What should I do if the smartphone on Android suddenly starts to hang and behave as if I wanted to live my life? How to reflash "Android"? This question is asked by many users of modern gadgets of various brands - from the top Samsung and Sony to the increasingly popular Chinese Xiaomi (most often colloquially called Xiaomi) and Meizu.
Possible solutions to problems
One of the easiest tips will be to reset your device to factory settings. Indeed, in this case no third-party intervention is required - all settings and resets are done at the program level. But such a trick will work only if the malfunctions of the smartphone are caused only by software and a clogged memory. After resetting the settings, and in frequent cases also erasing the content, the device turns on as new.
But there are cases when malware penetrates the device’s file system, in other words, viruses. These "parasites" are able to intervene in the key files responsible for restoring and resetting the Android operating system, modify them and, in some cases, even delete them. This is where the main problems begin, because the only right solution will be flashing the smartphone. The main method for flashing devices of some manufacturers and the answer to the main question are described below: "How to flash Android through Recovery?"
What is Recovery and what does it eat
Many immediately lose ground and throw a white flag, rushing to contact service centers. But any experienced user will say that this is not worth it. After all, you can save yourself extra nerves and money, just by following the simple steps from this instruction.
Recovery is a smartphone software based on the Android OS, which is a bit of a BIOS on a PC. That is, with the help of "Recovery" you can do a full reset of the smartphone to the factory settings, you can also install updates to the operating system and just flash. When buying in a store, the user most often receives a device with a factory "Recovery" menu, which is slightly limited in functionality and will not make it possible to successfully flash the operating system.
If we talk about “custom” (“custom made” in English) “Recovery”, then it will allow to more fully “communicate” with the phone system, make backup copies of firmware and restore them, as well as make a more complete and deep reset device.
How to enter Recovery
To flash the device through the "Recovery", you must first get into this very menu. To make it easier than simple, especially since on many devices the input combination is exactly the same. So, if the smartphone has a physical central button or the Home button (most often found in older Samsung and AlGi devices, but it can also appear in more modern devices), you need to hold the Home button on the turned off gadget and “Volume +”, after which, without releasing them, press the power button.
The device will turn on in the desired mode. If there is a more modern device without a physical Home button, you need to repeat the process described above, but using only the Volume + button and the power button. If the desired result has not been achieved, you should refer to the extended list of ways to enter the "Recovery" menu for different manufacturers.
What else will you need
In order to understand how to upgrade Android, you first need to download the firmware for your device. Most often, firmware files are hidden from the public view for the safety and security of the data of the manufacturer. That is why ordinary users create backup copies of their operating systems and from them form a database of stock firmware, links to which can be found on specialized sites. It is the firmware file itself, which is in the archive with the * .zip extension, that will be needed in order to understand how to restore Android through Recovery.
There are times when the old stock firmware is tired, and you want something new. That is why there are always craftsmen who create custom firmware, "cutting out" the excess from them or, conversely, adding something new. In such cases, you won’t be able to use the standard “Recovery”, and here those very custom CWM Recovery (ClockWorkMod Recovery) or TWRP (TeamWin Recovery Project) come to the rescue .
Install CWM Recovery or TWRP
It is not necessary to install "Recovery" on "Android" through a computer, most often, on the contrary, it is easier to use stock. All you need to do is download the necessary file, again located in the archive with the * .zip extension, and place it on the smartphone’s external flash card.
After that, going into the stock “Recovery”, you need to select “Apply update from external storage” and select the same file with the custom “Recovery” from the list that opens. After confirming the selection, the installation process will begin, after which the device will prompt you to reboot. The process is completed.
How to flash Android through Recovery
Turning directly to the installation process of the firmware itself, I want to say that all unofficial files of the Android operating system created directly by users of certain devices should be installed at your own peril and risk. If, nevertheless, the decision to install a non-native version of the software is made, you should make sure that the firmware is “written” specifically for the phone that you plan to upgrade.
If we are talking about stock firmware, then do not bother installing CWM Recovery or TWRP. All the manipulations that need to be done are limited to downloading the factory firmware file and placing it on an external memory card. After that, the process is similar to installing a custom Recovery. That is, you need to go to the stock “Recovery” menu, select “Apply update from external storage”, then specify the firmware file directly and confirm the action. After the process is completed, it is necessary to take another step, which will help to avoid freezes and "glitches" when you turn on and operate the device. Immediately after completing the firmware, select the menu item "Wipe data / factory reset" and confirm the action. This will clear the information about the previous software and files that were present on the device before the firmware process.
At the end of these steps, select the “Reboot system now” menu item. The device will reboot and the process of setting up the smartphone from scratch will begin. If the start-up process is delayed and the device logo “hangs”, it is worth remembering whether the reset item was reset after flashing.
Custom versions of Android
How to flash "Android" through the "Recovery", in principle, is understandable. It remains to figure out what to do with OS versions written directly by device users. The answer is simple: you need to repeat the process by performing the same manipulations in the custom Recovery. The only difference will be that the firmware file itself can now be placed not only on the external memory card, but also on the device’s internal memory. This adds convenience if the flash card is simply missing. In this case, you will have to select “Apply update from internal storage”.
It is also worth noting that in CWM Recovery and in TWRP, the “Wipe data / factory reset” item has been replaced by two separate items: “Wipe data” and “Wipe cache”. After installing “Android” through the “Recovery” (namely, the custom version) it turned out, in the modified ClockWorkMod or TeamWin menu you need to select the “Wipe Dalvik cache” sub-item, which will significantly increase the chances of successfully turning on the device with the new operating system.
Stock firmware recovery
If the custom firmware did not like or did not take root, there is always the opportunity to return everything to its place. Many people ask the question: "How to restore" Android "through the" Recovery ", namely, the stock version?" The answer lies in the paragraph above. Roughly speaking, the return of everything to normal takes place in the same way as the implementation of the initial changes.
All you need to do is download the firmware from the manufacturer to a flash card or internal memory, then select the appropriate “Recovery” menu item and make a complete reset of settings / content. In principle, nothing complicated.
Recommendations
It seems that understanding how to flash Android through Recovery is not so difficult. But if some points are not clear, or there is no confidence in their knowledge, it is better not to mess with similar processes. But even if something doesn’t work, you can always restore the device’s firmware via the corresponding menu item. The main thing is to make a backup copy before flashing Android through Recovery. To do this, you need a custom “Recovery” and a little patience, because the process of backing up the firmware takes a lot of time.
In case something went wrong, you can always turn to knowledgeable people. At least in an authorized service center they will certainly help. The main thing is not to lose heart and confidently go forward. Only in this way can any results be achieved. Good luck in flashing!