Help S20 Ultra Going Berserk!

[MightyFurcules]

Hey, guys... I'm having some major problems with my S20 Ultra and was hoping you had some advice.

I've had the phone since launch day, and everything has been running fine. Been using it every day, have used multiple wireless or wired chargers, hooked it up to my computer several times for file transfers and even Samsung DeX. All fine.

Last night, while it was charging (wired Anker charger with Anker cable and mini-USB to USB-C adapter), it started making the system notification noise again and again and again. I took a look and the lock screen kept on flashing on and off. I couldn't control it. I managed to hit the buttons to shut off/restart, and tried to restart. It came to the text-only screen (they type that you see when you do an FDR) and said something was preventing it from booting. It gave me the options to try again, or clear data and start in safe mode (with further warning that it will probably need an FDR after that). I tried "Try Again" a couple of times, and it would get as far as loading my lock screen, asking for my PIN, and each time I tried the pin, I got a few numbers in, and it would reboot again. I finally got it to boot into safe mode. It seems relatively stable in safe mode, and I have it hooked up to my computer now to do a local backup of all of my files in prep for an FDR.

I have no idea what happened. Absolutely fine for the last few weeks, and now this insanity. I haven't installed any new apps for at least a week, nor downloaded anything but maybe some pictures, nor even accepted any vids that Stagefright flagged. I've never seen a Galaxy do this!

Any thoughts on what happened? Do you think I should be worried about it happening again? Should I contact Verizon and ask for a new one, seeing as how it's less than a month old!?!? So frustrated!

Thank you Android Forum folks!

 

[ocnbrze]

well i have owned almost every note series and i have never had any issues with random reboots or whatever you want to call it....lol

....so it is hard to say whether this will happen again or not. have you taken the phone out of safe mode yet? to play it safe i would definitely do a factory reset after you back everything up. let it run for a week and see if it happens again. if it does, i would definitely look to get it replaced.

 

[Rob]

That's crazy. Haven't heard of anyone having that problem and definitely hasn't happened to me. Hopefully it's just a one-off thing, but I too would worry about it happening again. I'm assuming they've got a stockpile of S20 Ultra's sitting somewhere due to the drop in demand from COVID-19 and may be more willing and able to fulfill a quick replacement.

You paid a premium for this device and something like that happening this early is on seems unacceptable to me. But since you already have it in your hand... it's easier to just keep it and hope it doesn't happen again. Admittedly I'd probably fall in that camp.

It doesn't hurt to call and see what they'll offer you (and maybe they can confirm or deny if others have experienced this).

Maybe it has more to do with DeX than the S20U- do you think that's possible?

 

[MightyFurcules]

Thank you, @ocnbrze!

It won't boot out of safe mode at all. I tried before I did my backup (truthfully, the only thing I needed to backup were the pics I've taken since I got the phone-- everything was already backed up), so I tired last night in the midst of all of this happening. Even when safe mode says it'll restart and do an FDR, it just restarts in safe mode again or gives me the option to "Try Again," (as in regular boot) and I get the same blinky craziness over and over.

Finished a full backup now, so I'm going to try again...

 

[MightyFurcules]

Thank you, @Rob

I don't know-- I used DeX only a few times... mostly to see what it's all about. Haven't used it for about a week or so. It seems really crappy that you need to be wary of first-party apps because you think they might cause this kind of craziness on your device!

Going to try an FDR now, I guess. We'll see what happens...

 

[ocnbrze]

Thank you, @ocnbrze!

It won't boot out of safe mode at all. I tried before I did my backup (truthfully, the only thing I needed to backup were the pics I've taken since I got the phone-- everything was already backed up), so I tired last night in the midst of all of this happening. Even when safe mode says it'll restart and do an FDR, it just restarts in safe mode again or gives me the option to "Try Again," (as in regular boot) and I get the same blinky craziness over and over.

Finished a full backup now, so I'm going to try again...

ok keep us posted. if that does not work....take it back. show them that it will not boot out of safe mode. like @Rob said you paid good money for a high end phone, you deserve one that works properly.

 

[MightyFurcules]

So, quick update:

Did a full FDR yesterday, and took the rest of the day on and off reinstalling all of my apps and files and doing all of my customizations (I do a lot of that, so setting my phone always takes a long time!). So far, so good. Still adding apps or reconnecting with Bluetooth devices and whatnot. We'll see how it goes.

I might still contact Verizon about it, just so I've opened a case and given them a heads-up. If it ever happens again (hopefully not!), I can say that it first happened less than a month into owning the device, and have the service ticket to back it up.

Thank you again for the help... if anything changes, I'll keep you updated!