2015-03-18

Welcome to the 61st part in our series of troubleshooting articles dedicated to the Samsung Galaxy S3. This phone which was once the flagship model of the South Korean company was released way back in 2012. While it’s highly unlikely that it will be getting the official Android Lollipop update several ROM developers have already made custom ROMs based on Android Lollipop for this device. This isn’t a surprise since based on the hardware specs of this device alone it is more than capable of running the latest Android version.



In this latest installment of the series we will tackle some of the emails we have received from our readers concerning this phone model. Some of the issues are minor in nature while others, which are already hardware related, need to be sent to an authorized service center for repair.

If you own a Galaxy S3 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 try 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.

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S3 No Emoticons

Problem: Hey, I was wondering if you could please assist me with a problem i am having with my samsung galaxy s3 version 4.3. Both me and my mother have the same phone on the same version, one phone has the good emoticons and the other does not. Ive tried holding in the mic button but no smiley appears. I have the normal android ones but would like the normal iphone looking ones, without downloading any keyboards. My phone settings is exactly like my mums but i dont have the emoticons. Please help. Thank you.

Solution: Have you tried checking your mom’s phone if it has a different keyboard or messaging app used which is why it has the emoticons? You can also try using the Hangouts app of Google for sending messages as this comes with a wide selection of emoticons.

S3 Can’t Send Video File On MMS

Problem: I have been unable to send any recorded video in a message on my phone even when I have it at smallest size. Any suggestions?

Solution: Try to check if your mobile data connection is enabled. If it is enabled you should make sure that you have a data subscription active. If both conditions are met and you still can’t sent the video file then check the APN settings of your phone and see if it matches the ones used by your carrier.

To check the APN settings

On Home screen, tap Apps.

Tap Settings.

Under Wireless and Networks, tap More settings.

Scroll down the list and tap Mobile networks.

Tap Access Point Names.

Select (Service Provider’s Name) Internet

Compare this with the APN setting of your carrier. Make the necessary changes if you spot any difference as an incorrect setting may affect the phone’s ability to send an MMS.

S3 RAM Almost Used Up

Problem: Good day. Can you please assist me in this problem.  I have formatted my phone to get it to work faster.  But even after formatting the phone the RAM is still almost full. I have gone to settings.  Applications Manger and force stopped everything that runs in the background,  I even held the bottom button on the phone in and tried to clear RAM that way to.  But it just keeps on using. Please assist.  As I am fed up don’t know what to do anymore.

Solution: Try doing a master reset using the hardware keys of your phone then don’t install any apps yet. Check the RAM usage and see if it still maxes out. Before proceeding make sure to back up your phone data.

Turn off the device.

Press and hold the following three buttons at the same time: Volume Up key, Home key, Power key.

When the phone vibrates, 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 problem still persists then your phone software may have a lot of carrier bloatware installed that is eating up most of the RAM.

You may want to consider reflashing your phone with a stock firmware that does not come with bloatware. You will need a copy of the firmware as well as a software called Odin installed in your computer for this to work. Instructions on how to do this can be found at most of the major Android forums online.

S3 Speaks Even If Text To Speech Disabled

Problem: Please assist, Have a samsung S3, have switched off the drive mode and TTP speech mode but still the phone speaks when i am on Internet and gmail, can you assist. Regards

Solution: Try to check if the TalkBack mode of your phone is enabled and if so, disable it.

From your Home screen, double tap Apps.

Double tap Settings.

Scroll down using two fingers to Accessibility, then double tap it.

Double tap Talk Back.

Slide the slider to the left using two fingers, then double tap OK button to disable talk back mode.

If the problem persists then you should determine if this may be caused by certain third party apps installed in your phone. To do this you have to start your phone in Safe Mode.

Reboot or switch on the phone and wait until the Samsung Logo animation appears, and then keep pressing the menu key.

When the handset is booting up after powering on or rebooting, the model name of the device will appear.

Next, once the Samsung logo animation is visible, then just keep pressing the menu key.

If you have successfully entered into Safe Mode, you will notice the text ‘Safe Mode’ at the bottom left corner of the screen.

If in Safe Mode your phone does not speak then the issue is most likely caused by a third party app. Find out what that app is and uninstall it.

S3 Scheduling The Power On/Off

Problem: Hi, I have a Samsung Galaxy S3 neo running android 4.4.4. Just got it yesterday. I find no way to schedule automatic power on and off (the phone turns on automatically in the morning and turns off automatically in the night, both at preset times). My last phone – cheap Chinese make with  ICS – had this feature, hard to believe its missing in the latest version. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Solution: Unfortunately, there is no way using the stock firmware to schedule the phone to turn off then turn on at a specific time.

S3 Only Works Without SIM Card

Problem: Good day, My S3 screen goes blank after a while and then I cannot switch it on/off because the screen is blank. I removed the SIM card which works perfectly in another phone. Ironically, my S3 works perfectly without the SIM card for Internet, email, WhatsApp etc. There is no dirt on the SIM neither the phone. I could not find any advice on this problem on yr website (it is full of advice, perhaps I am looking in the wrong place ?) Appreciate yr assistance, Kind regards.

Solution: If the phone works well without the SIM card inserted then this may already be a hardware related concern. Inserting the SIM may be causing a short circuit to occur on one of the components of your phone.

Before bringing the phone to an authorized service center for checking it’s best to do a factory reset first to eliminate any software related causes. Make sure to 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 the phone vibrates, 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.

S3 With New Battery Only Boots To Logo

Problem: Hello TheDroidGuy, I know the Samsung Galaxy S3 is an extremely old phone, but I had to message you with a question because I ran into the weirdest problem ever. My original battery is old like the phone and is now very weak (lasts about an hour). As a result, I bought two batteries (both new real samsung batteries) to keep with me. Now this is where the problem arises. For both of the new batteries they recharge to 100% on the grey screen (or whatever it is called with the large battery picture). However, as soon as I attempt to turn the phone on, it won’t go past the samsung logo with the spinning light around it. At this point it shuts off. Even stranger is that I asked to test this with my brothers S3 battery and it does the same thing. That is three different batteries. My phone will only read the old one that came in the original box with it but no other. How can I possibly fix this? Do you have any clue? Thanks.

Solution: Try to clear the phone RAM as well as drain the phone of any residual current.

Turn off the phone

Take out the new battery

Take out the microSD (if you have one installed)

Press and hold the power button for at least 3 minutes

Reinsert the new battery (leave the microSD out)

Turn on the phone

If the problem still persists then reinsert the old battery then backup your phone data. Do a factory reset.

Turn off the device.

Press and hold the following three buttons at the same time: Volume Up key, Home key, Power key.

When the phone vibrates, 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.

Try to insert the new battery and see if your phone will boot up normally.

S3 Does Not Charge

Problem: Ive been having some problems with my Samsung galaxy s3 its not wanting to charge and when it does the battery drains realy fast  I just bought it a new battery and ive changed chargers but it dosent want to work  I bought the battery yesterday and I put it to charge so I turned my fone of what it sead It had full battery I unplugged it but I forgot to turn it back on so I just left it like that  like 3 to 4 hours and it was dead t dosent even want to turn back on Ive been having this problem for a while at first I thought it was the battery but now I know thats not it I  dont know whats wrong hopefully you guys can help

Solution: Check the charging port of your phone for any signs of dirt or lint. If you spot any then clean it out using a toothpick.

If the issue persists try connecting your phone using a USB cord that is known to work to your computer. Check if it can be detected and if it charges. If it does then the problem may be with the wall charger you are using.

If you have access to another battery with a full charge then try to insert it in your phone. If your phone turns on then the issue may be with the charging circuit in your phone as it may already be faulty. If this is the case then you should bring your phone to an authorized service center for checking.

S3 Wi-Fi/Mobile Data Turns On Automatically

Problem: I really hope you can help me with this because I’m at my wits end: ever since I switched my SIM card this morning in my Samsung S3 – I cannot STOP my wifii and mobile connection! I used to be able just fine, this is the first time I’m encountering this behaviour. I restarted, stopped and then started – and nothing. The moment my phone is on – wifii, mobile connection and GPS are on. After several tries – my GPS is turned off, but the other 2 – I turn them off, they appear to be off, and then get turned on again by default (within seconds). As you can imagine, this is not something I want – mainly because of the battery life that plummets, but that’s besides the point – I should be able to switch them off whenever I feel like it. The only solution I can think of is a factory restore… but I’m hoping you can give me an alternative to that. Is this a bug? A virus (in which case I should restore…sadly enough)? Thank you in advance!

Solution: Try to start your phone in Safe Mode to check if a third party app is causing this issue to occur.

Reboot or switch on the phone and wait until the Samsung Logo animation appears, and then keep pressing the menu key.

When the handset is booting up after powering on or rebooting, the model name of the device will appear.

Next, once the Samsung logo animation is visible, then just keep pressing the menu key.

If you have successfully entered into Safe Mode, you will notice the text ‘Safe Mode’ at the bottom left corner of the screen.

If the problem does not occur in Safe Mode then it is most likely caused by an app. Find out what that app is and uninstall it.

If the problem still occurs then you should do a factory reset. Make sure to back up your data 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 the phone vibrates, 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.

S3 Facebook App Not Working

Problem: My Facebook plays up on my Samsung s3 it works sometimes and sometimes it doesn’t. But every other sites work like google, youtube etc.Can you help me please

Solution: If it is only the Facebook app that is acting this way then you should try clearing its cache first.

From the home screen, tap Apps.

Scroll to and tap Settings.

Tap the More tab.

Tap Application manager

Tap the Facebook application.

Tap Clear cache.

The application cache is now cleared.

If the problem persists then uninstall the Facebook app then reinstall it from the Google Play Store.

S3 Display Not Bright Enough After KitKat Update

Problem: I hope you can provide me with some assistance, ever since I upgraded my Samsung galaxy s3 to kitkat my screen hasn’t been very bright. I used to have the brightness lowered on jellybean but now it fluctuates. my email can be bright but when I go to the internet it’s dim. Please let me know what I can do to fix this.

Solution: If the brightness level fluctuates then you should try to disable the automatic brightness feature of your phone.

From the Home screen, tap the Apps icon.

Go to Settings.

Scroll down and tap the Display option under the Device section.

Select Brightness.

Make sure there is no check mark in the box of Automatic Brightness by tapping your finger on it.

Finish by tapping the OK button.

S3 Muted Calls When Using Bluetooth

Problem: Hi Droid Guy. I’m using a Samsung Galaxy S3 LTE, 4.3 Jelly Bean, Cricket network. My issue is that while I’m in the middle of a conversation via Bluetooth, my voice is muted, but I can hear the individual on the other end. This has occurred with several different Bluetooth devices. In the past, I used the Motorola H270 (2 each) and now I currently have the LG HSB-730 and the same problem occurs. I’ve actually used two different LG HSB-730s.  I destroyed both H270 devices, because I thought they were the problems. I even backed up and reset my phone, but still no change. Is/are there any fixes for this issue, or am I better off buying a new unlocked phone? Thanks!

Solution: There have been several reports of owners of the S3 running on 4.3 Jelly Bean having this same problem. Even with the factory reset and swapping different Bluetooth headsets the issue still occurs. This has most people believe that the problem is with the 4.3 update.

If this issue did not exist on the previous software version of your phone then you may want to consider downgrading the phone software. You need the exact firmware version of your phone as well as a software called Odin installed in your computer. Instructions on how to do this can be found at most of the major Android forums online.

S3 Contacts Freezes

Problem: Hey, I have android samsung smart phone for over i year. The problem is that over the past week i cant get into my Contacts. When i try to activate it the phone freez for a few seconds, and then sayes “contacts stopped”. for some reason after i uses the application “clean master” it works, but only for a short amount of time. What should i do? Thanks

Solution: Try clearing the cache of the Contacts app as this may just be caused by corrupt temporary data.

From the home screen, tap Apps.

Scroll to and tap Settings.

Tap the More tab.

Tap Application manager

Tap the Contacts application.

Tap Clear cache.

The application cache is now cleared.

S3 Turns Off When It Sleeps

Problem: Hi, I’m having trouble with my phone. I’ve had it for about 12months and my phone is playing up. What its doing is every time the phone goes to sleep ( time out as its not in use) it wont turn back on when I push the power key. In fact nothing I do will work.  The only way I can bring it back up is to remove the battery and install it again. Even then it sometimes wont turn on. Also I cant charge up the battery unless to phone is on. I’ve even reset the factory settings, still no go. Can u help me as I’ve search high and low on the net and nothing seems to work…… ohh by the way, the phone works ok as long I keep on it and not let it go to sleep (turn off as its not in use). Any help would be appreciated.

Solution: This issue is most likely hardware related already. The factory reset you performed eliminated any software issues that may be causing this to happen. I suggest bringing your phone to an authorized service center for checking.

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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 Samsung Galaxy S3 Problems, Errors, Solutions and Troubleshooting Guides [Part 66] appeared first on The Droid Guy.

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