This is the fifth episode of our Samsung Galaxy S4 Problems series and there are still hundreds of emails that are left unanswered. To those who emailed us, don’t worry because we will try to answer your questions / problems through posts like this. By the way, at least, 15 questions or problems were addressed in this post so enjoy reading.
GS4 asking for original charger
Problem: Hi. So I was wondering if you know what could be my problem. I just got my Verizon S4 and every time I try to charge the grey battery shows up then it says the phone is not charging because its asking for the original charger. I am using the one that came with the phone so it should work but does not. I’ve tried hard resetting and it still did nothing. Now I have a dead S4 that doesn’t even work. Please respond whenever possible thank you.
Answer: Some way, somehow, electricity flows from your charger through the cable and into your phone. However, the current may not be enough to push the charge to the battery. In this case, the phone interprets it as though you’re using a non-Samsung charger that doesn’t meet the minimum current to charge the battery. So, the grey icon shows and the phone won’t charge and consequently asks you to use the original charger.
In short, the charger is defective. Call Verizon and ask for charger replacement (if applicable, of course), or you can come buy a store and buy one for yourself. But for now, if you really need to charge your phone to continue using it, plug it to your laptop or computer. The charging may take a little longer than the usual but at least you can use the phone after that.
GS4 can’t detect WiFi networks
Problem: Hi, I read the article about Wi-Fi connectivity problem on your website, however mine just might be a little more specific and unadressed.
I’m currently in South Korea where I bought a South Korean router called “ipTIME n1e.” I have no problem connecting to the router with my computer, my ipod, or basically anything else…except for my Samsung Galaxy S4. My phone just cannot detect my router! Now the thing is that I’m sure it’s not my router that is the problem because I cannot connect to some of my friend’s routers as well. Please help! — Kim
Answer: I personally encountered this kind of problem before, though I was using a mid-range LG phone. What happened was I couldn’t find any Wi-Fi networks with my phone and I wasn’t so sure what happened to the phone because I didn’t do anything to mess it up. Later I found out that the service that runs the Wi-Fi was stopped for some reason and I couldn’t turn it back up. What I did was perform a Factory Reset, updated my phone to the latest version of Android and everything went back to normal.
Basically, that’s what I want you to do for now. Backup everything in your phone, perform a Factory Reset and update the phone to the latest firmware if possible. Then try to see if your phone can connect or even detect a Wi-Fi network. If that doesn’t work, there’s something more complicated you could do to at least address the problem:
- Login to your router.
- Go to the Settings and try to set the router to a different frequency first. If 2.4GHz is current set, switch it to use 5GHz and vice versa. Try rebooting your phone after you do this and let it scan for available networks.
- If the problem persists, try to change the 802.11 mode.
- Disable Auto Channel Scan.
- If you could set the Transmission Rate, choose “Best (automatically).”
- Also, try using different Security Mode.
So far, these are the things you could do on your end. If the problem persists, no choice but call your service provider to have the phone replaced or call Samsung to have it checked by their technicians.
GS4 prompting for password
Problem: Hi, I have a Samsung S4, suddenly it got locked and prompting for Password. I haven’t set any password to unlock the screen. Could you please help me on how to recover the password.
Answer: I don’t know if you own that Samsung Galaxy S4 you currently have but if it’s yours, you would probably know the password. I have a friend, an XDA Developer, who could get past any security set on an Android phone. If I email him saying I forgot my password to my phone, he would probably help me but I won’t do that because in the first place I don’t know if it’s your phone.
Let’s face it, security measures in smartphones do not exist to prevent other people from using them. Instead, they were there to protect the owners’ privacy. So, the best thing I could tell you right now, do a Factory Reset if you can’t get past the password.
Galaxy S4 screen turns yellowish
Problem: After updating my Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE to Android 4.3,when I open the Google Chrome and ask.fm, the screen become yellowish, like an old paper, but it’s still functioning normally, the only the colour of the screen become yellowish, I try opening WhatsApp and it is white as usual. Thanks. – Wafi
Answer: You’re not the first owner to experience this kind of problem. It’s not a normal problem, in fact, it’s more of a hardware issue than software. But of course, we cannot isolate the possibility that it is just a software glitch. So, I would advise you to uninstall apps affected by the problem then re-install them back. See if the screen still turns yellow. If it does, backup your data and do factory reset.
If all else fails, call your service provider or bring the phone back to the store where you bought it and claim your warranty provided the phone wasn’t soaked in water before this problem started.
GS4 reboots when 3G is enabled
Problem: Hi there, my S4 worked perfect for 5 months. Then it started crashing. When am using 3G connection it first says “SIM not found”, then reboots. I can’t switch it back, as goes into a loop till I plug it in. While plugged in, no problem. Silly thing as there is no difference how much battery charged, after 3-5 min of internet use while browsing, FB or anything, it instantly shuts down again. Tried updating, twice factory reset. Nothing helps. Had two HTC’s, was fine, this one–disappointed.
Answer: It’s more of a battery problem than anything else. When a high-end smartphone like the Galaxy S4 boot up, Android system files and necessary services will run first followed by secondary services like TouchWiz and its features, then other services that support network connectivity and the like. In this case, in my opinion, when the phone reaches the point where it’s about to load services that let it connect to any network either via mobile data or Wi-Fi, there isn’t enough power to do so that is why it reboots.
The “SIM not found” error just shows up because the service that handles it hasn’t been loaded fully due to battery deficiency. My opinion is supported by your statement that the phone functions well when plugged in or if there is a stable power source. So, try a different battery, the one that you’re sure is not busted and see if this problem still happens.
Galaxy S4 alarm won’t sound off
Problem: Hi, I just can’t figure out how to keep my alarm volume on when I put the phone into vibrate mode. When my wife puts her S4 on vibrate or silent her alarm still goes off but mine doesn’t. Weird huh? I’ve searched all over and can’t find an answer. Thanks for any help you might have.
Answer: Majority, if not all, of Android phones would still have alarm clocks go off even if the volume was set to zero or muted. Yeah, your issue is weird, in fact, it’s the first time I heard of this problem. I certainly encountered problem with S4 where the alarm didn’t go off on the time it was set but not this one.
When you open Clock, tap on alarm, then add time/day, you can tap on Settings then choose ‘Alarm in Silent Mode’ right? If that doesn’t work, try clearing the cache and data of the Clock app then try again. I will also have to dig more information as to the cause of the problem and how to resolve it.
Galaxy S4 stuck on boot logo
Problem:
Good evening,
I have been trying to look and see where I can get help on my phone.
I tried to call Verizon wireless and they want me to factory reset my phone and I will lose all my pictures etc. I do not want to do that. I got my phone in November of last year and never had an issue. I went to restart it today (as you are suppose to do that daily) and my phone now will not come back up. I get the Samsung logo and then Verizon and then it just gets stuck there. Is this an on going issue do you know. I love my phone and never had an issue until now and I don’t like this issue as I need my phone for emergencies. I have tried removing the battery and placing it back in and that doesn’t work. I even tried holding down the volume, start and power button all at once and that prompts me to a warning of an OC system. HELP HELP HELP!!!!
Thank you,
Jerri Lynn
Answer: I understand the hassle of doing a Factory Reset so as much as possible, I won’t recommend that. There are a lot of reasons why a phone cannot boot up completely but the most common of them all is when a third-party app is not functioning the way it should be or some data have been corrupt that the phone cannot find appropriate association to the operating system while booting up. Here’s what you need to do:
First, boot the phone to safe mode. If the phone could boot up to Safe Mode successfully, it is almost confirmed a third-party app is causing the problem. While in Safe Mode, you could disable the apps that you suspect to be causing the issue then try booting up normally. You could enable those apps back one-by-one and see which one causes the problem. You can then disable or uninstall it. Second, if the first procedure didn’t work out, boot the phone to recovery mode by pressing and holding the Volume Up, Home and Power buttons together. From there, clear the cache partition and boot up normally. This will solve the problem caused by corrupt data. If this doesn’t work either, no choice but to do a factory reset.
But I’m also wondering why you’re getting a warning of an OC (overclocked) system. Are you running a custom ROM or firmware on your phone?
GS4 Contacts problems
Problem:
I’m hoping you can help me.
I’m a techie type of guy (own an Audio Video installation company).
Problems I’m having:
1) Sometimes when someone calls it doesn’t bring up the contact information that is in my cell right away, it may take until I answer the call.
2) when receiving a call it will bring up the contact photo of the previous call.
3) when receiving a second call the screen won’t let me swipe to pick up the other call (freezes).
I love my cell but these little things drive me batty.
All the best,
Adrian
Answer: This once was a common problem with the Galaxy line of phones. In the case of the S4, the problem has already been addressed just a few weeks after the phone was released last year. To address the issue, please backup your contacts and clear both the cache and data of the dialer service. Go to Settings, and then the Application Manager. You could find the Dialer service in there. Also, make sure you’re running the latest version of Android on your phone, it could be just a firmware glitch.
There are also times that problems like this happens because the TouchWiz is freezing up or lagging. You would need to clear its cache and data as well but you may lose your personalized home screens and other data.
GS4 volume problem
Problem: Hello, looking for some help. I have a Galaxy S4. I am having issues with the call volume when in calls. The volume on the phone (ringtones, speaker phone, etc.) work well. It’s when on a call that the volume is very low. Is there any way to fix this?
Thanks in advance for any advise!
Answer: Have you tried pressing the Volume Up button while on the call? Maybe, the call volume was set just too low to make the person on the other end audible. By the way, does this problem happen on all calls?
If the problem happens on all calls, perhaps there is a problem with your phone’s earpiece. Start by cleaning it out a bit. If this issue happened just recently, a Factory Reset may be able to fix it. However, if the phone has always been like this ever since you bought it, you should have it replaced if it’s still possible, or you can have it checked by a technician. If a factory reset cannot solve the problem, it is more likely a hardware issue.
Retrieve data from GS4 with broken screen
Problem: I broke my screen and have another on the way, but I want to get all my pictures off the phone in case they all aren’t saved to my SIM and memory cards. My phone has a lock on it and KIES is telling me I have to unlock the device in order to get anything from it. I was wondering if there was a way to bypass it. My computer registers the phone but even when I go to “my computer” and click on the phone there is nothing there. I really want my pictures and stuff. I didn’t get to upload them all yet and there were a lot. I appreciate the help. — Johari
Answer: Of course, KIES could only access files on your phone if the screen was unlocked. Well, I hope you’re one of the people who signs up for a Samsung account when you first bought the phone. If not, it’s time you do because you’ll be needing that.
1.) Go to Samsung’s Find My Mobile service. [link here]
2.) Login with your account.
3.) Find Unlock my screen on the left and follow on-screen instructions.
4.) Once the screen is unlocked, you can use KIES on your computer to extract data from your phone.
If this doesn’t work, there is another way but it requires more advanced knowledge because you’ll by swapping the motherboards of your phones. Now, if won’t put your new phone at risk, there another way but it require you to use basic programming knowledge.
1.) Install Android SDK package. [download it here]
2.) Once the SDK was installed and configured, bring the Command Prompt up.
3.) Using the ‘cd command’ navigate to ‘sdk/platform-tools/’.
4.) In the Command Prompt, type ‘adb devices’ to make sure your device is detectable.
5.) Now, copy the folder from your phone’s SD card by typing ‘adb pull /sdcard/NAME OF FOLDER TO COPY’ or you can dump the entire SD card.
6.) Navigate to ‘sdk/platform-tools/’ once again and you would be able to find your files there.
Other than these, there’s no other option left for you to do. Good luck!
GS4 cropping issue
Problem: I just read your article about Galaxy S4 issues and I thought I would add my issue. When I try and crop a picture using the standard Gallery program it won’t move the selection box. I try and it will move one way or not the other and when I select “done” the area cropped isn’t close to what I selected. In the overall scope of things this isn’t a huge issue but it drives me crazy. My phone is stock and on Sprint. Thanks. — Shawn
Answer: It could be just a glitch on the Gallery app. If everything is working fine with the app except the cropping, then it’s a glitch or a messed up data. Go to the Application Manager and find Gallery, tap Force Stop, then Clear Cache and Clear Data. You may lose your personalization and some data by doing this but it could solve your problem.
Get rid of update notification
Problem: I have a Samsung Galaxy S4 with T-Mobile and recently received a notification about the 4.3 android OS update. After researching the reviews there is nothing on this that I would like. I have tried to clear the update from my notification bar but to no avail. With a little research I found people stating to long press the notification, press app info and uncheck show notification to get rid of it. However, everything is grayed out. I have cleared the cache in the software update app, download manager and still no results. My phone is not rooted and I contacted T-Mobile on how to but they ran me through the same steps and still no luck. I was wondering if you had any information on this?
Answer: As far as disabling update notification is concerned, all you need to do is to press and hold the notification, tap app info, then tap disable notification. But since your phone shows all options are grayed out, it means your service provider or carrier doesn’t allow you to disable notifications for firmware updates. To work around this issue, you need to root your phone but I don’t recommend that as you would void your warranty.
GS4 call problem
Problem: My Samsung Galaxy S4 keeps skipping. And every time I get off the phone from a phone call I have to reset my phone or the next phone call will either not be received or I can’t hear anything when I answer. What can I do? Can I send my phone back to Samsung and get a new one?
Answer: I can’t imagine having to reset my phone multiple times a day. But I’m confused what you mean by the word “reset.” Does it “restart” or “master reset?” If this problem existed since you bought the phone, you should have it replaced then. However, if this happened recently, you must consider updating it to the latest version of Android before bringing it back to the store where you bought it to get some support.
GS4 displays black box on lock screen
Problem: Hi, every time I miss a phone call, a empty black box appears on my lock screen with a pause and next button on it but its not operable. It just sits on top of the screen and takes about 1/3 of the screen and I cant get rid of the black box after all attempts. Even after I swipe to unlock and then lock the phone the black box is still there. It goes away after about an hour by itself until the next time I miss call.
I have had this issue since day 1 and I see there more people online with the same issue but no one had an answer to fix it. I have screen shot the issue and attached it to this email. Hopefully you have some root answers. Thanks.
Answer: I have a friend with this kind of problem the difference is that this box would come up every time he receives a text message, a phone call, or anything that makes his phone sound off. But we were able to isolate the problem almost immediately since the black box started showing up since he installed Pandora in his phone. We uninstalled it and the problem was gone.
Your case is seems a little worse because you have this problem since day 1. I don’t know if you’ve already tried disabling Galaxy S4′s stock music app. If you haven’t, try to do that and observe if the problem remains. Another option you have is to clear the cache partition via recovery mode.
GS4 freezes with messaging, won’t turn off
Problem: I currently have a S4 that I just exchanged for a new one because the battery was draining within 2 hours and getting very hot. I have had this for 9 months and this is the first time. The phone kept freezing and would not download some apps. I got a new battery and a new phone, now it still is freezing with text messaging (taking 20 minutes or longer to send texts) and still will not download facebook. It will not turn off when I press power button , it just spins and spins until I hit all 3 buttons to turn it off. Not sure what the problem is. — Lisa
Answer: Sounds like you have an unstable operating system installed on your phone. It means that either the installation was interrupted and some files were missing or some data were corrupt.
First thing to do is turn the phone off. If you can’t do so the normal way, remove the battery. Then boot to recovery mode and wipe cache partition. This procedure will delete all cached files in your phone. Don’t worry because it will cache new set of data after the reboot.
Secondly, perform a factory reset and update the phone to the latest version as soon as you finish the reset. If this doesn’t help, you really need to call your service provider and demand serious assistance.
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