Samsung Screen Flickering: Here’s How to Fix It

You’ve just bought a new Samsung phone and can’t wait to try it out.

But to your disappointment, the screen just won’t stop flickering.

Initially, you think it’s an isolated issue that’ll go away after a while, but it persists longer than you thought.

Is it time to call the manufacturer and complain?

Not yet!

Since the release of the Samsung Galaxy S4, users have been complaining about this screen flickering issue. The problem was expected to be resolved before the manufacturer released the next model, but it has persisted to newer models such as the Galaxy J7 and the Galaxy S8.

With Samsung seemingly ignoring the issue, how do you deal with a flickering screen? Read on to find out.

What’s a Flickering Screen?

A glitched screen manifests in different ways. To know if you’re facing a screen flickering problem, look out for the following signs:

• A black and white line that randomly appears on your phone’s display.
• Flickering pixels that fill the display when you touch the screen.
• Part of your display turns black or white.
• The screen blinks repeatedly when using the phone.

If your phone doesn’t show any of these flickering issues, then there could be another underlying problem.

What Causes Screen Flickering?

Monitor flickering is widely believed to be caused by faulty hardware.

However, the problem can also be brought about by a software issue such as installing an app that requires a higher screen resolution to run.

How Do You Fix a Flickering Screen?

Here are a few tips and tricks you can try to get rid of screen flickers:

1. Check for App Updates

Before you start thinking about the kind of Samsung phone repair services you’ll need, ensure that all your apps are up-to-date.

To check for updates, go to Google Play Store and click on “My Apps”. If there are any new updates you need to install, they should appear here.

Apart from app updates, you also need to make sure that your android system is updated. To check for software updates, go to “Settings” and click on “About Phone”. If your software is outdated, it’ll be indicated here.

Note that this is the simplest and most basic hack you can try. If it doesn’t work, proceed to the next trick.

2. Disable Third-Party Apps

If a third party app is causing the screen flickering issue, disabling it can help you resolve the problem.

To disable third-party apps, you need to boot your phone in Safe Mode. For most Samsung models, the procedure is more or less the same. Here’s how to go about it:

• Turn off your phone.
• Press the Power button and hold it until you see the Samsung logo.
• Release the power button and immediately press the Volume Down button. Hold it down until your phone boots again.

The words “Safe Mode” should display on the bottom left side of your screen. If your screen isn’t flickering anymore, chances are that one of the third-party applications in your phone is causing the issue.

In this case, try remembering the apps you recently installed and identify the one whose installation coincides with the beginning of screen flickering.

With your culprit app identified, it’s time to reset it. To do this, go to “Settings” and click on “Apps”. This will display all your installed apps. Tap on the problematic app, go to storage and clear its data and cache.

If your screen is still flickering after resetting the problematic app, uninstall it to resolve the problem.

3. Turn Off Hardware Overlays

If the flickering problem occurs when your device’s display is set in low brightness, turning off hardware overlays might resolve the issue.

To do this, go to “Settings”, tap on “System”, followed by “About Device”. Next, press “Build Number” until your screen displays the message, “You are a Developer Now”.

Go back to “Settings”, tap “System”, and click on “Developer Options”. Scroll all the way down to “Rendering Section/Drawing Section” and click on “Turn off Hardware Overlays”.

4. Wipe the Cache Partition

Wiping the cache partition in “Recovery Mode” is another trick you can use to fix Samsung screen glitches. Doing this clears the part of your phone’s internal memory that stores cache.

To wipe the cache partition:

• Switch off your phone.
• Press and hold the Home, Volume Up, and Power buttons simultaneously until the Android logo appears. If you’re using a Galaxy S8 — which lacks a Home button — use the Bixby button instead.
• At this point, the “Recovery Mode” menu should appear. Use the Volume Up button to scroll down to the Wipe Cache Partition option and confirm the process using the Power button. Wait for the process to complete.
• Select the “Reboot System Now” option by navigating through the menu with the Volume Up button and selecting using the Power button. This will reboot your phone as you normally do.

After the reboot, the screen glitch should be resolved. If not, move on to the next and last course of action.

5. Hard Reset Your Device

Hard resetting your phone will erase everything on your phone, including settings and saved data. As such, it should be your last-ditch effort to fix a flickering screen.

Before you do it, make sure that you back up all your data on your Samsung account.

Here’s how to hard reset your phone:

• Boot your phone in “Recovery Mode”.
• From the menu that appears, choose the “Factory Reset/Wipe Data” option and confirm your action by pressing the Power button.

Once the hard resetting process is complete, your phone will reboot automatically.

What if the Screen Flickering Problem Persists?

If none of these hacks fixes your flickering screen issue, the problem is probably hardware-related. In such a case, DIY fixes aren’t recommended. You’ll need to contact a reliable phone repair center to get it fixed.

Techville is one such repair center. With over 10 years of experience and three Consumer Choice Awards under our belt, have the best phone, tablet, and gaming console repair services in the GTA area. Feel free to contact us today!