Samsung S8 Screen turning on and off and flickering green

[Leonix]

I have had my S8 for over 2 years and last year a bright bar at the bottom appeared. I tried to fix the issue unsuccessfully and eventually it disappeared on its own although it would sometimes still appear.

Lately though my screen has been flickering green sometimes with green bars other times the whole screen will be green. The bar at the bottom is still there.

The phone has also started turning its screen off randomly lately sometimes taking multiple attempts to turn back on.

I have tried starting in safe mode and cleared cache.

Does anyone have any tips on what the cause of this may be (I am thinking likely hardware issue but hoping for not) and how to fix it?

[CrazyTom2k2]

Hey there Leonix,

Sorry to hear about your issue with your flickering display and random reboots. Honestly, it sounds like your S8's encountered a hardware failure (Green flickering's usually a sign of OLED failure, and random reboots are usually a sign of mobo failure). Does your display have any damage? Has your phone had any large impacts, like drops from a high place?

You could always try a factory reset, but I'm not sure if that'll work in this case. IMO you're right in thinking it's a hardware fault. You could probably replace your display and motherboard, but seeing as you're on an S8, maybe treat yourself to a new phone (and if you're thinking an S20, don't forget to claim your free Galaxy Buds! 😉)

Sorry I couldn't fix your issue, but all the best,
Tom 😉

[Leonix]

Hi Tom,

Thanks for the reply. I am afraid it is a hardware issue but my current contract that the phone came with is not ending until December, i.e. I am still paying for the phone so to have to replace it and continue paying it off will be super annoying.

Plus I was hoping to get a new contract with a new phone. So I am desperately trying to hang on but it has become almost unbearable now.

I have dropped my phone in the past but because I know I do I have a cover on it and a screen protector and none of them are too damaged and I don't recall dropping it before this started. Could it be at all related to water damage? It rains a lot in England so this is always something that can be a danger.

Best,

Leonix

[CrazyTom2k2]

Hey Leonix! 🙂

I'm really sorry about that. Who's your service provider at the moment? If you have a chat with them, they might be able to sort you out. It's a long shot, but it might be worth it because there's not much point paying for something you can't use.

In terms of damage, noooo, I don't think water's likely to be an issue as the Galaxy S8 is water resistant, so it should have no issues. Sounds like it could be a manufacturing defect or just old age. And yeah, I'm with you on that rain one cuz I live in England too!! 😁 Do you have any idea if your handset's still in warranty (have you had the device for less than 2 years)?

All the best,
Tom 🙂

[Leonix]

No it is just over 2 years. I truly believe these devices are built to fail just after the warranty expires lol.

I am with Virgin but called them before when the bar first appeared and they said it was up to Samsung. 😞

[CrazyTom2k2]

Hey again @Leonix!

Believe it or not, Virgin should be responsible as they're the ones that sold you the phone, right? It's in the Consumer Rights Act. If you give them a call on 0345 600 0789, maybe give them a bit of a push, and they should do something for you as it's their responsibility cuz they're the retailer.

All the best,
Tom 🙂

[Leonix]

Oh wow I didn't realise. I will do that then thank you!

[Leonix]

Just spoke to them. My options are:

1) Upgrade my phone and pay 2 phones until my contract ends

2) Pay a buy out fee of what I would pay on my contract until the end of November

3) Pay for a repair as the phone is outside of warranty

4) Keep my contract and get a cheap phone of Ebay until it is over

5) Explode out of frustration

Very torn between 4 & 5 currently...

[AndrewL]

@Leonix: Sorry to hear of your frustration. If you dial *#0*# into your telephone keypad and select Red, Green and Blue from the series of on screen tiles, does the flicker persist in any of these tests? If so then it is likely to be a hardware issue, in which case I recommend reaching out to our Help Desk via the link below, where an advisor will be able to assist you further and arrange any necessary repairs. If the S8 is over 24 months old, or the issue is deemed to be the result of physical/liquid damage, then a charge will be applicable to cover the cost of the service.

https://www.samsung.com/uk/support/contact/

If the flickering isn't present in the hardware test then you may wish to backup the device using Samsung Cloud or Smart Switch on your home computer, and return it to it's default settings via a Factory Data Reset to see if this helps: Settings > General Management > Reset > Factory Data Reset.

[Leonix]

Hi Andrew,

I just tried and no it does not. It did still appear when I got curious and selected black and also became unresponsive.

What does that mean?

Best regards,

Christin