The most common Galaxy S7 problems and how to fix them

Samsung’s latest flagship, the Galaxy S7, is every bit as beautiful as its predecessor, and it improves on the S6 in many ways. The Galaxy S7 is fast, powerful, and waterproof, but it’s not fault-free. We’ve been lurking in forums, scouring comment sections, and digging around to uncover some of the most common Galaxy S7 problems. There’s no need for you to struggle in isolation when we have a host of potential fixes that will help you to get your S7 back on track.

Glitch: GPS not working or inaccurate

There have been a few reports of GPS in the Galaxy S7 not working properly, taking a long time to fix, or being generally inaccurate.

Potential fixes:

• Start by going to Settings > Privacy and safety > Location and make sure that your Locating method is GPS, Wi-Fi, and mobile networks. If that’s still inaccurate, then test it on the GPS only setting.
• If you notice an issue with a specific app, like Google Maps, then try wiping the cache. Go to Settings > Applications > Application manager, find the Maps app in the list, and tap Storage > Clear cache.
• Try downloading and installing the free GPS Status & Toolbox app to see if helps.
• If you’re still having issues, it could be a hardware fault. Contact Samsung, your carrier, or your retailer and ask about a repair.

Issue: SD card corruption after update

We’ve seen some complaints about the MicroSD card being corrupted after updating to Android 7.0 Nougat. This, unfortunately, means that all the files on the card are inaccessible. The general consensus seems to be that it’s related to having an encrypted card before the update. It’s always a good idea to back up SD cards before a major update. It’s also a good idea to decrypt them, but if it’s too late for that, there are some things you can try.

Potential fixes:

• The first thing to try is removing the SD card and sticking it into your computer or laptop to see if you can retrieve the files on it.
• Restart your Galaxy S7 with the SD card in it and see if it works.
• If that didn’t help, then restart your S7 without the SD card. Go to Settings > Storage and tap Unmount or the eject icon next to your card. Then turn it off, take the SD card out and start it up again. Give it a few minutes, then turn your S7 off again, reinsert the SD card and turn your S7 on. Go to Settings > Storage and tap Mount next to your SD card.
• Your last option is to format the card, but that will wipe it. If you reformat the card you may be able to start using it again, but you’ll lose all the files on it.

Problem: Broken camera lens

There have been a number of reports about the Galaxy S7 camera lens on the back spontaneously breaking. The cause of this isn’t always clear, but the fact that it protrudes makes accidental damage quite likely. In any case, there’s really only one course of action available for those afflicted.

Solution:

• Contact Samsung support at 1-800-Samsung and arrange to send your phone in for repair. Most likely there will be some kind of repair fee (probably around $70).

Glitch: Random reboots

There have been a few reports of random rebooting after the Galaxy S7 was updated to Android 7.0 Nougat. This can occur after a big update. It may be because of older files or settings, some kind of file corruption, or an app that hasn’t been updated for the new version of Android.

Potential fixes:

• Start by wiping the cache partition. Turn your S7 off by holding the Power button and selecting Power off. Hold the Power, Volume up, and Home buttons 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 see the recovery menu. Use Volume down to highlight wipe cache partition and then Power to select it. Once it’s done, press Power and select reboot system now.
• If that didn’t help, then try safe mode to find out if an app is responsible. Press and hold the Power button, then tap and hold on Power off until you see Reboot to Safe Mode. Tap Restart and your S7 will restart and should say safe mode in the bottom left corner. If the problem is gone, then you know a third-party is to blame and you can uninstall one by one and test, or factory reset and reinstall apps selectively.
• The last thing to try is a factory reset. Back up everything first and then go to Settings > Backup and reset > Factory data reset.

Problem: Audio distorted or crackling

Quite a few people have run into an issue with the Galaxy S7 emitting distorted audio or crackling sounds. Usually, this relates to the speaker, but sometimes it might be noticeable with earphones or headphones, too. There are a few different things you can try.

Potential fixes:

• If your problem is with the speaker and you’ve just taken your S7 for a dunk, then that’s probably the cause of your audio distortions right there. There will likely be some water stuck in the speaker grille. Let it dry out and the distortion should be gone.
• Take a close look at the speaker grille to make sure there’s no dust or debris inside. Clean it gently and carefully.
• Open up Settings > Sounds and vibration and scroll down to Sound quality and effects at the bottom. Most of these sound effects are just for earphones or headphones. Some people report success in eliminating crackle by switching UHQ Upscaler on and off again. It’s also worth tapping Adapt sound to personalize your S7 audio.

Glitch: SD card pop-up

A lot of people have had trouble with messages related to the SD card popping up repeatedly. The main one seems to be “SD card, For transferring photos and media” with a choice to “Explore” or “Eject.” For some S7 owners, this message is popping up every time they reboot, but for others, it crops up far more frequently.

Workarounds:

• You can just pull down the notification shade and swipe the message away, but it’s obviously irritating if it keeps coming back.
• You can long press on the message and choose to hide System UI notifications and turn off Previews in pop-ups, which will lessen the impact. However, the notifications are still going to be there.
• You could try a different SD card. This has worked for some people, but not for others.

Possible fixes:

• It’s worth reformatting the SD card in your S7, but before you do that, make sure that you have backed up all the content that’s on it. Transfer everything from the SD card to your computer or laptop. When you’re ready, go to Settings > Storage > SD card > Format and wait for it to complete. Test and see if the pop-up is gone. If it is, try copying your files back onto the SD card.
• Some people report that the messages are gone after a software update. Take a look in Settings > About device > Software update and make sure you’re fully up to date.
• You could try a factory reset as a last resort before contacting support. Back up everything first and then go to Settings > Backup and reset > Factory data reset.
• There are some reports of people exchanging their phone for a new handset and finding that the problem is gone on the new S7. Contact your carrier, retailer, or Samsung and see if you can get an exchange.

Issue: Screen color tint

It’s not unusual to get a display where the color isn’t entirely uniform. Most people won’t really notice if the bottom of the screen is slightly darker, but sometimes areas of the display can exhibit a color tint in pink, yellow, or green. It may be most noticeable when the background is white or gray.

Workaround:

• You could always try an app like Screen Equalizer to try and mask it.

Solution:

• There’s really only one solution and that’s to get a replacement handset. You’ll need to contact Samsung, your carrier, or your retailer.

Bug: Unresponsive black screen

Some S7 owners have run into a nasty bug where the screen is black and apparently unresponsive to touch. The sounds continue as normal for some people, and the notification LED or capacitive buttons might even light up, but nothing seems to bring the screen back to life. For others, the S7 appears completely dead and it won’t turn on.

Workarounds:

• Hold down the Power and Volume down buttons for at least 10 seconds and your S7 should restart. This is likely to only be a temporary fix, however, and the problem can come back.
• If that didn’t work, then plug your S7 into the charger and wait a half hour before trying it again.
• Still no luck? Try holding down the Power, Home, and Volume up buttons together for several seconds, or until you see the Samsung logo and resulting recovery menu. Use Volume up to highlight Reboot system now and the Power button to select it.

Annoyance: Samsung’s autocorrect

If the S7 is your first Samsung phone, then you might not like the default autocorrect settings. It can be frustrating when you’re typing and it suggests bizarre words or makes automatic insertions that you may not notice until after you hit send. To prevent further embarrassment, you have a few options.

Possible solutions:

• Go to Settings > Language and input > Samsung keyboard and you’ll find a range of options housed under Smart typing. The main one you probably want to turn off is Auto replace.
• The predictive text should learn what words you use the more you type, but keep in mind that you can easily get rid of irritating suggestions that keep popping up. To do so, tap and hold on them, then tap OK to remove them from your list of learned words.
• You could always download and install an alternative keyboard from the Google Play Store. You can change the keyboard in Settings > Language and input > Default keyboard.

Problem: Wi-Fi won’t connect or keeps disconnecting

We often see Wi-Fi problems cropping up with new phones. There are plenty of potential reasons why your S7 refuses to connect to Wi-Fi, or drops the connection intermittently.

Workarounds:

• Some people have found that their Wi-Fi connection problem is actually related to the Bluetooth function on the S7. Try pulling down the notification shade and toggle Bluetooth off. Does Wi-Fi work better now?
• It may also be worth switching to a 5GHz Wi-Fi connection, if you have the option, because the Bluetooth problem only impacts 2.4GHz.

Potential solutions:

• Samsung has supposedly released fixes for some Wi-Fi problems, so take a look in Settings > About device and make sure that you have the latest update.
• Turn it off and on again. Try switching off your S7 by holding the Power button down and choosing Power off. You should also turn the router off and back on again.
• Pull down the notification shade and tap and hold on Wi-Fi or go to Settings > Wi-Fi. Find the problematic network, and tap and hold on it, then select Forget network. Turn Wi-Fi off and on again, and try setting up the connection afresh.
• You could also try resetting all your network settings. You will need to set these up again for every network you connect to. Go to Settings > Backup and reset > Reset network settings > Reset Settings.
• Take a look in Settings > Wi-Fi and tap More in the upper-right corner, then tap on Smart network switch, and make sure that it’s off.
• If your problem is with disconnecting, go to Settings > Wi-Fi > More, and make sure that Keep Wi-Fi on during sleep is set to Always.
• It’s worth trying a wipe of the cache partition. Turn the S7 off by holding the Power button and selecting Power off. Hold the Power, Volume up, and Home buttons 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 see the recovery menu. Use Volume down to highlight wipe cache partition and then Power to select it. Once it’s done, press Power and select reboot system now.
• Take a look on the website for your router manufacturer to see if there are any available firmware updates.
• You may be trying to use a crowded channel. The free Wifi Analyzer app helps you to check how crowded the channels are. Refer to your router manufacturer or ISP for instructions on changing channels.
• Make sure that you aren’t using MAC filtering on your router. If you are, then turn it off, or add your S7’s MAC address. You can find it in Settings > About device > Status, listed under Wi-Fi Mac address.
• Your last resort is to try a factory reset. Back up anything important, and go to Settings > Backup and reset > Factory data reset > Reset device.

Glitch: Camera failed

A few people have been having trouble with the S7 camera. They’ll open up the camera app to find that it stays black and then crashes with the error message “Warning, Camera failed.” Luckily, it should be easy to fix.

Workaround:

• A simple restart can temporarily fix the problem. Hold down Power and select Restart.

Potential solutions:

• Go to Settings > Applications > Application manager and find the Camera app, then tap Force stop. Now, tap on Storage > Clear cache and Clear data.
• It might be a bug with Smart stay that’s causing this issue. Try going to Settings > Display and turn off Smart stay.
• If that didn’t work, then try wiping the cache partition. Turn the S7 off by holding the Power button and selecting Power off. Hold the Power, Volume up, and Home buttons 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 see the recovery menu. Use Volume down to highlight wipe cache partition and then Power to select it. Once it’s done, press Power and select reboot system now.
• If you’re still getting the error message, then try going to Settings > Backup and reset > Reset settings. You will have set up network connections and other settings again after doing this, but it may bring your camera back.

Issue: Slow to wake

We’ve seen a few reports of people complaining that the Galaxy S7 is a bit slow when it comes to waking up. Sometimes there’s a delay when pressing the Power or Home button before the screen comes to life. It’s a powerful phone, so it should be snappy.

Workaround:

• Try restarting your phone. Hold down the Power button and select Restart. The issue should be gone, but it may return.

Potential solutions:

• Try turning your S7 off and removing your MicroSD card. Does your S7 wake faster without it? Many people have found that the MicroSD card they’re using seems to be impacting the wake time. It’s not clear why this is the case, but it may be because the card isn’t genuine. You can use an app called SD Insight to check whether your MicroSD card is legitimate.
• It may be worth backing up the contents of the MicroSD card on your computer and wiping it, then trying it in your S7 again.
• Some people report success after a factory reset of the S7. Back up everything on the phone and remove your MicroSD card, and then go to Settings > Backup and reset > Factory data reset.

Bug: Power and Volume down buttons not working

Some S7 owners have encountered a frightening bug where the Power and Volume down buttons seem to stop working. Pressing Power has no effect and pressing Volume down no longer turns the volume down.

Workaround:

• Even though they don’t seem to be working, try holding Power and Volume down together for several seconds and your S7 should restart. The buttons should be working again now, but the problem might come back.

Potential solutions:

• This seems to be a software problem, because the two buttons that appear to be broken are actually still working, otherwise, the restart wouldn’t work. There’s a chance that a third-party app is causing the problem. You could try uninstalling apps and testing, or go straight for a factory reset, avoid restoring a backup, and install selectively as you watch out for a recurrence. The latter is a big hassle if the issue isn’t frequent, though.
• Keep an eye out for an update under Settings > About device > Software update.

Problem: Rapid battery drain

So far we’ve found that the S7 has better battery life than the S6 did, but some new S7 owners are not impressed. Keep in mind that the first couple of days with a new phone the battery will drain fast because it’s downloading and installing apps, and you’re probably using it a lot. If you find that the battery continues to drain rapidly after the first few days, then you may have a problem.

Workarounds:

• The obvious place to start is to turn features off. Pull down the notification shade and turn off anything you don’t need.
• Go to Settings > Display and turn Always on display
• Reduce your screen brightness, and go to Settings > Display > Screen timeout and turn it down as low as you can stand.
• Use the power saving modes in Settings > Battery.
• Reduce background data usage for apps via Settings > Data usage > Background data.

Potential solutions:

• If your battery is draining fast, and it’s happening while you’re not even using the S7, there’s a chance that a rogue app is to blame. Take a look for potential culprits in Settings > Battery > Battery usage. If something is guzzling too much juice, make sure it’s up to date or consider uninstalling it and replacing it with something else.
• It’s worth trying a wipe of the cache partition. Turn the S7 off by holding the Power button and selecting Power off. Hold the Power, Volume up, and Home buttons 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 see the recovery menu. Use Volume down to highlight wipe cache partition and then Power to select it. Once it’s done, press Power and select reboot system now.
• You may have to set up a few things again, but resetting settings is a good thing to try before you resort to a full factory reset. You can do it via Settings > Backup and reset > Reset settings.
• If nothing has fixed your S7 battery drain, then back up everything on the phone and remove your MicroSD card. Then, go to Settings > Backup and reset > Factory data reset. After the reset be careful about what you install and watch out for a recurrence of the battery drain.

Issue: Bluetooth won’t connect

You may encounter Bluetooth issues with any phone and the Galaxy S7 is no exception. Maybe it won’t connect to your in-car system, fails to pair with a Bluetooth accessory, or continually cuts out or distorts when you’re using it.

Workarounds:

• A number of people have found that Bluetooth interferes with Wi-Fi. You could try turning Wi-Fi off and then retesting your Bluetooth.

Potential solutions:

• Start by going into Settings > Bluetooth and try unpairing any problem devices and then repairing them.
• Go to Settings > Applications > Application manager, then tap More at the top right and choose Show system apps. You’re looking for Bluetooth share. When you find it, tap Force stop, then tap Storage > Clear cache.
• Take a look at the car system or accessory you’re trying to pair. Make sure you’re following the instructions, sometimes you have to press a button to make devices discoverable.
• Try deleting old Bluetooth profiles on the system or device you’re trying to connect, it may have reached some kind of limit.
• Take a look in Settings > About device and make sure you have the latest software on your Galaxy S7. You should also make sure that the firmware is up to date on the system or accessory you’re trying to connect to (you may need to check with the manufacturer.)
• It might be worth wiping the cache partition. Turn your S7 off by holding the Power button and selecting Power off. Hold the Power, Volume up, and Home buttons down 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 see the recovery menu. Use Volume down to highlight wipe cache partition and then Power to select it. Once it’s done, press Power and select reboot system now.

Glitch: Screen is too sensitive

Quite a few people have found that the Galaxy S7 screen is too sensitive. They may accidentally open apps or follow links when trying to scroll, sometimes menus will pop up, or typing in the keyboard will appear to have a mind of its own. A few people have had the opposite problem and found that it’s not sensitive enough. Unfortunately, there’s no obvious setting you can change here, but there are some other things you can try.

Workarounds:

• Do you have a case on your phone? Galaxy S7 cases can make a big difference. You might find a case is enough to prevent you from accidentally triggering the edges of the screen or the touch sensitive buttons. If you have a case already, try removing it and test. If you don’t have a case, try putting one on there to see if it helps.
• Screen protectors can also have an impact, generally lessening screen sensitivity. It might be worth trying one out as it will also guard against scratches on your display.

Potential solutions:

• Make sure you have the latest software update in Settings > About device.
• Go to Settings > Language and input > Pointer speed and adjust it, then test.
• Try opening up the Phone app and dial *#2663# and you should get a Firmware version page. This might not work on every Galaxy S7; it will depend on your carrier. If it does work, then try tapping TSP FW update (General). It will take a few seconds, but then it should say Update complete : PASS at the bottom of the screen.
• You could try using an app like SGS Touchscreen Booster, which allows you to adjust the screen sensitivity.

Problem: Transferring files on PC

A few people have had problems with transferring files to or from a PC or laptop after plugging their Galaxy S7 in via USB. By default, the Galaxy S7 will emit a bleep that means it’s charging up, but you won’t see an obvious way to transfer files.

Potential solutions:

• In some cases, you’ll get a pop-up on the Galaxy S7 screen, and you simply tap Allow to Allow access to device data.
• If you don’t get the pop-up, then pull down the notification shade and tap on Connected for charging or USB charging. This should bring up a menu that includes a File transfer option, or the Transferring media files and Transferring images Your PC or laptop may have to install some drivers, but after that you should get a pop-up option on the PC or laptop to Open device to view files. You should also see it listed under Start > Computer > Portable Devices as Galaxy S7.
• If that didn’t work, then try going to Settings and tap Search at the top right, then type USB configuration. You should get a pop-up menu and you can choose MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) from the list.
• You can also take a look in Developer options. If you haven’t turned Developer options on yet, then go to Settings > About device > Software info and tap on Build number seven times. You should get a message about being a developer and you can now find Developer options in Settings. If you scroll down, you’ll see USB configuration and you can make sure it’s set to MTP (Media Transfer Protocol).

Issue: No alarm sound

There have been some reports of issues with alarms on the Galaxy S7 not making any sound. Some people have encountered this issue with third-party alarm apps, but others have had the same trouble with the default clock app. There are a couple of reasons it might happen.

Workaround:

• If you’re using a third-party alarm app, then it might be having trouble with the Doze feature in Android. You should see a wee alarm icon in the status bar next to your signal strength icon when an alarm is set. If you don’t see the alarm icon, then it’s not going to work. You should try using the default clock app, updating your alarm app, or using another alarm app that does work with Doze.
• A restart will temporarily fix the problem. Last thing before bed, hold down the Power button and tap Restart, then set your alarm.
• It may be caused by open media apps like games or YouTube. Try tapping the Recent apps button and closing everything before bed.

Potential solutions:

• Take a look in Settings > Sounds and vibration > Volume.
• You should also take a look at Settings > Do not disturb. If you are using it, then tap Allow exceptions and choose Alarms only or Custom and select your alarm app.
• It could be that your app is being optimized. Take a look in Settings > Battery and tap Details under App power saving then tap on your alarm app and choose Disabled so that it isn’t turned off to save power.
• If you’ve been gaming recently, then there’s a chance that it has to do with Game Tools. The floating red icon for Game Tools will pop up when you launch a game and the first option is to set No alerts during game. To test if this is causing your alarm problems, try turning it off via Settings > Advanced features > Games > Game Tools.

Glitch: Music streaming keeps stopping

If you find that the music you’re playing on your Galaxy S7 keeps stopping or pausing, then you are not alone. It might stop halfway through a song, or at the end of a song, and you have to turn the screen on to get it to start back up.

Potential solutions:

• This is probably due to power saving settings. Take a look in Settings > Battery and make sure that Power saving mode is off, or set Start power saving to come on when the S7 is low on battery rather than Immediately. You could also go into the Power saving mode settings and turn off Restrict background data.
• Take a look in Settings > Wi-Fi and tap More at the top right, then Keep Wi-Fi on during sleep and choose Always.
• Take a look in Settings > Battery and tap Details under App power saving then choose your music app and tap on it to select Disabled.

Annoyance: App tray doesn’t organize apps

The app tray doesn’t automatically organize apps in any particular order, be it alphabetically, or by the date they were installed. This extends to newly installed apps, which are simply added to the end of the list. It’s annoying and inconvenient, but there’s a relatively simple solution to deal with it.

Official solution:

• Open the application tray, tap the “A-Z” icon, then tap “Save.” Doing this will prompt your app tray to organize your apps, That said, the next time you install an app, it’ll be added to the end of the app tray list, and you’ll need to reorganize it once again.

Workaround:

• You can also download a new launcher from the Google Play Store, such as Nova Launcher, which will give you more control and customization options for your Home Screen.

Problem: Speaker doesn’t work after getting wet

The Samsung Galaxy S7 is water-resistant, meaning it can handle a bit of water, even a brief dunk in a pool. Most of its features and functionality will work afterwards, while others don’t, Specifically, the speaker, which can sound wildly different or distorted.

Official solution:

• All you need is time for this one. The speakers need to be completely dry before their audio quality returns to normal. Use a towel, lightly tap the phone against your hand to shake out more water, or put it somewhere to dry out on its own.

Workaround:

• Consider getting a waterproof case, such as Lifeproof’s FRĒ, or Ghostek’s Atomic 2.0 series. Both are great at keeping your phone dry and in good condition.

Issue: Phone gets hot while charging

This isn’t a problem that’s exclusive to the Galaxy S7, and it has occasionally occurred with other smartphones. In every case, the phone becomes unusually hot while charging, reaching high temperatures.

Potential solutions:

• Keep your phone away from warm or hot areas while charging. This includes keeping it out of direct sunlight.
• If you’re doing a lot with your phone while it charges — playing videos, using GPS, Bluetooth, etc — that could be putting an extra strain on your device, thereby causing it to become hotter than usual. Consider cutting down on how much you use your phone while it charges.
• The Galaxy S7’s fast charging capabilities can cause it to get hot. If you’re uncomfortable with how hot it gets, you can turn off fast charging by going to Settings > Battery, then toggle off Fast Cable Charging.

Problem: Unable to update software

Sometimes your phone doesn’t update automatically or the update fails and you’re unable to restart the download. Not to worry — as with other Android devices, there’s more than one way to keep your device’s software/firmware up to date.

Official solutions:

• If downloading the update OTA (over-the-air) hasn’t worked for you, you can always us Samsung Smart Switch, a program made by Samsung, primarily to make transferring files easier.
  • Install the program to your PC, then launch it and connect your Galaxy S7 to your PC.
  • If an update is available, you’ll be prompted to install it, and given several steps to follow to begin the process.
• You can also go to SamMobile.com/Firmwares to locate Samsung specific updates and manually install the update yourself. Only use this method if you’re comfortable with flashing your device and are aware of the risks. You will need to know the model number of your device to get the appropriate firmware, which can be found at Settings > About Phone.

Potential solutions:

• Make sure you’re not already using the latest software version by going to Settings > About Phone. This page will detail various information like Model number, Android version, and Build number.
• Also go to Settings > System Updates > Check for new system update. If there is a new update, you’ll be prompted to download and install it.
• Toggle automatic updates off and on again by going to Settings > About Phone and tap the switch next to Download updates automatically. Below this option, you can also schedule automatic updates.

Problem: Computer doesn’t recognize device

You can transfer files to and from a computer when connecting the Galaxy S7 to your PC with a USB cable. However, there are times when the computer will not detect the phone.

Workarounds:

• You can simply switch to using Samsung Smart Switch, which is also capable of transferring files between a computer and your Galaxy S7.

Potential solutions:

• Restart your computer and your phone, then try connecting the two again.
• Try another cable. If that works, the problem was with the previous cable you were using.
• You may need to install the necessary drivers to allow your computer to interact with your phone. You can find the drivers for the S7 towards the bottom of Samsung’s support page for the device. Mac owners, however, will need to utilize Android File Transfer.
• Go to Settings > About Phone > Software Info, then tap your device’s Build Number several times. A message reading, “Developer options have been enabled” should appear. Go to Settings > Developer options and enable USB Debugging. Finally, go to USB Configuration and change it from Charging to MTP Media Transfer Protocol. It’ll take a few minutes, as it’s installing drivers, but afterward, your computer should recognize your phone.