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

The highly-anticipated follow up to the Galaxy Note 3 brought with it the latest and greatest processing package, a gorgeous QHD display, fast charging capabilities, and the myriad of software features that Samsung is known for. That said, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is not without its issues. Today, we are going to explore some of these problems that users have been experiencing with their device, as well as providing some potential solutions on how to deal with them.

Disclaimer: Not every user of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 will face these issues, and it is quite likely that you won’t come across any of the problems listed below.

Problem #1 – Gap between body and screen

“Gapgate” has been a trending topic since the Galaxy Note 4 released, with their being a small gap around the edge of the device. Though this shouldn’t affect the performance of the device, but users might experience minor vibration with parts.

Potential Solution:

• This is a design choice made by Samsung, and has been mentioned in the user manual since the Galaxy Note 2. The gap is barely noticeable, and the issue only becomes a big deal if the gap expands. Unfortunately, the only “solution” is to pick up a replacement in that case.

Problem #2 – Issues connecting to Wi-Fi

There is almost always complaints regarding Wi-Fi connection when a new smartphone is released. Users of the Galaxy Note 4 have reported trouble connecting, and staying connected to Wi-Fi.

Potential Solutions:

• Turn the Galaxy Note 4 and the router off for at least ten seconds, then turn them back and retry the connection.
• Go to Settings – Power saving and ensure that this option is turned off.
• Use the Wi-Fi Analyzer to check how crowded your channel is, and switch to a better option.
• Forget the Wi-Fi connection by going to Settings – Wi-Fi and long tapping the connection you want, then selecting “Forget”. Re-enter the details and try again.
• Make sure the router firmware is up to date.
• Make sure the applications and software on the Galaxy Note 4 are up to date.
• Go into Wi-Fi – Settings – Advanced and make a note of your Galaxy Note 4’s MAC address, then add it to the router’s MAC filter.

Problem #3 – Problems with lag

Some users have complained of small pauses when they attempt to visit the home screen, load applications, or type on the keyboard. The Galaxy Note 4 can also have trouble during waking up, and general navigation.

Potential Solutions:

• Go to Settings – About Device and tap Build number 7 times. Return to Settings and select Developer options. Adjust Transition animation scale, Window animation scale and Animator duration scale from 1 to 0.5, or lower.
• Open S Voice then use the menu key to select Open via Home Key option and turn it off.
• Try using a launcher other than TouchWiz if you believe Samsung’s UI could be the cause of the lag. You can find some of the best Android launchers available here.
• Make sure the device is completely up to date by going to Settings – About Device – Software updates – Update now

Problem #4 – Battery life

Some users have reported that their Galaxy Note 4’s battery life struggles to meet standards, despite the significant size of the battery.

Potential Solutions:

• Go to Settings – Power Saving and select Power saving
• Turn off any applications or features that aren’t being used, such as Wi-Fi, or GPS.
• Turn the screen brightness and volume down.
• Turn off vibrations.
• Check that the phone is up to date through Settings – Device – Install system updates – Check now.
• Restart the Galaxy Note 4 periodically
• Go into Settings – Battery and assess which applications are using the most power. If you encounter a problematic application uninstall or disable it.
• Factory Reset the device and reinstall applications selectively.

Problem #5 – Dead pixels on the screen

Some users have reported that they begin to notice dead pixels on the Galaxy Note 4’s screen after some time.

Potential Solutions:

• Use an application such as Dead Pixel Detect to diagnose the problem and try to fix it.
• If the above solution doesn’t work, contact the retailer for a replacement handset.

Problem #6 – Can’t connect to Bluetooth

Many Galaxy Note 4 users have experienced problems trying to create a connection between car systems and Bluetooth accessories. Sometimes the phone offers limited functionality, or refuses to pair at all.

Potential Solutions:

• Check the manufacturer’s manual for the device and the car and reset your connections.
• Ensure that you are not missing a vital part of the connection process.
• Go to Settings – Bluetooth and ensure nothing needs changing
• Go into Settings – Bluetooth delete all prior pairings and try setting them up again from scratch.

Problem #7 – Random restarts

Some people have reported suffering from reboots where their phone restarts itself at seemingly random intervals during use.

Potential Solutions:

• Make sure all important data is backed up and perform a factory reset (the instructions on how to do so are below).
• If you are using a microSD card, remove this from the Galaxy Note 4 and check to see whether reboots still happen. If they stop, backup the data on the card and reformat it through the device by going to Settings – Storage – Format SD card.

Problem #8 – “OK Google” function doesn’t work

Some Galaxy Note 4 users have reported problems with getting the “OK Google” function to work. Sometimes, this application works after initial setup, but stops working after a couple of days. In other cases, the “Always on” function does not work as it should.

Potential Solutions:

• Go into S Voice and turn off “Voice wake-up” some users have reported that this works, whereas others have reported that S Voice must be on for “OK Google” to perform.
• Go to Settings – Language and Input – Voice Search – “Ok Google” detection and select Always on, then restart the device.
• Attempt to remove any application that accesses your notifications and re-install one by one to determine if one of these has caused the problem.
• Alternatively, factory reset the device and re-install applications selectively.

These are some of the most common issues that users have been experiencing with their Samsung Galaxy Note 4, and we will work to keep this list updated as new problems and solutions emerge. Let us know if you have had any of these problems and whether our solutions helped you to fix them. If you have suffered from any different issues, leave a comment and we’ll try and find a solution for you.

SEE ALSO:

•  Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Review
• Nexus 6 vs Samsung Galaxy Note 4
• Best Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Cases

Here are the guides on how to soft factory reset, hard factory reset, and boot into safe mode on your Galaxy Note 4.

Soft Reset:

• Turn on the phone and unlock the screen
• Go to Settings – User and Backup – Backup and Reset
• Tap on “Factory data Reset”
• Select “Reset device”
• Confirm with “Delete all”
• The phone should automatically reset.

Hard Reset:

• Turn the phone off
• Press and hold the Power, Volume, and Home buttons
• Wait for the phone to vibrate, then release the Power and Home buttons but continue to press volume up.
• When the Android Recovery system starts, release all buttons.
• Use the Volume buttons to navigate, and the Power button to select.
• Choose “Wipe data/ Factor reset”
• Confirm, and tap “Reboot system now”.

Boot into Safe Mode:

• Turn the device off.
• Press and hold the Volume Down button and the Power button simultaneously.
• When the phone turns on, release the Power
• Release the Volume Down button when the words “Safe Mode” appear in the lower left-hand corner.
• To turn safe mode off, hold the Power button, then select