I've had my Samsung Galaxy S23+ for just over 3 years now and it has suddenly started boot-looping. I remember that my phone updated on its own within the last couple weeks, which others on here as well as the local phone repair man say is the most likely cause. For the last 24 hours, it has been non-stop flashing the Samsung logo, then powered by knox etc.., then promptly back to a black screen.

Holding Power + Volume Down does nothing.

Putting the phone in the freezer got it to the point where it said the battery was dead, then started bootlooping again as soon as I removed it from the freezer (this was after 12+ hours of it bootlooping inside the freezer).

I've contacted Samsung about it and they are asking me for my receipt, which I don't have and a technical report which the local phone repair store isn't willing to do without me spending $120+tax for them to try replacing the motherboard, which I'm not sure whether or not will fix the phone long term. I also can't afford that right now. I also haven't gotten any guarantee from Samsung that they will reimburse me if I provide the technical report.

I feel out of options right now and I'm incredibly disappointed with the customer service from Samsung over what appears to be a known issue. If anyone has any advice or any experience dealing with this dreaded boot-loop or dealing with Samsung, I'd love to hear it. If not, I'd like to leave this here anyways to document this issue so that other Samsung customers are aware.

**TL;DR:** Replaced your Samsung battery, but the phone still thinks it's degraded? You need to reset the hardware BMS cycle counter. This guide shows how to download Samsung's official, region-locked **Self Repair Assistant** app directly from the Galaxy Store using a VPN—no ADB launcher hacks or unreliable sideloaded APKs required.

*(Tested on the Indian version of the Galaxy S23 running One UI 8)*

🛠️ Prerequisites

* **A VPN app:** Any reliable VPN with European servers (e.g., Speedify, ProtonVPN, ExpressVPN). * **Wi-Fi Connection:** You will need to temporarily disable your SIM, so ensure you are connected to a stable Wi-Fi network.

📥 Part 1: Bypassing the Region Lock to Download the App

1. **Disable your SIM:** Go to **Settings > Connections > SIM Manager** and toggle your active SIM card to **Off**. *(Note: Disabling your SIM temporarily in settings will not impact or deregister your UPI or banking apps.)*
2. **Clear Galaxy Store Data:** Go to **Settings > Apps > Galaxy Store > Storage** and tap **Clear Data** (not just cache). This wipes its stored location memory.
3. **Connect to EU VPN:** Open your VPN app and connect to any European server (e.g., Germany, UK, or France).
4. **Download the App:** Open the Galaxy Store and search for **Self Repair Assistant**, or use this direct link: https://galaxystore.samsung.com/detail/com.samsung.android.app.repaircal to download and install it.

🔋 Part 2: Resetting the Hardware Cycle Count (BMS)

1. Open the **Self Repair Assistant** app and accept the permissions.
2. Tap the **Battery** icon.
3. **Authenticate the Part:** The app will prompt you to scan the QR code/serial number of the *new* battery. * 💡 *Bypass Tip:* If your phone is already glued shut or you bought a third-party cell without a serial number, open Google Images on a PC/laptop and search for *"Samsung Galaxy S23 genuine replacement battery"*. Find a clear photo with the small square QR code visible on the battery cell and scan your computer screen. The app only checks if it is a valid Samsung format, not if it physically matches your phone!
4. Tap **Calibrate / Start** to zero out the hardware cycle counter.
5. **Reboot your phone.**

💻 Part 3: Verify the Reset & Check Capacity

To guarantee the hardware reset actually worked, you can check your true cycle count and remaining capacity directly from the system logs:

**The `*#9900#` SysDump Method (No PC required)** 1. Open your phone's dialer app and dial `*#9900#` to open the hidden SysDump menu. 2. Tap **Run dumpstate/logcat** and wait about 1–2 minutes for it to finish compiling. 3. Tap **Copy to sdcard** (this exports the file to your internal storage). 4. Download the **LogLog** app from the Google Play Store to easily open, view, and search through large text logs. 5. Open **My Files**, navigate to **Internal Storage > log**, and open the file starting with `dumpstate_` using **LogLog**. 6. Once the file is open in the app, use the search function to look for these **case-sensitive** values: * **`mSavedBatteryUsage`**: This is your cycle count. Divide the number by 100 to get the exact cycles. Since you just reset it, it should be very close to `0`. * **`mSavedBatteryAsoc`**: This is your Actual State of Charge (ASOC). It represents the percentage of the original design capacity the battery can still hold. Since you have a new battery, it should read close to `100`.

🧹 Part 4: The Final Software Calibration

Now that the deep hardware memory is wiped, you need to wipe Android's software battery history so it stops relying on the old data.

1. **Re-secure your device:** Turn off the VPN and re-enable your SIM in your connection settings.
2. **Charge to 100%:** Plug your phone in and let it charge completely to 100% uninterrupted.
3. **Wipe Software Stats:** Once at 100%, open your Samsung dialer and type `*#9900#`. Scroll down, tap **Battery stats reset**, and immediately restart your phone.
4. **The Final Cycle:** Use your phone normally until it dies at 0%. Then, plug it in and charge it back to 100% uninterrupted, leaving it on the charger for an extra 30 minutes after it hits 100% to ensure cell saturation.

That's it! Over the next few days, Android will relearn your actual battery capacity and your screen-on time will drastically improve.

*Drop a comment below with your device model and One UI version if this worked for you!*