Several Issues w/ AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note 3

[Hello Evelina]

I've been having the following problems for several months this year with my Samsung Galaxy Note 3 on AT&T:


1. My ringtone, and only my ringtone, will be on silent after I restart my phone or turn it back on, even though the ringtone was on when my phone was shutdown. All other sounds, media, system, notifications ,are unaffected.

2. Selecting which apps I want to use in "reading mode" does not save my choices, ever. After a 1 day or a few days, an odd number of apps I selected and saved to use with "reading mode" are no longer in my checked list.

3. My phone doesn't remember what default apps to open files with. Every time I download a PDF it will ask me how I want to open it, I choose an app and select to always open with that app by default, but it never remembers and will ask me again what to open it with. It does it for links to Instagram and Facebook, etc. It'll ask if I want to open it in a browser or the app an I choose the app and select it to always do with this and it never remembers.

4. When I take a screenshot, it gets saved NO MATTER WHAT into my gallery. Right after I take it, it's saved. I use to have a choice - I would review the screenshot, then select the "x" to discard it or the check mark to keep it. Now when I select the check mark to keep it, I get 2 saved screenshots of the same screenshot because it automatically saves after a screenshot was taken.



These 2 problems below are recent:

About 2 weeks ago, I noticed that my phone is charging VERY SLOWLY. It takes around 3 hours for it to get near 100% from around 50-60%. I've tried different cords, plugs, and outlets, and it still charges this slowly.

discovered yesterday (June 24th) that I can no longer take screenshots with the S-Pen. I use to be able to take the S-Pen out, press and hold the button on the S-Pen, and press the tip of the S-Pen to the screen. A camera flash noise would confirm, while the screen flashes, that a screenshot has been taken. Now nothing happens.


This phone is 11 months old has no damage and has never been wet. It is owned by an adult.

 

[Rukbat]

I have the same phones (2 of them) on the same carrier, so ...

Find out where your AT&T Device Support Center (DSC) is located. Your nearest AT&T store can tell you. (It may even be in the back of that store.)

1. My ringtone, and only my ringtone, will be on silent after I restart my phone or turn it back on, even though the ringtone was on when my phone was shutdown. All other sounds, media, system, notifications ,are unaffected.

DSC. A recent update may have gotten corrupted. They can redo it. (It's why I'm still on 4.4.2 - I don't need the fix in 4.4.4, and Lollipop is still too buggy for me.)

2. Selecting which apps I want to use in "reading mode" does not save my choices, ever. After a 1 day or a few days, an odd number of apps I selected and saved to use with "reading mode" are no longer in my checked list.

Sounds like the same thing.

3. My phone doesn't remember what default apps to open files with. Every time I download a PDF it will ask me how I want to open it, I choose an app and select to always open with that app by default, but it never remembers and will ask me again what to open it with. It does it for links to Instagram and Facebook, etc. It'll ask if I want to open it in a browser or the app an I choose the app and select it to always do with this and it never remembers.

Again, it sounds like the same problem.

4. When I take a screenshot, it gets saved NO MATTER WHAT into my gallery. Right after I take it, it's saved. I use to have a choice - I would review the screenshot, then select the "x" to discard it or the check mark to keep it. Now when I select the check mark to keep it, I get 2 saved screenshots of the same screenshot because it automatically saves after a screenshot was taken.

Sounds like a bug in the version of Android you updated to. After about 1,000 screen shots, I've never seen that happen.

About 2 weeks ago, I noticed that my phone is charging VERY SLOWLY. It takes around 3 hours for it to get near 100% from around 50-60%. I've tried different cords, plugs, and outlets, and it still charges this slowly.

How low did you normally let it discharge? If not below 40%, I'd say you just had bad luck in getting a battery that's dying at the low end of the range. (They can die with normal use in 18 months, even though that's not common. And battery age isn't guaranteed, unless you have insurance that covers batteries. But a good Note 3 battery [Anker] is only about $16 on Amazon.)

If you regularly let it discharge until the phone told you to charge it, it's amazing it lasted this long. 50% gives you the longest life, 40% won't shorten it too much. (Charging at 60% or higher is just wasting time, unless it's at 60% and you'll need it running all day.)

discovered yesterday (June 24th) that I can no longer take screenshots with the S-Pen. I use to be able to take the S-Pen out, press and hold the button on the S-Pen, and press the tip of the S-Pen to the screen. A camera flash noise would confirm, while the screen flashes, that a screenshot has been taken. Now nothing happens.

Try holding it for a full second or two. If not, the DSC.

This phone is 11 months old

So it's still under warranty. AT&T usually just replaces the phone, if there's anything a reflash doesn't fix, do back everything up first. See Backing up an Android Device.

has no damage and has never been wet.

Hmmm. Ever left it in a below-freezing car overnight, then brought it into a warm house or office without letting it warm up slowly, like during an hour drive to work with the heater on? The warm air hits the cold phone, the moisture condenses out and the phone is wet inside. It doesn't sound as if any of the problems you have is water damage, but just so you know - if the phone is cold to the touch, warm it slowly, so the condensing moisture evaporates as it condenses. I've seen many completely corroded phones that have never been "wet", but are left in the car, turned off, in unheated garages in sub-freezing weather, then brought into a nice 72 degree house with a humidifier. Might as well have dropped the phone into a full bathtub.

It is owned by an adult.

I've been one of those for over 50 years - and I still sometimes do things wrong. (My super ability to always be right wore off when I got older - like older than 4.) I still make posts with typos after I've proof-read them 3 times, and I once caught a Qi charger plate cable with my elbow and played handball with my Note 3. (Otterbox Defender cases absorb a LOT of shock.) Of course you probably know better than to sit on your phone (that seems to be a teen thing), but I've seen adults abuse phones, and I've seen kids take good care of them.

Bring something to do when you go to the DSC. Sometimes they're sitting around playing Solitaire and are glad you walked in to break up their boredom, sometimes there are 5 people ahead of you - each with a problem that takes a long time to fix.

 

[Hello Evelina]

I went to a Device Center and received a new Note 3. I am having the same issues on this new phone as well as new ones. The issues I'm experiencing on this phone are still the double-saved screenshots, the ringtone turning itself on silent, and the S-Pen not working for screenshots (however I was told that no longer works on any Note 3). I haven't experienced the Reading Mode app list unsaving selected apps to use with it yet because I've had this phone for 1 day. The default apps to open items with seems to be fine. The new issue I'm having is with the camera. I have chosen to "review pics/videos" after they are taken and it's not remembering my selection so its turning that option off after I take around 3 pictures. And the keyboard seems to be lagging.

 

[Hello Evelina]

Well, the reading mode is doing its thing again where it forgets which apps I've selected to use with it.