Android OS appeared relatively recently, and we all remember how raw and inconvenient it was. The developers are not sitting idle! Today, many users have an excellent opportunity to download Android 5.0 firmware for various smartphones and tablets for free, and then quickly update their device.

The differences between the starting and latest versions of the OS are, of course, huge. For a long time, Google did not pay attention to external kind of Android, with tacit consent allowing manufacturers to create appearance applications.

Main functions

Material Design

The lack of a standard interface created a number of additional problems. Experts at Google decided to make profound changes to the Android interface that are simply necessary. Thanks to this, the idea of ​​Material Design came to life, unifying all Google services and products.

Lock screen and application menu

Now, in order to view notifications or turn off data transfer, you do not need to unlock your smartphone, as was the case in earlier versions. In Android 5.0, the lock screen is designed in such a way that the user has easy access to notifications, even to the point that you can write a response in blocking mode, which greatly simplifies the use of the device.

The updated menu makes it easy to work with applications, both system and user-installed, which are located in one place. Application icons are displayed on a light background, so navigating the menu has become much easier.

Changing users

Special attention should be paid to such an option as a user manager. The function is very relevant for family tablets that are used by all family members. A separate account can be created for each user. By switching between accounts, using one gadget becomes more convenient for a group of people.

Alert panel

The notification panel has undergone global changes; now, when it drops out, it does not cover the main screen, because it is made translucent. In conditions of multitasking use of a smartphone, this feature will be an additional plus for ease of use.

Settings

After the installation is complete, you will see that the improvements in the settings menu are not so global; you will not find any special differences: all the same icons, all the same functions. The exception is additional function“Contactless payment” is a section intended for mobile payments.

Extra options

Smartphone, calendar and clock

Voice calls are set by default quick calls. Contact lists, as well as call logs, can be found if you scroll to the right. The change to the calendar is the addition of an option to display the schedule. You will see the calendar and all events in one feed.

The application standardly contains local and world time, a timer, an alarm clock, and a stopwatch. Here you can set the time display to turn off on the display at night, saving a little battery, the setting is called “night mode”.

Contacts, photos and keyboard

The address book is a list of contacts located in alphabetical order. The “Favorites” tab allows you to create an additional short list of the numbers that are most important to you.

Lollipop's snapshot storage concept is inextricably linked to Google+; photos can be saved to cloud storage Google. The program will edit pictures automatically; it is possible to create interactive and animated albums consisting of a series of photographs. But everything about the keyboard has changed: the interface as a whole, the design of the buttons, animation when pressing keys, vibration response.

Google Fit

In the updated OS, you will find a pedometer from Google - Google Fit. The program will count steps, show average speed, display the number of kilocalories burned, but will also allow you to systematize and save training results and various health information.

The market for mobile products is structured in such a way that as new versions of Android OS are released, smartphone manufacturing companies introduce their support into their own, both recently released and already proven models. How it works? When purchasing a new mobile product, the basic version of the system installed by default is available on it. After some period of time, Google releases a new Android release. After six months or a little later, depending on the geographic region, when the new version becomes tested and stable, you can install it on your smart phone. As a result, you get a new, modern interface, support for new applications and more settings and customization. In this material we have compiled a detailed guide for you, how to update Android on your phone.

What is a software update on Android and why is it needed?

You need to be aware that as a result of an update or rollback operating system all data stored on the phone will be irretrievably lost. Be sure to do backups all the data you need (address book, notes, photos) to a reliable external storage device before taking any of the steps in this guide. It could be external storage, hard drive on a PC (as a last resort, a memory card, but not advisable).

One more nuance. Since updating the operating system will require certain time(from 5 to 10 minutes, and sometimes more), be sure to charge the phone to 70-80% of the total battery capacity so that the update procedure is not interrupted due to problems with the phone’s battery.

Automatic Android update

Here we go to the “Software Update” item. On your device, this section may be located somewhere else, so you may have to go through the settings.

Now tap on the “Update” button, having previously set the option to download updates only via Wi-Fi, so that the update does not “eat up” all your money from your account.

Option in settings menu for automatic update OS

When all the data from the manufacturer’s server has been downloaded, in the menu that appears, tap the “Install” button and wait until the device reboots.

Since using the method described above you can only update your mobile device to the minor release build, you should also use special utility from the manufacturer (for Samsung gadgets it’s Kies, for LG it’s PC Suite, etc.) or updated “over the air” (most of the companies that produce smartphones or tablets have such a proprietary feature).

Latest Android update, if it is already available on the server, you can download it to your device at any time using just such a program.

Manually updating Android firmware

Almost all service centers use this method, but we can easily update ourselves, using only available means. Applies to update system application Odin. You can download it on many web resources (for example, on the same w3bsit3-dns.com). Using this technique, you can only install a new version of the official firmware, but not a custom one.

1. download the Odin program. We need version 1.83 (or later) - it is very popular among technicians and is suitable for the vast majority of products

2. find and download an archive on the Internet with the firmware we need. After extracting the contents from the archive (you will first need to download the archiver for Android), you should have 3 files: PIT, PDA and CSC

3. connect the smartphone to the PC. It is critical that the phone is detected correctly in Windows

4. launch Odin. If the device connection was successful, the port name in the program will light up in yellow in the corresponding field

Indication of successful connection of the device to the PC for updating in Odin

5. turn off the mobile device and transfer it to Download Mode by pressing the home, power and volume down keys at the same time

6. Confirm activation of Download Mode by holding down the “Volume Up” key

7. in the central Odin window, select the downloaded files so that they correspond to the PIT, PDA and CSC objects

8. In Odin, click the Start button and wait until all files are updated.

If the Android system update went smoothly, a field with the inscription PASS in green will appear on the application screen.

Successful system update via Odin

Rollback to previous version

Perhaps you updated to one of the latest versions and were not satisfied (the phone is slow, errors appear frequently, you need to reboot, etc.). If necessary, you can roll back to any version you need. How to roll back?

1 way

Suitable for those who want to return the basic official factory firmware installed in the device at the time of its purchase in the store. This is quite easy to do. Go to the device settings and select the item responsible for resetting the settings (this can be “Privacy” or “Backup and reset”). On the test phone, this function was available in the “Backup and reset” menu in the “Personal data” category.

Section in the options menu designed to reset the device to its factory state

1. We go to this section of the menu and stop at the “Reset settings” item.
2. A form pops up warning you that all data from the gadget will be deleted. If the backups are already saved in a safe place, feel free to click “Reset phone settings”.
3. The phone begins to reboot. After 5-10 minutes it will boot again, with a clean base system on board.

Method 2 - reset to factory settings (hard reset)

1. turn off the phone/tablet
2. simultaneously press and hold down the “Volume Up”, “Home” (bottom center) and “Power” buttons. The Recovery menu opens.
3. Using the volume keys, check the “wipe data/factory reset” item.
4. press the power key to confirm your choice
5. in the next menu you need to confirm your decision. Select “Yes – Delete all user data” using the keys designed to adjust the volume
6. Press the power button again. The main menu appears in front of you again
7. Using the power key, select “reboot system now”

All is ready. Next time the factory version of the OS will boot.

How to rollback if a custom version of Android is installed (Cyanogenmod, MIUI, Paranoid Android)?

If you installed a custom ROM, return official firmware can be done the same way manual update, - using the Odin program already mentioned in the review. First, you will have to search the Internet for files with the firmware you need, individually suitable for your smart model. Perhaps, best resource for searching – mobile portal w3bsit3-dns.com, here you can find any firmware for almost every phone model.

1. connect the mobile device to the PC
2. launch Odin
3. turn off the phone and enter it into Download Mode. To do this, press the home key, power key and volume down key.
4. when the phone is booted, press the volume up key to activate Download Mode
5. on main form Odin select downloaded files as matching PIT, PDA and CSC
6. in Odin, click the Start button and wait until all the files are updated.

The successful completion of the rollback procedure will be indicated by a green field with the inscription PASS at the top.

Information about a successful rollback to a previous version via Odin

How to update Play Market on Android

The first time you boot a fresh system, you have to configure everything again: account, language, mail, time zone, network, etc. The same goes for Google store Play Market. An update to this module will become available immediately after setting up a Google account on your mobile device.

Proposal to connect your Google account to the system

Once you enter your authentication details account Google, Play Store components will appear in the notification panel, which can be updated exactly like any other applications.

Updates for Play Market components

If you are using custom firmware, you need to go to the store itself at least once to update. After this, an update for the service will appear on the display.

Answers to readers' questions

When will the new Android update be available?

Answer. Because between the immediate release new version Android and the physical ability to install it on a gadget takes a certain amount of time (from 2-3 to 6-8 months), you need to be patient and follow the announcements of the companies. Among the first products with marshmallow support are devices from the Nexus and Android One lines. As for the Samsung brand, this month they promise updates to 6.0 for the following mobile device models: Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 edge+; in January 2016 – Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge; in February – Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note Edge.

Now about other brands. Sony announced an update for all current devices Xperia line, starting from the Xperia Z Ultra GPE released in 2013 and ending with all models of the Z5 series (both Premium and budget). The range of devices from LG is limited to the G4, G3 and G Flex2. HTC, in turn, limited itself to only two last generations own-produced devices: One M9/E9 and One M8/E8. In addition, companies such as Motorola, Xiaomi, Huawei, Asus, OnePlus and ZUK promise to equip their flagship devices and mid-level devices with Android 6.0. This list is not yet final. Subsequently, we will keep you updated on the latest announcements.

I have Huawei phone U9500, and I didn’t know or didn’t understand that I needed to update the version. Now I have Android 4.0.3, how can I update the firmware to the new version, please help!

Answer. Update process Huawei firmware described . In short, there are two ways to update the Huawei U9500 firmware.

1. We take out the battery and hold down the volume buttons on the phone. After this, the Android update process will begin.
2. Go to Settings -> Storage -> Software Update -> SD Card Update, launch the Android OS update.

I have a MFLogin3T tablet and until now I didn’t know that it was possible to update the system. I read it on different sites, tried it, but it doesn’t work. I have Android 4.4.4. How to update the Android version?

Answer. The easiest way to update your phone is through Settings - Options - About device - Software update. IN different versions Android OS partition location may vary. In this way, a standard update on Android is performed and the official software is downloaded. This is the safest and easiest way.

I have Samsung Duos, version 4.1.2 I can’t update the operating system to a higher version. Please help me update Android on my phone!

Answer. First you need to find out if it is possible to update Android on your phone to version 5.x. It turns out not. The fact is that specifications your phone is preventing you from installing newer versions of Android.

On the other hand, you can download the update for Android from the 4pda forum, where modified firmware is posted. But we wouldn't recommend setting it to enough old phone such updates if you do not have the necessary skills and are not prepared for a drop in the performance of your mobile device.

Lenovo A1000, Android is not updated. I'm trying to update version 5.0 to the newest one. At first everything goes well, but then he writes “Error” and shows an opened Android with a red triangle hanging above it with exclamation point. What should I do? How to update OS to latest version?

Answer. Why isn't Android updated? The fact is that Android 5.0 is the latest version of the OS to which you can officially update the firmware on your phone. By at least, so say the users of the 4pda forum. Of course, you can update your phone by installing custom firmware, but no one guarantees stability after such an update.

I purchased NTS one m7. I can't update Android 4.4.2. The device does not find the software update, how to solve this problem? How to update it?

Answer. NTS one m7 can be updated to at least Android 5.1. If you can’t install the official update, try downloading custom firmware on the 4pda forum. Instructions for updating on this device are also collected there (see). In this topic you will find solutions to the problem if the Android OS is not updated.

I have a Moto x play, I don’t want to update the system, the message “Android 6.0.1 software available” constantly appears, which is wildly annoying. Please tell me how to remove this message so that it doesn’t appear again. I even contacted the support service of the smartphone manufacturer itself, All the instructions they gave me did not bring any results.

Answer. To disable firmware updates, go to Android settings, section About phone - Software update and disable updates by unchecking the corresponding item.

A year ago, the memory on my device died (the phone stopped turning on), it was replaced, but the firmware was not the original one (it’s no different, only the yellow Kernel inscription appears in the corner on the startup screen). Naturally, there are no updates for this firmware. Can I use Kies to roll back Android (install the native one) and update it?

Answer. In order to roll back the update, you need to reboot the phone in Recovery mode, select wipe data/factory reset, wipe cache partition and reinstall the firmware from the zip archive previously downloaded to the memory card. You can find the official firmware both on the manufacturer’s official website and on the 4pda forum, in the section with the corresponding name of your mobile device.

Tablet Acer Iconia A1-810. I don't have firmware updates... I click system update and it says "your device requires an update." How can I “force” it (forcefully update the Android system) or update it myself?

Answer. This model The tablet was released about 5 years ago, it does not support new versions of Android, so the manufacturer does not provide firmware updates. You can look for custom (unofficial) firmware on the 4pda forum, but we do not recommend installing them - it is better to buy a new tablet than experiment with firmware at the expense of the stability and speed of the device.

The build number does not open on Android. I called for a long time. What should I do?

Answer. The Android build number is initially available for viewing in the “About smartphone” (“About tablet”) section. If you go turn on hidden settings(section “For Developers”), you can activate them by clicking on the build number, just 4-7 clicks on this line.

Google has begun distributing Android 5 Lollipop to Nexus device owners. In the near future, the update will be available for downloading over the air on Nexus 5, Nexus 7 2013 Wi-Fi and Nexus 10. If you want to install it already, then read the instructions on your smartphone. Installing Android 5.0 will entail deleting all user information from the device. You need to make a backup copy, transfer photos, documents, etc. to your computer. Charge the device at least 30% and connect it to the computer. To update, you need the ADB and Fastboot software, which is located in the platform-tools/ folder of the Android SDK, as well as the firmware itself for the compatible device.

How to download Android 5.0 Lollipop update and firmware

How to install Android 5.0 Lollipop

Installing Android 5.0

1. Open the folder with ours for nexus, for Nexus 7 it’s called razor.
2. Copy the contents of the folder and paste the files into the folder \Android-L\adt-bundle\sdk\platform-tools
3. Run command line Win+R type Cmd and press Enter.
4. Run the command adb reboot bootloader in the folder with the firmware.
5. Or open the folder with the firmware file and run the flash-all script. This script will install a new bootloader and firmware.
6. Wait until the end Android installations 5.0 Lollipop.

Periodically, every device running Android OS needs to update the current version of the operating system. Of course, even without this, the gadget will remain in working order, but nevertheless, some problems may arise with the old version. Therefore, today we will talk about how to update Android.

Often, when launching for sale new model, some problems software remain out of sight of the manufacturing company. A conscientious developer always tries to eliminate shortcomings in previously released versions that were identified while using the gadget, and in addition, add new functions that are more user-friendly.

There are also third-party developers who do not work for a particular company producing mobile devices, but they release their own unofficial software (custom firmware) for many device models, which can even be best quality than Android versions directly from the manufacturer.

In addition, devices from little-known manufacturers (usually Chinese) purchased outside the Russian Federation and not properly localized also need firmware updates.

How to update the version (firmware) of Android

Standard procedure

Official updates from the manufacturer are released quite regularly. As a rule, this applies to popular models of gadgets or devices produced by well-known companies.

Such updates are absolutely free, do not require special knowledge from the user and, as a rule, occur automatically. An Internet connection is required to check the firmware and update it.

Go to the main settings, in the section " System", at the very bottom we find the item " About the phone" (May be " About the device"), then open the position " System update" (May be " Update BY", on some models you will need to press the " Check now«):

The display will show " System check“, after which a message will appear indicating that the latest version is available or that it is being used, which means the system has been updated automatically. If this does not happen, then before you upgrade to a new one Android version, we find out information about the firmware installed on a specific device. To do this, go back to the “About phone” section and at the very bottom we find the necessary information:

Knowing the current firmware version is necessary to obtain information about the availability of more recent software versions for specific model smartphone/tablet and the possibility of installing them.

Note: if you are using a gadget whose software does not support the Russian language, then you need to find the items “ About tablet" or " About phone» and look for the necessary information there.

Using third party programs (ROM Manager)

Sometimes loading official update It may be impossible to do so via internet, and it’s not even possible to install custom firmware this way. In this case, one of the best apps, used for these purposes - .

Using this program, you can easily create system backups and (in our case) manually update the current version of Android, including on Chinese smartphones.

To work correctly with the program, it is necessary if your device is not rooted.

After launch, the program will ask you to install ClockWorkMod Recovery (CWM), this is a more advanced mod of the standard Recovery Android OS. We agree, and then do the following:

Loading on SD card your device, the required firmware (zip archive format), which can be found on the official website of the developer of our device, launch the utility ROM Manager, then select the menu item “ Install ROM from SD card" Using folder navigation, indicate the path to the archive on your SD card. Now let's activate the button " Save current ROM"(this is done to make it possible to roll back to old version, if you don’t like the new firmware) and select the “” position:

We agree with the reboot and the program will start the process of rebooting the smartphone in mode CWM and installing new firmware.

Also, the ROM Manager application will help you find firmware for specific device, to do this, in the program menu you need to select the item “ Download firmware", and it may well be that there is something more suitable just for you.

Learn more about the app's features ROM Manager watch the video:

Via ClockWorkMod Recovery

It is possible that updating Android using the ROM Manager utility failed, especially this situation is possible on smartphones from Chinese or little-known manufacturers. In this case, you can use the CWM menu.

ClockworkMod Recovery (or CWM Recovery) is an analogue of standard recovery with advanced functions. This utility will help not only perform full reset devices or install patches for games, but also update the firmware of the mobile gadget.

CWM supports most devices on Android based. In fact, every second modern smartphone(or tablet) Android is equipped with Modrecovery CWM. But if your device only has stock (standard) recovery, then install CWM Recovery using the ROM Manager application (see above).

After entering the ClockWorkMod Recovery menu, move using the volume key and first select “ wipe data/factory reset" (to reset all settings to factory settings), then " wipe cache"(to clear the cache). Now we find the line “ install zip from SD card" and confirm the action with the hardware button " Home"or the device power button (it plays the role of the " Yes»):

Note: for some device models, menu operation can be controlled using a sensor.

Next, getting to the point “ choose zip from sd card", indicate the path to new firmware in the ZIP archive that was saved on the SD card, confirm the choice by clicking “ Yes – Install /sdcard/update.zip»:

After completing the steps, the process of flashing our Android devices will be launched. Upon completion, select “ reboot system now"to reboot the device and wait for the device to boot, which can take quite a long period of time.

Important ! Before updating the Android version (firmware), you need to fully charge the device, because the whole process will take about half an hour. During the firmware update, the smartphone will require a lot of energy to correctly complete the task. In addition, the display backlight will be at maximum brightness during the update procedure, and the update process interrupted due to a lack of power can lead to disastrous consequences.

Therefore, before you start updating your device, assess the degree of risk and try to approach the question of how to update the Android version responsibly. Good luck!

The long-awaited Lollipop turned out to be not as accessible as the previous version of the android. Even now, a year after its official announcement, it is quite problematic to find a mid-price smartphone with Android 5.0 installed. Of course, top gadgets from Samsung, HTC, Sony and Nexuses immediately get an “A” right out of the assembly line. So what is interesting about this Lollipop in terms of updating? The most important innovation was multiple user support. Yes, what we took for granted in Windows, Android received only in the fifth version! Nowadays, more and more corporate users use one smartphone or tablet to work with several employees. And this innovation came in handy.
The following significant changes affected the design of the operating system as a whole. Changed interface, which, according to Google developers, has become simpler, clearer and more convenient. In practical terms, this loud statement is not very noticeable. In a few words, the interface has become different, and that’s all. Most the five differs from the four in the logic of its operation, something that the end user does not see. And the results of these changes are noticed, for example, in an increase in duration battery life gadget, or speeding up applications.
Let's take a look at the subversions that have already appeared.
Android 5.0.1 and 5.0.2 editions have the opportunity to be released just because of the edit critical errors . So it’s not worth chasing the firmware of these particular versions. You can completely flash the base assembly and get all the advantages (and disadvantages;)) of the new OS.
As usual, We recommend that you install the official Android 5.0 firmware in Russian or custom builds based on basic versions. Alternative developments tend to have a lot of glitches, so there is a chance that after flashing your phone or tablet you will end up with more problems than benefits.

Full video review of Android OS 5.0 Lollipop

Latest 20 added Android 5.0 Lollipop firmware

date	Smartphone	Android	Link
20-09-2017	Acer_20150612_A_A.zip on Acer Liquid Z220	5.0.2
16-10-2016	V21 for FlashTool on SENSEIT E400	5.0.2
20-08-2016	4.5.0.0 on ASUS ZenPad 10 Z300CNG	5.0.2
24-06-2016	v10f on LG Leon H324	5.0.2
24-06-2016	Galaxy6 LP on Lenovo TAB 2 A7-30DC	5.0.2
24-06-2016	A7-30DC_S129_150831 on Lenovo TAB 2 A7-30DC	5.0.2
23-05-2016	A10-70F_S000121_151222_ROW on Lenovo TAB 2 A10-70L	5.0.2
11-05-2016	555XXU1AOH2 on Samsung Galaxy Tab A 9.7 SM-T555	5.0.2
07-05-2016	Full ROM Version V7.2.5.0 MIUI 7 on Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Pro	5.0.2
01-05-2016	WBL7311RH_0305_T5519 from 03/25/16 on Highscreen Power Five Pro	5.0.2
24-02-2016	Custim ROM for Qumo QUEST 507	5.0.2
04-02-2016	MIUI 7 for SP FlashTool on Xiaomi Redmi Note 3	5.0.2
31-01-2016	S123_Lite2 on Lenovo A5000	5.0.2
15-01-2016	T355XXU1AOK1 from 11/04/2015 on Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0 SM-T355	5.0.2
15-01-2016	T355XXU1AOJ1 from 10/08/2015 on Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0 SM-T355	5.0.2
29-12-2015	AOSP 5.0.2v3 on Lenovo IdeaTab 2 A7-30HC	5.0.2