Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Common Samsung Galaxy S10, S10 Plus, and S10e problems and how to fix them

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Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the last few months — which is entirely understandable, if we’re honest — you’re probably aware of the new Samsung Galaxy S10 range. Comprised of three models, the Galaxy S10 range introduces a stylish new look with a hole-punch display, powerful new hardware, and some outstandingly versatile camera tech.

But like all things in life, it’s not perfect. Whether you’re rocking the Samsung Galaxy S10, the super-sized Galaxy S10 Plus, or the cheaper (but still great) Galaxy S10e, you’re likely to come across some problems and issues that make life with your chosen partner a little harder to handle. But don’t worry, there are solutions to most issues, and we’re here to dig them out so you can stop pulling your hair out. Here are some of the most common Samsung Galaxy S10, S10 Plus, and S10e problems, and how to fix them.

Issue: Bluetooth connection disappears while screen is off

A dropped Bluetooth connection can be extremely annoying, especially if it disappears while you’re using Bluetooth headphones, or when you’re listening to songs in the car. Unfortunately, a number of S10 users are complaining that their phones are dumping their Bluetooth connections while they’re being used, interrupting songs, podcasts, and phone calls.

Most people are finding that while Bluetooth connects fine initially, it disconnects randomly while the screen is off, only to reconnect again once the phone is woken up.

Solution:

  • The problem appears to stem from the phone’s app optimization settings putting apps to sleep while the screen is off, regardless of whether it’s being used or not.
  • If your problem is with a specific app like Spotify, you can turn off optimization just for that app. To do this, head to Settings > Apps, then hit the three dots in the top-right and select Special access > Optimize battery usage. Make sure the drop-down box at the top says All, then scroll down and untick Spotify or whatever app you’re using.
  • If your problem is with the Bluetooth connection in your car, then go through the above method and untick Bluetooth battery management from the Optimize battery usage list.

Problem: Weak LTE connection

5G may be the new hotness, but 4G is still the best network for most users. Which makes it even more annoying when it doesn’t work. Quite a few users are reporting their Galaxy S10 Plus has an extremely weak 4G connection, and is loading webpages and other content extremely slowly, while swapping between 4G and 3G. But it’s not just an issue with the S10 Plus, as users with the Galaxy S10 have reported the issue too.

One common thread seems to be that most of the devices are using Sprint’s network, though one complaint comes from Vodafone in Egypt, so it may not be entirely related to your carrier.

Solution:

  • Sadly, it’s “wait for an update time”. Samsung has acknowledged the problem’s existence and is working on a software update that will hopefully deal with it. So if you’re afflicted by the problem, it’s just a case of waiting for it to come through. To manually check for an update, head to Settings > Software update > Download and install.

Issue: Poor battery life

With considerably larger batteries than previous S range flagships, the new Galaxy S10 range boasts much improved battery life. However, some users are reporting their phones are not able to go the distance, with some phones losing 30 percent of their charge when left overnight. This problem mostly affects the Samsung Exynos chip-equipped versions of the S10 range, which is most phones outside of the U.S. While the Exynos chips have traditionally seen worse battery performance than their American counterparts, this problem is far too extreme to be a simple difference between processors.

It seems the problem may well be two problems. The first is an issue with the phone’s proximity sensors, which means the phone’s screen accidentally turns on while in a pocket or bag, increasing load on the battery. The second issue is a bug that prevents the phone’s battery-saving sleep feature from kicking in after the phone has completed a VoIP call on apps like Skype or WhatsApp. This second bug has been confirmed to only be affecting Exynos S10 phones.

Unfortunately, there’s no permanent fix for either bug yet, though there are workarounds for both.

Workarounds:

  • In order to prevent the proximity sensor bug from affecting you, it’s best to turn off your Always On Display and Lift to Wake.
    • Head to Settings > Lock screen, and untick Always On Display.
    • Then go to Settings > Advanced features > Motions and gestures, and untick Lift to wake.
  • Fixing the far worse VoIP bug involves nothing as permanent. You have to restart your phone after every VoIP call to clear the bug and allow the deep sleep mode to kick in.
    • Alternatively, you could just avoid such services, but considering it includes voice messages on apps like Facebook Messenger, that could be a little tricky.

Problem: Overheating

Millions of people love Samsung’s phones, but when the S10 range’s family includes one particular — um, shall we say — “firebrand“, people are going to get nervous when their phone starts to warm up. Warm phones aren’t a deal-breaker of course, but quite a few people are finding their phones are getting quite hot during regular use. This issue is affecting the Galaxy S10, S10 Plus, and the S10e as well. While some folks are simply finding their phones hot to the touch, the trouble is more severe for others, with some phones just straight-up dying of apparent heatstroke.

Solution:

  • Unfortunately there seems to be no consumer-level fix. Contact Samsung or your carrier and arrange for a replacement or repair.

Bug: Samsung Pay popup

If you’re fully tied into Samsung’s ecosystem, then you might use Samsung Pay for easy contactless payments on-the-go. But even those who forgo the service are finding popups that shove Samsung Pay in their face, and people are struggling to turn it off. The pop-up triggers from the lockscreen, and seems to be opening the phone straight into the Samsung Pay app. Great if you want to pay for some gum — but infuriating if you want to check your messages.

Solution:

  • At the moment there seems to be no solution, so we’ll have to wait for Samsung to address the issue.

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