You plan to play some games, explore new apps, watch some videos, or even watch television. Whatever it is, you’re anticipating hours of enjoyment from your new VR goggles. But then the worse happens, you connect your phone, but it fails to launch on your Samsung Galaxy S8. But don’t worry, it’s not the end of the world. In most cases, the fix is very simple. It may be something overlooked or a step you forgot to take. Most of the time, the easiest fix is the one you need. Here are some of the issues you may be experiencing with your new Gear VR, as well as ways to fix them. Related article: Samsung Gear VR I recommend you try them in order and make sure you test after each step to see if it worked. Only proceed to the next step if you are still experiencing the issue.
Step 1: Remove and Reconnect Your Samsung Gear VR
Speaking of the easiest and simplest fix, this usually does the trick. A loose connection or wrong positioning will lead to a lack of contact between the phone and peripheral. This lack of contact fails to establish a connection which in turn fails to launch the app. Ensure the connection is placed correctly. The contacts between the two devices should align correctly. Now you can check if Oculus has launched in your phone. You can check on the many features the Samsung Gear VR has to offer here.
Step 2: Turn the Oculus App Off and Then Turn It Back On
If the first step did not work, then here is the next step. Manually shut down the Oculus app. Go to your Samsung S8 phone settings. Click on the apps menu and look for Oculus. Click on it, and you will find your app’s credentials. Click on the Force Stop Button. I would recommend closing other apps as well and then try relaunching Oculus. Now you can check again and hope everything is working fine.
Step 3: Restart Your Samsung Galaxy S8
The Samsung Galaxy S8 is a mighty fine phone. It is capable of doing so much. So much power and grace fit into a small palm-sized device. However, even a phone as great as this does have its limits. Hang-ups and other similar symptoms can still happen. A typical treatment to clear your cache and encourage faster response is restarting your phone. Just hit the restart button, or if you wish, turn it off and wait for a few minutes. Turn the phone on again and try relaunching the Oculus app.
Step 4: Check for the latest version of Android and firmware
Now if you have tried the first three steps and it still is not working, you may have a software problem already. It is essential to check if your device is updated and using the latest version of the software. There are two things to check here. Look at the version of the Android OS itself, and if your drivers are up to date. To do this, again look into your Samsung Galaxy S8’s settings. Go to Software Update and check if you have the latest version installed in your phone. If not, then try updating your phone first before trying to use your Samsung Gear VR again.
Step 5: Uninstall and Reinstall the Oculus App
If all that work still has not paid off, then here is one final step before you call on Oculus support. You will need to access your Google Play so you can reinstall the app. Now before you do anything, you will need to uninstall or delete the following.
Gear VR Service Update Gear Setup Wizard Gear VR Video Oculus Oculus Home Oculus System Activities
It is imperative to unistall these in the order that they are listed above. This will help reduce the risk of complications while doing this step. Check your phone’s memory and storage to ensure you have enough space before you download the app again. Just click on settings, then proceed to devise maintenance. Check if your phone’s status is all good and green. For the last step, go to Google apps and install Oculus again. Just like checking the version of your software, reinstalling will give you a fresh and updated version which your previous download may not be using.
If It Still Doesn’t Work…
This is the point I hope you do not reach, and the odds of you doing so are fortunately very, very small. But if you try all these methods and are still having problems, just contact Samsung customer support to get some help from the people who know Samsung products best. Did we fix your problem or did you have a different problem? Do you know of a fix for one of these problems that’s different from the one I gave? Let me know in the comments below!
