Samsung Galaxy J3 is more than a viable option in the lower low-budget category. If you’re not exceptionally demanding user and a loyal fan of Samsung handsets, J3 is well-suited for the job. However, for this and the majority of handsets, there are always issues that need to be addressed.
For that purpose, we prepared a list of most frequently reported problems provided by J3 users. Of course, we provided you with the proper troubleshooting steps, so make sure to check for your individual problem. We hope that you’ll find the remedy for your ache in the list below.
Battery issues
First, the main reason why people seem to deem the overall usability of this handset lackluster is the battery. The battery on J3 isn’t bad per se, and it certainly won the battle with the competition in 2016. Nonetheless, it’s the software within the device that drains the battery. So, even though the 2600 mAh battery is well-performing, there are still ways to improve the battery life and reduce the consumption. For that purpose, we enlisted some of those workarounds below:
- Disable background apps. You can either do it manually within Settings > Application manager or by using the Smart Manager (Device Maintainance). Navigate to Settings > Device Maintainance > Unmonitored apps, and clear apps that are using the battery extensively while working in the background.
- Use Battery Power Saving mode. Tap Settings > Device Maintainance > Battery and use one of two battery saving modes.
- Disable GPS. You can either disable GPS permanently until an app acquires it or reduce the accuracy of the location service by changing location method to Phone only. Tap Settings > Connections > Enable Location > Location method, and switch to Phone only.
- Disable Bluetooth.
In addition, make sure to uninstall the redundant and unused apps that are hogging on your device resources. We hope that with those, you’ll be able to extend your battery’s life.
Overheating issues
Overheating isn’t exactly a common problem, but it does affect certain users. And once it occurs, it’s likely to make your overall experience with the J3 quite hard to cope with. Moreover, if the phone is overheating over extended periods, you may encounter more than lags and stutters. Namely, in the worst case scenario, you can expect hardware failure. Obviously, it’s essential to address the overheating issue before it’s too late.
There are various reasons for this occurrence, and we advise you to check the following steps in order to prevent them:
- Don’t use your phone while charging.
- Check the resource hogging apps in the background.
- Make sure that your battery isn’t faulty.
- Remove the casing.
- Don’t expose your handset to heat sources over an extended period of times.
Wi-Fi issues
Connectivity issues are generally not unusual for a multitude of Android handsets. Some of them suffer from the lackluster signal, while others are known for connection crashes. Either way, it’s hard to use your device as intended without the proper Wi-Fi connection. Almost impossible. Samsung Galaxy J3 isn’t exactly known for Wi-Fi issues, but some isolated cases are still enough for us to address the issue.
For that purpose, we advise you to follow the instructions below in order to troubleshoot Wi-Fi issues on your J3:
- Forget Network and connect again.
- Press and hold on Wi-Fi icon in the Notification panel to open Wi-Fi settings.
- Click on the network you need to re-establish.
- Tap Forget.
- Restart your J3 and reconnect again.
- Reset network settings.
- Tap Settings.
- Open Backup & reset.
- Tap Reset Network Settings.
- Enter password/PIN/pattern if prompted and tap RESET SETTINGS.
- After the restart, you should be good to go.
- Disable IPv6 protocol on your router.
- Use 5 GHz instead of 2.4 GHz and vice versa.
- Wipe the cache partition.
- Turn off the device. Make sure that your battery is not critically low.
- Press and hold the Volume Up key + Home key + Power button.
- Once the logo appears on the screen, release the Power button while holding the Volume Up key + Home key.
- Wait for the Android logo to appear and release all buttons.
- Use the Volume Down key to find and highlight the ‘wipe cache partition’ option.
- Use the Power button to confirm the selection.
- Now, scroll down with the Volume Down key and highlight ”Yes”.
- Press Power button to select.
- After the procedure is finished, restart your device and check for changes.
- Disable Smart Network Switch.
- Connect to Wi-Fi and tap Settings.
- Open Connections.
- Open Wi-Fi.
- Tap the 3-dot menu in the right corner.
- Choose Smart network switch.
- Toggle the feature Off.
Mobile data issues
As same as with the Wi-Fi, some users experienced issues with the Mobile Data. Some of them weren’t able to use the 3G/4G as intended due to SIM card issues, while others encountered issues with unexpected signal drops and similar irregularities. Most of the time, the issue is closely related to an inappropriate position of the SIM card. Cellular signal drops are the best way to find out is your SIM card properly inserted in the SIM tray.
On the other hand, there are also some software issues that need to be examined, since the problem isn’t exclusively connected to the SIM card. Follow the instructions below to troubleshoot the mobile data issues on your Samsung Galaxy J3:
- Reset your device.
- Switch Network type. Settings>More>Cellular Networks>Preffered Network type. Select LTE and save settings.
- TurnAirplane mode ON and then OFF.
- Reset APN settings. Go to Settings > Connections> Mobile Networks > Tap Access Point Names > More > Reset to default.
- Reset Network Settings. Navigate to Settings > Backup & reset > Network settings reset>Reset Settings.
- Remove SIM card and put it back again.
- Disable Bluetooth.
With that, you should be able to use the mobile data just like before.
SD card issues
SD card is of utmost importance if you want to store more multimedia since the device is limited to 16 GB of internal storage. However, users reported issues with SD cards, too. Namely, some of them weren’t able to transfer the data from internal storage to SD. Other – well – their J3 wouldn’t even recognize the SD card or suddenly unmounts it. For that purpose, we advise you to follow the steps below, since there are multiple ways to address this issue.
- Power Off your device and remove SD card from the slot. Clean the slot with the compressed air and re-insert the SD card.
- Backup your SD card on your PC and format it. Make sure to format or reformat the SD card and copy the backed-up content again.
- Wipe the cache partition.
Unexpected shutdown issues
If we take into consideration all enlisted issues of J3, this is probably the most intimidating one. Some users pointed out the major issue with regard to sudden restarts or even shutdowns. There are few reasons for this occurrence and we’re presenting them below:
- The phone is overheating.
- Custom ROM causes issues with the hardware.
- Hardware failure.
For that purpose, we advise you to look at presented solutions for overheating issue and flash your device again. In addition, you can try to boot into the safe mode and examine the behavior. If the phone is working as intended, make sure to delete all lately installed apps. In contrary, if the device is still failing, it’s likely that we’re looking at hardware malfunction. So make sure to take your Samsung Galaxy J3 for repairs.
SIM card issues
You would imagine that this is a problem similar to the one with the SD card. Symptoms are obviously different, but the reason is, most of the time, inappropriate placement. On the other hand, with the latest updates, users with SIM card issues (sudden loss of network signal, mobile data loss, and ”Please insert SIM card” error) are rightfully suspecting the software involvement, as well. For that purpose, we prepared a list of possible solutions you should take into consideration:
- Restart your device.
- Reinsert SIM card and/or switch SIM 1 and SIM 2 positions if you’re using dual-SIM option.
- Try your SIM card in another handset to make sure it’s working.
- Select ”3G only”. Navigate to Settings > Connections > Mobile Networks > Network Mode, and choose ”3G only” from the dropdown list.
- Select proper access point.
- Disable Bluetooth temporarily.
- Boot in the safe mode and look for changes in the signal behavior.
- Wipe cache partition.
Bluetooth issues
In the plethora of reported issues, it wouldn’t be fair to skip on Bluetooth issues. Bluetooth-related issues that are reported, mostly refer to failed pairing or unstable connection with the paired device. This mostly occurs in a pairing J3 with the car board. Or lack of it, to be exact. Luckily, if we exclude the hardware failure of the Bluetooth radio, there are some steps you can take to troubleshoot this problem.
- Disable other network services while using Bluetooth (Wi-Fi, LTE, 3G).
- ”Forget” device and try to pair again.
- Wipe partition cache (process explained above).
That should do it. If you have alternative issues or solutions for the problems we presented above, make sure to tell us in the comments section below. We’ll be glad to help you. Thanks for reading and have a good day.
My phone’s volume seems to be the main volume now.. it turns up whenever I try to turn my phone’s ringtone up, which was what previously appeared. There is no media playing anywhere on my phone. How do I fix this?
Anyone know why my phone not visualy showing when a text is received.
Hello I’m having ask issue with the Bluetooth calling every time i receive a call while using the Bluetooth it sounds distorted..I have j3 pro. Plus I have an Alcatel which has a clear connection while on a call, but the Alcatel sucks compared to the j3 pro
How can I save pic from my phone \ save before I reset cause I’m locked out?
Forgot my password to unlock screen
I have the J3 Luna Pro – I have been using the Golf Pad (premium) for about a month. I used it 3 times a week on the golf course. About a week ago I was unable to pull up the course I was playing. At home I can pull up the course and all details. Also i am now unable pull up other programs when I am away from home. What happened to cause this?
The screen light won’t come on anymore on my phone. Of course, when the phone is off, the screen is completely black and when I turn it on, the screen becomes lit just slightly, as it should. But when I attempt to use the phone, the dim light doesn’t change to bright as it used to. Has anyone else had this problem?
I’ve had my Samsung Galaxy J3 phone for a year or so with no problems until now. The problem started yesterday but is much worse today. Yesterday, the screen would go dark shortly after I would start to read or write an email or message. But I was able to complete the task each time. However, today, the screen goes dark almost immediately after I swipe to open the screen and I cannot get the screen to light up except for a brief second. So essentially I cannot do anything with the phone today. Anyone have any experience with an issue like this?
If someone had a solution to this above issue pls help me too
I let the battery run out on my phone, but when I plugged it in it won’t charge, turn on no sign of it working at all it was working fine last night but nothing when I plugged it in this morning. Any idea what I can do at the minute I need the phone.
Hi, did this get fixed, as i have the same issue?
Mine just shut down while playing a game i think it was charging and over heatrd but is it sipposed to shut down or give warnings before that?
Trying to help my brother here he’s saying it’s taking 2 hours to download an app phone is running so slow there is no way to watch videos it just buffers.. he has cleared cache removed apps he didn’t need and has tried every fix including downloading in unrooting app and doing a reset on his phone.. he’s tried everything he could find on Google and YouTube erased all of his apps.. any idea what could be going on here
My settings on j3 wont work keeps say app closed
I have a problem with my mobile is not work Bluetooth and don’t know how to solve this problem.
I can’t use my j3 without internet connection because of sim card problem.when i was in Saudi Arabia i got to swap my sim card to another j3 phone but then this put your pin code occur.i’ve put up the pin code displayed on the sim card but to no avail i got my phone closed.i cannot use any sim card again ..how can i enable my phone back…please help me!
Problem: Hello, I bought a samsung galaxy j3 about 2 months ago in the US. It worked perfectly with LTE. Now I am in Bangladesh, so I unlocked the t mobile lock permanently. Then I inserted a new SIM card from another network operator. Since that moment I cannot video calling anyone because there is no videocalling option in my phone default apps,but when i insert us sim card it’s unable to video calling option. the video callin option is not useing any video calling apps like whatsapp,imo,viber etc.It is direct video calling option i mean to say. My sim card is alrady 4G but i can’t. I tried the new SIM card in an Iphone and it worked perfectly with 3g at the same location I am. I tried another SIM card from another person in my phone, and the same issue appeared. So I assume the SIM card is fine, it must be something with the phone. I already contacted Samsung in my home town but none of them helped me to fix this issue. I hope you guys can help me. Thank you so much!
Poor performance of Oreo on J3 2017, very slow, with all apps closed. Poor poor performance, reverting to factory defaults. Phone freezes without doing anything with all network connections off, wi fi off, etc. Remains freezed until reboot, etc…many issues. Do not upgrade on J3. Overheats in excess. Fix it Samsung…
I have the same problem also can’t put in dual sim
My Google app stopped working, so no updates. How to solve problem please.
my friend change the screen on her Samsung J-3 when she got it changed and turn her phone back on her network data is not working can I get it to work how do I help her fix it or what happens when you change the screen
This phone is worst ever keeps telling me I have no space for updates I also have so card in .I have never had this problem with any other phone .
No sound from apps utub. Waze
No sound from apps utub. Waze
The cable that came with the J3 isn’t recognized by my Pioneer car stereo. Low volume comes out of the phone and the display doesn’t recognize it either. I’ve had the phone less than a week! Thanks for any help.
The cable that came with the J3 isn’t recognized by my Pioneer car stereo. Low volume comes out of the phone and the display doesn’t recognize it either. I’ve had the phone less than a week! Thanks for any help.
Can’t get my j3 past lockout
Try to perform hard reset of your smartphone Press home, screen lock and volume down keys at the same time and wait few seconds. Phone will go back to factory settings.
I bought J3 3 weeks ago and I like this phone. I don’t expect something amazing for the money I’ve paid. Smartphone has comparable parameters to 2015 Galaxy A5. But there’s a few things that I do not like in this smartphone : there’s no light sensor so you need to adjust the display backlight manually all the time – it’s irritating. The second issue is problem with maintaining Bluetooth connection. Your solution doesn’t make any sense for me because I need to use LTE and mobile router function at the same time that I use Bluetooth. Apart from that I like this phone and for me it’s OK for the money I’ve paid for it.
Can’t get my j3 past lockout
Try to perform hard reset of your smartphone Press home, screen lock and volume down keys at the same time and wait few seconds. Phone will go back to factory settings.
I bought J3 3 weeks ago and I like this phone. I don’t expect something amazing for the money I’ve paid. Smartphone has comparable parameters to 2015 Galaxy A5. But there’s a few things that I do not like in this smartphone : there’s no light sensor so you need to adjust the display backlight manually all the time – it’s irritating. The second issue is problem with maintaining Bluetooth connection. Your solution doesn’t make any sense for me because I need to use LTE and mobile router function at the same time that I use Bluetooth. Apart from that I like this phone and for me it’s OK for the money I’ve paid for it.
Help my j3 2017 wont start . its just constantly flashingsamsung logo and that is it… It won’t do anything else . is it updating ? Or is it hardware
Help my j3 2017 wont start . its just constantly flashingsamsung logo and that is it… It won’t do anything else . is it updating ? Or is it hardware
The process stated above does not help!. I have tried several times and no luck.
The process stated above does not help!. I have tried several times and no luck.
i have a j3 only vbt. no sound help me for that issue
i have a j3 only vbt. no sound help me for that issue
The hints here are not useful, some of them are wrong.
e.g. Switching between 2.4GHz-WLAN and 5GHz-WLAN is impossible, because the J3 has no 5GHz-WLAN.
also switching off IPv6 is useless, it makes the situation often worse than before
The hints here are not useful, some of them are wrong.
e.g. Switching between 2.4GHz-WLAN and 5GHz-WLAN is impossible, because the J3 has no 5GHz-WLAN.
also switching off IPv6 is useless, it makes the situation often worse than before
I just bought the j3 5 days ago. I do NOT like this phone. Bluetooth doesn’t work, lagging is insane, pages stutter and speaker phone makes every caller sound like they’re in a carwash!
I just bought the j3 5 days ago. I do NOT like this phone. Bluetooth doesn’t work, lagging is insane, pages stutter and speaker phone makes every caller sound like they’re in a carwash!