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10 Common Galaxy Note 7 Problems & How to Fix Them

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The Galaxy Note 7 is one of Samsung’s best phones ever, but it’s not perfect. While it has tons to offer and is their most capable phone to date, some users have already started reporting various small Galaxy Note 7 problems, or issues with odd settings out of the box. With that in mind here we’ll be explaining a few potential Note 7 problems and how to fix them.

On August 2nd Samsung unveiled the new Note 7 after months of rumors, and skipped the Galaxy Note 6. It was released on August 19th with a big 5.7-inch Quad-HD display, a microSD slot for storage expansion, water-resistance, a new Iris eye scanner for improved security, double the internal storage and lots more to make it one of the best and most premium Android phones around.

Read: How to Fix Bad Galaxy Note 7 Battery Life

However, if you’re experiencing a few random Galaxy Note 7 problems or bugs we may have a solution or two. As the year continues and more users buy one, others will surface and we’ll continue to update this with the latest information. For now though, read on for some helpful tips and suggestions to get the most out of the Note 7.

Note-7-back

So far we’re not seeing anything major in terms of problems with the Galaxy Note 7, and our two units here are running flawlessly. We aren’t the only people with one though, and some are reporting various WiFi issues, battery life is a complaint, screen bleeding, laggy performance, a stuck S-pen, charging speeds that aren’t as fast as expected and even some camera “crash” failures. These Galaxy Note 7 problems are few and far between, and we’d still recommend this phone to almost anyone, but we’ll touch on all of them for good measure.

Samsung states that they had one of the best releases in history. The phone was ready for a global release right on time, inventory was good enough for a UK release, all major carriers have the phone and they’re even offering some impressive Galaxy Note 7 deals for the first few weeks it’s available.

With the Galaxy Note 5 there was a big issue with the S-Pen stylus getting stuck, which Samsung fixed, but we’re still seeing a few complaints about that. However, it’s mostly user error from people pushing it in too hard, or purposefully putting it back in the wrong direction. Don’t let that all worry you, the Note 7 is Samsung’s best yet and if you do have any small issues we’ll fix them below.

Again, the Note 7 has only been available for a short while, and we expect more information to surface in the coming weeks and months. For now though, these are the problems we’re hearing about.

Galaxy Note 7 WiFi Problems

For whatever reason with each new phone there are WiFi problems reported, which is often just the user or their network and router, not the phone. That aside, we have seen a few owners mention slow WiFi performance, drops, or slow speeds. The WiFi and Bluetooth together issues the S7 faced are gone, so that’s a good sign.

Note-7-iris

Our suggestion would be to make the phone forget the WiFi network you’re tying to use, and reconnect. Head into settings > connections > WiFi and long press to forget your wireless network. Then reconnect, put in the password, and it should be better. Also, it’s always a good idea to reset the home router or modem.

Galaxy Note 7 Bluetooth Problems

As usual, there are also a few complaints about Bluetooth and those trying to use Android Auto. Everything from regular car stereos, Android Auto, 3rd party accessories and other things.

This happens on occasion with most devices, and is quickly fixed by software updates or simply repairing a bluetooth device to your Galaxy Note 7. For one, unpair and repair any device trying to use Bluetooth, as that could fix it. And if any “permissions” appear during this process make sure its set to allow. Owners can also head into permission controls in settings and make sure they didn’t deny access to certain apps.

One quick trick that typically has fixed Bluetooth problems is also worth trying. Pull down the notification bar and hit the gear-shaped settings button up top. Then in settings head to Applications > Application Manager > More and find an app called Bluetooth Share. Select this and tap “Force Stop” or clear the cache. Then turn Bluetooth off and back on again. I have Bluetooth problems here and there, and turning off and back on the device, the Note 7, or the Bluetooth option typically fixes it.

Galaxy Note 7 Camera Failure

If you see “Warning: Camera Failed” when trying to use the camera, don’t be alarmed. This could be from 3rd party apps with access to the camera like Snapchat or Instagram, or countless other things. It isn’t anything to be concerned about though.

Note-7-back

Like the Galaxy S7 Edge the new Note 7 has an excellent 12 Dual Pixel camera that takes great photos. Double tap the home button to instantly fire it up. If you see the error above, it’s probably because a software feature called Smart Stay. This keeps certain things on the screen while eyes are viewed from the sensors in the phone, but it can cause the camera to act up. I’m not seeing this, but we’ve seen it reported once already.

Head to Settings > Advanced Features > and turn off Smart Stay, and then try the camera again. If it still doesn’t work try heading into settings > app manager > and force stopping the camera application. Next owners can reboot the phone, or do a hard reset by holding down power and the home button for 7 seconds.

Disable Always-On Display

Samsung has a new feature on the Note 7 called an “Always-On Display” which you’ve probably noticed because the screen never completely turns off. There is information like the clock, date, time, battery life and some notifications. It’s an awesome feature, but the constant moving to keep the screen fresh is a distraction that some have been complaining about. Personally I love it, but if you want to disable it, here’s how.

Note-7-AOD

Simply disable the always on display feature by heading into Settings > Display > Always On Display > and Turn it off. Now the screen will go black and turn off when not in use. Another idea would be to customize the AOD or add a “sleep time” so it only functions during the day and not at night, which could solve the problem some are having with it being too bright.

Note 7 Speaker Issues

Many users are probably testing out the new IP68 dust and water resistant rating of the Note 7, or have already had an accident. The phone can be submerged in over 5ft of water for more than 30 minutes, and the S-Pen stylus works under-water too. It’s an impressive feature, but it does cause the speaker to get wet and it could sound funny until fully dry.

Speakers sound fine once any water is removed

Speakers sound fine once any water is removed

There are no flaps or seals covering the speaker, charging port or other things, and that means water can get inside the device. Surface tension and a nano-coating keeps it safe, but shake out any water first so the speaker sounds good, and charging can be done safely. Don’t use it while it’s dripping wet. That’s common sense.

Some users have reported the speaker doesn’t sound right, but if that’s after testing the water resistant features, tap it against a desk or your hand to get any leftover water out of the insides.

Stuck S-Pen

Yes, we’re dealing with this “problem” once again somehow. A few sites are reporting that the S-Pen can get stuck. Last year users were putting it in the wrong way, which I’d call a user error more than a Samsung problem, but the company fixed it anyways on later batches of the device.

Note-7-stylus

Apparently some users are putting it in the wrong way again, and there’s something inside to prevent it from sliding in and getting stuck. But not all humans are smart, and some are pushing too hard, getting past this, and well, what did you expect to happen? We also saw one video of an owner putting it back the correct way, but pushing a bit too hard, and the clicker getting stuck too. While this is unlikely, get a replacement S-Pen from Samsung, or buy an extra. They have a lot of official accessories including an extra stylus. Pay attention and put it back the way it’s supposed to go, and everything will be fine.

Galaxy Note 7 App Tray

The new UX (User Experience) software on the Note 7 is some of Samsung’s best yet and very refined, but the app tray still does something everyone hates. We’d call this more an inconvenience than anything, but apps aren’t in order and are out of place. Newly installed apps are at the end of the list, not in alphabetical order.

Note-7-apptray

Hit the bottom right icon to open the application tray, then tap the 3-dot settings button at the top and select “A-Z” and then tap save. This will list apps alphabetically, they way it should have from the beginning, and make finding apps easier. The next time you install an app though, you’ll have to do it again.

Galaxy Note 7 Charging & Getting Hot

With high-end specs under the hood and an all metal design these phones can get hot while using the Gear VR, gaming or even while sitting on the charger. It’s nothing to be alarmed by, but something we hear often from users. There could be a few causes though.

Note-7-reset

Of course thanks to the USB Type-C cable and faster charging technology it will get warm, so don’t play games while it’s charging if you don’t want it getting hot. Like Pokemon Go. Even if it does, there’s nothing to worry about.

The Note 7 uses a new fast charging technology that puts out a lot of power, but if the heat is a concern for you there’s always a way to disable fast cable charging. However, then it will take over 2 hours to recharge, instead of charging super fast. Head to Settings > Device Maintenance > Battery > Advanced Settings and turn off fast cable charging. We wouldn’t recommend this, but do what you want.

At the same time, if the phone isn’t charging very fast make sure you’re using the included USB Type-C cable (or a good quality Type-C cord) and the wall wart that came in the box. It’s a specific “adaptive fast charger” and an old charger that was in the wall from prior years may not charge your phone at optimal speeds.

Reboot the Galaxy Note 7

With smartphones we hear about problems from text messages not working, apps crashing, glitches, stutters and more. Most of this shouldn’t happen on a powerful new phone like the Note 7, but almost every little problem can be fixed from a good old-fashioned reboot. And yes, an older Uncle of mine didn’t understand what that meant.

Reboot the phone by long-pressing the power button, and hitting “restart”. It will quickly turn off and restart back up and be running as good as new. Again, this fixes almost all minor little problems some users may see.

Galaxy Note 7 Factory Data Reset

A last resort to fix any lingering problems or issues is a factory data reset. This typically fixes any major issues, software problems and more, and reverts the phone to stock out of the box software. That means it will erase everything. Everything, so be careful and save any photos, texts, or things you want to keep.

If your Note 7 isn’t acting right we’d recommend maybe taking it back to the store you bought it or seeking a replacement, or try a factory data reset before going through the hassle of getting a replacement.

Note-7-button

Start by going to Settings > Accounts > Backup & reset > Factory data reset > and Reset Device. This will take a few minutes to reboot and install the stock factory software and erase everything, then reboot to a clean slate for owners to start over. Making the Note 7 as good as new again.

Again, we’re not seeing too many complaints or reports about Galaxy Note 7 problems, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. As the phone is attained by more users we can expect others to surface. Once they do, we’ll update with more information and how to fix them. If you are having an issue drop us a comment below. Buyers can also expect monthly security updates and a big upgrade to Android 7.0 Nougat in the coming months. Stay tuned.

34 Comments

34 Comments

  1. Julian

    08/23/2016 at 8:21 pm

    Hiya, my Note 7 has been rebooting randomly since I got it Last Thursday. Sometimes it’ll do this 5-6 times in a row before it comes right. Just about an hour ago it has stopped working altogether. Holding power or power & volume keys having no effect. There’s a pale blue light on next to the iris scanning camera, but that’s it.

  2. Glenn

    08/24/2016 at 2:17 am

    Hi. My Note is 5 days old is doing the same as Julians. Not happy as Optus(Aust) won’t replace.

  3. Cold Mama

    08/24/2016 at 7:10 am

    On my 5th day, the new Note 7 started rebooting itself continuously. I couldn’t break the cycle or get it to turn off. I let the battery run down overnight. We I repowered and restarted, I discovered It had done its own factory reset.

  4. Linda

    08/24/2016 at 9:35 am

    My pictures/attachments to my text messages didn’t transfer over from my Note 3.
    Even after I deleted my text messages and did a new transfer of text messages, the messages came over, but there is a box where the picture is. Some may say…text messages can’t be transferred over, but on my son’s Galaxy 7 edge, his pictures were intact with his text messages.

  5. Eric Neff

    08/24/2016 at 2:33 pm

    I got my note 7 last Friday and it works flawlessly. My wife got one also and has a few issues but nothing I wasn’t able to fix in a matter of minutes. Still cant get over how great this phone is. I upgraded from a Note 4 that was awful. Glad I took the chance to stay with the Note series.

  6. Emir

    08/24/2016 at 4:43 pm

    Julian, how can you fix tur problem

  7. Cody

    08/24/2016 at 8:14 pm

    I have had my note 7 for 6 days now, on the 3 day it began rebooting itself every half hour. I did a factory reset and things worked fine, now on day 6, it is doing it again. Does anyone have a fix other than factory reset?

  8. Toni Glover

    08/25/2016 at 12:56 am

    Have a new Note 7 that is 24 hours old. I had a meeting today, turned off sound and vibrate and turned it over. Since then the screen is blank despite re-charging. When we phone the phone, it says it is ringing though nothing on screen. Returning the phone tomorrow to Telecom. Hopefully a straight swap due to screen fault. Loved it when it worked.

  9. Ang

    08/25/2016 at 3:08 pm

    Have a Note 7, …my text messages are messed up.
    I unchecked the conversation box, but others are receiving my messages.. hmmm

  10. Tom

    08/25/2016 at 7:38 pm

    Im honestly extremely disappointed in this phone. Bad connection stability, random times when the screen bugs out does what it wants or wont respond. To be honest my galaxy s5 worked 30-40 percent better than this phone and its 2 generations ahead

  11. Rob

    08/26/2016 at 5:18 am

    Wow lol 10 minutes since my new note 7 turned itself off and is now unresponsive with blue led stuck on! Purchased on first day of release i guess 7 days before dying isn’t too bad hahaha if i don’t laugh i may cry…….UNLUCKY!

  12. Scott Tjhia

    08/26/2016 at 4:32 pm

    Have had the note since launch. For the past 3 or 4 days it has been randomly hanging and being stuck in a reboot cycle. Then blank screen with the recharging light on, while not recharging. Resets dont change that it will keep doing reboot cycles itself or hanging. Any ideas?

  13. Hope

    08/26/2016 at 10:05 pm

    So far, I haven’t seen my problem here.

    I consider this a big problem; in fact, I’m near my wits end..

    Ads are everywhere, at every turn. I just traded in a Galaxy 6 for this new Note 7. I was using Chrome for Android, with Adblock for Chrome for Android, and Avast. I was fine. Now, I’m smothered with ads, even using Firefox for Android with Adblock Plus, and Norton.

    HELP, please!

  14. melissa griffin

    08/27/2016 at 5:52 am

    I have one problem with my note 7, there is a blank spot on the note screen that I can’t write on. It’s a quarter size area, that when the pin goes over it, it stays blank.

  15. Thomas

    08/27/2016 at 10:26 am

    My bluetooth works fine if the back of the phone is facing my headphones but if i have the screen facing me it gets intermittent

  16. Yaseen

    08/27/2016 at 11:35 am

    I got my Note 7 5 days ago. I have a serious problem with the screen response sensitivity. About 33% of the time when I fingure touch the screen to perform something, there is no response. Then I have to touch it again and again or push the touch harder till the desired function performed… It is extremely disappointing… I am going to take it back to supplier to resolve this disappointing situation.

  17. Robert Miller

    08/27/2016 at 1:41 pm

    Just got my phone and my wife’s note 7 and noticed that when using internet browser and google.com the continuous or swipe text doesnt work for the search box. Anyone figured out how to fix this?

  18. Rchoo

    08/27/2016 at 5:49 pm

    I have the similar problem most of you have. On day 2 after I’ve got my note 7, I transferred all my data from note 3 to 7. All works fine on that day. I did not use my note 7 until day 5 and problems started. It started to get ‘hang’ and restart. It goes over and over again while I tried doing something and finally it went dead with the blue light on the top left. I had to hold on to the power button together with the volumn down key to reboot the phone and had it on. Next I decided that i should do a factory reset to wipe off all data. Again the phone went dead again while the phone was deleting the data. So I had to reboot the phone again using above method and once the phone turn on, it automatically continue the last job. Finally when it’s done, I followed the instruction to get to phone set up again. It’s 3 days now and I do not have the problem now. You may like to give it a try before going back to the shop to get it replacement.

  19. Jonathon Blackwell

    08/28/2016 at 1:24 am

    Weird issue my note 7 only gets half my bandwith if that much on my wifi. Unless I have it hooked up to the charger then it gets all of it….hmmmm

  20. Kenneth Wallace

    08/28/2016 at 1:26 am

    Got my note 7 on release date. Everything has been great UNTIL day 7. Now I’m having trouble charging it. It’s saying moisture has been detected and will not charge. It has not been in or near any water. Even if it had been, it’s SUPPOSED to be waterproof. Right!!???
    I’ve done all the rebooting and sometimes it will keep trying to charge but won’t, some times it will kick in. Been doing this for the last 24 hours. Anyone else having this trouble?

  21. Ebi Obidake

    08/28/2016 at 4:46 pm

    Got mine on release date and few days in when talking voices switch to old school robotics sounding voices. This is happening on a daily basis. Anyone else having this issue. But I talk to another Note7 user when this does happen.

  22. Kirra

    08/29/2016 at 5:16 am

    I have same problem with my phone randomly restarting itself (note 7), it mainly happens when i do things really quick or when im in browser.. Ive had it for a day and already having a problem like this. Disappointed.

  23. David Gomez

    08/29/2016 at 2:49 pm

    Hi. I have been having that rebooting problem too. It is not even warm sometimes when it just halts for a few seconds and then enter a reboot cycle. Some times it will reboot right again in the first try. Others it will try many times ending completely shut down,not even draining the battery but getting quite hot after a couple of tries.
    One time the whole screen got messed, some times just a horizontal line. And a couple of times a horrible screeching noise.

    It’s very frustrating. I feel mostly scared of doing anything with it least it will reboot itself.
    I am wondering if it is a software/firmware issue that will be fixed with a future update or if I should take the phone to be checked (maybe defective battery?) because I have done a factory reset once and started installing applications fresh (as in I did not migrate the second time) thinking one app there might be at fault, but still same problems. But it still happens.

    I got mine from Mexico, telcel company btw (if it were a hardware issue, I am guessing it would be localized)

  24. A. Rifi

    08/30/2016 at 5:11 am

    Iam not happy with my new Note 7, whatsapp crarches all the time, no way to end vedio files … again the battery life is not as expected. Arabic font is poor .. for those who have a minor or slight vision probles and I can not load any Arabic fonts from third party…
    At the end i fell i will change to new I Phone 7 on September..

  25. eigilbert

    08/30/2016 at 5:42 pm

    I have not seen my problem here. I got the Note 7 on release day. Today the screen started flashing when I press the power button to put the display to sleep. The display is also set to go to sleep after 1 minute. When it does, the screen starts flashing. The only thing that seems to stop the screen flashing is to turn it face down or waving my hand in front of the sensor button at the top of the Note 7. Any thoughts?

  26. Eleasa Meyers

    08/30/2016 at 7:18 pm

    I am now on my second Note 7 since the release date. Text messages is my issue. Randomly can receive and send text. Not everyone gets my text and I can’t get all text. I am extremely frustrated and nobody can fix the issue…I came from a Note 3 which I loved!! I am done with this phone.

  27. Tony

    08/31/2016 at 3:05 pm

    I have had my galaxy note seven for one week…i connected it up to my harman kardon blue tooth speaker at work and it doesnt pair well. Lots of static and skipping when i listen to pandora or iheart radio! I took it back to get another phone and the new one does the exact same thing!! My note 3 worked just fine with my blue tooth speaker nice and loud! This phone sucks overated for sure does anyone have any answers for this??

  28. Tom ong

    08/31/2016 at 9:31 pm

    Got one too after first replacement that could not last more than a week, Sad and disappointed for Note 7 can’t even compare with China made model….geee.

  29. Laurette Smith

    09/01/2016 at 5:35 am

    I am having a lot of problems connecting to the internet. Also, it comes coming up and saying I do not have a SIM card, which it does… : ( : (

  30. gigglybeast

    09/03/2016 at 12:35 pm

    “these phones can get hot while using the Gear VR, gaming or even while sitting on the charger. It’s nothing to be alarmed by” Don’t be alarmed it’s just a small explosion :)

  31. Michael Ryan

    09/08/2016 at 12:44 pm

    Two SIMs Issue: I’m from Ireland and have a dual sim card international version of the note7. I haven’t had the problems described in the article, but do have one that is quite vexing.

    When I insert two sim cards and set Mobile Data to sim 1, I can’t get an Internet connection. However when I set Mobile Data to sim 2, I do get a connection. If I remove sim 2 and set Mobile Data to sim 1, I can then get an Internet connection, but not when both sim cards are installed. I’ve tried everything I can think of and have not found a solution. I’ve contacted Samsung, but they haven’t responded yet. I’m hoping someone has a solution to this.

  32. wendy Clark

    09/12/2016 at 1:10 pm

    I have the note 7 and it won’t recognize my micro sd. Hanges up on people. Won’t let me tag on Fb. Its a mess.. really not happy!!

  33. Elizabeth Henry

    09/24/2016 at 7:47 pm

    I got my note 3 days ago, first it wouldn’t except my lock code then it reset and wont accept my google pass word to reset up. Took it back to the store today (Saturday) and of course google and Samsung are closed till Monday I use my phone for work so Im wondering how much money I’m losing aaaah

  34. Fishing Gut

    10/08/2016 at 11:46 am

    My daughter and I both got Note 7’s and are only sporadically successful sending or receiving pictures with each other. Replaced her sim card but didn’t help. Never had this issue with Galaxy S5. Very frustrating…

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