Welcome to the 74th part in our series of troubleshooting articles dedicated to the Samsung Galaxy S4. Once the flagship model of the South Korean giant, this phone is still popular today despite being released two years ago. What’s even good about this phone is that the official Lollipop update is already available for this device. This means that owners will get a chance to experience the latest Android features.
Not everyone who updated to Lollipop are happy about it though as issues that didn’t exist before have surfaced. In this latest installment of the series we will be dealing with these new issues that our readers are facing.
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.
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S4 Won’t Vibrate
Problem: Hi I have an issue with my phone it won’t vibrate at all. I got December of last year. It’s in perfect condition. I factory reset several times and it still won’t vibrate how can I fix it?
Solution: If you’ve already done a factory reset and still the issue exists then this probably isn’t a software related issue but a hardware one. It’s likely that the vibrator is already defective or it has a loose connection to the motherboard. I suggest you bring your phone to an authorized service center and have it checked.
S4 Wi-Fi/ Battery Issues After Lollipop Update
Problem: I’ve had my S4 for a year now and on 4/30/2015 my phone updated to the new lolly pop software and since then my wiFi will sometimes disconnect from my home WiFi and say will connect when connection is better even tho the router is a few feet from me and another problem I have started having is that since the update my battery won’t last as long as it used to on 5/2/15 my battery was at 100% and in about an hour with no use it dropped to 60%.
Solution: This Wi-Fi issue is not only present in this model but other phone models as well that are running on Lollipop. You should first try to reboot your phone and the Wi-Fi router and check if this resolves the issue.
If the problem persists then proceed with forgetting the Wi-Fi network your phone is connected to then search for it and connect to it again. You should also try to use different channels. This can be accessed under the advanced option of the Wi-Fi settings. Try using the Automatic, 5 GHz only, and 2.4 GHz only band.
If the Wi-Fi connection still drops then start your phone in Safe Mode then try to connect a Wi-Fi connection.
Turn the device off.
Press and hold the Power key.
When ‘Samsung Galaxy S4′ 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 the Wi-Fi connection does not drop then the issue may be caused by a third party app installed in your phone. Find out what that app is and uninstall it.
Regarding the battery draining quickly you should try turning off and service that you are not currently using. This includes Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, Mobile Data, etc.
If the issue still remains then a factory reset is the last option. Make sure to back up your phone 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 several times key to highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset.’
Press Power button to select.
Press the Volume down key until ‘delete all user data’ is highlighted.
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 restart the device.
S4 Unresponsive After Lollipop Update
Problem: Hello, a couple of days ago, I let my phone update and since then, it has been ill responsive. Today, it has finally let me send/receive pictures through messages. Yay. Internet in general, Amazon, Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Chrome, etc. are little to non-responsive. Mostly giving me a blank page. Although, today, I can see what was posted yesterday on FB. Yay (sarcasm) “Search” option in my email finds nothing. Not even my email address. I hope you can help. I cannot upgrade my phone until October. I really, really do not want to do a factory update. But if you cannot help, I understand. I have a laptop and I am not a slave to the internet. Thank you for your consideration.
Solution: If a factory reset is not an option then the next best thing to do is to wipe the cache partition of your phone. This deletes the temporary data that may be causing the issue while keeping your data safe.
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, let go of 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 cache partition.’
Press the Power key to select. The phone will automatically restart after the cache is wiped.
S4 Not Turning On After Drop
Problem: Hi there, I dropped my Samsung galaxy s4 a couple of weeks ago. It already had a crack on the screen and after i dropped it again, the screen will not turn on. If i replace the battery, the samsung logo comes up but then nothing else. No sounds or notifications. I’m not sure if it is worth paying for someone to attempt to fix it or not. Thank you.
Solution: Try connecting your phone to a wall charger for at least 20 minutes then turn it on. If it does not turn on then try to enter the Android System Recovery screen by following the steps listed below.
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, let go of 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.
If your phone can’t proceed to the Android System Recovery screen then this may already be a hardware related issue. You should bring your phone to an authorized service center and have it checked.
If your phone can enter the recovery screen then attempt to do a factory reset. Take note that you should only perform this procedure if you previously made a backup of your phone data. Continue with the following steps listed below.
Press the Volume down key several times key to highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset.’
Press Power button to select.
Press the Volume down key until ‘delete all user data’ is highlighted.
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 restart the device.
S4 No Network Service
Problem: My s4 is showing red X instead of network bars please help. I have tryd every network. Just after I put in a sim card the phone detects the network of sim but then a red X appears.
Solution: You should first check the phone settings. Make sure that airplane mode is not activated. Try switching network mode to GSM only and see if you can get a signal. You can do this by going to Settings – Connections – More networks – Mobile network – Network mode.
Next, try to use another SIM to isolate any SIM card related issues.
If the issue persists then contact your network provider and inquire if there are any network related issues in your area.
One final troubleshooting step you can do is to perform a factory reset. Back up your phone data before proceeding with the steps listed below.
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 several times key to highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset.’
Press Power button to select.
Press the Volume down key until ‘delete all user data’ is highlighted.
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 restart the device.
If after performing the factory reset the problem still persists then this may already be caused by a faulty hardware. Bring your phone to an authorized service center for further checking.
S4 Issues After Lollipop Update
Problem: Hi! I have a Samsung galaxy s4, and have been experiencing some issues with it after recently updating to lollipop 5.1. Since the update, I am unable to send or receive picture messages. Also, my apps such as Facebook and instagram don’t work unless I’m connected to wifi. I tend to randomly lose service for short periods of time as well. I originally got my phone from a friend as an AT&T phone, and switched it over to straight talk. I was experiencing similar problems with the phone, so I went into my settings and changed the apn codes and whatnot and fixed the problem. Hopefully you can point me in the right direction to help me with these frustrating phone issues!
Solution: Regarding the issue of your phone not being able to send or receive picture messages and your apps not able to go online if connected to mobile data, this is likely caused by a wrong APN.
Regarding the issue with your phone losing service try rebooting your phone and see if this resolves the issue. If it doesn’t then start your phone in Safe Mode then observe if the issue still occurs.
Turn the device off.
Press and hold the Power key.
When ‘Samsung Galaxy S4′ 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 your phone does not lose signal in this mode then the problem may be caused by a third party app. Find out what this app is and uninstall it.
S4 Keyboard Changed After Lollipop Update
Problem: I have a samsung galaxy s4, last night I had a system upgrade, it has is changed all of my background fonts and keyboard into very brightly animated grey with teal coloured speech font. Would be fine under normal circumstances but I have epilepsy and find the font on the keyboard extremely bright and would like to figure out how to I change the background of the keyboard or turn the keyboard settings down so its not so bright. Extensive research on the Internet to try and find an answer to the question I have about changing the setting and I couldn’t find any information this is why I am emailing you because I thought you might have some suggestions that would lead me to changing the background of my keypad. It used to be very very dark grey with white black letters. Now it is very bright and a abrasive like you wish to turn down the contrast but don’t know how, it is quite glary to look at even in a shadow part of the room. I don’t have any setting as far as I can see for the keyboard to be able to modulate the brightness of said keyboard I do have a button for general brightness but that effects the whole phone. I wish I could take a screenshot to show you. Do you have any suggestions for how I might be able to adjust the brightness of the touch screen keyboard? Thank you for your time.
Solution: You can change the way the keyboard looks in Lollipop to suite your preference. To do this go to Settings/Language & Input. Click on Google Keyboard and you’ll get Google Keyboard preferences. Click on Appearance and Layout. Click on Theme and pick the one that you prefer to use.
If this does not help then you can also try to use third party keyboards available at the Google Play Store.
S4 SD Card Unexpectedly Removed Error After Lollipop Update
Problem: Hey guys, So I updated my s4 to the latest android lollipop OS and i am having issues with sd card now. The phone detects the card, but after a bit it overheats and gives me a message sd card unexpectedly removed. I already cleared cached partition and also tried multiple cards, but same thing. Do you have any solution for this issue?
Solution: If the issue occurs when using different SD cards then it is likely that the problem is with the phone. You should back up your phone data then do a factory reset to eliminate any software related glitches.
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 several times key to highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset.’
Press Power button to select.
Press the Volume down key until ‘delete all user data’ is highlighted.
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 restart the device.
S4 Unresponsive
Problem: I have had my s4 about a year now, it is in perfect condition, all a sudden it has been turning off and taking 30+ min to turn back on. apps will not open or will randomly close, I cant type, I cant download apps, I cant do much off anything at all really. I have tired restarting it, completely turning it off all night, taking the battery out, deleting apps, pictures, notes, anything taking up memory. I need help asap! please!
Solution: You should first try wiping the cache partition of your phone to take out any temporary data that may be causing this issue.
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, let go of 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 cache partition.’
Press the Power key to select. The phone will automatically restart after the cache is wiped.
If the problem persists then your next step is to check if an app you installed is causing this. Start your mode in Safe Mode to isolate the third party apps.
Turn the device off.
Press and hold the Power key.
When ‘Samsung Galaxy S4′ 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 the problem does not occur in Safe Mode then the issue is most likely caused by an app or a group of apps. Find out what app is causing this issue and uninstall it.
If the problem persists then back up your phone data and 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 several times key to highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset.’
Press Power button to select.
Press the Volume down key until ‘delete all user data’ is highlighted.
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 restart the device.
S4 You Have Internet Connection Constantly Appears
Problem: Hello there, first time writer. My trouble is that I keep getting this message on my galaxy S4 by T-mobile, You have internet connection, all of the time. It started a few months ago. It pops-up all of the time and then will eventually stay on so reading texts, writing emails and texts is difficult. This happens when wi-fi in turned on or off. How can I get rid of this message? Thanks for your help.
Solution: This message is most likely caused by an app installed in your phone. To verify if this is the case you should start you phone in Safe Mode.
Turn the device off.
Press and hold the Power key.
When ‘Samsung Galaxy S4′ 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 the message does not pop up in this mode then find out what app is causing this an uninstall it.
S4 Hotspot Not Working After Lollipop Update
Problem: Hi there i got your email address from one of the websites. I am using a galaxy s4 In UK. It has the latest software update. The issue with my phone is that of its hotspot. I can enable my s4 hotspot and connect other devices to it. Even after getting connected to my s4, the internet connection on the connected device does not work. Please help me. Thanks and regards.
Solution: Are you by any chance using the Three network? If so then follow this fix as suggested over at the XDA forum.
Enable developer mode (Go to Settings -> About phone, and click on the build number until the developer mode is enabled).
Enable USB debugging under Settings -> Developer options
Connect the device with a USB cable to a computer with the Android SDK platform tools installed
Start an adb shell: adb shell
In the adb shell, run this command: settings put global tether_dun_required 0
S4 Won’t Turn On After Battery Drained
Problem: Hi. I have a galaxy s4 and I let the battery die all the way to 0%. It’s been that way for about a month. I just plugged it in, but it won’t turn on. Any suggestions?
Solution: It’s likely that the battery of your phone my already be faulty. Try using a new battery on your phone and let it charge for at least 20 minutes using the wall charger before turning the phone on.
S4 Unfortunately the Process .com.android.phone Has Stopped Error On CyanogenMod
Problem: Hi Droid guy I recently put the cyanogen mod in to my galaxy s4 from t-mobile. But now I am getting the error message above along with other messages about apps stopped working. This is the second time I try downloading the stock rom but it never ends up downloading correctly to use it with odin3 to be able to correct the problem. What should I do to get rid of the error messages and get my phone working again? Thanks for time please help.
Solution: Are you using a stable version of CyanogenMod on your phone? If not, then try switching to a stable version. You should also consider switching back to the stock firmware of your phone.
S4 Clock Randomly Appears On Screen
Problem: When using my S4 Samsung the clock will randomly display and the screen I’m on disappears. It won’t go away without turning the phone off and on several times.
Solution: Most owners of this phone experiencing the same problem say that it is caused by an app installed in the phone. The app ranges from WhatsApp, Chrome, Weather and Clock widget, etc. To check if this issue is caused by an app you should start your phone in Safe Mode.
Turn the device off.
Press and hold the Power key.
When ‘Samsung Galaxy S4′ 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 the problem does not occur in Safe Mode then it is likely caused by an app. Find out what app is causing this and uninstall it.
S4 Can’t Hear Calls
Problem: I am writing you with yet another Samsung Galaxy S4 unable to hear call. I think that my son’s phone is beyond help but I thought I would at least give it a shot with you. About twice a week he gets a no SIM card message. Whether making or receiving telephone calls, cannot be heard on either end. When calling on Google Hangouts can hear and be heard. (both video call and voice only calls) Has done a factory reset and did not fix the not hearing on regular phone calls part. Can play music from Google play and hear sound, I believe can hear sound from things like youtube etc. I am confused by it because if it works on Google Hangouts, why would it not work regularly? Thank you for any advice.
Solution: This is indeed strange. A factory reset should have resolved this issue if it is caused by a software glitch. Judging from the way you describe the issue it seems like it is software related. You didn’t mention what software version your phone is running on. If the phone is still running on KitKat then I suggest getting the Lollipop update then check if the call issue gets resolved.
S4 Not Connecting To Internet After Factory Reset
Problem: Recently I reset my samsung galaxy S4 & now it won’t let me go on the Internet but it will still let me sent messages & call people.
Solution: Are you trying to connect to the Internet using your mobile data connection? If you are then you need to set the APN settings of your phone as this may have been deleted during the factory reset.
Tap on Apps
Tap on Settings
Tap on More networks
Tap on Mobile networks
Tap on Access Point Names
If you don’t see any APN then contact your network provider and have them assist you in getting the correct APN to your phone.
S4 Camera Not Working After LCD Replaced
Problem: Hi, I just got my LCD screen replaced and now my camera doesn’t work. When i turn if off and on again it works for about 2 seconds and then it stops working and see a black screen and then the phone freezes. Is there a quick fix for this?
Solution: It’s likely that the camera module may have been affected when the LCD screen was replaced. Before bringing your phone back to where you had the LCD replaced try to perform a factory reset first to eliminate any software related glitches that may be causing this problem. Remember to back up your phone data before proceeding as this will be deleted in the process.
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 several times key to highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset.’
Press Power button to select.
Press the Volume down key until ‘delete all user data’ is highlighted.
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 restart the device.
S4 Displays Black/Green Color After Drop
Problem: Hello, I read on your site that if we had a problem with our phone you’re ready to help, so here I am. I have a Samsung s4 and dropped it this morning. Since then when I activate it with the power button the screen goes from black to green tinted black with colored pixels a bit everywhere. I can’t see anything behind that and the screen doesn’t look broken. The menue button works, the power button works, the leds work and the tactil touches work aswell. 15min after i dropped it suddenly it worked normaly again. But then, 5h later while I was using it, it stoped working properly and the black, green tinted screen came back. Do you have any clues on what’s going on and how it’s possible to fix it ? Thanks !
Solution: This issue is caused by a damaged display. Bring your phone to an authorized service center and have it checked. It’s very likely that the display will have to be replaced.
S4 Won’t Record Videos
Problem: I have an ATnT unlocked samsung galaxy s4 and a few days ago i realized it wouldn’t record videos when i tried. It gives me a ‘Recording Failed’ message every time i try. Even on snapchat i can’t record videos. My camera works fine but video recording is gone. Hope you could help!
Solution: Are your videos being saved on the microSD card? If they are then try to switch it to the internal storage of the phone. If you can record videos normally then it is likely that the microSD card of your phone is already faulty. You can try to fix the SD card by formatting it (back up the data stored in it first) or you can simply get a new SD card.
If the error still occurs even when you use the internal storage to save the recorded videos then try wiping the cache partition of your phone.
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, let go of 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 cache partition.’
Press the Power key to select. The phone will automatically restart after the cache is wiped.
If the problem persists then back up your phone data and 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 several times key to highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset.’
Press Power button to select.
Press the Volume down key until ‘delete all user data’ is highlighted.
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 restart the device.
S4 No Spam Setting Available In Messaging
Problem: Hi all, I have been attempting to block unwanted text messages from my Samsung Galaxy S4. Every online help site I have found tells me to open my Message App, press the Menu key, go to Settings, enable Spam Settings, then enter the number I want blocked. The problem is that I do not have a Spam Setting as an option in my Settings! Any idea what is wrong? Is there another way to block text messages? Is there a way to enable the Spam option on my phone? Thank you!
Solution: Have you tried following the procedure listed below?
On your Galaxy S4 and S5 Homescreen tap and launch the Messages App
On the right side top of the screen you will find a three dotted symbol which should be tapped on to open a drop down box
Tap on Settings from the list of options to open it
Scroll down on the list of settings to find the Spam Filter option and Enable it
Now scroll in the options and tap on “Add to spam numbers” option and then find and tap the Add icon which will allow you to add phone numbers or any of your contacts saved in your device to your spam list.
If no Spam Filter is available then are you by any chance using the Verizon network? If you are then the network has taken out this feature. You can instead subscribe to the Verizon service that allows you to block certain numbers.
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The post Samsung Galaxy S4 Problems, Glitches, Questions, Errors and Solutions [Part 74] appeared first on The Droid Guy.