The Samsung Galaxy Android 5.1.1 update is rolling out to the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge and Galaxy S5. It’s also expected to hit the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 in the future. While it comes with tons of fixes for Lollipop problems, Galaxy users say that it brings some problems of its own. With that in mind, we take a look at some common Samsung Galaxy Android 5.1.1 problems and offer some potential solutions to users.
In November, Google rolled out its Android 5.0 Lollipop update. Since then, the company’s rolled out several bug fix updates aimed at alleviating some of the problems that have plagued Nexus devices and various other Android phones and tablets since Lollipop’s arrival.
Google’s latest Lollipop update is Android 5.1.1, a bug fix update that addresses lingering Lollipop problems and tackles some problems that Android 5.1 brought to Android. It’s widely available for Nexus devices and it’s just now moving to non-Nexus phones including Samsung’s Galaxy series.
In the past few weeks, Samsung’s pushed out Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge and Galaxy S5 Android 5.1.1 updates in the United States. It’s also rumored to have a Galaxy Note 4 Android 5.1.1 update up its sleeve for June.
Samsung’s Android 5.1.1 updates come with a series of fixes and enhancements that are aimed at stabilizing these flagships and curing them of their Lollipop ailments. And while we’ve heard good things about the upgrades, we’ve also begun to hear complaints about Samsung Galaxy Android 5.1.1 problems.
With that in mind, we want to take a look at some of these initial Samsung Galaxy Android 5.1.1 problems and offer some potential fixes for Galaxy users.
How to Fix Galaxy Android 5.1.1 Installation Problems
One of the first Samsung Galaxy Android 5.1.1 problems that we’re hearing about has to do with the update’s install process. Some Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S5 users are saying that they’re unable to install the update on their device. Fortunately, this is a common problem, one that always pops up after new Galaxy Android updates.
One method that’s worked for us in the past is a quick cache partition clearance. It’s a bit tedious but it’s gotten several of our past Galaxy Android updates unstuck. We’ve put together a guide that will show you how to quickly and efficiently clear the cache partition on the Galaxy S5 and Galaxy S6. The steps are similar.
To clear the cache partition on the Galaxy S5:
- Turn the Galaxy S5 off.
- Press and hold Home, Power and Volume Down buttons simultaneously until the device vibrates.
- When the Samsung logo appears, release them.
- Tap Volume Down repeatedly until you Wipe Cache Partition. Select it with the power button. Select Yes.
- Wait for the process to complete. It could take awhile.
- Reboot your Galaxy S5.
To clear the cache partition on the Galaxy S6:
- Turn the Galaxy S6 off.
- Press and hold Home, Power and Volume Down buttons simultaneously until the device vibrates.
- When the Samsung logo appears, release them.
- Tap Volume Down repeatedly until you Wipe Cache Partition. Select it with the power button. Select Yes.
- Wait for the process to complete. It could take awhile.
- Reboot your Galaxy S6.
If that doesn’t work, we recommend letting your Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge or Galaxy S5 drain all the way down to 0% battery and die. Recharge the phone to 100% battery and then try installing the update again. This has also worked to get updates unstuck.
If neither of those methods work, head down to the bottom of this page to learn about the factory reset option. Factory resets will often jumpstart the installation process though the process is slow and it will require you to backup your important files before starting.
How to Fix Galaxy Android 5.1.1 Battery Life Problems
The Samsung Android 5.1.1 update is only a few weeks old in the United States and
we’re already seeing complaints about abnormal battery drain. This isn’t too surprising given that battery drain is one of the more common problems smartphone users encounter after a major update. That said, it’s usually not the update itself causing the problems.
In response to these Samsung Galaxy Android 5.1.1 battery drain complaints,
we’ve put together a guide that will take you through some potential fixes and tips to help you recover battery life on your Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge and Galaxy S5. Sometimes, all it takes is a quick tweak to the software or your habits to fix these issues.
How to Fix Galaxy Android 5.1.1 Wi-Fi Problems
Wi-Fi problems are extremely common and
we’ve begun to hear and see complaints about poor Wi-Fi connectivity after the Android 5.1.1 update. Granted these complaints are isolated but as more people get the update, we expect complaints to pick up. They always do.
If you’re experiencing Wi-Fi problems on the Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S5, the first thing you should do is restart your phone. Hold down the power button, power it down, and then power it back on. This has worked for us and many others in the past and it might work for you.
If that doesn’t work, it’s time to turn your attention to your router. If you’re getting a bad signal, try restarting your router. Unplug it for 30 seconds and then plug it back in to see if that helps. If it doesn’t, you should also consider unplugging your modem and updating your routers firmware. The instructions for firmware updates will vary based on router make and model.
Should none of these work, it’s time to head into your settings. The first thing you’ll want to do there is forget the problem Wi-Fi network. Before you do this, make sure you have the Wi-Fi password handy. You’ll need to enter it in after you forget the network connection.
On the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, this can be found in the Connections portion of Settings. Once there, select Wi-Fi. Tap on the desired network and select the Forget option. The process is similar on the Galaxy S5.
If that doesn’t fix your connection, you will want to head into Wi-Fi settings, tap More in the top right corner, and select the Advanced option. Ensure that Always allow scanning is turned on. You’ll also want to make sure that Keep Wi-Fi on during sleep is set to Always.
You might also want to go into Power saving mode options to check if Wi-Fi restrictions are in place. If you use this feature, you might be limiting your Wi-Fi connectivity.
How to Fix Galaxy Android 5.1.1 Bluetooth Problems
We haven’t heard about any widespread Bluetooth issues yet but we always see Galaxy users struggle with Bluetooth after Android updates so we’re going to be proactive and offer some fixes ahead of Samsung’s next big Android 5.1.1 push.
There are a few ways to fix Bluetooth problems. The first step is to toggle Bluetooth off and then back on to see if that jumpstarts the connection. You can do that in the Quick Settings menu on the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge and Galaxy S5. You can also do it in the main Bluetooth menu in the main Settings page.
If that doesn’t work, you’ll want to forget the Bluetooth connection that’s giving you trouble. On the Galaxy S6, go into Bluetooth, tap the connection and select Forget. You need only do this for the devices causing the problems. The process is the same for the Galaxy S5.
If you’re having trouble connecting to Bluetooth in your car, then you’re going to need to consult your car’s manual in order to reset the connection. Once you’ve done that and forgotten the connection on your phone, then you should try to reconnect and see if they’re able to pair.
If those fixes don’t work, you might want to try booting into Safe Mode to see if an app is causing Bluetooth problems. Safe Mode disables third-party apps and that will allow you to isolate troublemakers. It’s tedious but it’s worth a shot if your problems are persistent.
To boot into Safe Mode on the Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S5:
- Power down the device. Then, press & hold the power button and volume down key.
- Once it boots up, you can let go of the power button but keep the volume key held down.
- When you have successfully entered into Safe Mode, you will notice the text ‘Safe Mode’ at the bottom left corner of the screen.
How to Fix Galaxy Android 5.1.1 Lag
Samsung Galaxy S5 users in particular are
complaining about lag after installing Android 5.1.1 on the device. Often times, these performance issues will dissipate a few hours or even a few days after an update’s arrival. If they don’t, you can try fixing them using a few different techniques.
The first thing we always recommend is clearing out the device’s cache partition. Instructions on how to do that can be found above under our fixes for installation problems. There are a few other remedies to try if that doesn’t work.
If you own a Galaxy S5, you can try limiting animations. In order to do this, you’ll want to hold down on a blank space on the screen, go to the Home Screen Settings then Transition effect and then select None. You can always enable transitions again if this doesn’t help.
We recommend halting your use use of live wallpapers as they can negatively impact performance on Galaxy devices. You can also try downloading a different launcher. The TouchWiz launcher is improved on the Galaxy S6 though you might notice some gains after installing a popular one like Nova Launcher.
If you own a Galaxy S6 and you are willing to go to great lengths to improve performance, you can play with the device’s animations. To do this, go into the About section of your Settings, it’s found under the System tab. Once there, tap the Build Number section seven times to get into the phone’s Developer mode. Warning, novice Galaxy S6 users should not attempt this.
Once your Developer options appear, there should be options for Window animation scale, Transition animation scale, Animator animation scale. By default, these are set to 1x. Some Galaxy S6 users have said that changing them to .5x will enhance the phone’s performance. We haven’t tried this ourselves so you’ll want to be extremely careful.
How to Fix Galaxy Android 5.1.1 Overheating Problems
Galaxy owners often complain about overheating problems after major Android updates. Android 5.1.1 is still young so we haven’t seen widespread complaints about this just yet but give it time. Someone, somewhere will notice that their phone is starting to get hot when it shouldn’t be.
If this happens to your Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy S5, or another device, you’ll first want to try restarting your phone to see if that helps. You’ll want to leave it off for a minute or so and then reboot.
If this doesn’t work, boot the device into Safe Mode. The instructions on how to do that can be found above. Often times, an app will go rogue and start overworking your phone. Safe Mode will help you spot the rogue application.
The Galaxy S6 doesn’t come with a microSD card slot so you can’t try this next step if you own one. If you own a Galaxy S5 though, it’s worth a shot.
Power down the phone but this time remove the battery and your microSD card from the microSD card slot. Pop the battery back in without the microSD card in and see if that helps cool down the phone.
How to Fix Galaxy Android 5.1.1 App Problems
We’re already
hearing about misbehaving applications, something that doesn’t come as much of a surprise given that apps always act up after major Android updates. Most Android developers do a great job keeping their apps updated and stable but there are always a few that cause trouble.
If you run into app problems after installing Android 5.1.1 on your Galaxy phone, you’ll first want to try updating the application. Make sure you read the latest reviews before you do.
If that doesn’t work, try reinstalling the application. If that doesn’t work, you’ll want to report bugs to the developer so that it cane work on fixes. If your problem is enterprise related, you’ll want to talk to your IT department if you have one.
How to Fix Galaxy Android 5.1.1 Charging Problems
Galaxy users often run into charging problems after Android updates and there’s a very good chance that some Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S5 owners will see slow charging problems after installing Android 5.1.1. If you do, there are a few things to try in an attempt to fix them.
First, you need to make sure the device is charging on the charger that came with the phone. If you need to dig the charger up, dig it up. It could help. If the stock charger does nothing, try using a charger with the same voltage rating as the stock charger. That information can be found in a manual online.
If neither works, you can try using a USB cable instead of a wall charger. You should also try plugging your Galaxy into a computer to see if that helps.
How to Fix Galaxy Android 5.1.1 GPS Problems
GPS problems are also common after Android updates. If you run into GPS issues after installing Android 5.1.1, know that there are a few things to try to jumpstart the connection.
If you own a Galaxy S6, you’ll want to head into the device’s Settings. From there, scroll over to the Personal tab and select Privacy and safety. Then, tap Location and Location Method.
Once there, you can try using GPS, Wi-Fi and mobile networks to try and track your location. If that’s not accurate, try Wi-Fi and Mobile only. If that still fix the issue, try using GPS only. You can also try toggling Location On then Off then On from the previous screen to see if that jump starts the GPS connection on your Galaxy S6.
If you own an older Galaxy like the Galaxy S5, head into Settings, Location and then make sure the Mode is set to High Accuracy. If that doesn’t solve the issue, it’s time to boot the phone into Safe Mode to see if a third-party application is causing the problem.
Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge users can also try Safe Mode to see if you can isolate a problem application.
How to Fix Galaxy Android 5.1.1 Problems If Nothing Works
If nothing else works, you can look into the
downgrade process and potentially move back to an older version of Lollipop or even Android 4.4 KitKat.
You can also try performing a factory reset on your phone though we only recommend this if you can’t find any fixes for your problem and it’s severely impacting the performance of your device. You’ll also want to make a backup of your important files before starting this process because it will wipe everything. Again, it’s a last resort.
To factory reset the Galaxy S5, go into Settings, User & Backup, and select Backup and Reset. From there, select Factory Data Reset. From there, select Reset Device and then Delete All.
To factory reset a Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S6 Edge, go into Settings then Personal then Backup and reset. From there, select Factory Data Reset. From there, select Reset Device.
One final reminder. Before you factory reset or return your phone, you’ll want to scour the internet for other potential fixes. Our fixes are a great starting point but they may not work for everyone. Make sure you dig around before you do something drastic after getting the Android 5.1.1 on board.
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