Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 Edge Wifi Keeps Rebooting and other Issues since the Kernel update

[nitingaba]

Since this morning my wifi has been acting up like crazy. It keeps turning itself on and off without ever being on long enough to actually connect to any wifi network. Ocassionally it will actually turn on and stay on and connect to the wifi network but after a short while it starts the cycle again. I have tried restarting my phone a few times, I thought it helped but the issue has started again. Would really prefer to avoid doing a factory reset, anybody else having the issue or know how to fix it?

No better way to explain the issue than a video: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_sNVPQDiebUcGRiSkdMZGE2bWc 

***Edited Labels***

[ashli_13]

Do you have Rogers internet as well? We have the same issues with our devices when connected to our Rogers gateway. It's something with the firmware. At least for us it is

[nitingaba]

No I have Shaw since I am on the west coast and we are not using the Shaw default router either. Using a Luxul network switch that is controlling our luxul access points. 

Edit: Also this just started yesterday, I have never had this problem before that. The router firmware has not been changed in the last few days, the only change would be the patch that rolled out to the s7 over a week ago but there were no problems until yesterday so I don't think it is that but it could be at the same time.

[schmandroid]

this does not have anything to do with the wifi provider or anything, this happens to galaxy s5,s6,s7, pixel phones and others, under various android versions (4.4-7.x).

i have had exactly the same problem for a day or two. while disabling "location>improve accuracy>wifi scanning" stops the bug temporarily it doesn't really solve the problem. wifi scanning is an important location feature when navigating. in narrow streets or in buildings one usually does not have gps reception, also the wifi scanning technique for determining the devices location is usually faster and uses less battery than gps (how ironic).

this bug is extremely annoying. i am on an unbranded, unrooted s5 on 6.0.1 (g900f). there are many users who report this very same bug since the last 3 days, just do a google search using the search tools for only indicating results from the last week. i can not believe that this also happens with expensive s7 and pixel phones, this is really ridiculous (see similar thread on androidcentral and xda forums).

if anyone finds a permanent solution for this problem, please tell us!!!

[Meowmix]

Hello @schmandroid

Have you contacted Samsung Canada and spoken to them about this!.

[jmatteis]

Samsung Galaxy S7 has Several issues since Nov 18th, kernel update (3.18.14-9849880)

Mine is also doing the same, just noticed it last week, my phone has been acting up completely since the Kernel update on Nov 18. If you check reddit a lot of issues as well...Hopefully someone can look into fix this. I see on the Update schedule there was supposed to be a bug fix and security update yesterday? nothing changed on mine, hopefully someone figures this stuff out.

2 weekends ago, I noticed several issues start with my S7.  I will list them, hopefully someone reading this, has some insight, but they all seemed to start since the last Kernel update, showing on my S7 as 3.18.14-9849880, from Nov 18th, 2016.

- Auto screen brightness does not work properly anymore, if auto is selected, sometimes the screen will go very dark, less than 1/4 brightness, no matter if I shine a light right on the phone or if I am in the dark.  If I click and unclick the auto, does nothing to fix it.  As well, my Always on screen is hardly visible, cannot see the clock etc in lock screen.  ANNOYING - (*#0*# in phone dialer, brings up diagnostics, and if I check the sensors, the light sensor shows 0 lux, and will not change)

- Phone battery life is definitely worse.  Before I could leave the phone off the charger, and if I did nothing with it, lost very little over time.  Now, I am losing percentage rapidly, if I check my battery status, 100% charged, just off the charger, shows anywhere from 10 to 14 hours use, CRAZY!

- Phone runs hot, sometimes very hot, like there is a ton of stuff running in the background (I thought that was why battery life had changed)

- Phone randomly reboots - a couple of times now, I have taken my phone off the charger in the morning, and go to use my fingerprint and it says I have to use the pin for the first time after restarting (I didn't restart), and in checking the phone status, it shows that the phone up time is very fresh (this morning less than 2 hours)

- WIFI constantly cycles.  I will watch the wifi signal indicator light up and turn off, constantly, go into settings and wifi and you can watch the little toggle slider go back and forth, turning off before it even has a change to see nearby wifi signals.  Eventually I can get it to lock on and find wifi.

- Charge times have increased, wireless fast charging (Samsung OEM wireless fast charger) seems slower than before, wired charging I haven't tried so much.

Nothing on my phone has changed, no new apps, etc... I have done a backup and will most likely try a reset, as suggested by a store employee, but there is a post on REDDIT with people experiencing the same issues, some altogether, some have only some symptoms.  They have also said they can send it back to Samsung to be checked/fixed, but then I am without the phone a week or 2, and if they determine no problem, I am no further ahead.  Am waiting on an update to see if that fixes things or not.

I see on the ROGERS update schedule post that the S7 and S7 Edge were supposed to get a security and bug fix update yesterday (November 29th) but nothing has changed on mine.  Hoping a KERNEL update is in the works and see if that fixes things.

I have posted all of my issues, whether all interrelated or not, so that people with similar issues, or one issue can investigate to see if they have other symptoms or issues as well.  Every issue (battery life can be relative I know), such as running hot, auto brightening not working, wifi toggle, started at the same time.

[zantesys]

I had the same issue today on my S7 Edge after installing the software update last night. After chatting with Samsung, I tried resetting the network settings - this seems to have worked, wifi is working again and seems to be stable. Downside is that all wifi, bluetooth etc. connections are lost, of course - but better that a factory reset which was Samsung's next step (followed by return for service).

Settings > Backup and Reset > Reset network settings

[jmatteis]

You only had the wifi issue though, correct?  I have several other issues on top of the wifi issue...  So, I will try the wifi fix, but hoping that the other issues I have listed which may be unrelated, are seen.

[zantesys]

That's the only issue I've noticed so far, but I'll be watching for battery life and overheating through today. So far so good...

[jmatteis]

For me, the big thing is the AUTOBRIGHTENING not working right, I have a feeling that could also lead to the warm battery and poor battery life.  I have that setting clicked that will turn the screen off if it's in my pocket etc, but not sure if that is working.  Also, when you talk on the phone on the S7, does the screen go dark right away?  I can't see where that feature is listed now, but thought I had it on my S5

[Meowmix]

Hello @jmatteis

All the issues above or issues with Samsung. The update they released kinda screwed up alot of things.

The autobrightnesss was taken off from the S6 as well and brought back after a demand in a update. I believe they will do the same here. As for the gesture. It's under either the phone settings or Display settings.

[jmatteis]

Which gesture?  There is no gesture/setting to turn off the screen when phone is lifted to face, like on the S5.  When I get a call on my phone or make a call and put it up to my ear, the screen stays on (i honestly don't remember if it was always like that, though).  My S5 would immediately go dark when it sensed that it was against my head (like the light sensor was blocked by my melon)

My ability to set autobrightness is still there, but as soon as I check it, it defaults super low, almost to the point where the screen is off, like a power save feature.  Whenever it happens, I try to document or think of what I may have done etc, but there is no correlation, or link that I have determined.  

[Meowmix]

Hello @jmatteis

Try this.

" Note Notes:

The proximity sensor detects when a user is holding the phone near their face during a call and turns off the display to prevent keypad presses and battery consumption from the display.


The proximity/light sensor is located to the right of the earpiece.

From a home screen, tap Phone (located in the lower left).
Tap Menu Menu icon.
Tap Call settings.
Tap Turn off screen during calls to enable or disable."

[jmatteis]

Those settings are not on my S7.  I read on another site the same thing.  Thanks... LIke I said, I honestly don't remember if it ever did that, or not?  I can't remember if that setting was there and then disappeared with an update.  I read about this solution on an S5 and S6 forum. 

If I tap phone, there is no menu, or as some suggested on the other forums, the 3 dots, just "MORE", click that and it is already in "CALL SETTINGS", with no option to turn on or off screen.

[Meowmix]

Hello @jmatteis

Those settings used to be on my S7 edge when I got it at launch. Maybe after I sold it they changed them around. I shall search and see what else we can find.

Did u check under the options Smart Stay?

[jmatteis]

So smart stay is on. Which is just to stop screen time out if you're watching something. I saw in the update post that the bug fix and security update were available today yet I can't find or get it which I'm hoping will fix the bugs started with the last update.

[jmatteis]

So, hoping that sometime overnight the new update would install on my phone, but no such luck.  Still shows that I am current as of Nov 18th, does it usually take a while for updates to appear, even once Rogers has reported that they are available NOW?

I thought maybe the problem had gone away, while working yesterday, had the phone on my desk, discharge was nominal, as it used to be, Always on Screen displayed clock , properly, if I used the phone, brightness was at a proper level... then suddenly later that afternoon, it went back to the dim screen, doesn't adjust etc.

I should mention, even when the screen brightness is correct, I have to physically uncheck and recheck the autobrightness on display, whereas before, if I pointed the phone towards light, the screen would automatically adjust, if I went into a dark area, it would readjust again...  

I pray to all that is HOLY, that this is a software issue, and that when I finally get the update released yesterday for the S7, that it'll work and fix this problem.

[robertz]

The option to enable or disable the proximity light sensor is not available on the S7 (and I think it's not available on the S6).  It's always enabled.

[Meowmix]

Hello @jmatteis

Yes they release the update in stages. Some get it before others.

If this isn't a software issue. Contact Samsung and have them check it out and they should be able to fix it. Again if you live near a Samsung Experience store just go in and have them check it.

[jmatteis]

Don't live near a store, so it'll have to wiped and sent away.   It started with the last Kernel update, and from my understanding the kernel manages software and hardware integration... Hopefully software! I will wait til the update happens anyhow and if it still happens, will have to send the phone away...  

[Meowmix]

Hello @jmatteis

Hopefully as you said it's a software issue and it corrects it self with the new one!