Common Samsung S23 Problems and How to Fix Them

The Galaxy S23 is out, and Samsung fans are flocking to get their hands on the company's new line of smartphones. While they're certainly among the most advanced phones in the entire Galaxy catalog, there are still plenty of issues users can run into if they're not careful.

Fortunately, most of these problems are easy to fix. Here are six of the most common problems users run into with their new Galaxy S23 purchases, along with tips on how to fix them.

Slow charging

A big selling point of many current flagship smartphones is fast charging. The base Galaxy S23 can use a 25W charger, while the Galaxy S23 Plus and Galaxy S23 Ultra can use a 45W charger for super-fast charging times. While all S23 devices support fast charging, not all chargers have the same power output. If you're taking a long time to charge your battery, you're more likely to have a problem with a low-powered charger than the phone itself.

Charger bricks will usually list the charging speeds they support on the side that plugs into an outlet. Take a look there and you may find that you are using a 5W charger and if the phone dies it will take longer to get the phone back up and running. Upgrade your charger and you might solve your problem entirely.

Step 1: If you're still having battery issues, open the Settings app.

Step 2: Find and select the "Battery and Device Care" tab. Here, you will be able to see the health of your battery. If you notice a problem with the battery, that could also be the source of the charging problem and the battery needs to be replaced. If this is the case, please contact Samsung Support to learn how to replace the battery.

Blurry photos (aka camera shutter lag)

One of the most impressive things about the S23, and especially the S23 Ultra, is its array of excellent cameras. Unfortunately, many people have reported motion blur issues when taking photos with the main 200MP lens on the Galaxy S23 Ultra.

This is obviously not ideal as it can easily ruin an otherwise excellent shot. While the S23 Ultra has a great camera, the problem is that Samsung's photo processing software isn't as good as what's in current Apple and Google phones.

There are a few things you can do to try and reduce the amount of motion blur on your images, but none of them will completely fix the problem. The first is to make sure the subject of your photo is as well lit and still as possible. Obviously, this will only be possible in a small portion of the environment, and people and objects will be able to remain still. The other main thing you can do is increase your camera's shutter speed; however, this has its own problems, as doing so darkens the image.

Step 1: Another relatively reliable thing you can do is download the Camera Assistant app from the Galaxy Store.

Step 2: Open the app and turn on the Quick Tap Shutter setting, which changes the settings in the S23's camera so that the photo is taken when you tap the capture button, rather than when your finger is off the screen. This helps reduce the amount of camera shake that typically adds a small amount of motion blur to images.

Step 3: If you're annoyed by the often blurry photos your S23 Ultra takes, you're not alone. Unfortunately, it looks like we'll all need to try the steps above and wait for Samsung to officially fix the issue.

It's also worth noting that most blurry photo complaints occur when shooting full 200MP images on the S23 Ultra. To go back to the standard 12MP mode, open the camera app, tap the 3:4 icon, and make sure 200MP is not selected.

S Pen disconnected

The S Pen is a feature exclusive to the Galaxy S23 Ultra that allows users to quickly take notes on the screen, among other things. Unfortunately, there have been several user reports claiming that their S Pen randomly disconnects from their phone while in use. Fortunately, there are some easy fixes that can fix this problem.

The first, and perhaps the easiest, is to put the S Pen back in its slot, then take it out again. Obviously, this is a bit annoying and directly hinders the convenience of being able to pull out the pen to jot something down quickly. Still, it will automatically pair the pen with your phone and probably fix any issues you're having.

Step 1: Sometimes the S Pen needs to be reset to start working properly again. To reset it, open the Settings app.

Step 2: Select Advanced Features and then select S Pen.

Step 3: Select the three vertical dots in the upper right corner, and then select Reset S Pen.

Step 4: The last solution to fix a disconnected S Pen is to permanently connect it to the phone. Go into the Settings app, then select Advanced Features, then select S Pen, the same place you'll find the reset option. However, instead of resetting the pen, select More S Pen settings.

Step 5: In the "More S Pen" settings menu, toggle "Keep S Pen Connected" on. This is a setting that's turned off by default to help prevent battery drain, but it can be useful if you use the pen a lot and have connection issues.

Low touch sensitivity

Using a screen protector on your Galaxy S23 is a really good idea if you want to keep its display chip and scratch-free. However, one issue that often arises when people put screen protectors on their devices is that they notice reduced touch sensitivity and problems unlocking the phone with the in-display fingerprint scanner. Luckily, there's a very simple fix that can offset the degraded user experience from using a screen protector.

Step 1: Go to the Settings app and navigate to the Display tab.

Step 2: At the bottom of the menu, you'll find the Touch Sensitivity switch which is off by default. Turn it on, and your screen will read input more clearly with the screen protector on. As a result, you should notice far fewer problems with low touch sensitivity.

Wi-Fi connection issues

Some Reddit users have been reporting issues with their Galaxy S23 Ultras where the phone won't connect to their Wi-Fi, or if it does, the phone will say it's connected but won't load any webpages. Obviously, this is a major problem, but there seems to be some good news surrounding it.

The first is that Samsung has addressed the issue, which Samsung says is currently working on a fix. That means it shouldn't be too long before the issue is fully resolved in an upcoming software update. In fact, some people reported that the February update fixed the issue for them, so it's clear Samsung is committed to getting to the root of the issue quickly. If you're having issues and don't want to or can't wait for an update, there seems to be a workaround you can do.

Thanks to some solid community research, a Reddit user seems to be able to figure out that the problem is with a Wi-Fi router using Wi-Fi 6, the latest version of Wi-Fi connectivity. This means that if you have access to a router that supports Wi-Fi 5, you should be able to avoid this problem entirely. Other users have also noticed that factory resetting their devices has resolved the issue.

Slow, sluggish performance

The Galaxy S23 series is one of the fastest phones on the market right now thanks to the best technology from Samsung. However, some people have reported performance issues causing their S23 to slow down.

Performance can be affected by a number of factors, so it can sometimes be difficult to determine the source of a problem. Thankfully, there are a few simple things you can do to fix a plethora of potential problems.

Step 1: The first and easiest solution is to restart the phone. Either power it off and on again, or use the restart command in the power off menu. While it sounds simple, rebooting shuts down anything running in the background that might be affecting your performance, so it's always a good idea to reboot if you're having trouble.

Step 2: If you're still experiencing performance issues after restarting, open the Settings app and navigate to the "Battery & Device Maintenance" menu.

Step 3: Here you can see how your Galaxy S23 is doing and if there are any issues. If your phone finds ways to optimize its performance, a big blue button will appear at the top of the menu that says "Optimize Now."

If you're looking for more specific information about your phone's performance, select the "Memory" tab and you can see how much your phone's memory is being used and options to help optimize it.