The most used OS for mobile phones is Android. Well-known manufacturers of tablets and smartphones install this OS on their products. Its advantages are ease of use, interface availability, high speed. With its help, tablets and smartphones are equipped with paid and free software from the Play Market application.
Although this platform has many advantages, owners of Android devices feel the need to reflash a tablet or smartphone.
Do not confuse flashing and updating.
How and why tablets and smartphones are reflashed?
Sometimes programs require ROOT access from users. With standard firmware, you cannot have administrator rights. For example, serious overclocking of the processor on the device is possible provided that ROOT rights are available.
Re-flashing will save the device from “garbage” that could have been left by the manufacturer. Instead, really necessary and necessary programs will be installed on a smartphone or tablet. Re-flashing will give a faster and more stable operation of the device, which will also please.
A couple of months can pass from the time the device was manufactured at the factory until it falls into the hands of the user. During this time, the firmware could seriously change and give more advanced features of the device. This article describes the independent possibility of flashing the Samsung Galaxy phone on Android. There are several methods to flash Android through a computer.
Why is official firmware needed
Do not forget that the firmware itself must be official. Amateur options eliminate the flaws of the OS, but can bring many other "bugs". Be sure to require detailed information on the firmware "Android" before its implementation.
Today, there are many methods for flashing a smartphone and tablet based on Android. Below will be described the most understandable and common options.
How to properly reflash "Android" using a PC and Odin?
First method
This is done directly from the phone through the Android system. For example, version 4.0 is installed on the smartphone. If in this version you open the section "Settings - Phone Information - Software Update", then the automatic firmware for this phone is configured. To do this, set the checkmark to "Auto-update". Activation of the Wi-Fi Only option is also recommended. In this case, the availability of the new version is carried out only if there is a wireless network for the phone. Mobile traffic will be spent differently, which will cause considerable expenses. The check is started manually after clicking on the "Update" button.
You can reflash Android through a computer only if 100% of the battery charge is available. But a similar method of updating the firmware of Samsung Galaxy is not very convenient and may break off in the middle of the process. It is recommended that this task be performed using a special program that is installed on the computer when connected to it via the phone’s USB cable.
Special software
This can be done using the Samsung Kies program or the popular Odin. In the case of the latter, it is possible to use both official Samsung firmware and firmware from other developers. They are often more convenient and provide more features for the phone, but the factory warranty is lost. For this reason, the implementation of any instructions regarding how to reflash an Android phone unofficially is permissible only after the warranty period has ended.
The official Samsung Galaxy firmware can be viewed as an example of an update using the Samsung Kies program. It was created similarly with Apple's iTunes and can fully synchronize a computer with a smartphone - move files, music, contacts. Before starting a firmware update, it is recommended that you back up to avoid data loss.
Task execution order
First, the program itself is installed. During this, drivers for devices of the specified company will be downloaded to the computer and phone. After starting the program, the phone is connected to the computer via the USB port, then we wait for it to be detected. After opening the window with all the phone data, you need to select "Firmware Update", if available, this will be reported in the window that opens. After clicking "Update" you must agree to the rules and confirm the action. You should wait for the end of the action, how to reflash Android Samsung. You do not need to touch the smartphone at this time and disconnect the cable connecting it to the computer. It may happen that an antivirus or firewall displays a message that requires permission for Kies to be able to perform its functions. You should also disable the antivirus on the smartphone, as it simply does not allow the system to update. After that, you need to confirm the end of the update.
Samsung firmware using Odin
To flash the phone using this application, a special driver is installed on the PC, which was equipped with the phone, or this driver is downloaded from the site of the manufacturer of the Android device itself.
Then the firmware itself is downloaded. Find it easy on the forums or on
file sharing sites. The file must be with the OPS extension.
Then you need to simultaneously press three buttons on the smartphone. These are minus volume, power and homer. The message “downloading” will appear on the device’s screen, which signals a flashing.
Connecting a smartphone to a PC
To do this, the smartphone and computer are connected using a USB adapter. Then the Odin program starts. The latest version of the program is recommended for download, especially in cases where a new firmware is installed. In the menu you need to find the inscription “Select Ops”, click on “OPS”, which is located under it. Next, the path to the firmware file is indicated.
Then you need to click on “Start” and wait for the flashing to finish, it all takes no more than five minutes. After completion, the message “Pass” will appear in the first window, which indicates a successful flashing of the smartphone.
This is the “gray” way of reflashing an Android smartphone. To get started, the phone goes into Downloading mode. To do this, you simultaneously need to press the following buttons: “on”, “home” and “volume minus” (or “volume plus” on some models). If everything is done correctly, the Android logo and the inscription about the boot mode will appear on the display. Then the Odin Multidownloader program is downloaded and installed. It can be found through a search engine or on a specialized site.
This program is professional for use in service centers. If it is used correctly, then no damage will happen to the phone. You will also need firmware files downloaded from the official site or from the support forum. There are four of these files. PDA is the main firmware file, PHONE is for working with the operator’s network, CSC is for telephone settings, and PIT is for storing service information. Make sure that these programs are in the kit. Also, versions can be single-file. In this case, they are imported to the place of the main file - PDA.
If the work is carried out on a computer with installed Windows 7 and above, then this will be enough. If Windows XP is installed, the Kies program is additionally installed to install drivers for the Android smartphone on the OS or the individual drivers themselves - Samsung USB Driver for Mobile Phones. On the same site, specific drivers are selected for the desired model and version of the computer's operating system. For example, you need the appropriate drivers from Microsoft, if you follow the instructions on how to upgrade Android to Windows.
Now it is necessary to stop all Kies software processes, if before that they were installed and started. To do this, press Control + Alt + Del and find the processes that are in the name "Kies". Further, these processes should be completed. After that, you need to start the Odin program. At this time, the smartphone is in boot mode. Then it is connected using a USB cable and the “Add Volume” button is pressed (for Samsung Galaxy S2 phones). Now the software update begins.
In Odin, the first section of ID: COM is displayed in yellow. There are several of these sections for working with several phones at the same time. Checks are set in the program on F. Reset Time, Autoreboot, Re-Partition. Now the Start button is pressed. You need to wait until the schedule reaches the end. Then the green color will light up and the inscription "Pass" will be displayed. After that, the phone will reboot and the new software version will start working.
For additional verification of the version, the command * # 1234 # is used. To completely clear all data, the service code * 2767 * 3855 # is used. Now the phone firmware is fully completed. To search for firmware and software for phones from other manufacturers, you need to go to their website and go through the subcategories to select the desired model. For example, those who are looking for how to upgrade Lenovo Android will need the Open Source Code.
The above method of how to reflash an Android phone is quite simple and convenient, and does not even require any great knowledge from the user. However, it is not the only solution to this issue.
Second method
Another way of flashing Android through a computer is to use TAR archives or a three-file firmware.
The method described below is suitable for smartphones and tablets. If you do not know exactly how the Android tablet is being reflashed, then use this method. Three-file firmware is not common. Because of this, not all applications work with them. Well it does the program Mobile Odin Pro. It is paid, but does a lot that competitors cannot. The advantage of this program is its simplicity, but it requires ROOT rights.
Change Android firmware using this method
Downloading files for firmware to the system memory or to the device’s memory card. The file extension should be: .tar, or .md5.tar.
- Install and launch the Mobile Odin Pro application.
- Select an item in the Open file main menu.
- Search for a folder or archive with firmware where it was downloaded.
- Checking the firmware. After its completion, click Flash firmfire.
That's all. The firmware of the Android device will not be complicated. Now you know how to upgrade Android through your computer yourself.
Useful Tips
Before flashing Android, you need to make sure that important files are not on the device. If these remain, they should be transferred to the PC. When flashing information is permanently deleted.
This information is generalized and is intended for a general understanding of the flashing process. Each device has its own characteristics. In addition, in the network you can find methods and methods that are better not to be implemented in practice, because the risk of damaging the device and causing errors in its operation is too great. So, now you can often see step-by-step recommendations on how to upgrade Android to iPhone, but it’s better not to follow them.