Passed from Pillar to Post - S22 software problem - maybe

[Keland_uk]

How ineffectual is Samsung Support. Yes, you can chat to someone but there is NO escalation process. I've been passed from pillar to Post with my wife’s S22 video playback problem (Also happens on BBC sounds) Playing video crashes the app playing the video, whether its Gallery, YouTube, BBC news, WhatsApp. (see my previous post) I cannot get them to get an engineer to factory reset the same model phone as I have and see if the problem is reproducible. Twice engineers have been out, and now since the “engineer” says I need to wait for a software update that’s what I need to do. WHAT UPDATE, it’ll be like “Waiting for GODOT”… It turns out that even Galaxy Store app crashes if it’s showing a video.  TBH it seems to just stop and come out ofthe video, after around 10 seconds, sometimes sooner, sometimes later. Even BBC sounds did it, so not just Video.

Is there anyone else out there with this problem?  (its a SM-S901BZGDEUB)

[PaulC59]

I am presuming you have already wiped the phones cache partition and tried a soft reset.

Given that the problem you describe happens when playing videos from various apps. It suggests one of 2 things is happening

1 could be a corrupt system file

2 could be a clash with background activity from another app

To solve corrupt system apps would require resetting the phone to factory settings

To solve clashes with other apps you could trying uninstalling any other apps that play sound or video and reinstall and try them one by one.

In rare circumstances it could be bad firmware which would either require taking it to a samsung service centre to wipe the phone and reinstall new firmware on the phone. (A Full system update would do this but they don't come along that often)

I hope this is helpful maybe others might have more in depth knowledge than me

[Keland_uk]

Thank you for replying. Yes, yes and yes. 7 Factory resets! 2 Engineer visits with new software loaded. No idea if they’ve did the firmware. (I suspect they did but who knows). This is totally reproduceable from a factory restart on my phone.

[PaulC59]

If it's happening after factory resets when the phone is set up without any backup restores etc then it's clearly either a phone software or hardware issue. If engineers have replaced your phones software and it still does it then it can only be an issue with the phones hardware I.e dodgy video chip so needs a technician to fix it or if under warranty a replacement phone. I cant understand why an engineer wouldn't have picked this up? Unless I'm missing something

[Keland_uk]

Exactly my conclusion.... I would have thought that Samsung would have just swapped the phone out and put it down to a "Friday" build.... Weirdly if they use Samsung Tutor to remotely control the phone it doesn't happen. I also think, but not proven, that if you download a large file it doesn't happen. BBC sounds caused the problem as well, but not very often. i.e. It sounds like a timing glitch in the hardware. At the moment I have to wait for the next software update because they think that will fix the problem... delusional or what.

[PaulC59]

If it's under warranty then I would take it to an authorised repair centre or samsung shop as should it need a motherboard etc it can be very expensive and sometimes more than the phone is worth. Hopefully an update might fix it. If it will play downloaded files then it's probably not the video chip as that would affect all files. It could be your network connection if it only happens when streaming. I know I get a lit of blank spots when streaming in the car which improves a lot when I switch off WiFi when I'm out and about so I use mobile data and when I'm in the house I switch off mobile data when I'm using WiFi, which seems to improve network stability

[Keland_uk]

Ref download, no not a video being downloaded/played, tested when downloading updates seems to work, again not proven. Its not network either, happens on downloaded files as well as youtube/bbc news streamed videos. It has had 2 Samsung authorised repairs, one at shop in Cambridge, one via mobile repairer.  Yes its still under Warranty. I have to wait a week before they will do soemthing in the vain hope that an update will fix it! just kicking problem into the long grass

[PaulC59]

Personally if it's under warranty I would request a replacement phone. I wouldn't mind a couple of repairs but if it's not resolved I would insist on a replacement. Being told to wait for an update is nonsense which is unlikely to work anyway

[Keland_uk]

I agree..., I have suggested that to them, I suppose I need to be more forceful. Mind you its only the wife's phone 😂

[Keland_uk · Accepted solution]

So, we have success, after being picked up on the 12th of March (After a fraught telephone conversation on the 11th where the support person wanted me to do another factory reset!) and sent to a repair centre. Engineer phoned me saying engineer has looked at phone and found no problem! I asked him has he followed the steps I wrote on a letter sent with the phone, he said what letter, hang on found it. Whilst I was talking to him, he reproduced the problem and said he'd send it back to engineer. They tried to get motherboard, out of stock, they managed to order one on Fri 15th March. Long and short of it, it was returned yesterday 19th March, and it seems to be working. So, result I suppose.  BUT that is a long time without a phone.  Even worse that it took 3 engineer visits and countless phone/chat conversations with Samsung support. You can't knock their trying to fix it, but they don't seem to have any method to escalate problem. It was left to me to work out how to reproduce the problem, without them doing a Pontius Pilate by saying it’s a 3rd party app, ergo not their problem. Unbelievable,  1st repair attempt was on 20th Feb 2024!