The most common Galaxy S7 Edge problems and how to fix them

In a smartphone beauty contest, the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge would be extremely tough to beat. It’s not just a pretty phone, though. It’s also powerful and feature-packed, but it’s not perfect.

We’ve been digging around to see what Galaxy S7 Edge problems are cropping up most often online. We’ve identified a few issues here, and we’ve got ideas on how to fix them or work around them. The first thing you’ll want to do, to safeguard that slippery, fragile, fingerprint-prone glass, is to snag one of the best Galaxy S7 Edge cases.

Glitch: Fingerprint scanner not working

Sometimes, you may find that your S7 Edge suddenly stops recognizing your fingerprints and you have to input your PIN or password to gain access. There’s no obvious cause for this. You may also find that entering new fingerprints doesn’t work. Here’s what to do:

Potential solutions:

• Start with a simple reset by holding down the Power and Volume down buttons together until your S7 Edge turns off. You might find the fingerprint sensor is back to normal after this.
• If it’s still not working, then try wiping the cache partition. Turn the S7 Edge off by holding the Power button and then tapping Power off. When it’s off, hold down the Power, Volume up, and Home buttons simultaneously until the device turns on. You can let go and you should see the Android icon and then the recovery screen. Use Volume down to highlight wipe cache partition and then Power to select it. Highlight yes and then Power again to select. When it’s done press Power to select Reboot system now.
• If the fingerprint scanner still doesn’t work after that, then it’s time to contact Samsung about a repair.

Problem: Horizontal gray translucent lines

A few people have reported a series of three or four gray translucent lines appearing horizontally on their S7 Edge screen. Unfortunately, this seems to be a hardware fault with the display.

Workarounds:

• Swipe down from the top of the screen to open the notification shade and tap to tick the Auto box next to brightness, then drag it all the way to maximum. The lines shouldn’t be visible anymore, but maximum brightness is going to drain your battery pretty quickly.
• You could use an app like Twilight to apply a screen filter and see if you can reduce the effect.

Solution:

• You must contact your carrier, retailer, or Samsung and get a repair or replacement handset.

Issue: S7 Edge keeps freezing or restarting by itself

A number of people have been frustrated by their S7 Edge freezing or restarting itself seemingly at random. There are a few different potential causes for this, so here’s what to try:

Potential solutions:

• There’s a good chance that an app you’ve installed is causing the problem. You can check by booting into safe mode. Press and hold the Power button, then tap Power off to turn the S7 Edge off. Press and hold the Power button past the first Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge screen, until you see the Samsung logo, then let go of Power and press and hold the Volume down When your S7 Edge starts up, it should say safe mode in the bottom left. If the problem is gone, then you know an app is to blame. You can exit safe mode by pressing and holding the Power button and tapping Restart. You can either uninstall apps one by one and test, or back up everything and go to Settings > Backup and reset > Factory data reset, then install apps selectively and test them again.
• If that didn’t help, then try wiping the cache partition. Turn the S7 Edge off by holding the Power button and then tapping Power off. When it’s off, hold down the Power, Volume up, and Home buttons simultaneously until the device turns on. You can let go when you see the Android icon and then the recovery screen should appear. Use Volume down to highlight wipe cache partition and then Power to select it. Highlight yes and then Power again to select. When it’s done press Power to select Reboot system now.
• If you have a MicroSD card in your S7 Edge, then try turning the phone and take the MicroSD card out, then test to see if the problem persists.
• You could also try turning the phone off and removing the SIM card, then turn it back on and test to see if the problem is gone. If that works, then call your carrier and ask for a new SIM card.
• Still no luck? Back up all your precious files and try a factory reset. Go to Settings > Backup and reset > Factory data reset. When setting the phone up again, don’t restore your backup, test to see if the problem is gone first.
• If you still have an issue after a factory reset, then it’s time to contact your carrier, retailer, or Samsung and get a repair or replacement handset.

Problems with screen, notifications, bloatware, and more

Problem: Screen turning on randomly

A few people are reporting a problem where the S7 Edge screen turns on seemingly at random. There’s no incoming call or message, and no notification, the screen just comes to life by itself. You can choose to have the display always on with the time and basic info via Settings > Display > Always on display, but what we’re talking about here is the screen coming to life as though you had tapped the Power button. There are a few reasons that this might happen.

Possible solutions:

• The screen will always turn on when the S7 Edge has finished charging, so if you’re plugging it in and it’s happening, that’s why.
• Check in Settings > Accessibility > Dexterity and interaction to make sure that the Easy screen turn on feature is toggled off. It allows you to wave your hand above the S7 Edge to turn the screen on without touching it.
• It’s possible that this is being caused by a notification coming in from an app that hasn’t been blocked properly. If you’ve turned notifications off for an app via Settings > Notifications, then launch the app and ensure the notifications are turned off within the settings menu. If you’ve turned off notifications for Snapchat, for instance, you’ll still want to open the app and go to Settings > Notification Settings and make sure that Wake Screen is turned off.
• You can check if a third-party app is responsible by booting into safe mode. Press and hold the Power button, then tap on Power off to turn the S7 Edge off. Press and hold the Power button past the first Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge screen, until you see the Samsung logo, then let go of the Power button and press and hold the Volume down When your S7 Edge starts up, it should say safe mode in the bottom left. If the problem is gone, then you know an app is to blame. You can exit safe mode by pressing and holding the Power button and tapping Restart. You can either uninstall apps one by one and test, or back up everything and go to Settings > Backup and reset > Factory data reset, then install apps selectively and test them again.
• Some people noted that their issue was with the Verizon Message+ app. To test this, go to Settings > Applications > Application manager and find Message+, then tap Disable.

Glitch: No notification sounds

Some S7 Edge owners are missing incoming messages because there is no alert or notification sound, whether it’s text messages or emails. If it’s happening to you, here’s what to try:

Workaround:

• Hold down the Power and Volume down buttons together until the S7 Edge reboots. That should solve the problem temporarily, but it can come back again.

Possible fixes:

• The volume levels for Ringtone, Media, Notifications, and System are all separate. Start by pressing one of your volume buttons, then tap the arrow located in the top right and ensure the Notifications volume is set correctly.
• Check the settings for the app you’re having problems with. For example, if it’s the Email app, then go to Settings > Applications > Application manager > Email and make sure that Notifications is set to Allowed.
• Take a look in Settings > Do not disturb and check your schedule to make sure it’s not silencing your alerts.
• If you play games and notice the alerts stop during or after, then perhaps the Game Launcher or Game Tools features are to blame. They offer the option to block alerts during games. Take a look under Settings > Advanced features > Games.
• There’s a chance that an app is causing this issue. To test in safe mode, press and hold the Power button, then tap on Power off to turn the S7 Edge off. Press and hold the Power button past the first Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge screen, until you see the Samsung logo, then let go of the Power button and press and hold the Volume down When your S7 Edge starts up it should say safe mode in the bottom left. You can exit safe mode by simply restarting the phone. If the problem is gone in safe mode, then you know it was caused by an app you installed. Remove them one by one and test until you find it.

Issue: Fast wireless charging is slow

You should be able to use fast wireless charging on your S7 Edge to fully charge your phone in around two and a half hours. It’s not as fast as the top speed you’ll get with a cable, but it’s pretty good. However, some people are finding that wireless charging is taking four hours or more.

Possible solutions:

• If you use a case on your S7 Edge, then start by removing it and test to see if it charges faster.
• You should also take a look in Settings > Battery and scroll down to make sure that Fast wireless charging is toggled on. If you don’t see this option, try placing the S7 Edge on a fast charging pad and it should appear.
• Check that the wireless charging pad you are using supports fast wireless charging and use the original cable and charger that came with it. Also plug your phone directly into a wall outlet, not an extension cord.

Problem: Bloatware

The scale of your bloatware problem with the Galaxy S7 Edge will depend on which carrier you’re with and whether you feel that any of the preinstalled apps are actually worthwhile. Samsung still hasn’t shaken the habit of replicating perfectly good Google apps, and you’ll find that every carrier includes a number of often useless applications.

Potential solutions:

• The most obvious thing to do is uninstall anything you don’t want. Frustratingly, you’ll find that preinstalled apps can’t always be uninstalled, but you can at least disable them. The easiest and quickest way to do this is via the app drawer. Tap Edit at the top right, and then select the apps you want to uninstall or disable. If you decide that you want something you disabled back again, then you can always find disabled apps in Settings > Device > Applications > Application manager and scroll over to the Disabled one.
• If you’re determined to get rid of carrier and Samsung apps completely, then you’re going to have to root your device. This is potentially risky, especially because you’ll trip Samsung security service, KNOX, which disables Samsung Pay and some security features.

Glitch: Overly sensitive touchscreen and buttons

A lot of people are finding that the touchscreen and the touch navigation buttons below it are simply too sensitive. This results in accidentally launching apps or selecting things when handling the phone. Some people are also complaining about mistyping, because even hovering over a portion of the screen is enough to make a selection.

Workarounds:

• Cases can have an impact on screen sensitivity. If you’re using a case already, try removing it to test whether there’s any difference. Some cases will alleviate the problem for handling, simply by providing a raised bezel and wider frame that you can touch without accidentally hitting the screen. Galaxy S7 Edge cases are a good idea for protection anyway, so it might be worth getting one.
• A screen protector can reduce the screen sensitivity and protect your screen from scratches. Unfortunately, it’s tough to find one that fits the curved screen of the S7 Edge perfectly, and they’re prone to rolling up at the edges.

Potential solution:

• There have been quite a few complaints, so it’s possible Samsung will dial down the touchscreen sensitivity in a software update. Go to Settings > System > About device > Software update to check that you have the latest version of TouchWiz.

Problems with overheating, MicroSD cards, lag, and more

Issue: Overheating

There have been reports of overheating, with a number of new owners saying that their Galaxy S7 Edge is getting uncomfortably warm. It’s worth remembering that new phones will tend to get unusually hot the first day or so, simply because you’re downloading and installing a bunch of apps and games. You’re also probably using the phone a lot. Wait until everything is installed and updated before you judge whether there’s an overheating problem.

Workarounds:

• If you notice the overheating primarily when charging, then you can do a couple of things to combat it. Firstly, don’t use the S7 Edge while it’s plugged in and charging. Secondly, go to Settings > Battery and toggle Fast cable charging off.

Potential solutions:

• The first thing to try is a simple restart. Hold down the Power button and the Volume down button together for around ten seconds. The S7 Edge should reboot.
• There’s a chance that a specific app is causing the problem. If you notice that your S7 Edge is getting hot, even when you aren’t actively using it, then go to Settings > Battery > Battery usage > More > Optimize battery usage and select All apps. Toggle it on for each app. This should prevent the apps from draining battery in the background, which also produces heat.
• If you’re still having problems, you should try wiping the cache partition. Turn off the phone, then press and hold the Home, Volume up, and Power keys together. When you see the Samsung logo you can let go of Power, but wait until you see the Android logo to release the other two. You should get the Android System recovery menu. Use Volume down to highlight wipe cache partition and Power to select it. When it’s done, press Power to select Reboot system now.
• Your last resort is to factory reset the S7 Edge, but this will completely wipe your phone. Back up everything precious first, and then go to Settings > Personal > Backup and reset > Factory data reset > Reset device, enter your PIN or password and tap Delete all. Don’t restore a backup or reinstall the same apps immediately after factory resetting, try using the phone for a while to see if the overheating is still an issue.
• If you have a problem with overheating after a factory reset, then it’s time to contact your carrier, retailer, or Samsung about a replacement handset.

Problem: No adoptable storage on MicroSD card

Google added something called “adoptable storage” into Android 6.0 Marshmallow, which allows the internal memory and a MicroSD card to be effectively merged. Samsung chose not to support it, arguing that people want to be able to use their MicroSD cards to transfer files between their phones and other devices.

If you do want to merge your MicroSD card and use adoptable storage, then you’ll be glad to know it is possible, if a little fiddly. This method was posted by Paul O Brien at MoDaCo. Use it at your own risk.

Potential solution:

1. Start by backing up everything on your MicroSD card or you’ll lose it.
2. You’re going to need to download the Android SDK onto your PC, so you can use the Android Debug Bridge.
3. On your S7 Edge, go to Settings > System > About device > Software info and tap on Build number until you unlock Developer mode. Now, go back to Settings > System > Developer options and toggle USB debugging
4. Connect your S7 Edge to your computer via USB and open the command prompt on your computer. Type adb shell.
5. To get the disk ID for your MicroSD card you need to type sm list-disks. In Paul’s case it was disk:179:160, but your number will probably be different.
6. Once you have the ID, you can adopt it as storage, so the MicroSD card will appear merged in Settings > Storage on your phone. To do this, type sm partition disk:179:160 private. But substitute your disk ID for disk:179:160.
7. If you prefer, you can actually keep some of the MicroSD card for transferring files and convert some to internal storage by typing sm partition disk:179:160 mixed 50. But, once again, substitute disk:179:160 for your disk ID.

Glitch: MicroSD card pop-up

A lot of S7 Edge owners have complained about a persistent SD card pop-up, which says “SD card, For transferring photos and media” with the option to Explore or Eject. It can be swiped away, but it will return after every reboot, and for some people, it just keeps popping up, seemingly at random.

Potential solutions:

• This pop-up should only appear when the MicroSD card is mounted, which is why it happens after a reboot. If it pops up without you rebooting, then there may be a problem with your card or the slot. The first thing to try is to turn the S7 Edge off and remove the card. Now, take it out and replace it very carefully in position, then slide the tray closed very slowly.
• If the problem persists, then try using a different MicroSD card, just to make sure that the card is not at fault.
• It’s worth reformatting the SD card in your S7 Edge, but this will wipe it, so back up the contents on your PC first. You can format in Settings > Storage > SD card > Format.
• There’s a chance that the tray is seated properly, or it’s some kind of hardware fault. If it’s really persistent and it’s bothering you, then you could contact your carrier, retailer, or Samsung and try to get a replacement handset.

Issue: Lag and stutter

The Galaxy S7 Edge is a fast smartphone with cutting edge specs, so you may reasonably expect lightning fast performance, but there are reports of some lag and stutter. A lot of people are blaming Samsung’s TouchWiz user interface, but others are claiming that performance is silky smooth for them. There are a few things you can try to combat lag.

Potential solutions:

• Try wiping the cache partition. Turn off the phone, then press and hold the Home, Volume up, and Power keys together. When you see the Samsung logo, you can let go of Power, but wait until you see the Android logo to release the other two. You should get the Android System recovery menu and use Volume down to highlight wipe cache partition and Power to select it. When it’s done, press Power to select Reboot system now.
• If you haven’t already unlocked Developer mode, then go to Settings > System > About device > Software info and tap on Build number until you get a message about being a developer. Now, go back to Settings > System > Developer options and scroll down to Windows animation scale, Transition animation scale, and Animator duration scale. All are set to 1x by default, but you can set them to 0.5x or even off. This might make the S7 Edge feel a bit snappier.
• If you’re specifically having trouble in games, then check the Game Launcher in your app drawer and consider changing the settings. Turn power saving off, if you have it on. You could also try turning Game Tools off to see if it makes a difference.
• Your last resort is to factory reset your S7 Edge, but this will completely wipe your phone. Back up everything precious first, and then go to Settings > Personal > Backup and reset > Factory data reset > Reset device, enter your PIN or password and tap Delete all. Don’t restore a backup or reinstall the same apps immediately after factory resetting, try using the phone for a while and see if lag is still an issue. Be watchful for anything that causes lag after install.

Bug: Home and multitasking buttons not working

We’ve seen a few reports about the Home and the Recent apps or Multitasking buttons not working. They’ll work as normal, most of the time, but occasionally fail. The Back button continues to work properly, but some people are finding that the Home and Recent apps buttons are just randomly unresponsive.

Potential solutions:

• A simple restart is fixing the problem for some, but it can return. Hold down the Power button and the Volume down button together for around ten seconds. You should see the S7 Edge reboot.
• There’s a good chance that an app is causing this issue, so look at what you’ve recently installed. We saw one report about Car Mode causing the problem, but it doesn’t seem to be a common thread for everyone suffering.
• It may be worth trying safe mode to confirm that a third-party app is causing the issue. Turn your S7 Edge off and then press and hold the Power button. When you see “Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge” on screen, let go of Power, and press and hold the Volume down button. Keep holding it until the phone restarts, and you should see safe mode in the bottom left corner. If the problem is gone, then a third-party app is the cause, and you can try uninstalling one-by-one or do a factory reset and reinstall selectively. You can just reboot to get out of safe mode.
• Remember that a factory reset will wipe your phone, so back up first. When you’re ready, go to Settings > Personal > Backup and reset > Factory data reset > Reset device, enter your PIN or password and tap Delete all.

Problems with touch, voicemail, screen, and more

Glitch: Phantom touches on screen

Quite a few people have reported ghost or phantom touches on the S7 Edge screen. It’s very easy to accidentally touch the screen when handling the S7 Edge, but for some people apps are opening uninvited and the cursor is jumping around unexpectedly, even when they’re not touching the phone. This could be related to the overly sensitive touchscreen problem, but if you’ve tried changing the way you hold the S7 Edge or putting a case on and the problem remains, then there are some other things you can try.

Potential solutions:

• Hold down the Power button and tap Restart. This might alleviate the problem, at least temporarily.
• Samsung has taken steps to address this issue, so make sure you have the latest update via Settings > System > About device > Software update.
• Try going into Settings > Accessibility > Vision and make sure that Magnification gestures is turned off.
• If your problem is primarily with typing, then take a look in Settings > Language and input > Samsung keyboard. You might consider turning off Predictive text, Auto replace, and some of the other Smart typing You could also try going into Samsung keyboard > Keyboard size and pull it away from the edges. Alternatively, you could try a different keyboard, SwiftKey is a good, free one.

Annoyance: Voicemail icon won’t go away

If you get a new voicemail message on your S7 Edge a notification will pop up and you’ll get the wee voicemail icon in the notification bar. Sometimes you dial in and listen to the voicemail, then save or delete it, but when you return to your home screen the voicemail icon is still there and it stubbornly refuses to go away. Sometimes there’s just a delay in the icon going away, but it can be very annoying if it sticks around. Don’t worry, you can get rid of it.

Workarounds:

• If you have a text message about your missed call and voicemail, then delete it.
• Go to Settings > Applications > Application manager > More > Show system apps and scroll down to find Phone. You’ll probably see more than one Phone listed – choose the one with the largest amount of data listed beneath it. Tap on it, then tap Storage > Clear data.
• When you check a voicemail and then delete it or whatever, don’t hang up immediately, wait a few seconds to see if the icon clears. You might also try calling yourself and leaving a fresh voicemail, then dial into your voicemail and delete the new message, but once again wait a few beats for the icon to clear before you hang up.

Problem: Purple, pink, or green lines or blotches on screen

A number of S7 Edge owners have had trouble with strange blotches or vertical lines of color appearing on the display. Green or pink spots and purple vertical lines seem to be especially common, but some people report other colors.

Solution:

• This is a display defect and your only option is to contact your carrier, retailer, or Samsung and ask about a repair or replacement.

Issue: Screen overlay detected

A lot of people are getting frustrated at a pop-up message that says “Screen overlay detected”. This issue is related to floating apps that are able to draw on top of other apps, things like Facebook Messenger or Twilight. You might get the error if one is running and you try to start another with the same permission.

Potential solutions:

• You could just pause whatever app is running. For example, if you know Twilight is running then open it up and pause it and then you can open the other app and accept the permission and then go back and start Twilight again.
• Go to Settings > Applications > Application manager > More > Apps that can appear on top. If you know what the problem app is, then simply toggle it off. If you’re not sure, then you’ll have to do some testing. Start by toggling off or uninstalling anything that you don’t use or want.
• Some people reports problems with the One-handed input If you’re using it, then you can turn it off in Settings > Advanced features > One-handed operation.
• You may also want to turn off Edge panels in Settings > Edge screen.
• If you remove the problem app and you’re still having problems, then try wiping the cache partition. Turn off the phone, then press and hold the Home, Volume up, and Power keys together. When you see the Samsung logo you can let go of Power, but wait until you see the Android logo to release the other two. You should get the Android System recovery menu. Use Volume down to highlight wipe cache partition and Power to select it. When it’s done, press Power to select Reboot system now.

Annoyance: Won’t charge because of moisture detected

If you get your S7 Edge wet and then find that it won’t charge, don’t worry, it’s a safety precaution. You should get a message about moisture being detected, but it doesn’t always appear. If you find your S7 Edge won’t charge when you plug it in and it has taken a dunk recently there’s a good chance that’s the issue. NOTE: if you got it wet with saltwater or another liquid, then make sure you rinse it with fresh water before drying to avoid lasting damage.

Workaround:

• Use a wireless charging pad and it will charge up fine. The moisture detected message only impacts the Micro USB charging port.

Potential solutions:

• Give it time to dry properly. You can speed this process up by putting it in a bowl of dry rice. You should also restart the S7 Edge before you try charging again. Hold down the Power button and tap Restart.
• If you find that the message returns, even after you’ve successfully charged and you’re certain it is dry, then you might need to do a factory reset to get rid of it. Back up everything and then go to Settings > Personal > Backup and reset > Factory data reset > Reset device, enter your PIN or password and tap Delete all.

That’s all the Galaxy S7 Edge problems we’ve found so far, but check back because we’ll be adding more as and when we discover them. If you have any issues or solutions you’d like to share, please post a comment.

Article originally published on 03-14-2016. Updated on 01-18-2017 by Simon Hill: Added problems with fingerprint scanner, horizontal lines, and freezing or restarting.