How to fix Samsung Galaxy S5 "Unfortunately, Contacts has stopped" error after Lollipop update

This post will address the error message "Unfortunately, Contacts has stopped" on Samsung Galaxy S5.

While many Samsung Galaxy S5 owners were happy the day Samsung rolled out the much anticipated Android 5 Lollipop update, all the excitements turned to disappointments when the once working phone became a useless piece of technology.

One of the most common errors owners were getting was "Unfortunately, Contacts has stopped," which often pops up when you dial a number or when you open the Contacts app. There were, however, some reports that the error would also pop up without apparent reason or cause.

I will guide you through troubleshooting your phone to find what the culprit is and fix the problem.

Step 1: Troubleshoot the app first

Since we don't know, as of this point, what's causing the problem, we will have to troubleshoot the app that's specifically mentioned in the error message--Contacts. The most logical thing you can do about it is to clear its cache and data so it will be reset to its default settings. Don't worry, your contact list will not be touched. There is one service that handles all your contacts and that's the Contact Storage service.

1. From any Home screen, tap Apps.
2. Tap Settings.
3. Scroll to ‘APPLICATIONS,’ then tap Application manager.
4. Swipe right to the ALL screen.
5. Scroll to and tap Contacts.
6. Tap Clear cache button.
7. Tap Clear data button, then OK.

If the problem occurred without apparent reason or cause, then the app may have just crashed. I would assume at this point that you have already rebooted your phone because that's one of the most effective (and the easiest) ways to deal with app crashes.

Step 2: Disable / uninstall Google+ app

If you have Google+ app installed on your device, there's a chance it might be causing the problem especially if you allowed to the device to sync with it. There were actually a lot of owners who said disabling the app may just cause this specific problem, so I suggest you try it as well. It's up to you if you just want to disable or uninstall it.

1. From any Home screen, tap Apps.
2. Tap Settings.
3. Scroll to ‘APPLICATIONS,’ then tap Application manager.
4. Swipe right to the ALL screen.
5. Scroll to and tap Google+.
6. Tap Stop button.

More often if the error is triggered by the Google+ app, it will occur if there's no internet connection or if it intermittently cuts off.

Step 3: Boot your phone in safe mode

Assuming you already cleared the cache and the data of the Contacts app that you have already stopped or uninstalled the Google+ app and the problem still persists, try booting the phone in safe mode to isolate the problem. It will tell you right away if third-party apps have something to do with it or not.

1. Turn the device off.
2. Press and hold the Power key.
3. When 'Samsung Galaxy S5' appears on the screen, release the Power key.
4. Immediately after releasing the Power key, press and hold the Volume down key.
5. Continue to hold the Volume down key until the device finishes restarting.
6. Safe mode will display in the bottom left corner of the screen.
7. Release the Volume down key when you see Safe Mode.

If the error message still occurs in safe mode, then the problem must be caused by one or some of the pre-installed apps or the firmware itself. Otherwise, you just have to find the third-party app that's causing it and uninstall it. You may start from the most recent apps you installed.

Step 4: Wipe the cache partition

If the problem occurred after the recent Lollipop update, then there's a chance some of the caches have been corrupted. This step will guide you through deleting all caches, good and bad alike. Don't worry, none of your files, data or settings will be deleted or changed. Also, the phone will be forced to create new caches after this procedure…

1. Turn off the device.
2. Press and hold the following three buttons at the same time: Volume Up key, Home key, and Power key.
3. When the phone vibrates, release the Power key but continue to press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home key.
4. When the Android System Recovery screen appears, release the Volume Up and Home keys.
5. Press the Volume Down key to highlight 'wipe cache partition.'
6. Press the Power key to select.
7. When the wipe cache partition is complete, 'Reboot system now' is highlighted.
8. Press the Power key to restart the device.

Step 5: Perform full hard reset

This is going to be the last resort if all else fails. Don't forget to backup all your files and data especially ones that are saved in the phone's internal storage as they will be deleted.

1. Turn off the device.
2. Press and hold the following three buttons at the same time: Volume Up key, Home key, and Power key.
3. When the phone vibrates, release the Power key but continue to press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home key.
4. When the Android System Recovery screen appears, release the Volume Up and Home keys.
5. Press the Volume down key several times key to highlight 'wipe data / factory reset.'
6. Press Power button to select.
7. Press the Volume down key until 'Yes -- delete all user data' is highlighted.
8. Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
9. When the master reset is complete, 'Reboot system now' is highlighted.
10. Press the Power key to restart the device.

In case the reset failed as well, then it's time you brought the phone to your provider and have it checked. The firmware you installed may have some issues. Their technicians will reinstall it for you.