3 times, 2 times it actually worked but when I left my house and came back it wouldn’t want to turn on. I received advice from a man who used to work at T-mobile he told me again to reset it,I did but this time it wouldn’t connect.
Solution: When issues occur on your phone right after a software update it is always a good idea to perform a factory reset. The reason why these issues occur is because of the old data from the previous software version that is still present in your phone. This should have been deleted during the update process but somehow it remains in your phone. The only way to get rid of this data is by doing a factory reset. Make sure to backup all of your data in your phone as this will be deleted in the process.
Switch your phone off.
Hold down the Power, Volume Up and Home buttons at the same time for about 10 seconds. Release them when the Android logo appears on the screen. This will bring up the unlock/reset menu.
To navigate through this menu, use the volume up/down buttons to scroll up and down and the power button to confirm selections. Scroll down and select Wipe Data/Factory Reset.
Scroll down and select Yes – Delete All User Data.
When prompted, scroll to and select Reboot System Now. The phone will then reboot to its factory settings.
Try turning on your Wi-Fi after the factory reset. You may have to enter the password for the Wi-Fi connection for you to be able to connect to it.
S4 Mobile Network Not Available After Screen Replacement
Problem: I recently got my screen replaced on my Samsung galaxy s4 and when I got it back I can’t make calls a message come up saying mobile network not available but I can text just fine and have 4G. Any ideas how I can fix it?
Solution: It looks like the call feature of your phone may have been affected when the screen was replaced.
Here’s what you need to do before you send it back to the repair center.
Try using another SIM on your phone. This allows you to verify if the issue is with your SIM/account.
Do a factory reset. Make sure you backup all your phone data first.
Switch your phone off.
Hold down the Power, Volume Up and Home buttons at the same time for about 10 seconds. Release them when the Android logo appears on the screen. This will bring up the unlock/reset menu.
To navigate through this menu, use the volume up/down buttons to scroll up and down and the power button to confirm selections. Scroll down and select Wipe Data/Factory Reset.
Scroll down and select Yes – Delete All User Data.
When prompted, scroll to and select Reboot System Now. The phone will then reboot to its factory settings.
S4 Battery Drain Issue
Problem: Hi. Hoping you can help me with a battery drain issue. After a full charge, the battery will drain down to 80% within 90 minutes even though I don’t use the phone. I don’t have many apps running. If I barely use the phone, it will drain completely within 8 hours or less. Will a hard rest solve the issue? You’re assistance is greatly appreciated.
Solution: There is a possibility that a hard reset will help resolve this issue. You should also consider using a new battery on your phone as the battery you are using may already be faulty.
S4 Camera Not Working
Problem: My camera won’t work when I go on it, it freezes then comes on but won’t focus so anything and is blurry and my video won’t work ether should I take it to the Verizon store or wait till the new update.
Solution: This might just be an issue with your camera app. Clearing the app cache and data usually helps resolve this type of issue.
From the home screen, tap Apps.
Scroll to and tap Settings.
Tap More.
Tap Application manager.
Swipe left to view the All tab.
Scroll to and tap the Camera application.
Tap Clear cache.
Tap Clear data.
You’ve now cleared the application cache and data.
S4 HD Games Unfortunately Stopped
Problem: Hey bro , Just wanted to say that whenever i download new games like gangster rio or modern combat 5 . I have been having issues like when i open them it would verify the download data files and then would suddenly close n says app unfortunately stopped . Pls bro help me.
Solution: This issue may be caused by corrupt temporary data that is store in your phone. You should first uninstall all games affected by this error message. After uninstalling the games proceed to wiping the cache partition of your phone.
Turn off the phone.
Hold the Volume Up, Volume Down and Power Key simultaneously.
Release the keys when the Android recovery screen appears.
Press the Volume Down key to highlight Wipe Cache Partition.
Press the Power key or Home key (this varies based on the software version of your phone) to select.
The phone will display Cache Wipe Complete after a few seconds.
Press the volume keys to highlight Reboot System Now.
Press the Power key to select.
One your phone has fully rebooted download the games again from the Google Play Store.
If the issue persists then you will have to perform a factory reset on your phone. Make sure to backup your data before performing this procedure.
S4 Stuck On Set Language Screen
Problem: Hi ,I am hoping you can help me. I got a new Samsung Galaxy s4 and it is stuck on the first screen that says set language it does not move from screen, it does not power off. Not sure what I have to do. thanks
Solution: You should remove the battery from the phone, press and hold the power button for at least 3 minutes, then reinsert the battery. In most cases your phone should be abe to boot up normally by now.
If the issue still persists then wipe the cache partition of your phone.
Turn off the phone.
Hold the Volume Up, Volume Down and Power Key simultaneously.
Release the keys when the Android recovery screen appears.
Press the Volume Down key to highlight Wipe Cache Partition.
Press the Power key or Home key (this varies based on the software version of your phone) to select.
The phone will display Cache Wipe Complete after a few seconds.
Press the volume keys to highlight Reboot System Now.
Press the Power key to select.
S4 Randomly Turns Off
Problem: Hello. From time to time my Galaxy S4 randomly turns off and does not turn back on with the power button, unless I plug it in. In all this cases the battery has enough charge. Once turned on, I can unplug it, and works 100% fine. But eventually it will happen again.
Solution: You should start troubleshooting this issue by placing your phone in Safe Mode. This allows you to check if certain third party apps you installed from the Google Play Store are causing this issue.
With the device powered on, press and hold the Power button (located on the right edge) until the Phone options prompt appears then release.
Tap and hold Power off until the Restart in Safe Mode prompt appears then release.
Tap Turn On Safe Mode.
The restart process may take up to 45 seconds to complete.
Upon restart, Safe mode appears in the lower-left of the unlock/home screen.
If in Safe mode the issue does not occur then it’s probably caused by an app that you installed. Find out what that app is and uninstall it.
If the issue persists then turn off your phone and wipe its cache partition to eliminate the possibility of some corrupt temporary data causing the issue.
Turn off the phone.
Hold the Volume Up, Volume Down and Power Key simultaneously.
Release the keys when the Android recovery screen appears.
Press the Volume Down key to highlight Wipe Cache Partition.
Press the Power key or Home key (this varies based on the software version of your phone) to select.
The phone will display Cache Wipe Complete after a few seconds.
Press the volume keys to highlight Reboot System Now.
Press the Power key to select.
You should also consider replacing your battery as a faulty battery may cause this type of issue.
S4 “Unfortunately Apps Has Stopped” Error Message
Problem: Hi there, I have an S4 less than a year old. Lately every time I am using an app it freezes and a notice pops up saying “unfortunately briefing has stopped” I close that and then it will say “unfortunately calendar has stopped”… once I close that the app will work. But it’s annoying and has been happening with every app I use. Thanks in advance for any help you may provide.
Solution: Whenever you get an unfortunately app has stopped error message this is most likely caused by a glitch in the software.
The first thing that you should do is to clear the cache of the affected app.
From the home screen, tap Apps.
Scroll to and tap Settings.
Tap More.
Tap Application manager.
Swipe left to view the All tab.
Scroll to and tap the application.
Tap Clear cache.
You’ve now cleared the application cache.
If the issue persists then you will have to wipe the cache partition of your phone.
Turn off the phone.
Hold the Volume Up, Volume Down and Power Key simultaneously.
Release the keys when the Android recovery screen appears.
Press the Volume Down key to highlight Wipe Cache Partition.
Press the Power key or Home key (this varies based on the software version of your phone) to select.
The phone will display Cache Wipe Complete after a few seconds.
Press the volume keys to highlight Reboot System Now.
Press the Power key to select.
If after wiping your phone cache partition you still get the same error message then its time to do a factory reset. Make sure to backup your data before proceeding as this will be deleted in the process.
S4 Not Registered On Network Error
Problem: I just bought my samsung S4 and accidentally dropped it in water… i took it out took everything apart and put it in rice for two days, now everything is perfectly working except when u try to call or message it says not a registered network? If you have any suggestions I would be over the moon as it’s less than a month old.
Solution: It looks like the water may have damaged some component inside your phone. You should consider doing a factory reset just in case this problem may be software related. Make sure to backup all your data first before performing the procedure. If the issue still persists after th factory reset try using another SIM.
If all else fails then you should bring your phone to an authorized service center for checking.
S4 Green Screen Issue
Problem: When my phone charges overnight the bottom portion of screen turns a greenish color. Any ideas what could be? Geek squad mentioned moisture and att rep thought maybe digitizer was trying to go out. Thank you for any suggestions you have.
Solution: Most cases like this is caused by a hardware problem. Your best option is to bring the phone to an authorized service center for checking.
There’s also the slight chance that this may just be a software related issue caused by an app installed in your phone. You can check if this is the case by starting your phone in Safe mode. In this mode, only the default apps are loaded while apps you installed from the Google Play Store are disabled.
With the device powered on, press and hold the Power button (located on the right edge) until the Phone options prompt appears then release.
Tap and hold Power off until the Restart in Safe Mode prompt appears then release.
Tap Turn On Safe Mode.
The restart process may take up to 45 seconds to complete.
Upon restart, Safe mode appears in the lower-left of the unlock/home screen.
S4 Internet Opens On Its Own
Problem: Hullo, I’ve been having some trouble with my galaxy s4. Whenever I unlock my phone, the Internet app opens up on its own. I don’t know how to stop it. Thank you for your time!
Solution: By Internet app I assume that it is your browser that opens whenever you unlock your phone. This may be caused by an app you installed in your phone that activates the browser whenever you unlock the phone. Is there a specific website that the browser opens? This might give you a clue as to which app is causing this.
Here’s what you should do to resolve the issue.
Restart you phone in Safe Mode. If the problem does not occur in this mode then it’s most likely caused by an app that you installed. Find out what that app is and uninstall it.
With the device powered on, press and hold the Power button (located on the right edge) until the Phone options prompt appears then release.
Tap and hold Power off until the Restart in Safe Mode prompt appears then release.
Tap Turn On Safe Mode.
The restart process may take up to 45 seconds to complete.
Upon restart, Safe mode appears in the lower-left of the unlock/home screen.
Once the app has been uninstalled you will want to clear the cache and data of your browser.
From the home screen, tap Apps.
Scroll to and tap Settings.
Tap More.
Tap Application manager.
Swipe left to view the All tab.
Scroll to and tap the browser application.
Tap Clear cache.
Tap Clear data.
You’ve now cleared the application cache and data.
S4 Can’t Send Picture Messages
Problem: Hello. I am a new user of my SAMSUNG GALAXY S4 that I got for christmas. However I am now getting an ERROR Message: Network Error Occurred. This is happening when I am trying to send pictures from my gallery via text message when I get this error message. I am able to send text messages just fine it’s just when I try to include a picture. Can you help me with this?
Solution: This issue is most likely caused by an incorrect APN setting or the non-availability of a data connection. When you try to send a picture message your phone uses a your network’s mobile data connection. It also needs the correct server settings (APN).
What you should do is to check first if your phone has an active mobile data connection by opening a website using your phone browser.
Next, you should check your phone’s APN setting and compare it to the one your network is using. You can get the correct settings from your carrier’s website.
To access your phone APN settings follow the steps listed below.
Tap on Apps
Tap on Settings and then tap on More networks under Connections
Tap on Mobile networks
Tap on Access Point Names
S4 Turns Off On Its Own
Problem: Hello I am currently having problems with my s4 I purchased this phone approximately one year and 6 months ago. However about 5months ago it started giving trouble and was only cutting off and wen it came back on the battery was dead. I purchased a new battery and it worked fine for about a month then it started cutting off and when it came back on it was stuck on the Samsung logo this happened for about a week and worked fine for almost 2 months However this problem stated happening again last night and I think my power button is no longer working after continuously trying to put it on. I left it charging for about 3 hours last night and wen I got up about 2:30 am it was on it worked fine all day and about after 8 tonight the problem happened again I have no recently installed apps and I jus left it charging hoping that when I get up in the morning it works again. Could you please assist me in explaining what I should do.
Solution: What I could suggest is that you do a factory reset on your phone. This brings it back to its original condition when it was new. Make sure to backup your data first before proceeding as this will be deleted in the process.
Switch your phone off.
Hold down the Power, Volume Up and Home buttons at the same time for about 10 seconds. Release them when the Android logo appears on the screen. This will bring up the unlock/reset menu.
To navigate through this menu, use the volume up/down buttons to scroll up and down and the power button to confirm selections. Scroll down and select Wipe Data/Factory Reset.
Scroll down and select Yes – Delete All User Data.
When prompted, scroll to and select Reboot System Now. The phone will then reboot to its factory settings.
S4 Keyboard Turned White
Problem: I was in the middle of typing a text when all of a sudden the keyboard turned white. I can’t figure out how to return it to black. I’ve restored original settings and rebooted it. Still white. It still works but I hate it. Did I hit some weird button while I was texting? Please help. It’s a Samsung Galaxy S4. Thanks.
Solution: Try resetting your keyboard by following the steps listed below.
From the home screen, press the Menu key
Tap Settings
Tap My Device
Scroll down and tap Language and Input
Tap the Settings icon beside Samsung Keyboard
Tap reset settings
S4 Contacts Frozen
Problem: Hi, I got problem with my galaxy s4 where when I go to my phone contacts to scroll up it won’t let me because it get frozen….. And also I don’t even get all my contacts. It only come up to 30 contacts.
Solution: This might just be an issue with the contacts app itself. You should first try clearing the cache of the app.
From the home screen, tap Apps.
Scroll to and tap Settings.
Tap More.
Tap Application manager.
Swipe left to view the All tab.
Scroll to and tap the Contacts application.
Tap Clear cache.
You’ve now cleared the application cache.
Regarding your contacts not showing you should try switching between the different display modes to see where you saved most of your contacts. Your phone may be displaying contacts stored only in your SIM card instead of your phone memory where all your contacts ar saved.
Open “Contacts” App
Hit “Menu Button” (The one left to the Home button)
Tap on “Contacts to display”
On the opened list find the one which has most of your contacts
S4 No Sim Card Error
Problem: Hi. My Samsung galaxy s4 keeps on giving me a message that there is no sim card inserted therefore cant text or make a call. Have tried rebooting it with battery & sim card out but still the same problem. I have also tried the clear cache trick by pressing down the power & volume button but the problem still exists. Any help would be well received!! Thank you.
Solution: If you have another SIM try inserting it in your phone and see if the error message still occurs.
You should also physically inspect the SIM card slot of your phone and check if there are any abnormalities such as deformed pins, dirt, or debris.
If you find any dirt then clean it using a cotton bud dipped in alcohol. Make sure that your phone is turned off when cleaning.
If the problem persists then you should bring your phone to an authorized service denter for checking.
S4 Message Sending Issue
Problem: Hello. I have a Samsung Galaxy S4 Active. I have updated the system with 4.4.2. The phone works great. Every once in a while I clear some of the RAM on the phone to help speed it up. Lately, when I send a message it takes forever to send. Then at times the message doesn’t send. I have 4 or 5 bars of signal when this happens. So signal isn’t the problem. One time I restarted the phone to see if that helped. It didnt. This problem doesn’t happen whenever I send a message. It just seems to happen every blue moon. Do you know why this may be happening?
Solution: If this issue occurs randomly then there is a big possibility that it is caused by some corrupt temporary data of the phone’s messaging app. Clearing the cache of your messaging app may do the trick in this case.
From the home screen, tap Apps.
Scroll to and tap Settings.
Tap More.
Tap Application manager.
Swipe left to view the All tab.
Scroll to and tap the Messages application.
Tap Clear cache.
You’ve now cleared the application cache.
S4 Can’t Text/Call
Problem: I purchase this phone just today. It’s with sprint and it’s actually un-allowing me to send messages or call my contacts. The message I get is from texting are ‘you are currently not allowed to use this service. Please contact customer care support. Msg 2126.’ Calls are ‘ your account couldn’t be validated, please contact customer services message 5 switch 425.’ I don’t know if it’s an issue with the phone or the actually provider. Was inform the phone was paid off and unlocked. The seller was selling it to upgrade to the s5. Thank you for any help/advise and happy New Years!
Solution: The quickest way to resolve this issue is to contact Sprint. The phone may still have open issues with the carrier which can easily be resolved by giving them a call.
S4 Data Turns On Randomly
Problem: I keep clicking the data icon to off, and when i check back intermittently it will always be turned back on.
Solution: You should check your Wi-Fi settings and see if smart Mode is turned on. If it is then try turning it off. Go to Settings -> Connections -> Wi-Fi -> Smart mode. You should also make sure that Auto Connect is turned off. Go to Apps> Settings> Connections> Wi-Fi and turn off Auto Connect.
S4 Freezes When Opening Files
Problem: Hi, I own a galaxy s4 and I noticed that recently when I open my files app and select device storage, it says processing and just hangs there. I have to go to task manager to end the program. I wanted to see if its doing the same thing with ex sd card and It goes through perfectly and starts displaying all my files on ex sd card. But when I select device storage again it says processing and just hangs there. The only way to get it working is if I restart my phone. But then after a couple of days it starts giving me the same problem again. Please help me fix this issue as my warranty just expired and I cannot send it in for repairs.
Solution: This issue may be caused by some form of corrupt temporary data stored in your phone. Wiping your phone cache partition should resolve this issue.
Turn off the phone.
Hold the Volume Up, Volume Down and Power Key simultaneously.
Release the keys when the Android recovery screen appears.
Press the Volume Down key to highlight Wipe Cache Partition.
Press the Power key or Home key (this varies based on the software version of your phone) to select.
The phone will display Cache Wipe Complete after a few seconds.
Press the volume keys to highlight Reboot System Now.
Press the Power key to select.
S4 Does Not Turn On
Problem: Hi there! I am having a really big issue with my galaxy s4. My phones model is SGH M919. Hope you can help me with it. Turns out that my phone is not booting up, its not charging, my computer doesn’t recognize the phone when plugged in through the usb cable. All my phone does is show the Samsung galaxy s4 logo for about 2 seconds and then turns off. It only does that when the battery is taken out and put back again, making the phone turn on automatically with out me touching the power button. The power button is not stucked, I had a technician look into it. I’m also able to get the phone into download mode but only for 2 seconds as well. This all started when I was traveling and I plugged my phone into a bus power outlet, my phone showed a message telling me that I was using the power transfer cable, which I was not using. I found it odd, moments before that I had spilled a little club soda on the top of the phone near the home button, so I unplugged the phone and turned it off. Right after I turned it off it prompted into download mode with out being connected to a computer nor anything, I left it doing whatever the phone was doing for a while, then I got worried and turned off and took out the battery for a couple of hours. After this I turned my phone on and it was working just fine, until a week from that it started giving me trouble. On my phones last day alive I charged the battery up to 40%, then when my battery died, I plugged the phone in but it didn’t want to charge anymore and hasn’t turn on or charged ever since. This happened about 3 weeks ago. Thanks in advance. If you need any more details or pictures I will gladly provide them. One more important detail about the phone. When I plug it in to a charger it only loads the charging icon for a few seconds as well and it only does it after I take the battery out and put it back into the phone.
Solution: Your phone may have been affected by the spilled liquid. Water may have entered the home button and affected the internal circuitry of the device. You may want to bring your phone to an authorized service center for a thorough check up.
In the meantime, what you could do is to try using different battery on your phone. To eliminate any software related causes a factory reset is highly recommended. Before performing this procedure make sure to backup your phone data.
S4 Not Remembering Router Password
Problem: My Samsung Galaxy S4 will not remember the Belkin router password but the Android tablet I am using to send this email always remembers. My wife’s older Samsung phone also remembers the router number. The issue seems to be with the phone and not the router. Any ideas?
Solution: This may just be a setting related issue where the Auto Connect feature has not been enabled. Follow the steps below to resolve this issue.
From the Home screen, tap the Menu key.
Tap Settings then touch the Connections tab.
Tap WiFi, then tap the Menu key again.
Touch Advanced.
Tick the option Auto Connect.
S4 IMEI Is Zero
Problem: I have a problem as my IMEI number just went all zero and i can not make anymore phone calls or send any text messages. I searched the internet but no luck as I can not find the FTM option in my Sevice Menu. I attached the picture of what i see when type in *#197328640#. Little about my phone. It is just over 1 year old and i am original owner. Phone is legit, and i live in Canada and i am with Fido as my service provider. Is there any way i can get to my FTM setting so i can retrieve my IMEI #. Please help! Thank you,
Solution: You should try doing an emergency firmware recovery on your phone using the latest Kies software. Make sure to backup your data before proceeding.
Download he latest Kies software from the Samsung website and install on your computer.
Launch Kies.
Go to Tools and choose Firmware Upgrade and Initialization.
Enter the name of your phone.
Input the model name of your Galaxy S4 (in CAPS). It is found at the back of its casing.
Select OK.
Kies will now verify if your device is supported along with a warning message saying that all data from your device will be deleted during the process.
Click OK if you agree with it.
Kies will download and initialize the firmware update. Wait until it finishes.
Just hit Continue with every warning message until you reach the emergency recovery process.
Don’t forget to put a check on the confirmation message saying, “I have read all of the above information” once you have performed all the required information in the window.
Configure your desired information saving option, connect to Kies and switch your phone to Recovery Mode.
Hit the Start Upgrade button and wait until the process finishes. Do not interrupt the process.
After you see a confirmation message saying that everything is complete, hit the OK button to finish.
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 device that is available in the market today. And don’t worry, we won’t charge you a single penny for your emails. Email us at mailbag@thedroidguy.com. We read every email but can’t guarantee a quick response. If we were able to help you, please help us spread the word by sharing our posts with your friends.
The post How To Fix Common Samsung Galaxy S4 Problems, Errors and Glitches [Part 56] appeared first on The Droid Guy.