Exact model-family answer directory

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra troubleshooting

Choose the symptom actually shown by SM-S938*. Samsung Galaxy family; S Pen, foldable display, DeX, USB moisture and One UI features vary by exact model. Error codes remain separate records because the same characters can mean different things on another platform.

battery drainnot chargingoverheatingWi-Fino serviceBluetooth

Reviewed records

18 exact answers

Not sure where the fault is?
Samsung · app crashing

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra app keeps crashing, freezing or will not open

For the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, one app versus the operating system, storage and service state determines the safe sequence.

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Samsung · battery drain

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra battery drains too quickly

For the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, recent update/indexing, screen/radio use, background activity, signal and battery condition should be measured before replacement.

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Samsung · biometric unlock

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra biometric unlock is not working

For the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, sensor obstruction, enrolled appearance/finger, protector, environment and hardware should be separated.

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Samsung · camera blurry

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra camera is blurry, shakes or will not focus

For the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, lens contamination, case magnets, one app/lens and camera hardware should be separated.

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Samsung · calls

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra cannot make calls or send messages

For the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, carrier service, selected line, account activation, recipient-specific block and messaging service should be separated.

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Samsung · overheating

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra gets hot or shows a temperature warning

For the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, high workload, charging, signal search, environment and a failing battery must be separated.

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Samsung · GPS

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra GPS or location is inaccurate

For the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, app permission, precise-location setting, outdoor satellite view, network assistance and sensor calibration should be separated.

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Samsung · no service

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has no cellular service or data

For the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, carrier outage/account/provisioning, SIM/eSIM, coverage, line selection and device radio should be separated.

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Samsung · microphone

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra microphone is quiet, muffled or not working

For the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, different apps and call modes use different microphones.

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Samsung · notifications

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra notifications are delayed or missing

For the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, app permission, channel/category, Focus modes, background restriction, account sync and network should be separated.

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Samsung · not syncing

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra photos, contacts, messages or account data will not sync

For the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, account status, cloud capacity, network, permissions and local storage should be separated before sign-out.

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Samsung · touchscreen

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra screen or touch input is not working correctly

For the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, one app/region, moisture, protector/case, charger interference and display hardware should be separated.

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Samsung · update failed

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra software update will not download or install

For the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, eligibility, power, storage, network, date/time and update service should be checked before recovery.

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Samsung · speaker

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra speaker is quiet, distorted or has no sound

For the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, earpiece, loudspeaker, Bluetooth routing, app audio and obstruction should be separated.

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Samsung · storage full

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra storage is full or the device cannot install updates

For the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, large media, downloads, app caches and system-update reserve should be measured before deletion.

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Samsung · not charging

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra will not charge or charges slowly

For the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, power source, cable/adapter, port debris/liquid, temperature and battery protection should be separated.

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Samsung · Wi-Fi

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra will not connect to Wi-Fi or keeps disconnecting

For the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, one network, all networks, VPN/profile and radio hardware produce different fixes.

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Samsung · Bluetooth

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra will not pair or stay connected over Bluetooth

For the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, accessory pairing state, competing hosts, profile support and radio issues should be isolated.

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Confirm the model first

Which units this covers, and how to tell yours is one of them

Every answer below is scoped to these model identifiers. A neighbouring model in the same line can use a different part, a different reset sequence or a different radio, so matching the identifier before following a procedure is the step that decides whether the rest of the page applies to you.

Model numbers and patterns
SM-S938*
What that covers
Samsung Galaxy family; S Pen, foldable display, DeX, USB moisture and One UI features vary by exact model.

Published specification

What is true of this model and changes how you fix it

These are the properties that decide which procedure applies. Each is read from the manufacturer’s own published figures for this model, not carried over from a sibling that shares its retail name.

Display
174.2mm (6.9" full rectangle) / 172.2mm (6.8" rounded corners), 3120 x 1440 (Quad HD+), Dynamic AMOLED 2X, up to 120 Hz. Samsung quotes two figures for screen size — the full rectangle and the rounded-corner measurement — which is why this phone is listed at two different sizes in different places and neither is wrong.
Refresh rate
Up to 120 Hz adaptive. A high refresh rate is one of the larger discretionary battery costs on this phone: it is genuinely smoother and it genuinely costs runtime, which is why battery complaints on this model are worth checking against the refresh-rate setting before anything else.
Panel
Dynamic AMOLED 2X. This is an AMOLED panel, so dark mode reduces consumption for real — black pixels are switched off rather than backlit — and a static bright element left on screen for very long periods is the one wear risk this panel type has.
Rear cameras
200.0 MP + 50.0 MP + 50.0 MP + 10.0 MP. A 200-megapixel main sensor produces very large files at full resolution, and it is the reason this model fills storage faster than almost anything else in the range. Samsung defaults to a binned lower-resolution output for exactly that reason — a storage complaint here is often a capture-resolution setting.
Zoom
Optical Zoom 3x and 5x, Optical quality Zoom 2x and 10x (Enabled by Adaptive Pixel sensor). Zoom range is the practical difference between models in this line. A close-up that will not focus at the long end is normally the telephoto's minimum focus distance rather than a fault — taking the same shot at 1x confirms it in seconds.
Video
UHD 8K (7680 x 4320)@30fps. Resolution and frame rate dominate how quickly video fills storage and how hard the phone works thermally — sustained 8K recording is the single most common reason a Galaxy camera stops mid-take and warns about temperature.
Memory and storage
12GB RAM with a 256GB storage tier. RAM matters directly to one symptom: apps reloading when you switch back to them is memory pressure rather than a crash, and it is more likely on the lower-RAM configurations.
SIM
SIM 1 + SIM 2 / SIM 1 + eSIM / Dual eSIM. Three combinations are supported, and the default line for calls, for messages and for cellular data are three separate settings — crossing them produces calls arriving on one number while data or messages use another, with almost no indication that anything is wrong.
Wi-Fi
802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be 2.4GHz+5GHz+6GHz, EHT320, MIMO, 4096-QAM. This is Wi-Fi 7 hardware with 6 GHz support, so it can use bands an older phone on the same network cannot — which is worth knowing before concluding the router is at fault when one device performs differently from another.
Bluetooth
Bluetooth v5.4. Version affects range, reconnection behaviour and which accessory features are available — a newer accessory paired here operates at this version's capabilities rather than failing, which is regularly mistaken for a pairing fault.
Connector
USB Type-C. Note that a USB-C cable which fits is not necessarily rated for this phone's charging speed: USB-C carries several power profiles, and a data-oriented cable charges slowly or intermittently while seating perfectly.
Samsung's own specification
Samsung publishes the full specification for this model at samsung.com/uk/smartphones/galaxy-s25-ultra/specs/. Where any figure above matters to a decision, that page is the authority and this one is not.
Biometric
An in-display fingerprint reader, which looks through the screen. A thick or incompatible screen protector genuinely interferes with it, which is why unlock reliability often changes the day a protector is fitted rather than gradually.
Modem
5G capable. In marginal 5G coverage the phone hands repeatedly between 5G and LTE, which costs more battery and generates more heat than settling on either — so the preferred-network setting is a real diagnostic lever rather than a preference.
Charging
Supports wireless charging. Coil alignment is tighter than it looks and a thick case, a metal plate or a card in the case defeats it entirely — so wireless charging failing while cable charging works is usually the case rather than the phone.
Water resistance
Rated water resistant, which is not waterproof and which degrades with age, drops and seal disturbance. The rating covers incidental exposure; it is not a guarantee, and moisture-detection warnings are deliberately conservative and can persist after the port feels dry.
Platform
Android, with a manufacturer interface layer over it. Battery optimisation and background-execution restrictions are applied per app and are far more aggressive than on iOS — which is why 'set this app to unrestricted' is a real fix here and has no equivalent elsewhere.

Where these figures were read. samsung.com/uk/smartphones/galaxy-s25-ultra/specs/ (Galaxy S25 Ultra — Specs), read 2026-08-28

Manufacturer support for this product line. Samsung SupportMobile device support. Official Galaxy model manuals, diagnostics, updates and repair support.

Exact questions

Questions that only have an answer for the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

Each answer below uses this model’s own published figures. The same question asked about a different model in the line has a different answer, which is why it is answered here rather than on a general page.

What size is the Galaxy S25 Ultra screen?+

Samsung lists 174.2mm (6.9" full rectangle) / 172.2mm (6.8" rounded corners), at 3120 x 1440 (Quad HD+). The two size figures are the full rectangle and the rounded-corner measurement — both are Samsung's own numbers, which is why this phone appears at two different sizes in different places.

Does the Galaxy S25 Ultra have a 120Hz screen?+

Yes, up to 120 Hz adaptive on a Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel. It is worth knowing for battery complaints specifically: a high refresh rate is one of the larger discretionary costs on this phone, and it is the first setting to check when runtime is disappointing.

Does dark mode save battery on the Galaxy S25 Ultra?+

Yes, genuinely — it uses an Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel, where black pixels are switched off rather than backlit. The saving is real though smaller than reducing brightness or refresh rate, which remain the larger levers.

What cameras does the Galaxy S25 Ultra have?+

200.0 MP + 50.0 MP + 50.0 MP + 10.0 MP, with optical zoom 3x and 5x, optical quality zoom 2x and 10x (enabled by adaptive pixel sensor). The 200-megapixel main sensor is also the reason this model fills storage quickly at full capture resolution — Samsung defaults to a binned output precisely because of that.

How much storage and RAM does the Galaxy S25 Ultra have?+

12GB RAM and a 256GB storage tier. The RAM figure is the one that matters for a specific symptom: apps reloading from scratch when you switch back to them is memory pressure rather than crashing, and it is more likely on lower-RAM configurations.

Does the Galaxy S25 Ultra support eSIM?+

Yes — Samsung lists SIM 1 + SIM 2 / SIM 1 + eSIM / Dual eSIM. Because more than one line can be active, check which line is set as the default for calls, for messages and for cellular data separately; those are three settings and crossing them is easy to do and hard to notice.

What Wi-Fi does the Galaxy S25 Ultra support?+

802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be 2.4GHz+5GHz+6GHz, EHT320, MIMO, 4096-QAM. That is Wi-Fi 7 with 6 GHz, so it can use bands an older phone on the same network cannot — a useful thing to know before blaming the router when two devices behave differently.

Can the Galaxy S25 Ultra record 8K video?+

Yes — UHD 8K (7680 x 4320)@30fps. Bear in mind that resolution and frame rate dominate both how fast storage fills and how hard the phone works thermally, and sustained 8K is the most common reason a Galaxy camera stops mid-recording with a temperature warning.

What Bluetooth version is the Galaxy S25 Ultra?+

Bluetooth v5.4. Version affects range, reconnection and which accessory features are available — a newer accessory paired here runs at this version's capabilities rather than failing, which regularly gets misread as a pairing fault.

Structured depth, not empty permutations

Every published record carries a direct answer, scope, ordered fixes, risk notes and sources.

Device and manufacturer hubs share a consistent record system, but each answer carries the relevant controls, fault boundaries, consequences and official support entry point for that platform.

See the publication gate