New updates are being added at the bottom of this story…….

Original story (published on July 7, 2022) follows:

Samsung offers four handsets in its previous generation Galaxy S21 lineup. It includes Galaxy S21, S21+, S21 Ultra, and S21 FE (Fan Edition).

All these devices currently run on the latest One UI 4.1 based on Android 12. Also, they are listed to get monthly security patches.

While security patches are aimed to fix security flaws and bugs and ensure smooth functioning of the devices, sometime they might also do the opposite.

Galaxy-S21-inline
Galaxy S21

Galaxy S21 not receiving calls or texts

With that said, some Galaxy S21 owners are now reporting (1, 2, 3) issues with receiving calls and texts (SMS) after the June 2022 update. Moreover, users are also unable to make calls or send texts.

Here are some reports for reference:

Galaxy-s21-not-receiving-calls-or-texts
(Source)

After receiving an update on June 18th, my phone is not receiving any calls, people trying to reach out to me can hear a ringing tone but I see nothing in my phone. I tried putting my SIM in another phone and it works perfectly. I can make outgoing calls properly though. (Source)

An update (I think the G996BXXU5CVF1) was pushed to my phone today. After the update, I can’t make or receive calls. It seems a few others are having this issue. Is there anyway to rollback to an earlier update? (Source)

As apparent from the reports above, the June 2022 update broke two of the most basic smartphone functions for Galaxy S21 users.

Unfortunately, generic troubleshooting steps such as clearing cache and restarting the device don’t seem to resolve the issue.

Luckily, users have managed to find some workarounds that might do the trick. You can check them out below.

Workaround 1:

So I ended up flashing the previous version and won’t update to the newest one on this phone. I tried the newest version first, flashed that with a factory rest and I had the same issues. Flashed the previous version and everything is working as before. (Source)

Workaround 2:

Hi. I tried a new SIM with same problem (only the first call went through). Then i tried a last idea: i forced the phone to stay on 3G/2G network and well…IT WORKS. But obviously data connection is horrible. The problem seems to be related to 5G/4G connectivity. (Source)

Moreover, a Samsung Care Ambassador on the community forum said that this issue is happening on the international variants and users will have to contact regional Samsung support. Here’s the full statement:

Samsung-ambassador-Galaxy-s21-issue
(Source)

Other than this, we haven’t come across any acknowledgment from the support team. However, we will keep tabs on the latest developments and update this story as and when anything noteworthy comes up.

Update 1 (July 12, 2022)

11:32 am (IST): Samsung has released July 2022 patch for Galaxy S21 users in the US. However, there’s no indication if it fixes the issue with calls and texts.

Update 2 (July 14, 2022)

10:48 am (IST): Some users are now reporting that this issue persists even after updating the device to July 2022 patch.

Update 3 (July 15, 2022)

12:12 pm (IST): One of the affected users has confirmed that this issue got resolved after they manually downgraded and installed May 2022 patch.

So, users can try reverting back to the previous version as a potential workaround and see if it helps.

Update 4 (July 21, 2022)

12:02 pm (IST): Samsung Galaxy S22 owners are also reporting (1, 2) the issue where they are unable to receive or make calls after the recent update. Moreover, texts either don’t go through or are being sent twice.

Unfortunately, Samsung has not yet acknowledged this issue. However, we’ll keep tabs on the latest developments and inform you as we find anything noteworthy.

Update 5 (July 25, 2022)

10:37 am (IST): According to those affected, the issue with calls and texts on Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S22 devices is caused by incorrect CSC code in June update.

Moreover, this issue will allegedly be fixed in the upcoming August 2022 update that should be available for Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S21 on August 1 and August 8 respectively.

Update 6 (July 26, 2022)

10:36 am (IST): Samsung has now acknowledged the ongoing calls and texts issue on Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S22 and is working to resolve it.

However, our team is aware of this and as soon as we get more information about the fix on this matter, we will let you know. My sincere apologies for the inconvenience this may cause you. ^Alfred (Source)

Update 7 (July 27, 2022)

01:19 pm (IST): One of those affected has explained how you can revert back to the previous version to fix the calls and texts glitch on Galaxy S21.

S22-calls-glitch-fix
(Source)

Update 8 (July 28, 2022)

12:08 pm (IST): Verizon support has allegedly confirmed that the July 2022 update for Galaxy S21 that includes a fix for calls and texts issue was delayed.

However, it should be available anytime soon as the rollout was scheduled to begin at the end of the month.

Thanks for the tip: Matthew Reiter!

Update 9 (July 29, 2022)

12:28 pm (IST): Samsung has released August 2022 security patch for Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S22. Hence, you can update your device to the latest version and see if the issue with calls and texts gets resolved.

Update 10 (August 01, 2022)

02:11 pm (IST): One of those affected has confirmed that the August 2022 patch has resolved the calling issue on Galaxy S21.

Update 11 (August 02, 2022)

05:35 pm (IST): A Redditor has confirmed that they were able to resolve the calls and texts issue that happens due to network by toggling on and off Airplane mode.

Unlike the others who completely lost their signals, mine only does occasionally. But it happens the most during sleep, morning till midnight it’s alright but by the time I wake up next morning the mobile network is just gone. Thankfully it gets fixed just by toggling airplane mode on and off. (Source)

Update 12 (August 03, 2022)

04:55 pm (IST): A Redditor has suggested those affected to reset the network settings on their device as a temporary workaround to resolve calls and texts issue.

Update 13 (September 29, 2022)

10:46 am (IST): Some Galaxy S22 users on T-Mobile and Verizon have confirmed to us via comments that they aren’t receiving text messages after September 2022 security update.

However, a fix for this issue will allegedly be available for Verizon users in the upcoming October 2022 security patch.

Update 14 (September 30, 2022)

10:52 am (IST): One of our readers has confirmed that Verizon’s October 2022 security patch (Update 25) for Galaxy S21 fixes the issue with text messages.

Thanks for the tip: Dan Adams!

Note: We have more such stories in our dedicated Samsung section, so be sure to follow them as well.

Featured image source – Samsung Mobile Press

PiunikaWeb started as purely an investigative tech journalism website with main focus on ‘breaking’ or ‘exclusive’ news. In no time, our stories got picked up by the likes of Forbes, Foxnews, Gizmodo, TechCrunch, Engadget, The Verge, Macrumors, and many others. Want to know more about us? Head here.

Aashish Singh
502 Posts

I developed a keen interest in technology ever since my school days. And writing about it keeps me closer to this fascinating world. When I’m not working you can catch me playing video games.

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