The Ultimate Android Smartphone Troubleshooting Guide
Note: Since Android phones do not have similar settings and differ from manufacturer to manufacturer, the mentioned methods may slightly differ on your phone. The included pictures are considering the Samsung phone of model A21.
The Ultimate Android Smartphone Troubleshooting Guide Method 1: Basic Troubleshooting Methods Method 2: Troubleshoot Device Hardware and Ports Method 3: Troubleshoot Network Connectivity Method 4: Troubleshoot Android Apps Method 5: Modify Device Settings Method 6: Auxiliary Troubleshooting Methods
Method 1: Basic Troubleshooting Methods
Before attempting to fix the issues specifically, you can try the common troubleshooting methods. This will solve the particular issue and will help you in fixing the entire setup as a whole.
- Modify Device Interface Sometimes, the interface you are using may have glitches that don’t allow you to proceed with the work any further. Try fixing the problems on the interface or the complete setup using the methods below in this Smartphone troubleshooting guide. Option I: Restart Smartphone Restarting your Smartphone is the most important and basic option to fix the issues on your Smartphone. Force restart your phone to fix the bugs and glitches on your phone. This will provide you with a fresh interface for working and you can easily resume your work on your Phone after a restart.
Option II: Reset Smartphone If you are not able to use any of the functionality on your phone and need it to be fixed immediately, you can try resetting the Phone. This will make your phone have a fresh interface and features like it is shipped afresh. There are two options to reset your phone, Soft Reset and Hard Reset; you can choose the option depending on the need to reset.
Option III: Update Smartphone You can try installing the updated version on your phone whenever you are facing any issues on your phone. Update your phone to fix the glitches on your phone and you can have a new interface to use.
Also Read: 20 Best High Speed Charger for Android 2. Modify Storage settings on your Phone The Phone storage may be too clustered and thus slow down your phone, you can use the methods to modify the storage settings on your phone and fix the issues. Option I: Manage Phone Storage If you are having a load of files on a single folder, Gallery, for instance, you need to shift the files to another location such as Documents in the File Manager. By changing the files from one location to the other, you can reduce the space consumed in a particular location and this will help in boosting the phone speed. Here’s how to free-up and manage the Phone storage.
Option II: Reinsert Micro SD Card If you are using a Micro SD card as a part of the storage, you can try removing it from the slot and reinserting them into the slot after a restart operation. This will fix the issues in the Micro SD card and you can use the storage device at ease. This is also a good method to troubleshoot mobile phone problems with sd card.
Option III: Format Micro SD card If you are still not able to use the secondary storage device or the Micro SD card, then you can try formatting the card on your PC. This will clear all the files on the card and you can use it to store the files on your Phone after the format. To format the card,
Plug the card into a card reader and connect it to your PC using a USB cable.
Launch the Windows Explorer on your PC by pressing the keys Windows + E keys simultaneously.
Go to This PC > Devices and drives section.
Right-click on the drive with the Micro SD card, and select Format… as illustrated below.
Contact Device Manufacturer The last option is to address the Manufacturer directly stating the issue. You need to contact your Phone manufacturer directly using any of the social media platforms or their dedicated support pages. Address the issue you are facing with the details like the duration of the issue on your phone. You should receive a reply within a few working days & the issue should get sorted soon. Also Read: How to Move Apps to SD Card on Android
Method 2: Troubleshoot Device Hardware and Ports
The external ports are the entry points to your phone, you need to keep them cleared of the issues. To do so, follow the methods described below in the Smartphone troubleshooting guide.
- Clean Device Ports This section will give you the basic Smartphone troubleshooting guide that can be performed to clean the peripheral connections on your Smartphone. Option I: Clean Charging Port If you are not able to charge your phone or the charging cable is not getting connected to the charge port, you need to clean the charging port of the phone. You can use a toothpick or a cotton swab to clean the charging port and you must be able to fix the issue. If you are still not able to clean the charging port, ask a Technician to clean the port, and then you can connect the charger. Please do not use any slime material to clean the charging or any other ports, as they can disturb the internal functionalities.
Option II: Clean Camera Lens If you are experiencing issues like blurred images or not being able to scan the documents using your phone, you can wipe the cameras of the Phone, that is both the Front camera and Back camera with a soft cloth. Avoid wiping the lens with your fingers or using any rough material to clean the camera.
- Troubleshoot Device Battery If the issue is with your Phone’s battery, you can easily troubleshoot the problems using the basic methods provided here. Option I: Charge Device Battery At most times, the phone may be dysfunctional if the phone is not charged. So, ensure to charge your phone before performing any operation like installing an app on the Phone. It is advisable to charge the phone up to 80% for better and long time performance.
Option II: Change Device Battery If you are using an old battery on a new Smartphone or if the battery cannot hold the charge for a longer period, you can try changing the battery of the phone. Try using a new battery and you must be able to solve any issues with the phone. Note: Modern Smartphones come with pre-built or fixed batteries, so the above method is suited for older models of Smartphones only. Also Read: 12 Ways to Fix Your Phone Won’t Charge Properly
Method 3: Troubleshoot Network Connectivity
Network issue is a common problem with Android phones and must be addressed in this smartphone troubleshooting guide. With advancing and progressing technology, you need to know the methods to fix most usual errors.
- Troubleshoot Wi-Fi Connection If you are using a Wi-Fi connection as the main Network for your Smartphone, then try performing the basic fixes listed in this section to solve the network issues. Option I: Connect to Wi-Fi While you are using a Wi-Fi connection,
Ensure that the Wi-Fi setting is enabled on your phone in the Quick Access menu. Ensure that the phone is connected to the specific Wi-Fi network. Make sure that you have entered the correct password for connecting to this Wi-Fi network. You can also try to turn Wi-Fi off & then On again.
Option II: Move Device Closer to Router Many a time, not staying at a close range to the Wi-Fi router can give rise to connectivity issues. So, move closer to the Wi-Fi router and see if the network issues are solved on your Phone. Option III: Restart Router If you are not able to resolve the Samsung TV Wi-Fi connection issues or on your Phone, try restarting the Wi-Fi router and reconnecting your phone to the Wi-Fi connection to solve the issue. Force restart the router by
either long-pressing the power button on the router or by disconnecting the power plug from the source.
- Troubleshoot Message Issues If you are encountering the Message not send error while you are trying to send the message to your contacts, you can try following the methods explained below to fix the error. Option I: Enter Correct Phone Number If you are trying to send a message, be it a text message or a media file, check if the Mobile number entered for the recipient is correct.
If the number of digits of the phone number is lesser than or greater than the standard number, you may not be able to send the message. Also, delete the country codes if included with the phone number to avoid any further disturbance.
Option II: Retry Sending Messages Sometimes, the message you are trying to send to the recipient may have been stuck or the send button may not have been activated. To avoid this, tap on the Send button again to resend the messages. Additionally, you can follow our guide to fix message not sent on Android. Option III: Clear Messages & Contacts Cache Deleting corrupt cache from your phone for commonly used applications is a good way to avoid issues as well as to save storage space.
Go to Settings > Storage on your Android smartphone.
Tap on Messages and then, tap Clear cache button shown highlighted.
Repeat the same for Contacts app too.
Troubleshoot Mobile Data This section contains the methods that can be performed to solve the network issues on your Mobile phone. Option I: Turn On Mobile Data If you are using the Wi-Fi connection, you may neither be able to send the messages easily nor use any streaming devices and using the Mobile data can give you faster results than the Wi-Fi connection. To avoid this error,
Access the Mobile data setting in the Settings > Connections > Data usage.
Turn the Mobile data On using the Settings menu toggle switch.
Option II: Change Mobile Data Plan If you are still experiencing problems in sending messages to the recipients, then you can consider changing the data plan of your connection. Read all the specifications like the bandwidth of the internet connection be it for the Mobile data or the Wi-Fi router. 4. Troubleshoot Google Apps Google and its component are inarguably one of the most important apps for surfing activities. This section lists the methods to solve the issue with the Google apps if the network issue is explicitly on these apps. Option I: Sign into Google Account Sometimes, your Smartphone may not provide you with the desired interface for using the Google account. In such cases, you can try signing out and re-sign in to Google using your Gmail credentials on the phone. This must be able to fix the network issues and you must be able to use the apps with ease.
Option II: Disable Google Drive Contact Sync If you open the Contacts app on your phone, you must have noticed that there must be more than one contact saved for the same person. In this case, the Smartphone will delay in sending the messages as it has to search for the contact in both the default Contacts app and the Google Contacts app. To solve the issue,
you can turn off the Contact sync in Google drive by opening the Google Contacts app and turning the toggle off on the Sync option. This way, you can also solve the problem with storage in addition to the network issues. Else, you can disable the Contact sync through your device settings as shown in the steps below:
Open the Settings app.
Tap on the Accounts and backup option from the list.
Tap on the option titled Manage accounts to change the preferences for all associated accounts.
Tap on the Google account for which you would like to disable Google Contacts sync. Note: This step is only applicable if you have multiple Google accounts logged in on the same phone.
Tap on the Sync account option as shown.
Toggle off the Contacts to disable contact sync for your Google account.
Option III: Troubleshoot Google Drive Sync If you are using any cloud service for storing the data on your phone such as Google Drive, you can try re-enabling sync feature. Also Read: How to Connect to WiFi Network using WPS on Android
Method 4: Troubleshoot Android Apps
Mobile applications make up to 75% of the Phone’s usage and we install numerous apps for various purposes. The issues with the mobile applications and the fixes to solve them have become an unavoidable part of the Smartphone troubleshooting guide.
Backup App Data If you wish to back up your Android phone data on the app like app files, you can follow this method. This will store all the important documents in the location you have selected and you can use them at your convenience.
Clear App Storage You can clear the phone storage space along with unwanted data from apps. This will help enhance the phone speed & help save storage space on your Android phone. Option I: Clear App Cache App cache files may help you in loading the app without any delay but accumulated cache files can slow down the speed of the app and your phone. So, you can use this method to clear all the cache files of the app on your phone to boost the speed.
Go to Settings > Storage on your Android smartphone.
Tap on Messages and then, tap Clear cache button shown highlighted.
Repeat the same for all applications installed on your phone. Option II: Uninstall Unused Apps If you have installed numerous apps of which you would be likely not using many of them, then you need to disable them. This is because the apps would take up some amount of network connection and storage on your phone. Hence, check the unused applications on your phone and uninstall the apps via Google Play Store or phone storage. This can help you fix the problems with the apps, and also help you fix the network and storage issues.
Troubleshoot Google Play Store This section will help you troubleshoot mobile phone problems using the main app that lets you install the apps on your phone, which is the Google Play store. Follow the methods to fix the issues with the mobile applications. Option I: Update Apps Using an outdated app on your Smartphone cannot guarantee you a good UI, hence you need to update the apps on the Google Play store. Updating the apps can also help you fix the bugs and glitches in the apps and you can use the apps with ease.
Option II: Reinstall Apps If none of the methods described above help you troubleshoot mobile phone problems with the apps, you can try uninstalling the apps on your phone.
After uninstalling the apps, you can install them again using the Google Play Store. This will clear all the disrupting files associated with the apps on your phone and provide you with apps afresh. To install the apps again, search for the apps in the Google Play Store and tap on the Install button on the app to install it on your phone.
Option III: Troubleshoot App Download Issue If you are trying to download apps from the Google Play store on your Smartphone and are not able to do so, then you need to follow the method mentioned here. This method will let you fix the issue of being unable to download apps on your phone and help you download the apps.
- Go to Settings > Storage on your Android smartphone.
- Tap on Play Store.
- Finally, tap Clear cache button. Also Read: How to Clear Cache on Android Phone (And Why Is It Important)
Method 5: Modify Device Settings
The Settings app is like the main interface that helps you fix issues on your phone. The app is in itself a Smartphone troubleshooting guide as it has the required settings to fix the errors on your phone.
- Re-enable Network Setting Follow the methods described here to allow you to enable and disable the basic network settings to fix most of the issues on your phone. Option I: Turn Off Airplane Mode The Airplane mode is a setting that is known to fix the connectivity issues and other bugs on Smartphones. You can try enabling and disabling the Airplane mode/Flight Mode on your Smartphone using this method as a common fix to solve the problem.
Option II: Restart Network Connections If you are having continuous lag in using the phone and are facing network connectivity issues, you can try to follow our guide to fix wifi not working issue on your phone. Restarting these connections will not only help you fix the network connectivity issues but also the errors that might occur on your phone. Thus, this will troubleshoot mobile phone problems with network connectivity.
Option III: Turn Off Device Location You need to enable your Phone’s location for using the apps that require your geographical information. However, keeping them turned on for a prolonged period can disturb you using the functions on the phone, hence, you need to turn the setting off to solve the issues on the Settings app. Tap on the Location tab and turn the toggle off the setting to turn off Phone Location.
Option IV: Enable 4G Connectivity If your phone uses 3G for your phone, it may consume a lot of data for processing the media files. With advancing and updated apps, you need to enable 4G service over 3G on your phone to work effectively. If your phone is too outdated and cannot take much content, you can stick to using the 3G connection.
However, it is highly advised to use the 4G connection especially when the Smartphones are being upgraded to be compatible with the 5G connection real soon. Fingers crossed! 2. Adjust Display Settings The display is an important feature for using the Smartphone and this section has the basic methods to fix issues with the Display setting. Below are Smartphone troubleshooting guide to adjust display settings. Option I: Adjust Brightness If your phone cannot handle the storage or if it has overheating issues, you need to adjust the Brightness of your phone. By adjusting the brightness of your phone, you can save a lot of wasted phone charge and make your phone more functional. Open the Settings app, tap on the Display tab, and adjust the lever in the Brightness section.
Option II: Turn On Power Saving Mode If you are experiencing a constant lag in using the Smartphone or if you cannot use the phone without charging it repetitively, you need to turn on the power saving mode on your phone. Open the Settings app, tap on Battery and device care and then on Battery tab, and toggle on the Power saving mode option.
Option III: Modify Screen Timeout Setting One of the options to fix display issues and save battery usage is setting a period for the Screen Timeout option. You can set any period like 2 minutes, in which the Smartphone will get locked if not being operated within the time set. To set the Screen Timeout, open the Settings app, tap on the Display tab, and then tap on the Screen timeout option. Set any period by tapping on the options in the list to set the Screen timeout setting.
Option IV: Enable Dark Theme Another option similar to the power saving mode is the Dark Theme option, which will help you save the Phone battery and help you use the apps and other functions with less power consumption. The phone will have a dark or black interface compared to the bright white interface when the Dark Theme is enabled.
Adjust User Interface Settings This section has Smartphone troubleshooting guide to provide you with a better UI experience and will help you in using the phone with ease. Option I: Increase Font Size The font size is one of the main functions for deciding the UI of the phone features. Using a lower font size can arguably present more content on the small screen, but you may not be able to use the features with ease. Using the steps listed below, you can increase the font size on your phone, so that, you may be able to use the phone with ease.
Go to Device Settings.
Tap on the Display option.
Then, select the Text and display size option.
Here, adjust the Text size and Display size.
Option II: Disable Auto-rotation Feature Auto-rotation is an additional feature on Smartphones that changes the screen display automatically once you change the way you hold the phone. However, if the auto-rotation feature is enabled, you can see that the view of the screen would get switched from Portrait to Landscape and vice-versa with just a tilt. This is a sort of disturbance to the user and might cause the phone to get hung while in usage. You can disable the auto-rotate feature on your phone to avoid the issue and have the screen locked in a Portrait view.
- Open the Settings app,
- Tap on the Home screen tab.
- Toggle on the Rotate to landscape mode setting shown highlighted below.
Option II: Disable Notifications Notifications are the messages that pop up on your home screen, regardless of the phone being locked or unlocked. The notifications that pop up on the phone help you stay updated, but it may be a disturbance in some instances. You might receive messages at a frequent rate and piled notifications can disturb you from using any particular app. You need to disable the notifications e.g. Play Store notifications on your phone to troubleshoot common mobile phone problems.
Also Read: How to Change USB Settings on Android 6.0
Method 6: Auxiliary Troubleshooting Methods
If there are specific recurring issues that need special attention, then the Auxiliary methods section in this Smartphone troubleshooting guide will help you fix those issues.
Troubleshoot Device Overheating The Smartphone is a device that supports a variety of features and applications at the same time. Overheating issue is a common problem with Android devices and you can try methods like keeping the phone in a cooler place to cool them. To know any further methods for fixing the overheating issues, read the article linked with the section.
Troubleshoot Device Starting Issue Another common issue that might cause you to panic is the phone won’t turn on issue. There are different reasons for this issue; you can solve them using the methods described in the article.
Troubleshoot Screen Freeze Since the Android phone is a device people prefer to use regularly, you would not like to encounter problems like a Frozen mobile screen while using the apps. This is a common issue and some methods to fix the frozen mobile screen are described in this article.
Disable Auto-correct Feature The Auto-correct feature enables you to fix grammatical errors and typing mistakes while sending messages or creating documents. However, there might be some bad auto-correct suggestions that pop up indefinitely while you are typing. You can use the article to fix the error and turn off the auto-correct feature on your phone. Note: It may be termed as Auto spell check feature as shown below. Additionally, you can disable the same for all languages & keyboards that you have set-up on your Android phone.
Moreover, if there is a single inappropriate suggestion, you can drag the word from the suggestion bar and tap on the Delete button to delete the suggestion. 5. Enable Safe Mode Another important thing for Smartphone troubleshooting guide is to enable Safe Mode. Often, you may not be able to use any of the methods provided in this article on your phone to fix the errors. This might be due to the apps that are disturbing the Phone, which might not let you find the faulty apps.
To fix the issue, boot the phone into safe mode by pressing the Power button for some time along with Home/Volume up/Volume down keys as the case may be depending on your phone manufacturer.
After booting into safe mode, delete all the apps that are harmful to your phone.
Finally, exit from the Safe mode to troubleshoot mobile phone problems.
Troubleshoot Wet Phone If your phone has fallen into the water and the water has penetrated through the ports and other openings on your phone, it might be troubling to use the phone. You can fix the wet phone easily using the in-built or third-party apps such as Fix My speakers.
Unlock Device Without Authentication If you have set a number pin as the password for unlocking your phone and have forgotten it, the methods described in this article will help you unlock your phone without the need for authentication to troubleshoot mobile phone problems.
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The article is about Smartphone troubleshooting guide that discusses the common Android problems. The methods to troubleshoot mobile phone problems are also explained in this article. You can refer to this article for troubleshooting mobile phone problems and for fixing the issues. If you have made it this far in the article, consider dropping your uggestions and queries in the comments section below.
