Samsung Galaxy S21 FE: Common problems and how to fix them

Get your unruly phone in tip-top shape with these quick fixes.

The Galaxy S21 FE hasn't been as easy to recommend as its predecessor, thanks to stronger competition from similarly priced phones like the Google Pixel 6. But if you like Samsung phones and its software features, the S21 FE offers an excellent middle ground between midrange devices and flagships by including a strong processor, decent cameras, and a great display while excluding luxuries like wireless charging. Like all smartphones, the S21 FE has its share of bugs and issues, and we've rounded up five of the most common problems and how to fix them.

Problem: The display or fingerprint reader doesn't work while charging

Some Reddit users report the S21 FE's touch screen or fingerprint scanner stops working while it's charging. This seems to be an issue with the charger being used rather than the device itself. Because the phone doesn't come with a charger, customers are using either an older charger from a previous device or one purchased online.

Solution: Try a different power cable and adapter

This fix for this one is relatively easy; try a different USB-C cable and power adapter. If you still experience problems, contact Samsung to set up a repair.

Problem: Fast charging does not work

When you charge your S21 FE it should say "fast charging" at the bottom of the lockscreen and in a notification. Sometimes the device will only show "charging" or "cable charging," and it will take a long time for your battery to fill up. It can happen for several reasons, but thankfully they're easy to fix.

Fix: Tweak your settings and check your charging cable and power adapter

The first thing you should do is make sure fast charging is enabled in settings. It should be switched on by default, but there's a chance that it has been disabled. To check this:

1. Open settings, scroll down to battery and device care, and open it.
2. Open the battery menu.
3. Scroll down and open more battery settings and open that menu.
4. Make sure that fast charging and super fast charging are both switched on (please note that the screenshot includes a wireless charging toggle because it is from a different Samsung device).

If these settings are enabled and your S21 FE still won't fast charge, check your USB-C cable and charging brick. The S21 FE supports up to 25W super fast charging, and the charger you use will need to support this too. Samsung phones consider anything over 12W as fast charging and anything above 15W as super fast charging. To achieve the latter, you need a charging brick that supports something called Programmable Power Supply charging or PPS. If your charger doesn't include PPS, your phone will only charge at a maximum of 15W.

Problem: My phone won't charge above 85%

You might find that your S21 FE refuses to charge any higher than 85%, which would be frustrating if you had a long day away from a charger ahead of you. Thankfully this is unlikely to be a fault with your device and could be an option in settings that you need to disable.

Fix: Disable Battery protect

Last year Samsung added a feature to its devices called battery protection, which stops the phone from charging past 85% to help extend the battery's lifespan. Turning it off is easy:

1. Open settings, scroll down to battery and device care and open it.
2. Open the battery menu.
3. Scroll down and open more battery settings and open that menu.
4. At the bottom switch off protect battery.

If this was already switched off and your phone won't charge past a certain percentage, you should contact Samsung's customer support team as you may have a defective battery.

Problem: Apps aren't in the correct order

Most phones list your applications in alphabetical order when you open the app drawer. This is the logical way of doing things, but Samsung doesn't do this by default. Fortunately, there's an easy fix if you prefer an alphabetized app drawer.

Fix: Tweak app drawer settings

Fixing this only takes four easy steps, and once you've done it you'll never need to worry about it again.

1. Swipe up on your home screen to open your app drawer.
2. Tap the three-dot icon in the top right corner.
3. Tap sort from the list.
4. Tap alphabetical order from the list of options.

That's it. Now all of your apps will be arranged as they should be, and you won't need to spend forever looking for TikTok.

Problem: The Galaxy S21 fe's camera app isn't working

The camera has become one of the most important parts of a smartphone, so it's a big deal if it stops working. If that happens, there are several things you should check before you contact Samsung.

Fix: Several possible fixes

Check if the camera can be used in other apps. Open Instagram, Snapchat, or any other application that can use the camera and see if it works. If the camera still isn't working, check if another application is using it in the background:

1. Bring down your notification shade and see if there's a green indicator in the top right corner.
2. If there is, tap on it.
3. A pop-up will show you what application is accessing your camera or microphone.
4. Close the indicated app.
5. If that isn't the solution, uninstall the application.
6. Find the app on your home screen or in your app drawer.
7. Press and hold on the app icon.
8. Tap uninstall.
9. Tap OK on the prompt that follows.

If an app already accessing the camera was why you couldn't open the camera app, this should be fixed. If you're able to use your camera in third-party apps like Instagram and Snapchat but you still can't use Samsung's camera app, there's something else you can try:

1. Find the camera app on your home screen or in the app drawer.
2. Press and hold on the app icon.

3. Tap the i icon in the top right corner.

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4. In the app info menu, scroll down and tap storage.
5. In the bottom left corner tap clear data.
6. Tap OK.

If your camera app still isn't working, you should check for app updates:

1. Find the Galaxy Store app on your home screen or in the app drawer.
2. Press and hold on the app icon and then tap update apps.
3. If there are any applications that need updating, tap update all in the top right corner.

Once you've exhausted all of these fixes without success, it's time to reach out to Samsung.

Now that things are in working order, you'll want to tweak a few Android and One UI settings to make your phone work perfectly.