Cannot turn wifi on Galaxy S5

The wifi feature cannot be turned on with my Galaxy s5 running lollipop. I have had this issue before and I solved it by doing a settings reset. This time I do not have the same luck. I have tried to do multiple settings resets. I do not want to go through with Factory resetting the phone. Wifi capability is paramount with any smart phone. It seems grossly unfair to customers when we are required to use data to allow proper function of the phone.

I know that many other users are also experiencing this issue. I don't really expect a solution to this problem, but I urge Verizon to push back on Samsung to release the new marshmallow update.

Accepted answers

evol073

Unfortunately when the WiFi grays out and doesn't want you to turn it on if you will (or as you kinda said earlier gets stuck in limbo and doesn't do anything) in most cases it turns out to be the wifi and bluetooth chip on your motherboard (are you able to use bluetooth?) in rare cases its one of the amplifing antennas are unplugged but usually if thats the case it'll turn on but your signal will be bad.

Usually if its the wifi chip it can be repaired but depending how much you like your phone it may be worth fixing.

You could contact a local repair center and ask them if they offer the service of reflowing wifi chips. If they do not know or are unsure what you mean DO NOT LET THEM TRY! It is a risky repair and they are more than likely inexperienced techs if they don't know that.

I hope I was able to help feel free to pick my mind for other questions

All comments

Verizon_Support

Being able to connect to WiFi is always important, jaymeg123. Let's review this together and get your phone connected again. Does this only occur at home or with other WiFi connections? is anyone else experiencing the same issues.
JasperM_VZW
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If my response answered your question please click the �Correct Answer� button under my response. This ensures others can benefit from our conversation. Thanks in advance for your help with this!!

CKK3

jaymeg123

Your description is 100% accurate from start to finish, I am furious over the wifi/data situation. I reached the pinnacle of sheer disgust yesterday. I wasted a considerable amount of time chatting with a VZW rep who was reviewing my usage and discovering the same indiscrepancies I was describing, in fact, she told the system was showing my data was on—yet in reality it was unequivocally and completely off. Shortly thereafter, she quickly asked me to "hold for a moment" and after returning to the chat, proceeded to retract everything that she had confirmed regarding my "ghost usage" and told me I would have to "call in and maybe get help that way". Clearly her supervisor didn't want the conversation continuing.

I initiated the chat with VZW in an attempt to identify how it's possible that my data is being consumed over periods of days when my S5 is on "wifi" only 98% of the time with the mobile data turned off completely and the background data restricted. Worse yet, 53% of my usage is going to apps that I've never heard of and certainly don't use. I don't even use any of the apps in the category listed as the highest data drain on my account.

I've been a VZW customer since 2001 and I've had numerous galaxys. I agree that the issue became much worse with lollipop. Of course VZW denies this is the case. I also have more than a sneaking suspicion that these and other issues are purposely cast upon customers to coerce us to purchase new phones.

I am beyond disgusted, and it infuriates me that VZW posts these rudimentary comments like the one above and then asks for you to click "correct answer". As users, apparently we've been forced to become more knowledgeable than the reps.

We'll see if VZW even posts this comment.

jaymeg123

Hey Jasper, thanks for the response. Yes the WiFi does not work anywhere, I've tried at my home, work, and public hotspots. I have tried many solutions shy of a factory reset including a backup and settings reset.

jaymeg123

Jasper,

Nobody else I personally know has this problem. I do know that many people across the Internet has this problem, specifically with lollipop software.

Verizon_Support

jaymeg123,

I appreciate the additional details, let's see what's going on. Have you tried putting your phone in safe mode? http://vz.to/1DPDEUi

KarenC_VZW
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If my response answered your question please click the �Correct Answer� button under my response. This ensures others can benefit from our conversation. Thanks in advance for your help with this!!

Verizon_Support

I use WiFi to help me manage data usage so I understand how important it is for it to work properly, Jaymeg123.

Just so I clear, is the WiFi setting not turning on at all? Or is it turning on and not connecting? When you attempt to turn on WiFi does the setting turn green or is it greyed out? What software and build version is on the phone http://vz.to/1KcPQoz?

JohnB_VZW
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If my response answered your question please click the �Correct Answer� button under my response. This ensures others can benefit from our conversation. Thanks in advance for your help with this!!

vzw-cstmr

Have exact same issue. And nobody have an answer...

CKK3

No doubt, and they never will.

Knowing I had nothing to lose, I actually did a factory reset 4 days ago... the phone and the data issue couldn't possibly get any worse. I knew better, but I did it anyway. Needless to say, the reset did absolutely nothing but incite my growing outrage as the phone's total data usage over just four days (since reset) is higher than the total usage of any given month since I've been a "customer"/victim. Here's the punchline: About 2 hours after the reset, I put it to the test. I switched the data off and I restricted the background data as well, haven't turned data back on since. Yet I've racked up a personal high for data usage. It's the magic VZW fairy!

Color me disgusted.

evol073

Usually if its the wifi chip it can be repaired but depending how much you like your phone it may be worth fixing.

I hope I was able to help feel free to pick my mind for other questions

jaymeg123

Thank you for this response.

Does it help to know that the wifi sometimes comes back on every once and a while? could that point to an antenna connection problem?

thanks