Samsung Galaxy S5 Lollipop problems and how to fix them

• Don’t have an S5 but still have Lollipop problems? Our guide to common Lollipop flaws and fixes is over here!

First things first

Before you install any major Android update it’s a very good idea to take a few sensible precautions. Dig out the login details for any online accounts you use - the update may reset your apps and require you put the details back in again - and give your Galaxy a good spring cleaning to get rid of any stuff you don’t need. Uninstall unwanted apps, update the ones you’re keeping, pare back your photo library and of course, make absolutely sure that you have backup copies of anything that matters to you. Most Android updates go perfectly smoothly but you should always expect the worst. That way, when it doesn’t happen you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Oh, and connect your Galaxy to the charger or ensure it has a full battery before you install the update.

Achieve peak performance

The most common post-update issue for any OS is sluggish performance, and you can fix that by removing app data and wiping the cache partition. The cache partition is where the OS stores temporary system stuff such as downloads, and if it get messy it can hit your phone’s performance.

App data first. Go into Settings > Apps and choose the app whose data you want to clear. Tap Clear Data and then Clear Cache to make it all shiny, and repeat for other apps you suspect are hogging space.

Once you’ve done that, turn off your phone and then press and hold the home, power and volume down buttons. Wait until the phone vibrates and the Samsung logo appears before letting go, and then use the volume down button to navigate to Wipe Cache Partition. Select that and go and do something else for a while - the process can be time consuming. Reboot your phone when it’s finished.

Still no joy? If the problem appears to affect specific apps only, uninstalling, rebooting and reinstalling is dull but often works, and there’s also the nuclear option of a full factory reset, which cleans the parts other settings can’t reach. Once again, it’s really important to ensure you have backups of any data you can’t afford to lose and that you’ve got a note of any logins and other key information.

Beat battery bugs

If Lollipop is eating battery life, boot into Safe Mode by switching the phone off and then pressing and holding the Power button and volume-down button until the phone reboots. You can tell whether you’re in safe mode because if you are, the screen displays the words “safe mode”. Cunning. This disables third-party apps that might be draining the battery in the background, enabling you to see whether the problem is with Lollipop itself or more likely, an app that isn’t behaving properly.

It’s possible that even after disabling apps, your battery will continue to drain: we’re seeing unhappy Galaxy owners on Verizon and Sprint forums talking about too-fast battery draining. That one may require a Lollipop update from the network providers or from third parties.

Bad Bluetooth and wonky Wi-Fi

At the risk of sounding like a bored IT tech, have you tried turning it off and turning it back on again? A quick reboot often repairs mysterious connectivity issues. If your Wi-Fi is still wonky, pop into Settings and disable Battery Saver (if it’s on), and try forgetting the network you’re trying to connect to - but make sure you’ve got the password handy, because you’ll need it when you reconnect.

If all else fails…

As much as we love Lollipop, if it won’t play nice on your Galaxy there’s no point in putting up with it. If you find yourself pining for the golden days of Android KitKat, there is a way to downgrade your phone again. Simply search for “Galaxy S5 downgrade from Lollipop to KitKat” and you’ll find stacks of how-to guides, but make sure you’re looking at the right one for your particular model and territory: there may be differences between Galaxy models and between different operators’ settings. It’s not particularly difficult or time-consuming but you’ll need to get your hands on the Odin firmware tool from Samsung and the correct firmware for your phone and territory, and you’ll need to wipe the phone’s data when you’re done.

• How to downgrade the Galaxy S5 from Lollipop to KitKat

Do you have a Galaxy S5 running Lollipop? Did it make your phone more lickable or are you desperate to downgrade? Let us know in the comments - and let us know if you’ve found any other great S5 tips!