Samsung Internet Browser hangs with Twitter

[FreddieBloggs]

So here's a funny thing. 

I have four identical SM-T713 8" tablets. On two of these, I can use Samsung Internet Browser to view Twitter - the Twitter login works fine, and the site scrolls as you'd expect.

On the other two, Samsung Internet Browser hangs as soon as I access the site - the display freezes up, and I cannot login. Other apps on the tablet continue to work - the browser is frozen, not the tablet itself. I can kill the frozen browser, and navigate to a different site, and all is well. All other sites seem fine. Chrome browser accesses Twitter fine, and allows login and scrolling. 

This behaviour occurs on freshly reset tablets with OS and browser updates applied, and is quite consistent, even if the tablet is reset several times. The browser version is 19.0.6.3. The same behaviour is shown by the beta version 20.0.0.46 

Can Samsung investigate this? 

[PaulM1]

Hi, @FreddieBloggs. It's very strange that Twitter isn't loading or performing as expected on two of your four tablets. 

Before suggesting any other steps, have you managed to clear the cache on Samsung Internet? The steps for doing this are provided in the guide below, created by our friends from Samsung Australia:

https://www.samsung.com/au/support/mobile-devices/how-to-remove-cache-and-data-of-your-browser/

I appreciate that you have updated the app itself, so I'd also recommend clearing the app cache for Samsung Internet on both of your affected tablets:

https://www.samsung.com/uk/support/mobile-devices/how-do-i-clear-the-cache-on-my-device/

After following these steps, are you able to get Twitter to load and function as expected on the browser again?

[FarhanKhan]

Clear cache and it will work fine

[FreddieBloggs]

A big thank you to the community for your responses. I cleared both the device cache (by Home + VolUp + PowerOn) and also cleared the Browser Cache, by Settings -> Apps -> Samsung Internet -> Storage -> Clear Cache.

Sadly, the browser still hangs when accessing Twitter after these steps, with "Samsung Internet isn't responding" and options to wait or close the browser.

Is there anything else I can try?

Freddie

[PaulM1]

I appreciate you going through those steps, @FreddieBloggs. Just out of interest, do you have exactly the same apps on each of your four tablets? I ask this, just in case a third-party app is affecting the performance of Twitter on the Samsung Internet browser on two of your tablets.

Furthermore, do you happen to have any Add-ons installed on Samsung Internet?

[FreddieBloggs]

So, I have two identical T713 tablets which I use for listening to music. Each has the same apps installed - Nova Launcher, Wallpaper Changer, PowerAmp, Spotify, Chrome browser - that's about it. Both of these are running Samsung Internet Browser 19.0.6.3 with no add-ons. One accesses Twitter fine, the other hangs.

Sadly, I'm not able to do much more to investigate this. I was goint to do some more investigation, and have just done a factory reset on a tablet which I've owned from new, and which has never been associated with a google account. Factory Reset Protection has been activated, and wants a google account, which of course, I'm unable to provide. So one bricked tablet?

[FreddieBloggs]

A further update to this, demonstrating the issue beyond doubt.

I carried out a factory reset on a SM-T713 tablet, and then went through the initial setup adding a google account, but skipping any other skippable options. Internet Browser v5 allowed me to access Twitter. I then accepted the proposed updates to Play Store, Galaxy Store and then Internet Browser, bringing the version of this to 19.0.6.3. I added no other extensions to the browser. It then once again hung on accessing Twitter.

A big thank you to all who have helped with this - but it seems that it's up to Samsung to have a look at this. Not because I expect them to support a 7/8 year old tablet - but rather because software faults have a habit of cropping up repeatedly and in unexpected places.