AT&T ZF2 Screens Stopped Responding

[Phillip DeVore]

Today while trying to enter work information, since I live and die by my phone's abilities, the inner screen stopped responding to any kind of input. It had been acting silly all day, and doing odd things in programs mostly since the last security update. When I closed the last app I had open and left it on the home screen for a moment while talking to one of my guys, as I tried to go back to doing interactions on the large screen, it acted as if I wasn't even touching the thing.

I closed the screen, figuring that the small one would reset and correct whatever stupidness was going down. The normal always on display appeared and I hit the power button to turn on the screen. After tapping the fingerprint sensor a second time, the small screen opened to its home screen. It was also unresponsive to all touch interactions. When I tried speaking to Google the phone behaved as if the microphone was deactivated.

Being unable to do anything of any substance with the phone I tried to turn it off. I had no way of researching how to do a soft reset or force a shut down. I held all of the side buttons until the unit came up with the three power options screen. Naturally I wasn't able to do anything with tapping any of those. In frustration I held down all the side buttons again. Now my device is locked on a white screen with what looks like four UPC patterns. I'm not going to post a picture, I don't know how to remove enough so my EIMI and SN and other identifiers aren't, ya know, identifiable.

Now both screens are on and stuck on this same image at the same time. So if it is closed, it heats up. Charging it makes it heat up. Leaving it unplugged drains the battery capacity. The equivalent of three full bright white screens are blasting continuously.

Now the "completely unexpected and totally suprising part." AT&T doesn't give a flying fig. "Not my problem." They no longer have a warranty repair center. I have to buy a phone/line if I need a phone. I already pay them in excess of $550 a month w/ 7 lines, NMP. Imma take my business to another company, definitely no longer your problem, *** hats.

And Samsung, you have to wait for them to even verify that the device is covered by warranty. I bought the stupid thing in March. Basic math tells you 4 is less than 12. "It may not be a hardware issue."
My hardware ain't doing it's job. I need an new phone right now.

I gotta go to Wally-World and buy a cheap thing on a pre-paid plan. AT&T and I may be going to the BIg Dance again.

 

[trucksmoveamerica#AC]

And this is why I say always have a back up phone. Phones are electronic, they can and do malfunction.

 

[J Dubbs]

Hold the power button down for at least one minute..... and time it to be sure it's actually a minute. On most electronic devices holding the power button down for a minute forces a shutdown, a lot like removing a battery. Also look at your screens to see if you can use the volume buttons to select a "shutdown" or "restart" option, and the power button to select it. If you accidentally entered recovery mode you should see those options. Also on Samsung phones you can hold the power button and volume up or down (I forget which) for a minute I believe to force a shutdown.

A shutdown and restart may fix the problem, especially if you tend to leave your phone on all the time. It's good to restart your phone once a week or after any updates.

 

[Post Nine]

take it to the nearest service center; ubreakifix or samsung care store

 

[Phillip DeVore]

I may sound like a shill for a moment, hang on. I called CPR, Cell Phone Repair, to ask about bringing in my F2. In describing the sitrep to the tech on the line, she got me up and running with a quick explaination in about 3 or 4 minutes.

So if it is electronic and needs a fix, I will be calling CPR first to see if they work on whatever it is. She could have ripped me off by making me bring it in and doing the work herself. Instead, her clear understanding of the phone and what I had done, along with her honesty, puts her and her company at the top of my list.

Now that I am done semi shilling...

My Fold Deuce froze up solid. I managed to time my button mashing technique just right for entering the screen where when the devices need it, you can upload the OS from the Micro USB-C port. I had also managed, with my expert fat finger button mangling, to make the phone enter Talkback mode.

I don't recall the specifics, with a certain sequence that included some things similar to what J Dubbs mentioned about holding certain buttons for bizarrely long times, it boots up into safe mode. With Talkback on. So I had to go through the ordeal of the phone talking me through entering my PIN and restarting. Once it restarted I shut Talkback of as quickly as it allows you to.

It being a Shamesung, I learned a long time ago to religiously hit that Device Care widget. It is also scheduled so that two nights a week, at 3am it restats itself like a compliant little contraption should.