How to Fix the Samsung Galaxy J3’s Bizarre Call Problem
The Samsung Galaxy J3 has more than a few problems, but one of its biggest issues has to do with blank screens and silent phone calls. This could either mean someone you’re talking to can’t hear you, you can’t hear them, or the screen just goes dark during a call and nothing happens.
There are a few different reasons why this problem can happen, and I’ll go through each and every one until you find a solution that works for you. The call problem could be because of a faulty case, a covered speaker, your proximity sensor, or even how you hold your Android. Hopefully your Galaxy J3 will start taking calls normally before you even get to the end.
1. Disable Your Proximity Sensor
If you’ve already gone through most of the basic troubleshooting steps, then it’s time to look at a few things about your phone that might be the problem. The Samsung Galaxy J3 has a proximity sensor on the device so it knows when to turn off certain functions to save battery, but unfortunately it doesn’t always work as intended.
If this is what’s causing the problem for you during calls, then it’s much easier to just turn it off. To turn off your proximity sensor:
- Tap the Phone icon
- Tap the Menu icon
- Go to Call settings
- Find the setting to turn off screen during calls and disable it.
Additionally, give the 3.5mm jack in your phone a quick blow of air. This will sort a few things out if disabling this option didn’t. This will help stop your screen from dimming or going completely blank during a call, but it won’t necessarily solve the silence problem.
2. Observe How You Hold Your Phone
When you’re talking on your Galaxy J3, how do you hold your phone? I know that whenever I’m talking on the phone for more than a few minutes my hands start to shift. I’ll sometimes press buttons, cover up something important, or hold it at the wrong angle if I’m not careful.
Make sure that during a call if the quality worsens, or your voice drops, that you’re holding it the same way you were when the call started.
3. Remove Your Case
Depending on the case you’re using, it can worsen your connection, or ability to send or receive calls properly. While trying to pin down what about the case is causing the problem, it’s easier to take the whole thing off.
Try taking a call again with your case off and see if it stops your Galaxy J3 from forcing you to stay silent.
4. Clear Your Cache
Clearing your cache is a part of the basic troubleshooting that I mentioned earlier, but can’t hurt to clear it again.
It doesn’t take long to do, and saves a lot of headaches down the road.
5. Use an External Mic
If you’ve ever considered using a Bluetooth headset for your Galaxy J3, now’s the perfect time to try one out and see if your built in microphone is the problem. If you want to test your microphone beforehand without making a phone call, try recording a voice memo to yourself and seeing if you can hear it afterwards.
Depending on the result, buying a new microphone to use doesn’t fix the problem itself, but it does make your phone usable again. Any Bluetooth mic will work, but if you have an OTG cable handy, a USB mic works just as well. It isn’t nearly as portable, but it’s a quick solution.
6. Perform a Factory Reset
This is one of the last possible options you have, but it’s the easiest way to tell the difference between a software and a hardware problem. If a factory reset doesn’t fix the issue, then there’s a fundamental flaw with your Samsung Galaxy J3 that can’t be fixed easily.
Before you attempt a factory reset, I cannot stress enough that you need to backup all of your important data. Once you’ve made sure you’ve recovered everything you’re about to delete, take a deep breath, and factory reset your device.
Conclusion
More often than not, the problem here is going to be the proximity sensor. It’s easy to see if that is the problem after you turn it off, but if it isn’t, there’s still more to try. The problem does have a fix, it just takes time for troubleshooting to do its job.
If this wasn’t enough to resolve the problem for you, please leave a comment below explaining the issue, and we’ll do what we can to help.
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I have not seen my problem listed here. What happens is that people call me that are on my contact list, but the call is listed as “private caller” and I can not answer it!! Phone does not respond. If I then go to my log, again it will say private caller, then after a bit the name of the person who called appears. I can then call that person back. They usually tell me that the call went directly to voice mail. This does not always happen but often enough that it is a pain. My provider is replacing the phone with a Moto G 4th generation. But I am still curious about this problem. They said that Samsung was aware of the problem?
That is a strange problem. Sometimes manufacturers don’t realize that there’s a problem until the device is released and users or service providers report it back to them. Sounds like that’s the case here.
My fone is making a crackling noise and displays a circle with a line through it. My fb and messenger still working but its saying out of service area or no mobile network. Wat could b the problem
I do not have the turn off screen during calls option on my J3
Hi, Mary! What version of Android are you running?
I have the latest version of the J3 same issue as mary b
Which version of the operating system are you running, Anthony?
When im taking on phone it keeps going on to hold some times I can get it to go back by
Pressing the hold it does it a few times then looses the call
Hi, Bob. Are you using the default caller or a third party app? What device do you have and who is your service provider?
Phone dropping calls this the second phone in 2 months having this issue.
Hi Rose. Have you contacted your service provider about this problem?
It just started this late last night people can’t hear me. Is there a setting I may have changed for it to happen. I’m on latest version j3 luna pro
Hi Patrick. Did you try the strategies discussed in the post?
Hi
I am coming to ask when I can find microphone for my Samsung j_3 2017
here in Rwanda there isn’t no accessory for it I don’t know how can I find it .
I can call but none can hear me . please help me in your highness.
My phone is Samsung J3 March 2017.
Hi i have a new samsung galaxy j3 lunar pro phone wont make outgoing calls and it wont take incoming calls,it hangs up when making a call.can you please tell me why the phone does this .
Hi Linda. Did you try the strategies mentioned in the post?
Hi was wondering if you can help me I’ve tried all the steps and still my friends can’t hear me, I’ve tried recording voice memos and can hear myself but not as loud as it should be.
How do I turn off the HD call feature on a Galaxy J3 Luna Pro? I keep seeing my searches about doing it for video calls. I tried to follow instructions anyways to see if I can disable voice calls too but I can’t find the prompts. Voices sound tinny
My phone put ICE emergency in my contacts that cant bevremoved or deleted so every time I call one of my contacts it calls 911,I have a galaxy j3 emerge.thanks
Anybody find a solution that actually works. I too do not have the “turn off screen during calls” option. If I restart my phone it will work for a few times then back to not working. It actually disconnect when I answer the phone or will disconnect as soon as someone answers the phone on the other end. If I reset it, it will work.
Software updated Jan 25, 2019 to J337VPPVRS2ARK1
Software Android version 8.0.0
I think I have fixed the problem with the call drop at connection problem. I bought two phones one for my wife and one for me. At first neither phone had this problem, but after a while I started to get calls and as soon as I answered there would be nobody there, I could not hear them and they could not hear me. I went nuts looking for an answer (by the way my wifes phone was not having this problem) So I started taking off apps and widgets trying to get it to work. One other thing my wife’s phone did not have the lock activated. ???? Bingo, I discontinued using the lock feature and now I can receive calls. My guess is I was trying to receive calls when the phone was locked and it just hung up. I hope this helps someone.
When somebody call me or vice versa, I can hear their voice but they didn’t hear me when I’m talking. Can you help me resolve my problem.
I have this problem , when ever someone calls me , i can hear the person clearly but the person cant hear a single thing im saying
I have the same problem does anyone know what to do
The option to turn off screen during calls is unavailable on the Galaxy j3………………….
My problem isn’t here. When I make or receive a call the screen doesn’t show caller ot the red button to end the call. Tried pressing everything without luck. Only way to end a call is to power off. HELP!
Same here. I can’t locate the screen off option.
My J3 320 drops calls after 30 seconds or so.
I have the Samsung galaxy j3 2018 version my phone keeps crashing…… When I call someone or they call me they can’t hear me and I can hear them with a bit a fuzz sound, the calls that are incoming won’t display, This just started happening earlier today, The phone started working again and than just stoped and started doing it again. All my bills are updated, I can hear videos and other sounds just fine. Can someone please help me resolve this problem.
When I make or receive a call, the other person cannot hear my voice but I can hear the person very.
I am using the Samsung J3 (SM-J330FN) 2017 smartphone.
If this makes any sense: the incoming mic is working fine but the outgoing mic is not working.
I have used the voice recorder to test it by recording my voice and when I replay the recording, the recording is blank.
Please can you help?
What is the proximity sensor and where do I find it on the Samsung J3?
I am very confused as to why this is happening…
Hi Martin! There is no incoming or outgoing mic, it’s just a singular mic! Your speakers are working fine, your problem is with the mic itself. Did you download any third-party apps that use the microphone recently? Reset your phone settings and delete any third-party apps that use your microphone.