Samsung Galaxy S3 General Information and Troubleshooting FAQ

[smallclone]

Right.

Which calendar is the briefing alarm getting the data from? And can I sync with my google calander?

 

[Cuauhtemoc1520]

Hello, I'm new to this forum and new to the galaxy S3. I took some videos at the highest resolution and wanted to download them to my PC. I did but every player I use plays them back in slow motion with the audio not in sinc with the video.

What player can I use or what do I need for the videos to play properly? Thanks. I run Windows XP.

 

[aerobar]

This is a fantastic phone but I have one problem with mine and my daughters, whenever we go on the net from Google the screen goes very dim and cant be read. If I go on facebook or ebay via an app it is fine but if we go on anything via Google search it always goes very dim, if I press the back button, for a second it goes bright and normal an then goes off. I have tried everything in the settings but nothing seems to change it.
Also when I play a video it starts off very dark and dim for about 5 seconds and then it brightens up. This is really spoiling a really brilliant phone for me, please help. Thanks.

Hi Petergs351

I had exactly the same problem - it was really annoying! What fixed it for me finally was to be on the internet, hit the haptic button to the left of the home button and choose colours from the menu. A box will open on screen, you can choose what level of brightness you want for the screen when looking at the internet.

Good luck!

 

[johnnylighton]

I have the exact same problem as the OP. But I have no colors or brightness control on the menu button. There used to be such a control but it disappeared.

I'm on AT&T and have the latest OTA update.

 

[stinkum]

It is neither. I use the GMail app day in and day out. It never (if only rarely) crashes. Something may be wrong with your device. Have you attempted a factory reset? This clears out all your settings/contacts/etc if you don't have them sync'd or backed up.

I tried a factory reset and it still crashes
Should I try to get the phone replaced or do you have some more idea??

 

[KOLIO]

Ok, try it with the app called "Downloads". It's got to be one of these apps that are doing it.



It means your notifications are disabled. The options to re-enable should be on your notification bar.



Unless you root, you can't disable the message. But you can get it to stop for awhile. Go to System > App Management > All tab > FWUpgrade and force stop it.

Second, the universal search does get 'dumbed down' to not be able to search your device. However, I never used it before I knew it was going to get dumbed down (and had to check to see if I actually had it). Also, you can get a universal-search enabled Google Search APK from XDA (I can provide a link if you want) and install it and restore universal search. Even without root, this works. Or just wait until Jelly Bean and Google Now is delivered, which will make you forget about the old search app all together.

Those icons have to be swiped up. Tap/hold the app, move it up, release. The screen will unlock and that app will be launched. Or just disable the shortcut apps all together in the Settings > Security > Lockscreen options

New to the SGS III as well,any way you could PM a link to the GOOGLE SEARCH APK?

THX!

 

[Ranex]

When trying to transfer files using the Bluetooth method you describe, it asks me for my computer's PIN. On my Galaxy S3, the instructions suggest entering "0000" or "1234", which I did but didn't work. How do I find my computer's PIN?

 

[jerofld]

I'm having some issues with my S3 camera led flashlight.
It lights up for about 1sec when powering up the phone.
It lights up for about 1 sec when switching from regular camera to facecam.
It lights up for about 1sec when exiting the camera mode.
It lights up sproradically when battery is really low.

It seems to have something to do with power obviously, but how and why and is there anything to do about it? Anyone experienced anything like this.
I bought the phone used, so i don't know anything about its history other than it was all reset when i got it.

I would try another reset. That is not normal operation. Is it rooted?

Google Nav has always been my go-to for navigation on my Nexus and now of course on the SGS3. And it's always worked just fine on my SGS3 until the latest google maps update. Now there is no more 3D/view as you drive mode. I don't know exactly how to describe it, but now the map just always points north. It doesn't have a dynamic driving view, and it's very difficult to navigate now using the map, whether on bike or driving. I just have to listen to the voice, which is tough on freeways with multiple exits.

Any suggestions? I checked settings, reinstalled app, cleared cache, and still can't figure it out.

I would recommend you try another GPS app to see if it has the same problem. If it works, you might have to see about getting an older version of maps. In the root section for your carrier, there are ROMs. Inside of a ROM, there's likely an older copy of Maps.

I am having an issue with my car's bluetooth connection. It connects fine, but I can only dial a person's phone manually - the only thing that syncs with the car is the area code of each phone number. Are there any settings I can change or is this a known issue w/o a fix [yet]?

There are way too many variables to be able to determine this offhand. Do you have a 3rd party headset? What's the make/model if you're using stock? What carrier is your GS3 on?

Hi Everyone!

I've had a lot of success troubleshooting small problems thanks to these forums, so a general "Thank you!" to everyone who provides helpful information.

OK, so I got a Galaxy S3 a few weeks ago and it's working very well. However, there's a very annoying issue when I search within my Contacts. As soon as I begin typing someone's name in the search bar, hundreds of (Unknown) contacts pop up. The thing is, they're not there until I begin searching for a name. Also, when I click on any of the (Unknown)s, the only information is that my "Connection" is through Google. In case this is important to note, my Google contacts are all cleaned up and there are no (Unknown) people there. Also, I've tried to cancel the Sync within Accounts, but that didn't fix the issue.

Does anyone know how to get rid of these (Unknown) people??

Thanks so much!

I would try re-syncing the Google contacts in settings > Accounts & Sync (or in 'Google' if you're on Jelly Bean).

I disabled the stock email app. It will not allow me to enable, as it does with other apps. Any suggestions?

Factory reset. If you're rooted, you could try using Titanium Backup or some other app that allows freezing/unfreezing.

I tried a factory reset and it still crashes
Should I try to get the phone replaced or do you have some more idea??

If a factory reset doesn't fix your phone, then it's time for a replacement.

When trying to transfer files using the Bluetooth method you describe, it asks me for my computer's PIN. On my Galaxy S3, the instructions suggest entering "0000" or "1234", which I did but didn't work. How do I find my computer's PIN?

The computer should list the PIN on the Bluetooth setup menu.

 

[stinkum]

If a factory reset doesn't fix your phone, then it's time for a replacement.

Thank you for all that you do jerofld. I'll be heading to my local T-mob' on lunch today :smokingsomb:

 

[shellyrfc]

I got the s3 a few days ago and everything has been great with it until this morning. Since this morning when i get a txt it sometimes doesnt always play the tone that i have set. It may just play 2 seconds of it and cut off or plays less or just doesnt play at all. Wasnt sure if maybe i have hit a setting where at certain times ie when phone screen is on or when its lying a certain way it wont play. Any help will be appreciaed as its driving me nuts.

 

[rmreid]

I have the exact same problem as the OP. But I have no colors or brightness control on the menu button. There used to be such a control but it disappeared.

I'm on AT&T and have the latest OTA update.

Another AT&T user here with the same issue

 

[Flooi]

hello.
I've had my s3 for roughly 4months now. Since about a months and a half ago I have not been able to backup onto the Samsung website. I have not been able to sync with it either. When I want to go into my account profile, it only says Loading and after anything from a few seconds to a few minutes, it says Processing Failed and kick's me back to the log in screen (when i type the password wrong, it says "incorrect password", so it does at least try to log in)
Friends of mine who have the S2 says they have not tried to backup before so I can't compare.
I have also notice that my phone says quite often that the samsung account must be updated. I accept and make sure I'm close to my wi-fi router, switch on my mobile data and plug in my phone if the battery is low - all in the hopes that it would fix whatever is going on. After the "update" nothing is different and

Please if someone can offer me help as to what I'm doing wrong of if there Is a problem with samsung accounts. I have been tempted to Remove Account but I'm not sure if doing it will work.

 

[johnnylighton]

Another AT&T user here with the same issue

I know this isn't a complete solution, but I switched to Chrome as my browser and haven't looked back. Brightness problem gone, and I like it better regardless. I did have to enter my bookmarks again; I don't know if there's a way to import them.

 

[jerofld]

I know this isn't a complete solution, but I switched to Chrome as my browser and haven't looked back. Brightness problem gone, and I like it better regardless. I did have to enter my bookmarks again; I don't know if there's a way to import them.

If you use a desktop version of Chrome, you can import your bookmarks if you log in with your Google account on both.

I got the s3 a few days ago and everything has been great with it until this morning. Since this morning when i get a txt it sometimes doesnt always play the tone that i have set. It may just play 2 seconds of it and cut off or plays less or just doesnt play at all. Wasnt sure if maybe i have hit a setting where at certain times ie when phone screen is on or when its lying a certain way it wont play. Any help will be appreciaed as its driving me nuts.

There's a few people that have had this problem. IIRC, a factory reset fixes this.

hello.
I've had my s3 for roughly 4months now. Since about a months and a half ago I have not been able to backup onto the Samsung website. I have not been able to sync with it either. When I want to go into my account profile, it only says Loading and after anything from a few seconds to a few minutes, it says Processing Failed and kick's me back to the log in screen (when i type the password wrong, it says "incorrect password", so it does at least try to log in)
Friends of mine who have the S2 says they have not tried to backup before so I can't compare.
I have also notice that my phone says quite often that the samsung account must be updated. I accept and make sure I'm close to my wi-fi router, switch on my mobile data and plug in my phone if the battery is low - all in the hopes that it would fix whatever is going on. After the "update" nothing is different and

Please if someone can offer me help as to what I'm doing wrong of if there Is a problem with samsung accounts. I have been tempted to Remove Account but I'm not sure if doing it will work.

I would remove it and re-sync it. I don't use my Samsung account much, so I can't offer much assistance with this. I use Google to sync my data.

 

[itworkssmith]

I tried reading through all the posts, but only made it through 5 pages, so I apologize if this is a repeat.

I'm new to android, had an iPhone for the past 3 years, and have had my gs3 for about 2 weeks. I dropped my first one and got a replacement a few days ago. Yesterday, the "security and lock" screen started popping up randomly, and often. It's especially annoying when I'm recording a video because it interrupts it. I uninstalled every app that I didn't have on the other phone, I have force quit it, cleared the memory, removed the battery, etc. Am I missing something obvious?

Speaking of obvious, my auto-replacement doesn't seem to work.
Every box is checked in the predictive text screen. Usually the correct word will come up on the prediction bar, but it doesn't automatically change. My first gs3 did.

The security and lock screen has popped up six times while typing this. Please help!!!

 

[Cruncher1201]

There are way too many variables to be able to determine this offhand. Do you have a 3rd party headset? What's the make/model if you're using stock? What carrier is your GS3 on?

No to the 3rd party headset, it is a straight connection between my Sprint GS3 and my Kia UVO. I think that answers all the questions? BTW, I read on the Kia boards to un-pair and re-pair the two, so I tried that. It worked immediately afterwards, but today I went to dial up a friend and it had reverted back to just the area codes.

 

[jerofld]

I tried reading through all the posts, but only made it through 5 pages, so I apologize if this is a repeat.

I'm new to android, had an iPhone for the past 3 years, and have had my gs3 for about 2 weeks. I dropped my first one and got a replacement a few days ago. Yesterday, the "security and lock" screen started popping up randomly, and often. It's especially annoying when I'm recording a video because it interrupts it. I uninstalled every app that I didn't have on the other phone, I have force quit it, cleared the memory, removed the battery, etc. Am I missing something obvious?

Speaking of obvious, my auto-replacement doesn't seem to work.
Every box is checked in the predictive text screen. Usually the correct word will come up on the prediction bar, but it doesn't automatically change. My first gs3 did.

The security and lock screen has popped up six times while typing this. Please help!!!

I would recommend a factory reset. That is a odd error. Do you have any security settings set?

No to the 3rd party headset, it is a straight connection between my Sprint GS3 and my Kia UVO. I think that answers all the questions? BTW, I read on the Kia boards to un-pair and re-pair the two, so I tried that. It worked immediately afterwards, but today I went to dial up a friend and it had reverted back to just the area codes.

Something like this happened with my Evo 3D in my Camaro. Different makes, but similar situation. Unpair, repair, and then deny the request to sync with your contact list. See if that helps.

 

[Cruncher1201]

Something like this happened with my Evo 3D in my Camaro. Different makes, but similar situation. Unpair, repair, and then deny the request to sync with your contact list. See if that helps.

That leads to no contacts at all; I just tried.

 

[30daywonder]

I have the 16gb gs3 on att 4g lte network. I use tTorrent for downloads. At first it was downloading at 250 kb/s the max for the lite version. It slowed down to 50kb/s I got the full version with unlimited download speed and still the same problem. I have an unlimited data plan and have not gone over 3gb yet. I use the speed test to check the download and is incredibly slow. What am I doing wrong here? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[azeemjab]

can i read pdf files in ssamsung galaxy 3

 

[Winedrinker]

Two little problems that I cant seem to fix. One I dont get any sound when receiving a text. Get a blue flashing light but no sound. Tried everything I can think of

Also have a funny symbol in notifcation bar. It is an exclamation mark in a circle with a line through it.

 

[blackdog]

Two little problems that I cant seem to fix. One I dont get any sound when receiving a text. Get a blue flashing light but no sound. Tried everything I can think of

Also have a funny symbol in notifcation bar. It is an exclamation mark in a circle with a line through it.

That circle with an exclamation mark means Notifications are off - hence no sound! Just pull down the bar at the top and you'll see the Notification symbol and you can activate it.

 

[jerofld]

That leads to no contacts at all; I just tried.

The numbers will display instead of names. But the bluetooth calling will still work. If this is the case, you need to contact Samsung support and report the issue, so that they can forward it to the programmers and get it to work with your vehicle properly.

I have the 16gb gs3 on att 4g lte network. I use tTorrent for downloads. At first it was downloading at 250 kb/s the max for the lite version. It slowed down to 50kb/s I got the full version with unlimited download speed and still the same problem. I have an unlimited data plan and have not gone over 3gb yet. I use the speed test to check the download and is incredibly slow. What am I doing wrong here? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Torrents use multiple sources for their downloads. These sources are other users who may or may not have fast internet. The speed that you download may be due to the host(s) of the file having slow internet speeds, or are also downloading/uploading, so their bandwidth is being used. It likely has nothing to do with your device or your service.

And please do not use torrents for illegal purposes or piracy. I know you never mentioned it, but it's a very common thing on torrents. Discussion of these topics are not allowed on AF. Thanks!

can i read pdf files in ssamsung galaxy 3

Yes, install an office style app or Adobe's Reader app.

 

[Guillao]

So i just got a galaxy s3 and for about 2 days of listening to music all was fine, I started today only the left earbud worked, and I though the headphones had broke, then I tried my beats, same problem, I then tried the original headphones that came with the device, and again same problem, I tried all the headphones on my sisters iPod and they all work, any help? I appreciate it

 

[jerofld]

So i just got a galaxy s3 and for about 2 days of listening to music all was fine, I started today only the left earbud worked, and I though the headphones had broke, then I tried my beats, same problem, I then tried the original headphones that came with the device, and again same problem, I tried all the headphones on my sisters iPod and they all work, any help? I appreciate it

Ensure that any equalizer apps you have installed are not set to bias to the left. Try different audio apps. Or factory reset. If it still does it after the factory reset, then you need a replacement. Lemons happen, unfortunately.