Samsung Galaxy S3: Top 15 Tips and Tricks on How-to-Fix Commonly Known Issues
Many owners of the Samsung Galaxy S3 aren't only frustrated with the delayed Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update; they are also maddened by issues such as poor reception, short battery life, sudden death illness and more. If you are being plagued Galaxy S3 issue, know the solution right on your fingertips.
1. Wi-Fi Drops or Not Detected
Some users reported Wi-Fi connectivity with the Galaxy S3 which is a common thing among Android smartphones.
Cause: The Wi-Fi sleep policy may be active which terminates the connection in a specific time. Details from the router such as username and password may not be the same or the ISP itself may be suffering a problem.
Solution 1: Install an application called Wi-Fi Analyser and check if the problem is caused by the router or your device.
Solution 2: Go to Settings > Wi-Fi > Advanced > Set "Always" on the Keep Wi-Fi on during sleep.
2. Poor Network Reception
Network coverage varies from the network carrier, location and the internal antennae on your phone.
Causes: This is mainly caused by different types and structures of antennas on devices. SIM installation and location where you are in may also contribute to the problem.
Solution 1: Make sure you are not inside an area covered with walls as radio signal decreases significantly.
Solution 2: Double check if your SIM card is inserted properly. Turn off the device and reinsert the SIM. Do not insert SIM cards with a different size than the SIM tray.
Solution 3: Contact your network carrier which may be doing some system improvements which causes your reception to go haywire.
Solution 4: Go to your manufacturer instead so that they can diagnose if any hardware components have been damaged.
3. Emails with Different Colours
Sometimes, the background on your email application renders white or black background and if you switch the font colour to white, the email text appear invisible if the font colour is the same with the background.
Solution 1: Turn of the Power Saving mode. Go to Settings > Power Saving > Background for email and Internet.
4. Audio and Microphone
Some Galaxy S3 users reported the loss of audio on the speakerphone and the dropping after every call.
Solution 1: Restart the smartphone.
Solution 2: Go to Settings > Accessibility > Turn off all sounds > Go back > Sound > Volume levels are on and correct.
Solution 3: Go to Phone > Menu > Call Settings > Additional Settings > Turn of Noise Reduction.
Solution 4: Get an update for your device.
5. No Copy and Paste Function
There are times when copying and pasting function crashes which can be irritating.
Solution: There is no direct way to solve the issue but you can try a factory reset on the Galaxy S3. You can also check for the latest firmware which may have fixed the problem.
6. Music or Audio Vibrating
It is disturbing to feel your device vibrating whenever you are playing your favourite music on the player.
Solution: Settings > Sound > Disable Auto Haptic.
7. Short Battery Life
No smartphone in the world is immune from short battery issue but there are cases that something is wrong on the device which drains the energy.
Solution 1: If the Chrome browser is installed, launch the app > Settings > Developer Tools > Disable Tilt Scrolling.
Solution 2: Go to Settings > More Settings > Mobile Networks > Network Mode > Disable LTE if you are not using it.
Solution 3: Disable Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and mobile data if not in use.
Solution 4: Disable Samsung applications. Go to Settings > Applications Manager > All > Choose to disable: Samsung Account, Samsung Backup, Samsung Apps, and Samsung Cloud Data Relay.
8. Galaxy S3 is on fire!
Galaxy S3 has been reported as well from suffering overheating issue which may harm you if left persisting.
Causes: Over usage of the device, temperature and different charger unit are just few factors contributing to the problem.
Solution 1: Turn off the device and open the back cover to let heat escape.
Solution 2: Uninstall the recent applications that you installed on the same time when overheating occurred.
Solution 3: Take the device to the service centre for immediate solution.
9. Sudden Death Syndrome
SDS or Sudden Death Syndrome commonly affects the Galaxy S3 16GB variant which can cause panic once it happens.
Causes: Flash Memory eMMC chip on the device.
Solution 1: If the device manages to boot up again, install an app called eMMC Brickbug Check to determine if your device is affected.
Solution 2: In case your Galaxy S3 is suffering from it, go straight to the nearest Samsung Support Centre to get it fixed or have it replaced.
10. System Freezes Randomly
Whenever the device freezes, it pertains to a software issue and updating the device is the most advisable step.
Causes: System usually freezes due to several multiple applications currently active which happens with computers (deadlock).
Solution 1: Use the back key instead of home button when leaving applications to let Android close them.
Solution 2: Perform a factory reset to rollback the system.
Solution 3: Update the firmware to the latest version.
Solution 4: If the problem continues, go to the nearest support centre to have it repaired or replaced.
11. Headphone Audio Output
If you are using a headset or earphone and the sound is awful, here are some tips to solve it.
Solution 1: Use a different headphone to know where the problem is.
Solution 2: Try to pull the headphone a bit which may solve the loose contact.
Solution 3: Install the SoundAbout application to help resolve the issue.
12. TouchWiz Slowing Down System
TouchWiz UI is a heavy system installed on your device which can slow it down at times.
Causes: TouchWiz UI has a heavy and chunky overall interface.
Solution 1: Go to Settings > Application Manager > TouchWiz > Clear Data.
Solution 2: Perform a factory reset.
13. Insufficient Internal Memory
If you're getting "insufficient internal memory" whenever you are downloading and installing applications, here are some quick solutions.
Causes: Low storage memory and RAM.
Solution 1: Make sure that the internal storage has free space. Transfer files on the SD card to free memory.
Solution 2: Uninstall some applications you do not use which may be consuming a large part of the RAM.
Solution 3: In order to free the RAM, go to Settings > Application Manager > Running > Close Unnecessary Services.
14. Server Error
There are times that Google Play notifies you with "server error" when you hit install on an application which may not be related to Google or your phone.
Causes: Application itself or outdated Google Play Store.
Solution: Try downloading another application instead. Sometimes the application server is not responding to your request.
15. Flash Videos Not Playable After Update
Flash player is not included anymore to the latest Android devices because Adobe does not want to provide any support.
Solution: Download a separate .apk file and install it on the device. Be warned, flash .apk file is not supported by the Google Play Store and downloading it from other sources may endanger your device from viruses and malwares.