Help! My Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8 Plus Update Is Stuck

Keeping my Samsung Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8 Plus up to date is important, but sometimes it can lead to frustrating problems that prevent me from using my phone. Some users have experienced their Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8 Plus getting stuck during a software update. Others have had trouble accepting new security updates. And there are also those whose phone won’t boot up successfully after a system update, constantly restarting a few seconds after starting up.

Today, I want to address each of these problems separately and provide some solutions you can try on your own before seeking professional help.

Problem #1 – My Samsung Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8 Plus is stuck on a software update. This problem occurs during a software update. At first, it seems to be going well, but then it enters a continuous loop. Instead of the Galaxy S8 startup screen, all I see is a blue screen with the Android icon. The initializing system update stage then switches to an error screen with an Android icon that’s fallen over. I can try turning the device off and on again, but the regular commands may not work. Another option is to press the Power Up and Volume Down keys simultaneously for a forced reset. If nothing happens, it’s likely a glitch occurred during the update process.

Unfortunately, the only way to resolve this issue is by accessing the Recovery Mode and performing a Factory Reset. Keep in mind that this will delete all the data on my device, so it’s crucial to back up before resetting!

1. Try downloading the security update using a different Wi-Fi network.
2. Boot the device in Recovery Mode and run a wipe cache partition.
3. Connect the smartphone to a PC and try running the update through Smart Switch.
4. Back up all your data, perform a Factory Reset from the Recovery Mode, and then try updating again.

Problem #3 – My Samsung Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8 Plus won’t boot up successfully and keeps restarting seconds after bootup. My once reliable Galaxy S8 Plus suddenly enters a bootup loop after performing an update. Pressing the Power key results in it powering on for a few seconds before restarting again and again. Since this issue started shortly after the update, it’s natural to question whether the update caused the problem. However, it could be caused by multiple factors, making it difficult to pinpoint the exact cause. To troubleshoot, I need to explore three potential causes and their respective fixes.

1. Make sure the Power key is working correctly.

If the Power key is damaged or stuck as if it were continuously pressed, it would cause the Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8 Plus to keep restarting. Nothing will stop the restarts until the battery completely drains. This is the easiest problem to address, as I can simply take it to an authorized service center and have a technician examine it. However, be cautious of technicians who might claim there’s a serious hardware issue to charge more when a simple fix could suffice. It’s also possible that the problem is with broken circuits rather than just a blocked switch. If tapping and pressing the Power key multiple times doesn’t unlock the switch, it could indicate a faulty circuit. Before seeking professional help, I should explore two other software issues just in case the Power key isn’t the culprit.

1. Check for malfunctioning third-party apps.

I can test this by booting my Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8 Plus in Safe Mode and observing its behavior. If the device stops restarting in Safe Mode, I can conclude that one of my third-party apps is causing the problem. Safe Mode only runs preinstalled apps, disabling anything I manually installed.

To access Safe Mode:

1. Tap and hold the Power button.
2. Release the button when “Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus” appears on the screen.
3. Tap and hold the Volume Down button.
4. Continue holding the Volume Down button until “Safe mode” appears at the bottom-left corner of the display.
5. Confirm if it’s a hardware problem.

If the restart loop persists even in Safe Mode, it suggests that both hardware and software are not to blame. To verify if it’s a hardware issue, I can boot the smartphone in Recovery Mode. If it still restarts in Recovery Mode, I’ll need professional assistance. If not, performing a reset should resolve the issue.

To boot a Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8 Plus in Recovery Mode:

1. Turn off the device.
2. Press and hold the Home and Volume Up buttons, then press and hold the Power button. Only release the buttons after pressing the Power key, so there’s no need to rush or worry about holding the first two keys.
3. Release the Power button when “Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus” appears on the screen.
4. Ignore the “Installing system update” message and continue holding the two buttons.
5. Release the Home and Volume Up buttons once the Android logo appears.
6. Wait for up to 60 seconds in Recovery Mode before navigating through the menus.

If the device stops restarting, a general reset should fix all the update problems.