Common Samsung Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra problems and how to fix them

The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra are two of the very best Android smartphones you can buy right now. They feature powerful processors, versatile cameras, massive batteries, beautiful screens, and great all-round performance. Of course, technology being what it is, they may sporadically encounter issues. We run through the most common Samsung Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra problems, explaining why they most likely arise and outlining what exactly you need to do in order to resolve them.

As with most smartphones, certain problems can often be resolved quickly by installing a new software update (if one is available). As a last resort, you can also try performing a factory reset, but this should be tried only if you’ve exhausted all other possible solutions.

Problem: Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra not connecting to network properly

More than a few people have reported their Note 20 Ultra is having cellular network connection issues. In most cases, users fail to get any kind of cellular network signal, although others report having a connection at one point but then losing it.

It’s very hard to say what exactly is causing this problem, although in many cases, it does appear to be a hardware/phone issue rather than one affecting the mobile network. One forum user based in the U.K. reported having this issue with the model of the phone that runs on an Exynos 990 chip, but it then disappeared after he replaced it for the model with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865. However, users in the United States (where Snapdragon 865 models are sold) have also reported the same issue, so we’re not sure that it has much to do with the Exynos 990.

Possible solutions:

Assuming that none of these actions work for you, you should try contacting Samsung and asking for either a repair or a replacement. As always, also check for a software update.

Issue: Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra overheating

This is a problem that tends to affect pretty much every smartphone, but it seems a touch more common with the Note 20 Ultra, if only because of its higher output. Overheating particularly appears to be a problem when using the Camera app, with users complaining that using the camera for more than a few minutes can really raise the phone’s temperature.

Few users (if any) of the Samsung Community forum have reported clear solutions to this issue, with some suggesting that it’s a problem inherent to the Exynos 990 processor. However, here are a few things you can try that tend to work with other Android devices with similar heating problems.

Possible solutions:

As ever, you should contact Samsung and/or the seller of your phone if problems persist even after trying all of the steps above.

Issue: Autofocus not working properly

A fairly large number of users have found that the autofocus of the Note 20 Ultra’s main camera lens (and to a lesser extent, the Note 20’s) doesn’t always work properly. Many note that the autofocus doesn’t focus automatically as it should, and that resulting pictures tend to be less than 100% clear. Some also report that this problem is particularly acute when taking close-up photos of objects.

This issue likely comes from a combination of hardware and software niggles. For one, the lack of a macro lens may have something to do with the difficulty in taking perfectly clear close-ups, yet it’s also apparent that some kind of image-processing problem is going on with non-close-ups.

As such, we expect this to be something Samsung will iron out with future software updates, so always check to see if an update is available. Otherwise, you can try the following workarounds.

Workarounds:

Issue: Battery draining fast on Note 20 and Note Ultra

Given that they can operate at such high capacities, it’s probably no surprise to hear that some users have complained of their batteries draining a little too quickly. Some people have reported their Note 20’s battery dies overnight, while others have noted they’ve encountered the problem after updating to Android 11.

This is a fairly common problem for most phones, and it can often be caused by a variety of issues, from faulty hardware to less-than-optimal usage.

Workarounds:

Problem: Note 20 and 20 Ultra randomly restarting by itself

This is one of the more unusual issues affecting the Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra. A relatively small handful of users have reported that their phones have a tendency to restart all by themselves at various points throughout the day. While the Note 20 and 20 Ultra do have an auto-restart feature, this problem occurs with this feature deactivated, leaving users scratching their heads as to why it’s happening.

As of writing, there’s no clear fix for this problem. However, two possible solutions have cropped up in forum discussions, and both are worth trying. (Again, also try software updates.)

Possible solutions:

It almost goes without saying, but if you continue experiencing problems after trying these two steps, you ought to contact Samsung.

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