As phablet fans flock to the fantastic new Galaxy Note 5, some of them are experiencing issues. Every smartphone has its troubles, but there’s usually a way to get around them. We’ve been gathering together some of the most commonly reported Galaxy Note 5 problems, and this is where we offer up the workarounds and potential solutions you need. Updated on 01-20-2016,-by Simon Hill : Added problems with wireless charging, fingerprint sensor, default app options, and updates for S Pen and fast charging problems. Related : 25 Galaxy Note 5 tips and tricks you need to know about Click on an issue to jump to it: Problem: S Pen jammed Glitch: Wi-Fi won’t connect, disconnects, or slow Issue: Screen keeps freezing Problem: Won’t turn on Glitch: Fast charging doesn’t always work Issue: Battery life is poor Problem: Bluetooth won’t connect or disconnects Glitch: Wireless charging not working Issue: Fingerprint not recognized Problem: Default app options First problem: S Pen jammed Problem: S Pen jammed There has been a fair bit of fuss over the dangers of putting your S Pen into your Galaxy Note 5 the wrong way-round. It’s obviously supposed to go in nib first. This was a tricky mistake to make on earlier Note models, but with the Note 5, you can slide it in end first and it may become stuck. A few people have broken the detection feature when pulling it out again, so the S Pen no longer automatically launches the Air command menu or the quick note option. Workarounds : Malarie Gokey / Digital Trends Do not put the S Pen into your Note 5 end first. It’s pretty easy to avoid. If you get into the habit of clicking the end to make sure it’s the right way round before inserting it, then you’ll be fine. You could take preventative measures if you fear it will happen. What actually gets stuck is the lip on the clicky mechanism on the end of the S Pen. You could file off the protruding sides, though it leaves the S Pen looking pretty ugly. Alternatively, you could attach something like a small rubber band, or a piece of tape to the end so it can’t fit in backwards easily. Potential solutions : If you’ve already got your S Pen stuck, it’s important not to use force to pull it back out. There’s a chance the clicky end will come off completely, and you’ll break the detection feature. Cut a piece of paper or really thin card the same length as the S Pen and slide it in the side where the stylus is stuck. That’s going to be towards the body of the phone, so on the left of the S Pen, if you’re looking at it from the bottom with the screen up. It should trigger the clamping mechanism to open, and you’ll be able to slide the S Pen out without damage. Here’s a video on how to do it. Contact Samsung and see if they’ll fix or replace it. There are mixed reports about the responses to this, but some owners have been able to return it for repair under warranty. Apparently,-Samsung has slightly updated the design of new Note 5 models, so that a wrongly inserted S Pen can be removed without breaking the mechanism. Next problem: Wi-Fi won’t connect, disconnects, or slows Glitch: Wi-Fi won’t connect, disconnects, or slows A few people are having trouble getting the Note 5 to connect to a specific Wi-Fi network, even though it may work on a different network. Others have reported issues with disconnecting and slow speeds. Wi-Fi problems are really common with new phones, and you can usually find a fix. Here’s what to try: Potential solutions : Turn it off and on again. Try switching off your Note 5 by holding the Power button down and choosing Power off . You should also turn the router off and back on again. Pull down the notification shade and tap and hold on Wi-Fi or go to Settings > Wi-Fi . Find the problematic network, and tap and hold on it, then select Forget network . Turn Wi-Fi off and on again, and try setting up the connection afresh. Take a look in Settings > Wi-Fi and tap More at the top right, then tap on Smart network switch, and make sure that it’s off. If your problem is with disconnecting, go to Settings > Wi-Fi > More, and make sure that Keep Wi-Fi on during sleep is set to Always . It’s worth trying a wipe of the cache partition. Turn the Note 5 off by holding the Power button and selecting Power off . Hold the Power , Volume up , and Home buttons together, and you should see the Android mascot and then the recovery menu. Use Volume down to highlight wipe cache partition and then Power to select it. Once it’s done, press Power to select reboot system now . Take a look on the website for your router manufacturer to see if there is a firmware update. You may be trying to use a crowded channel. Wifi Analyzer is a good, free app that allows you to check how crowded the channels are. Refer to your router manufacturer or ISP for instructions on changing channels. Make sure that you aren’t using MAC filtering on your router. If you are, then turn it off, or add your Note 5’s MAC address. You can find it in Settings > About device > Status , listed under Wi-Fi Mac address . Your last resort is to try a factory reset. Back up anything important, and go to Backup and reset > Factory data reset > Reset device . Next problem: Screen keeps freezing Issue: Screen keeps freezing Quite a few Note 5 owners have been struggling with the screen freezing. It seems to occur randomly, and the screen will freeze and be unresponsive for between two and five seconds. There are a few different possible causes of this. Potential solutions : The Note 5 has really thin bezels on the sides, and it’s very easy to accidentally press on the screen with part of your hand when you’re holding it. This can make it feel as though the screen is freezing. Try altering your grip, or use a case that stops you from touching the screen. Turn the Note 5 off by holding the Power button and selecting Power off . Hold the Power , Volume up , and Home buttons together, and you should see the Android mascot and the recovery menu. Use Volume down to highlight wipe cache partition and then Power to select it. Once it’s done, press Power to select reboot system now . It could be a specific app that’s causing your problem. You can check by holding the Power button and tapping Power off . Now press and hold Volume down and the Power -button. Let go of Power when the Samsung logo comes on the screen, but keep holding Volume down . You should see safe mode in the bottom left corner when the home screen loads. To get out of safe mode just hold down Power and select Restart . If you don’t experience any screen freezes in safe mode, then the problem is definitely being caused by an app. You can uninstall one by one and test, or you can back up anything important and factory reset, then install apps selectively and test after each one. Try a factory reset by going to Backup and reset > Factory data reset > Reset device . Next problem: Won’t turn on Problem: Won’t turn on If you find that your Note 5 has gone completely unresponsive, and it won’t turn on when you press the Power button, don’t panic. Potential solutions : Hold down Power and Volume down together for around ten seconds. The Note 5 should vibrate and reboot. If you get a Maintenance Boot Mode menu, just select Normal Boot . Plug your Note 5 into the charger, and let it charge for at least half an hour. Then try turning it on. If it doesn’t respond, try holding Power and Volume down together again for ten seconds. Plug your Note 5 into your computer or laptop to see if it responds. Try holding the Power , Volume up , and Home buttons together. You should see the Android mascot on screen, followed by the recovery menu. Try highlighting reboot system now and press Power to select it. If it still won’t respond, then it’s time to contact Samsung, your carrier, or the retailer. Next problem: Fast charging doesn’t always work Glitch: Fast charging doesn’t always work A few Note 5 owners have found that fast charging doesn’t always work. You can check if your Note 5 is fast charging by pulling down the notification shade. Keep-in mind that fast charging is designed to quickly charge your phone from 0 percent up to 50 or so, but will slow down thereafter and charge at a slower pace. A full charge will take 90 minutes. You should leave the screen off while the Note 5 is charging and refrain from using it. Potential solutions : Make sure that you use the Samsung charger and cable that shipped in the box. It should say Adaptive Fast Charging on it. Make sure that you are plugging directly into a wall socket and not a computer, extension cord, or surge protector. Make sure that your Note 5 case isn’t blocking the cable from plugging in securely. Some people have found success by repeatedly unplugging the cable and plugging it in again, or pushing harder when plugging in. This sounds like it might be a faulty port and something is loose. If you keep pushing it in hard, then it’s pretty likely to deteriorate further. It might be best to contact Samsung, your carrier, or retailer to, see about a repair or replacement. Make sure that your cable and the charging port of your Note 5 are clean. Next problem: Battery life is poor Issue: Battery life is poor Most people seem to be quite contented with the Note 5 battery life, but it does have a smaller battery (rated at 3,000mAh) than its predecessor, and not everyone is happy with its staying power. If you’re having battery issues, then there are some things you can try. Potential solutions : Take a look in Settings > Battery . You can tap on Battery usage to see a list of what is draining your battery. If you go back to Settings > Battery you’ll also find an Abnormal battery usage section that should highlight anything that’s guzzling too much juice. If there’s a problematic app, then consider uninstalling it or restricting it. You can use Power saving mode in Settings > Battery to spin your battery out a little longer without major impact on your functions. Ultra power saving mode is much more intrusive, and it’s really for emergencies. It’s a good idea to uninstall or disable any apps you aren’t using. Go to Settings > Applications > Application manager, -scroll to the All, -find apps you don’t want, and tap on them to choose Uninstall or Disable . Be careful what you choose. If you’re not sure what an app is, then do a quick search online first, and make sure it’s safe to disable. You could check out Greenify. It can help to deal with problematic apps and reduce the impact on your battery. Check out our tips for saving smartphone battery for more ideas. Next problem: Bluetooth won’t connect or disconnects Problem: Bluetooth won’t connect or disconnects A number of reports have surfaced about the Note 5 having Bluetooth problems. Some people have found that it won’t connect to their accessory or car system, others find that it connects, but randomly disconnects again quite frequently. Potential solutions : Make sure that you are following the right pairing procedure. Some systems and accessories require you to press down a button to pair. Check that you haven’t reached the limit for connections. It’s possible your car system has a limit and you just need to delete an old profile. Go to Settings > Bluetooth on your Note 5 to delete the problematic pairings. Hold down Power, and then tap Restart . Try reconnecting from scratch. Go to Settings > Applications > Application manager and find Bluetooth. Try tapping Clear cache and Clear data , then go back and try connecting again. Turn the Note 5 off by holding the Power button and selecting Power off . Hold the Power , Volume up , and Home buttons together and you should see the Android mascot and then the recovery menu. Use Volume down to highlight wipe cache partition, and then Power to select it. Once it’s done, press Power to select reboot system now . You could try a factory reset. Back up your important files then go to Backup and reset > Factory data reset > Reset device . If it still doesn’t work properly, then it’s time to seek a replacement or repair from Samsung, your carrier, or the retailer where you bought it. Next problem: Wireless charging not working Glitch: Wireless charging not working Recently, there have been some complaints about the wireless charging feature on the Note 5 not working properly. Some people have had trouble getting it to start, while others have reported that it starts and stops, and some are annoyed about the lack of fast wireless charging. Potential fixes : If you have a case on your Note 5, then it could well be the source of your problem. Try removing the case and see if it makes a difference. The quality of wireless chargers also varies considerably. Go for an official Samsung product, or with a well-known manufacturer, rather than a cheap unbranded charger. Also make sure that you use the charging cable that came with it. Good chargers also have some kind of indication, usually an LED, that your Note 5 is the right spot to get a decent charging speed. If you’re trying to get the fast charging to work, you’ll need the Samsung Fast Charge Pad or another pad that supports fast charging. Most of the options on the market right now can only output 1A. Bear in mind that if you use the wrong charger with a fast charging pad it won’t work. Some people have found that apps can interfere with wireless charging and cause your Note 5 to stop charging. Try putting it in safe mode to test this theory. Turn-off-the Note 5, then press and hold- Power . When you see Samsung Galaxy Note 5 -appear onscreen, release- Power and press and hold Volume down . Keep holding it until the device starts and you should see the words safe mode in the bottom left corner. If the wireless charging works perfectly in safe mode, then you know a third-party app is causing the-issue. Simply hold down the Power button and tap Restart to boot your Note 5 back into normal mode. Related : 10 great wireless chargers to free yourself from cables Next problem: Fingerprint not recognized Issue: Fingerprint not recognized A lot of people have run into issues with the fingerprint sensor on the Note 5 not recognizing their fingerprint every time. It’s usually fast and reliable, so if you’re having trouble, it’s worth trying a few things to see if you can get it to work again. Potential fixes : If your finger is wet, dirty, or wrinkled from the bath, there’s a good chance that the fingerprint sensor is not going to work. You should also keep the sensor itself clean. If you’re using a screen protector or a case, it might be interfering with the sensor. Some cases will cause you to adjust-the angle you’re touching at, which in turn-can be enough to throw it off. The best way to solve this is to go to Settings > Lock screen and security > Fingerprint s and long press on the fingerprint that you’re having trouble with. Afterward, tap- Remove -in the upper-right corner and add it again-with the case and/or screen protector on the phone. When your Note 5 fails to recognize your fingerprint, it will prompt you for the backup password. If it doesn’t work, or you can’t remember it, then go Find My Mobile and enter your Samsung account details and you’ll be able to unlock it remotely. If none of that works, you should still be able to use your Google account to gain entry. The option should-appear once you-try to enter your backup password and it fails numerous-times. If your Google sign in doesn’t work, then go to your Google account on a computer and click on Signing in to Google under Sign-in & security and turn on- 2-step Verification . Your final option is to factory reset your-phone and set it up from scratch, which will essentially erase-everything that hasn’t been backed up. If you want to do it anyway, then turn your Note 5 off and press and hold Volume Up , Power , and- Home . You should then see the Android recovery screen and you can use the Volume buttons to highlight the Wipe data/factory reset option and the Power button to select it. Highlight Yes – delete all user data and Power again to confirm. Afterward, your-device will reboot. Next problem: Default app options Problem: Default app options Samsung recently changed the way that default apps work in Touchwiz. Now, if you click on an action or link and you have more than one app that can open it, you’ll be able to view-all the choices and automatically set one as your default.-It doesn’t give you the option to open with an app Always or Just once . Workarounds : If you want to change the defaults, then go to Settings > Applications > Default applications and you can clear the existing defaults. Then, you’ll be able choose which application you’d like to set as the default when you click on an action or link next time around. If you want it to continue to ask you every time for a specific category of app, then you can use a third-party app, such as Better Open With. Return to page one. Article originally published on September 26, 2015.



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