Galaxy Note 7 S Pen can get stuck, just like the Note 5

Samsung Galaxy Note 7

If you're the proud owner of a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 you should be very careful when putting the S Pen stylus in its slot, as there have been reports of the stylus getting stuck.

This apparently happens if you push the S Pen too hard, causing it to get trapped in the "water-tight silo".

So be gentle with the stylus, as you only need to press it in lightly, and if you do get the S Pen stuck you should resist the urge to keep pushing, as rather than causing it to spring back up this will apparently get it even more stuck.

Instead, some users have found that using a pin or a needle to carefully pry the S Pen back up will solve the problem, according to Android Community, which spotted early reports of the issue.

Déjà vu

The problem comes as a surprise, given that the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 had a similar issue with the Pen getting stuck and it was expected that Samsung would have avoided it this time.

In the Note 5's case the S Pen could get stuck if inserted the wrong way around, but a fix came eventually, with Samsung ultimately reworking the stylus slot, after initially telling users simply not to put the S Pen in the wrong way.

Of course that didn't help anyone with early versions of the handset and if a fix does come for the Note 7 it similarly won't help any current owners.

It should be 'noted' (OK, we're sorry) that we've tried to do the same thing, with no hint of the Note 7's S Pen getting stuck, so it seems this is only happening in extreme cases, or perhaps just a certain batch of the phablet. We've asked Samsung for comment to see if it has any advice for this possible glitch.

So if you own Samsung's latest phablet or plan to buy it, be gentle with the S Pen, and make sure you stop pushing as soon as the stylus clicks into place.

James Rogerson

James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at TechRadar. He has a love for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.