4 common problems with the Samsung Galaxy Alpha and how to fix them

Samsung finally gave into the call of the consumers, by introducing its first smartphone to feature a metal frame in the Samsung Galaxy Alpha, a design element that has found its way to subsequent releases as well. Design is definitely the bigger selling point here, as opposed to raw performance, and the Galaxy Alpha is considered an exciting new direction. Everything said and done, like every other smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy Alpha does have its share of issues. Today, we’ll be taking a look at some common problems faced by Galaxy Alpha users, and offer potential solutions on how to fix them.

Disclaimer: The Samsung Galaxy Alpha is certainly a very good phone, and a lot of users may not come across any of the problems listed below.

Problem #1 – Problems connecting to Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi connectivity issues are a common problem with a lot of smartphones, and the Galaxy Alpha is no exception.

Potential Solutions:

• Turn the Galaxy Alpha, and the router of the Wi-Fi you are trying to connect to off and on again.
• Ensure that the Galaxy Alpha is not in power-saving mode, or airplane mode.
• Go into Settings – Wi-Fi – Choose the router – Choose “forget” – re-enter the connection.
• Go into Settings – Wi-Fi- Choose network – Edit – Advanced options and select
• Check that the MAC filter on your router allows the Galaxy Alpha to be listed.
• Use the Wi-Fi Analyzer app to check for the strongest channel in your location. Go into the IP address settings and change the channel accordingly.

Problem #2 – Phone overheats

Many Galaxy Alpha users have found their smartphone overheating often.

Potential Solutions:

• Hold down the Power button on the Galaxy Alpha and select “Restart”when the option appears on screen.
• If you cannot get your phone screen to react, then simply hold the power button until the phone turns off itself.
• Go into Settings – Display – Configure low motion settings and turn off Dynamic perspective.
• Ensure that no unnecessary applications are running in the background by going to Settings – Applications and force-closing anything that should not be running.
• Check that the device system is up to date by going into Settings – Device – Install system updates – Check now.

Problem #3 – The battery dies too quickly

Many Galaxy Alpha users have complained that their battery life does not last as long as they would like.

Potential Solutions:

• Use Airplane mode or GSM mode whenever you’re not using your phone. This automatically turns off Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GPS so that the phone only runs basic functions.
• Turn off any extras on the phone, such as 3G and Wi-Fi when they are not in use. Simply go to Settings and ensure the appropriate applications are toggled off.
• Turn down the brightness on the phone screen.
• Ensure that the phone is not using a live wallpaper as the movement on screen burns battery life. Similarly, do not leave games running when you’re not playing them.
• Check the phone system is up to date by going to Settings – Device – Install system updates – Check now.
• Recalibrate your battery: Drain the battery until the phone will not turn on- Take out the battery and wait for at least five seconds – return the battery to its original position in the phone, after cleaning the connections. – Charge the battery while the phone is turned off – When the charge reaches 100% charger off, then charge again to get it back to 100%.

Problem #4 – Poor reception

Some Galaxy Alpha users have issued complaints that they cannot get a good reception on their phone when trying to make calls.

Potential Solutions:

• Press and hold down the power button until the phone vibrates then turns off. Remove the SIM card, with the battery, and leave the device to rest for at least ten seconds. Make sure the connections on the battery are clean and that the SIM card is carefully polished, before replacing them back into the phone.
• Restart the phone by holding down the power button and choosing the “Restart” option.
• Clear your phone’s Cache partition (find instructions regarding how, further down).
• If none of these solutions work, either try using a different SIM card, or contact your phone provider for a replacement handset.

So there you have some of the common problems users have been experiencing most commonly with the Samsung Galaxy Alpha. If you have been suffering similar problems, comment and let us know how our solutions worked for you. We will do our best to keep this list updated as new problems and solutions emerge.

SEE ALSO: 

• Samsung Galaxy Alpha Review
• Best Samsung Galaxy Alpha cases

Following are guides on how to boot the Galaxy Alpha into safe mode, clear the cache partition, and factory reset the phone.

Resetting using Hardware Keys on the Phone

• Press the power button down to turn the Galaxy Alpha off
• Hold down the Home and Volume up button with the power button until you see the Android image.
• Use thevolume down key to select factory reset / wipe data.
• Select using the Power button.
• When you see the option to Reboot system select using the power button
• The phone should reboot automatically.

How to reset using phone options:

• Go to Settings – User & Backup
• Select Backup & Reset – Factory Data reset
• Confirm your selection
• Enter any password you have on the device
• The phone should reboot automatically.

How to Clear the Cache Partition:

• Use the power key to turn the Galaxy Alpha off.
• Hold down the power button, volume up button and home button until the handset vibrates. Release the power button
• Release the other two buttons when the recovery screen appears
• Select wipe cache partitionusing the volume keys
• Use the power button to finalize your selection

How to Boot into Safe Mode:

• Use the power button to turn the Galaxy Alpha off
• Use the power key to turn it back on
• Once the logo for Samsung appears, hold the volume downbutton
• Select Safe Mode