6 common problems with the Samsung Galaxy S5 and how to fix them

The Samsung Galaxy S5 was one of the most anticipated phones this year. Designed to be powerful and professional, it’s as feature-packed as ever, and certainly has a lot to offer. However, just like any other smartphone, the Galaxy S5 is not without its issues. With that in mind, we take a look at some of the most common problems that users have been experiencing with their Samsung Galaxy S5, and offer some potential solutions on how to fix them.

Disclaimer: The Samsung Galaxy S5 is still a great phone and customers should not be put off by the problems listed below. You will likely not face any of these issues.

Problem #1 – Doesn’t charge, or charges slowly

Some users have reported that they cannot get their device to charge as quickly as they would like. In some cases, the phone does not charge at all, while in others, it only charges at a very slow rate.

Potential Solutions:

• This problem can take place after the phone has been exposed to water or experienced some form of shock from an accidental bump or drop. If your phone has suffered physical damage, then your only option will be to try and get a replacement handset.
• Make sure that you are using the equipment that came with your handset. You should be using a wall charger and USB cable that was approved and sent by Samsung, as other accessories may use different voltage parameters and could cause charging problems.
• Check whether the outlet is faulty by trying a different power outlet, or attempting to charge another device from the same power outlet.
• Check that your USB cable is working properly by attempting to connect your handset directly to your computer or laptop.

Problem #2 – Issues with the touchscreen

Some users have reported that the device does not respond to their touch as it should, or registers ghost touches.

Potential Solutions:

• Make sure that the protective case or screen protector you are using is not interfering with the touchscreen. Remove your case or screen guard and see whether the issue has been resolved.
• Restart your phone by holding down the power key until your device vibrates and turns off, then turn it back on. This will delete any temporary files which could be causing the problem.
• Go into your settings – display to see whether enabling increased touch sensitivity helps.
• Make sure that your touchscreen is not dirty by cleaning it with a microfiber cloth.
• Attempt to remove applications or widgets that could be causing the problem, or factory reset the phone and then selectively reinstall all necessary applications.
• If you have completed a factory reset and you are still having problems, then the issue could be with the hardware or operating system within your phone. In this case you will have to approach your retailer or Samsung for a replacement.

Problem #3 – Phone doesn’t turn on

Some people have reported that the phoneoccasionally refuses to boot. Although buttons light up as they are expected to, the screen stays blank.

Potential Solutions:

• Try pressing on the battery in your handset to make sure that all of the pins are making contact with the phone.
• Restart your phone.
• When you can access your phone, try going into settings – accessibility –vision – dark screen, and ensure that this has been turned off.
• Try removing your protective case or cover to see whether excess pressure is having an effect on the way that your phone functions.
• A rogue application could be causing the problem, so attempt booting your phone into safe mode. If you no longer suffer with the issue in safe mode, then try doing a factory reset and being selective about the applications that you reinstall, or remove your applications one by one.
• Back up any files that you do not want to lose and perform a factory reset. If this does not work, then you may need to contact your retailer or Samsung for a replacement.

Problem #4 – Issues with the Wi-Fi connection

A lot of smartphones have issues when it comes to connecting to Wi-Fi, and it the Samsung Galaxy S5 is no exception.

Potential Solutions:

• Try turning your router and your Galaxy S5 on and off again.
• Make sure that you are not in power saving mode, as this can have an effect on your Wi-Fi connection.
• Go into your settings -Wi-Fi, and select the router that you want your phone to connect to. Choose the forget option, and set the connection up again from the beginning.
• Go to Wi-Fi, tap the name of your network then edit – advanced options, and change your IP settings to
• Use the Wi-Fi Analyzer app to determine which channel is best for you to use in your location, then go into your IP address and change the channel.
• Check the MAC filtering that exists on your router to ensure that your Galaxy S5 is listed.

Problem #5 – Bluetooth doesn’t connect

Some users of the Galaxy S5 encounter problems when they try to connect their phone to their cars or other devices through Bluetooth.

• Go into apps – settings – application manager – Bluetooth and select force stop. Tap to clear cache then restart your phone.
• Check that your Bluetooth car system, or the device that you are trying to connect to is working properly by resetting it. You can cause the device to forget all pairings, and do the same thing on your Galaxy S5, before setting up the connection again.

Problem #6 – Can’t be heard on calls, or cannot hear caller

Some users have complained that they have issues with the audio when they are making calls. Either they cannot hear the caller, or the caller cannot hear them.

Potential Solutions:

• Hold the power key down on your phone until it vibrates and turns off, then remove your SIM card and take out the battery. Leave the phone alone for some time, then replace the SIM card and the battery and turn the phone back on to see whether the problem has been resolved.
• Check the microphone on your phone. On the Galaxy S5, this is the small hole towards the bottom of your handset. You can use compressed air to blow into the hole and ensure that no crumbs or dust particles are blocking the sound.
• Restart your phone.
• Clear the Cache partition. See instructions on how to do this below.
• If you are using a Bluetooth accessory, turn your Bluetooth off to check if this makes any difference. You may have to go into your settings and have your phone forget paired devices if this does not work.
• If you continue to suffer from the same problem, then you will have to request a replacement.

So there you have some of the most common problems that users are having with the Samsung Galaxy S5. We will continue to update this list if new problems or solutions arise, and as usual, we encourage you to get in touch with us if you have any issues that we haven’t mentioned. Also, if you have experienced one of the issues listed above, let us know how our solutions worked for you. Remember that while software issues can come up from time to time, it’s always important to keep your device safe from external factors, such as accidental bumps and drops.

Here are the guides on how to factory reset your Samsung Galaxy S5, boot into safe mode, and clear the cache partition.

How to reset using phone options:

• Go into Settings – User & Backup
• Tap Backup & Reset
• Select Factory Data reset
• Confirm that you want your Galaxy S5 to reset
• Enter the password required for your device
• Your phone should automatically reboot

How to Factory Reset Using Hardware Keys

• Turn your Samsung Galaxy S5 off
• Hold down the Home button, volume up button and power button until you can see the Android on screen
• Use the volume down key to highlight factory reset/wipe data
• Use the power button to select
• Use the volume buttons to highlightyes and then press the power button to select it.
• Wait until you see the option to reboot system, then use the power button to select it
• Your phone should automatically reboot

How to Boot into Safe Mode:

• Turn the Galaxy S5 off
• Tap the power key to turn back on.
• Once the Samsung logo appears, hold the volume down key

How to Clear the Cache Partition:

• Turn the Galaxy S5 off using the power key followed by the power off option
• Press and hold the Home, Power and Volume up key until the handset vibrates
• When the handset vibrates, let go of the Power button
• When the recovery screen appears release the other two buttons.
• Use the Volume down key to select wipe cache partition
• Select with the Power button