How to Fix “com.sec.phone has stopped” on Samsung
What “com.sec.phone has stopped” means
On a Samsung Galaxy phone, the process that runs your calls is not called com.android.phone, as it is on most other Android phones. Samsung uses its own version, and “sec” in the name stands for Samsung Electronics Company. That process, com.sec.phone, sits behind the Samsung Phone app you tap to dial a number. It places and receives calls, talks to your SIM card, manages the mobile network connection, and keeps features such as VoLTE and Wi-Fi Calling working.
When you see the “com.sec.phone has stopped” pop-up, that process has crashed. Android closes it and tries to start it again, which is why the message can return every few minutes, or every time you open the Phone app. While it is crashing, calling is unreliable at best. The dialer may close the moment you open it, incoming calls may fail to ring, signal bars may drop out, or the phone may seem fine until someone calls and the pop-up appears instead of the answer screen.
This error shows up most often on Galaxy phones after a software update, after swapping a SIM card, or after installing a new dialer, call recorder, or spam-blocking app. The good news is that it is a software crash, not a sign that the phone itself is dying. The Samsung Phone app’s cached data is the weak point: once it is corrupted, the process can crash on every launch until that cache is cleared. That is why the steps below start with the simplest fixes and only move to a factory reset at the very end.
Common causes
- Corrupted Samsung Phone app cache or data: the most common trigger — a bad update or an interrupted write leaves com.sec.phone crashing every time it starts.
- SIM card or network registration glitch: a loose, dirty, or aging SIM card, or a stale carrier registration after an update, breaks the constant link between the phone process and the network.
- Third-party dialer, call recorder, or spam blocker: apps that hook into Samsung’s calling system can crash com.sec.phone if they misbehave after an update.
- Bad software update or corrupted system cache: leftover broken temporary files after a One UI or Android update can crash the phone process at every boot until the cache partition is wiped.
- Conflicting call settings: corrupted VoLTE, Wi-Fi Calling, or dual-SIM settings can keep crashing the process that manages calls, especially right after a carrier settings change.
How to fix “com.sec.phone has stopped” — step by step
Start with steps 1 and 2 — a restart plus clearing the Samsung Phone app’s cache fixes the great majority of cases.
- Restart the phone normally. Hold the Power button, or press Power and Volume Down together, tap Restart, and wait for the phone to come back up. A restart ends the crashed com.sec.phone process and clears temporary memory problems. If this was a one-time crash, the message never returns — you are done in a minute.
- Clear the Samsung Phone app cache and data. Go to Settings > Apps, tap the filter icon, turn on Show system apps, and open Phone. Tap Storage, then tap Clear cache. If the error comes back, return to the same screen and tap Clear data. A corrupted cache in Samsung’s Phone app is the most common cause of this crash, and this step fixes it in most cases.
- Reseat the SIM card and toggle airplane mode. Power the phone off, remove the SIM tray, wipe the gold contacts gently with a soft dry cloth, push the card back in firmly, and power the phone on. You can also swipe down twice for quick settings and turn Airplane mode on for 30 seconds, then off, to force a fresh network registration. The Samsung phone process talks to the SIM and the mobile network constantly, so a loose card or a stale registration can crash it again and again.
- Boot into safe mode to catch a bad app. Hold the Power button, then touch and hold Power off until the Safe mode prompt appears, and tap Safe mode. Safe mode turns off every app you installed yourself. If the crash stops here, a downloaded app, often a third-party dialer, call recorder, or spam blocker, is interfering with the Samsung phone process. Restart normally and uninstall those apps, starting with the most recently installed one.
- Reset network settings. Go to Settings > General management > Reset > Reset network settings and tap Reset settings. This rebuilds the phone’s mobile, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth configuration, so saved Wi-Fi passwords and Bluetooth pairings are forgotten, but your apps, photos, and files stay untouched. It fixes crashes caused by corrupted carrier, VoLTE, or Wi-Fi Calling settings after an update.
- Wipe the cache partition, factory reset as a last resort. Power the phone off, then hold Power and Volume Up together until the Samsung logo appears, and on newer models keep the phone connected to a charger or a USB device while you do it. In recovery mode, use the volume buttons to highlight Wipe cache partition and press Power to select it. This clears corrupted system temporary files without touching your data. If the crash still returns every day after everything above, back up your photos and files, then use Settings > General management > Reset > Factory data reset.
Did this fix it? Quick checklist
- The “com.sec.phone has stopped” pop-up no longer appears after a restart
- You can open the Samsung Phone app and place a test call without a crash
- Signal bars stay stable and incoming calls ring normally
- No third-party dialer, call recorder, or spam blocker is installed or active
If the pop-up appears only when someone calls you, a call-related app is the prime suspect — check your call recorders and spam blockers first. If it started right after a SIM swap and reseating did not help, ask your carrier for a replacement SIM — aging SIM cards cause exactly this repeating crash. And if everything above failed, check Settings > Software update for a pending update — Samsung often ships the actual fix in the next One UI patch.
Frequently asked questions
What is com.sec.phone on a Samsung phone?
com.sec.phone is Samsung’s own version of Android’s phone process. The sec stands for Samsung Electronics Company. It handles calls, the Samsung Phone app, SIM card communication, and the mobile network connection on Galaxy phones. When it crashes, you may be unable to make or receive calls until it restarts cleanly.
Will clearing the Phone app data delete my contacts or call history?
Clearing the cache deletes nothing personal. Clearing data resets the Phone app itself and may clear local call logs and dialer settings, but your contacts stay safe because they are synced to your Samsung or Google account or stored on the SIM card. Your photos, messages, and other apps are not affected.
Why does this error appear on Samsung phones but not other Android phones?
Other Android phones use a process called com.android.phone for the same job. Samsung replaces it with its own process, com.sec.phone, on Galaxy devices, so Samsung owners see the Samsung name in the error instead. The underlying problem is the same kind of crash, and the same fixes, clearing the Phone cache, reseating the SIM, and checking third-party calling apps, usually solve it.
Does com.sec.phone has stopped mean my Samsung phone is broken?
No. It is almost always a software problem, not damaged hardware. A corrupted Phone app cache, a SIM card glitch, a rogue calling app, or a bad software update causes nearly every case. A worn-out SIM card can cause repeated crashes, but a replacement SIM from your carrier is cheap and easy if all the software steps fail.