Help Galaxy S3 shuts off randomly during use.

[DTK]

At times while im using the phone, it will randomly go back to the home screen no matter what im doing or what menu im in.

Sometimes it'll shut off completely and nothing will work to turn it back on except taking out/putting back in the battery.

Anyone experience this or have any solutions/inputs?

Edit: When these events occur, if i recall, i have somewhat bad reception... might this have something to do with it?



Thanks

 

[leevone]

I have the same issue.

It's happened a few times now, phone turns off completely then shows the passcode screen for the sim card.

Booked an appointment for a technician to have a look at it. Hopefully handset gets replaced!

 

[DTK]

I did a hard reset last night. Same problem. Phone still freezes randomly for no reason and today it even shut off to the point where i had to remove the battery, again.

 

[DTK]

Update: Just called Rogers tech support. I explained/described the problem to the support person and i was told this phone was DOA. I shall be recieving a new one within a week. He also told me only a small number of units had this problem.

 

[mwajidali11]

At times while im using the phone, it will randomly go back to the home screen no matter what im doing or what menu im in.

Sometimes it'll shut off completely and nothing will work to turn it back on except taking out/putting back in the battery.

Anyone experience this or have any solutions/inputs?

Edit: When these events occur, if i recall, i have somewhat bad reception... might this have something to do with it?


Thanks

I am too facing exact similar kind of problem since last 4 days as you have stated, Still did not find time to check with service centre. Before that i want to make sure of my problem is only with me or others also might be facing. Just update me your progress on the said issue. I will follow your advice...

Thanks/ Wajid.

 

[leevone]

Update: Just called Rogers tech support. I explained/described the problem to the support person and i was told this phone was DOA. I shall be recieving a new one within a week. He also told me only a small number of units had this problem.

Likewise, phone has been sent off as "Early life failure" was told I would receive a new handset within 2-4 business days.

 

[leevone]

I am too facing exact similar kind of problem since last 4 days as you have stated, Still did not find time to check with service centre. Before that i want to make sure of my problem is only with me or others also might be facing. Just update me your progress on the said issue. I will follow your advice...

Thanks/ Wajid.

Most carriers will replace your handset without question if you return the phone within 30 days of purchase date. If you're experiencing the same problem return it as soon as you can. It's definitely a bug or fault that i'm sure Samsung will fix eventually.

 

[mwajidali11]

Most carriers will replace your handset without question if you return the phone within 30 days of purchase date. If you're experiencing the same problem return it as soon as you can. It's definitely a bug or fault that i'm sure Samsung will fix eventually.

Thanks for your advice, actually i have purchase the devise from the open market without any contract with the service provider (GSM) any how the deivce is still under warranty i will take it to service centre ASAP, but i am afraid it has surpass the 30 days time since purchase date. will update you the progress.

 

[wuxxx038]

I had the same problem - I don't think it was actually shut down because sometimes the LED in the upper-left-hand corner blinked blue, which I think means new notifications (emails, messages, etc.) Pressing (or pressing and holding) the power button would not turn on or restart it. I either had to take out the battery or press the power button several times before and press-and-hold could restart the unit.

I called AT&T tech support, they tried a few things and then just told me to do a hard reset. But the same problem persisted.

I thought maybe there was some kind conflict between a downloaded app and the operating system so I started experimenting with removing apps but nothing worked.

Surprisingly, starting on around July 26th, my phone has not had any problem. I wonder if a patch has been quietly send to my phone.

 

[telety56]

sismilar issue here ..... 2nd phone same problem ... running with no screen lock at this time to see if it helps

 

[mike1650]

OK mine has been doing this for the last few days. Powers down completely and only removing the battery resets it. Been doing it every day now for the last three days. It was charging I was nearby and noticed a new text on the screen for a few seconds. When I checked the phone it was dead, pulled batt. and it reset again. Stock phone just sucks to have to do this often.

 

[Samsunghater]

Hi everyone I am having the same exact problem with the shutting off / black screen bullsh*t. The first Galaxy S III I got from Verizon, Nov 1st 2012, with in three days it started shutting off. I drove it right back to the store. No one who works there could get it back on, until they removed the battery and put it back in. After many days of going back and forth to the store, they got me another brand new one, this one started doing the same exact thing, shutting off after only 4 days! Now I'm furious because I am a heart patient and I need a phone I can count on. Galaxy S III is a LEMON and Samsung does not care about there customers or quality control at all. They want me to send it to repair and have it gone for 2 weeks and not give me a loaner phone. I do not have a home phone only a cell. I cannot be without a phone with my medical problems and I shouldn't have to. I asked them WHY am I sending a BRAND NEW phone into repair!!?? No answer. Now all Verizon will do since it's past the 14 day mark is send me a USED refurbished Razor. BUT I PAID FOR A BRAND NEW PHONE! I am getting screwed royally. I did not drop these phones, get them wet, download ANY apps, or play and games on it. It is factory stock just like I got it. It had a fully charged battery. Verizon did a factory reset and replaced the battery and the sim card. It still shuts off. Next I will be emailing the president of Samsung here is his email address: President@STA.Samsung.com then I will print out this page and all the other complaints I have found about this exact issue on other websites including Verizons own to: Samsung Telecommunications America, Att: Office Of The President, 1000 Klein Road, Plano, Texas 75074

 

[Samsunghater]

To others having this shutting down problem because Samsung made a Lemon >FACTORY DEFECTIVE PHONE<
please read this: Just put it into Google it should come up. Lots of other people are having this problem. Samsung is lying to us. It is not a small batch of bad phones.
https://community.verizonwireless.com/thread/783845

 

[Stuntman]

This happened to me on a different phone. What I did was first power down the phone completely. Then remove the battery. Clean the battery contacts on the battery and phone. You can rub the contacts gently with a soft eraser. Then put the battery back in and power the phone back on. It is possible that the contacts may be dirty and when the battery shifts, it loses the power connection and turns the phone off.

 

[Samsunghater]

Thanks very much Stuntman! I truly appreciate the advise and will try your trick. Here is my question though, these phones were only 3 and 4 days old when this started how could the battery contacts be dirty? Also others have said this started on the 1st and second day of owning the phone. Now you have me wondering why Samsung repair did not tell me to try this. They actually told me the factory reset would not work and neither would replacing the battery or sim card. They told me it could only be fixed by sending it in.
So I asked him what EXACTLY is wrong with these brand new phones? and he would not tell me. I have been getting nothing but lies and the run around from both companies and we are good paying long term customers and pay over $300 a month for our plan. I was so excited to get this phone, I really wanted it, now I have spent over 6 hours going back and forth to the store(I'm keeping track) in the last few weeks and am SO SO SORRY I bought this piece of crap lemon phone I can't even tell you. And of course all my friends are laughing going ....We told you to buy an IPhone! I should have listened. What a huge mistake.

 

[SUroot]

It happens. Things go faulty and bad batches happen. Quality control can't catch everything. This doesn't mean Samsung made a lemon, doesn't care or is lying to us.

Look at any smartphone. Infact look at any electrical device. This happens to everything. Its not s3, samsung, android, smartphone specific. The human race is not advanced enough to have devised the perfect manufacturing process... or quality control process. It's the chance we all take when we buy a complex electrical system. This has always been the case and probably always will be.

Yes its annoying. Yes its inconvenient. Yes, my s3 has been sent of for repair. I realise I am 1 of a minority. I don't take it personally.

Sure, we all need a device we can rely on and no way should it happen to YOU but hey, that's life!

Look how many iPhones were returned before the user even turned them on...

 

[Stuntman]

Thanks very much Stuntman! I truly appreciate the advise and will try your trick. Here is my question though, these phones were only 3 and 4 days old when this started how could the battery contacts be dirty? Also others have said this started on the 1st and second day of owning the phone. Now you have me wondering why Samsung repair did not tell me to try this.

This is kinda a wild stab at trying to resolve your issue. I first heard of this technique with some proprietary cordless phones we use to use at work. The battery comes loose over time and debris got into the contacts. When I got random shutoffs with my previous phone, I decided to give this technique a try and it worked. I noticed one time I put the phone down on the table and it shut off, so I suspected this was the issue. After doing the battery pull and cleaning the contacts, I didn't experience this for like several months where as it was happening weekly before. I hope this works for you. Just give it a try. It couldn't hurt and this is less disruptive than a factory reset.

 

[irishtex76]

i am on my 4th galaxy s3 in 3 months and this one verizon sent just started doing same thing....4 phones and 2 otterbox cases all for it powering down...verizon thinks im crazy

 

[Stevelamont]

Mine is also going completely blank then I need to remove battery to get the phoneback on . This happened to me before and it went away. It is now officially back!
What's my best option? I'm way past the 30 days now. Will my carrier still help? Should I contactsSamsung?

 

[soliday]

It happens. Things go faulty and bad batches happen. Quality control can't catch everything. This doesn't mean Samsung made a lemon, doesn't care or is lying to us.

Look at any smartphone. Infact look at any electrical device. This happens to everything. Its not s3, samsung, android, smartphone specific. The human race is not advanced enough to have devised the perfect manufacturing process... or quality control process. It's the chance we all take when we buy a complex electrical system. This has always been the case and probably always will be.

Yes its annoying. Yes its inconvenient. Yes, my s3 has been sent of for repair. I realise I am 1 of a minority. I don't take it personally.

Sure, we all need a device we can rely on and no way should it happen to YOU but hey, that's life!

Look how many iPhones were returned before the user even turned them on...

sure there are bugs with every new device but at least apple will give you a brand new one on the spot no questions asked not like samsung who will tell you to send it in then tell you that you have to pay 150 to 200 to replace it when its only 3 days old samsung mobile support sucks i have a GS3 that on the 3rd day it turned off when i was in the middle of a call and wont turn back on and they wont do anything about it. I will never buy from them again

 

[ccurtis35]

It happens. Things go faulty and bad batches happen. Quality control can't catch everything. This doesn't mean Samsung made a lemon, doesn't care or is lying to us.

Look at any smartphone. Infact look at any electrical device. This happens to everything. Its not s3, samsung, android, smartphone specific. The human race is not advanced enough to have devised the perfect manufacturing process... or quality control process. It's the chance we all take when we buy a complex electrical system. This has always been the case and probably always will be.

Yes its annoying. Yes its inconvenient. Yes, my s3 has been sent of for repair. I realise I am 1 of a minority. I don't take it personally.

Sure, we all need a device we can rely on and no way should it happen to YOU but hey, that's life!

Look how many iPhones were returned before the user even turned them on...

I get you, things are faulty and do go bad, BUT, this is a bad problem with Samsung phones. I had a Captivate before the S3 I have now, and after I owned it for a while it began to turn off and on all by itself, had to hard reset and that helped for a while. Now the S3, after owning it about 6 months has begun to do the same thing. It turned off and on by itself 7 times today in a matter of 10 minutes. It is random, I wan't even using the phone, but my bluetooth disconnects and that's how I know it happened today, so I just took time to see how many times it was going to cycle on and off, it was 7 times before I pulled the battery, and gave it a rest, then got it back and powered on. Hasn't happened for about 4 hours. Absolutely ridiculous. If it's not a hardware issue with Samsung...Could it be a virus? I'm obviously not tech savvy beyond using the phone and the apps, so if anyone has experienced the off and immediately on again cycle of their samsung phone, please share a possible fix. ATT says it's a battery issue. They don't want to deal with it.

 

[funkylogik]

Have u tried skipping At&t and contacting samsung mate? I really doubt its the battery :thumbup:

 

[UrHookUp]

I get you, things are faulty and do go bad, BUT, this is a bad problem with Samsung phones. I had a Captivate before the S3 I have now, and after I owned it for a while it began to turn off and on all by itself, had to hard reset and that helped for a while. Now the S3, after owning it about 6 months has begun to do the same thing. It turned off and on by itself 7 times today in a matter of 10 minutes. It is random, I wan't even using the phone, but my bluetooth disconnects and that's how I know it happened today, so I just took time to see how many times it was going to cycle on and off, it was 7 times before I pulled the battery, and gave it a rest, then got it back and powered on. Hasn't happened for about 4 hours. Absolutely ridiculous. If it's not a hardware issue with Samsung...Could it be a virus? I'm obviously not tech savvy beyond using the phone and the apps, so if anyone has experienced the off and immediately on again cycle of their samsung phone, please share a possible fix. ATT says it's a battery issue. They don't want to deal with it.

It's a bug with the Android 4.1.1 to 4.1.2 update. Mine only does it randomly when watching something on the internet that uses a lot of data. Maybe next update will fix it.

 

[SebaKL]

Been through that with S2, after upgrade to ICS and with S3.
In case of S3, I first had the Sudden Death, which is related to a certain chip on early version of the 16GB models. I believe later to be rectified via kernel and other updates.

But then again, I started having this problem a month ago. Slow, hanging, restart on its own. I came here asking for help. Did factory reset, with little improvements.

Finally, and just for no reason, I opened up my KIES, and there was a small update that fixed the phone right up. Now seem to be working lightning fast and no more reboots and lagging.

Highly encourage you to check whether there are any updates available for your model.

cheers and best of luck