Three generations in, and theSamsung Galaxy Z Fold 3is the best foldable smartphone Samsung (or anyone else) has crafted. It improves on the durability of theZ Fold 2, offering IPX8 water resistance, Gorilla Glass Victus, and “sweeper” bristles inside the hinge to keep out dust and increase the phone’s longevity. It’s also an excellent all-around device in its own right, boasting a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor and a versatile triple-lens rear camera system. On top of this, the folding display is enormous, making it great for multitasking and productivity, watching TV and media, and impressing your friends.
Difficulty
What You Need
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 phone
Most recent software update
Of course, as state of the art as the Z Fold 3 is, it may not be entirely free of teething problems and technical hitches. Fortunately, we’ve put together a list of common Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 problems and how to fix them. This details everything from battery drain issues to problems with Samsung Pay, helping you to make the most of your new phone without letting minor snags spoil your enjoyment of it. As is the case with our problem-solving pieces, this article will be updated as we encounter new common problems, so please check back if an issue you’re experiencing isn’t currently covered.
Issue: Various problems following Android 12 update
Following December’s Android 12 update, many Galaxy Z Fold 3 (andZ Flip 3) users on South Korea’s Samsung Forums reported a range of issues, from screen flickering and slow performance to the Dual Messenger feature not working,devices entering recovery modefollowing the installation of Android 12, and even being unable to take screenshots or use thecamera.
As a result of these issues, Samsung temporarily stopped the Android 12 rollout for the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3, resuming it shortly afterward following critical bug fixes. If you haven’t yet updated your Z Fold 3 to Android 12, it should now be safe to do so. If you’re still experiencing any of the issues you first noticed after installing Android 12, ensure your phone has the latest update. Should these issues persist, we recommend contacting Samsung for support.
Issue: Connectivity issues after Android 12 update
Some Galaxy Z Fold 3 users onReddithave been complaining of connectivity issues following updating to Android 12. Although this is affecting phones on other networks too,T-Mobile customers seem to be the worst affected, with many complaining of losing cell signal and being unable to send or receive texts or make or receive calls. T-Mobile is aware of the issue and is working on a fix, but it’s not clear yet whether the hardware is involved.
If this is happening to you, T-Mobile recommends contacting your local retail store for support or to exchange your device for a new handset. You’ll be able to exchange even if you’re out of the usual 14-day return period.
Issue: Camera app not displaying Dual Screen button for selfies
A number of users on Samsung’s Community forumhave notedthat, when trying to take a selfie in the Camera app, they don’t see the Dual Screen button. This is normally situated in the top-right of the main (folding) screen and allows the user to see a preview of their selfie on the cover screen as well, allowing them to take a selfie with the more powerful rear camera. However, on occasion, you may notice that it isn’t there for you to tap.
Fortunately, there’s a very quick fix for this. As other Samsung Community users have noted, opening the Camera app from the cover screen (rather than the main screen) will ensure that the Dual Screen button appears where it should.
Issue: Samsung Pay not working
This seems to be a semi-regular theme among recent Samsung phones, and the Galaxy Fold 3 appears to continue this tradition. Namely, it has a problem with Samsung Pay, at least if you’re in the U.K. (and a few other European nations). According tomore than one Samsung Community user, the Samsung Pay app doesn’t work for them, confusingly displaying a message in German and preventing them from proceeding further when setting up. This issuealso appears to be affecting the Z Flip 3in more or less equal measure.
As with previous instances of this issue, the problem arises from a mixup in the CSC code with which the phone is originally set up. Devices running EUX (EU software) instead of EUA (U.K. software) will be able to set up in English, but Samsung Pay will operate in German, which is obviously less than ideal for most people residing in the U.K.
Samsung moderators have suggested a number of possible fixes for this problem, although some users report that it doesn’t work for them. Samsung also issued updates at the end of last year designed to fix this issue.
Possible solutions
Issue: Screen protector problems
Someusers of the Z Fold 3have encountered a variety of issues with the phone’s pre-installed screen protectors. These problems aren’t always exactly the same, with some reporting bubbles and others reporting inconsistencies in the protector’s adherence to the screen.
As annoying as such niggles may be, it’s strongly advised that you don’t remove the pre-installed screen protector yourself, particularly when it comes to the main foldable screen. Instead, you should contact Samsung as soon as possible to arrange a fix or a replacement.
On the other hand,at least one user has askedwhether it’s safe to remove the outer film that comes wrapped around the phone out of the box. This is indeed safe.
Bug: Unable to acquire GPS location in apps
Some users have complained thatapps they use are unable to receive their GPS location datafrom the phone.
Issue: Can’t activate unlocked Z Fold 3 on Sprint
This is one of the more complicated and difficult problems encountered so far with the Galaxy Z Fold 3. Quite alarge number of United States-based users have reportedthat theycan’t activate their phones on Sprint. This seems to be an issue arising from T-Mobile’s merger with Sprint and from how Samsung has optimized the phone (or not) for using a T-Mobile or Sprint SIM card.
As of writing, the only fix appears to be contacting T-Mobile and/or Sprint to activate your handset and trying a different SIM card (i.e. a T-Mobile rather than Sprint SIM). That said, some users have reported that the issue was resolved after several days, with a few noting that they were eventually able to activate their phones via either the T-Mobile or Sprint websites.
Problem: Battery draining too fast
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is a demanding phone, given its folding main screen and additional cover screen. You’d therefore expect it to eat through battery life fairly quickly. However,some users are gripingthat it’srunning down its batterymore quickly than it arguably should, particularly when they use the phone’s 120Hz refresh rate (which is available for both screens).
Workarounds
This is a fairly common problem for most phones, although, in the case of the Z Fold 3, you may want to try turning it down to a 60Hz refresh rate, which will improve your battery’s day-to-day longevity. Otherwise, there are a number of other workarounds you can try to increase your time between charges.
Problem: Z Fold 3 randomly rebooting
This is a rarer problem, although it has been noted to also affect the Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra. Basically, the Z Fold 3randomly restartswithout warning, withone usernoting it happens multiple times.
While this issue seems to affect only a very small minority of devices, there appears to be no clear fix for it at the moment. That said, there are two things worth trying:
