There are a
number of issues that crop up time and time again; thankfully, many of these
problems can be very easily fixed. Read on to discover quick and easy fixes for
Galaxy S4 problems and solutions to common issues from random restarts to
battery and speed problems.
Wi-Fi connection problems
When you're
at home, you may well have noticed that your phone sometimes seems to have
trouble connecting to your wireless network. This is usually the case when the
Wi-Fi signal is weak, but it can crop up at other times as well.
Camera problems
Many Galaxy
S4 owners report problems with the camera app. The precise nature of the
problem can vary, but symptoms include the app closing unexpectedly, images not
displaying properly, and issues with taking photos. As mentioned above, a
faulty memory card can lead to other unexpected problems, so it's worth
removing the card you are using at the moment or replacing it with another one
to see if that helps.
Unexpected restarts
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Having your
phone restart randomly can be extremely annoying, and it is usually indicative
of some other sort of problem. It could be that there is a physical problem
with your battery – such as the connections being bad – but the fault could also
lie with software. As described above, it’s a good idea to check for phone and
app updates to make sure that this is not the cause of restarts.
If you have
opted to expand your storage by adding a memory card, this could also be the
source of your problems. Try removing the microSD card to see if the restart
problem vanishes. If you find that your phone functions normally when there is
no memory card inserted, it's time to invest in a new card.
Phone gets hot
The biggest
concern here is that there could be something physically wrong with the
battery, and it is overheating – this in turn can lead to battery drain
problems or worse. One way to check for battery problems is to remove it from
your phone and place it on a flat surface. If it spins freely when you rotate
it (try turning it over as well), the bulge that makes this possible is
indicative of a problem that needs to be addressed. It could be a simple matter
of buying a replacement battery, but it's worth taking your phone into an
authorized repair shop to get it checked out.
If your
battery seems to be physically OK, it's worth checking that your phone and all
of its apps are fully up to date. To ensure that you have all of the latest
updates for your phone, head to the More section of Settings and tap About
Device.
Now tap
Software Update followed by Update. Download anything that is detected and you
can then check for updates for your apps. Fire up the Play Store app, head to
My apps and hit Update All to grab any available patches. Having the latest
versions of your apps is always a good way to save battery life.
Battery drains
If you find
that your S4 is just not holding its charge for as long as it used to, it is
possible that there is a problem with your battery, but it is more likely that
apps are to blame.
You can
check which of the apps you have installed are responsible for eating through
your battery by opening up Settings. Tap More followed by Battery and you will
see a graph that illustrates how your battery has been draining, as well as
details of which apps are the culprits.If you spot apps here that you are not
using any more, you can simply uninstall them, but it may also be an indication
that you need to remember to manually terminate certain apps when you stop
using them. Just press and hold the home button to bring up your Recent Apps
list and then swipe away any apps you want to close.
You'll
probably notice that there is an entry for Screen very near the top of the
list, if not at the very top. If you tap this you will be able to see just how
long your screen has been on while your phone has been unplugged. To help
reduce the battery draw your screen has, tap the Display button and try
adjusting the Brightness ad Screen timeout settings to something a little lower.
Longer battery life can also be
achieved by enabling Power Saving Mode. Head to the My Device section of
Settings and you can switch on the feature that will limit processor speed,
turn off haptic feedback and automatically adjust screen brightness. It's also
a good idea to turn off any phone features you are not using – like Air View,
NFC and so on.
