Firmware is the basic software of a smartphone, which allows you to perform all the functions included in the device. By correctly configuring the firmware, you can achieve optimal operation of the device: improve performance, increase battery life, or enhance the quality of GPS and cellular signal reception.

How to reflash Android and what is required for this?

Taking into account the fact that currently the development of smartphones on Android is carried out by almost everyone who is not too lazy, the number of firmware options is growing, and accordingly, each device will require an individual approach, however, the main stages of firmware remain unchanged.

1. First of all: Before flashing the device to Android, you need to make sure that your the device is charged and will not sit down at the most inopportune moment.

2. Secondly: you need to look in the settings of the device itself the exact name of your device and firmware version, since attempting to install incorrect firmware may damage your device.

3. Thirdly: you need to decide what firmware you need: official or “custom”.

Official firmware- This is the firmware that the device manufacturer develops itself, assuming that its settings are most suitable for the majority of users. As a rule, official firmware has stable operation, but can be overloaded with unnecessary “garbage” consisting of pre-installed programs.

Custom firmware– firmware created from scratch, or a modification of the official firmware. It is created by enthusiasts in order to speed up the operation of the device, add additional features and functions, and also remove errors found in official firmware. However, not all custom firmware may have good operating stability, so before installing them, you need to study the reviews of those who have already done it.

Once the firmware itself has been selected, you can begin the process of installing it on the device.

Let's look at some options with which you can flash Android devices.

The most common method is to flash the device's firmware using auto-update. It is suitable in cases where your device has an outdated version of the software and there is an update for it. To check if there is an update for your device, you need to go to “settings” - “about phone” - “system update”.

If you want to install custom firmware or “roll back” to earlier versions of your own, then you need to resort to using other flashing methods. Different smartphone developers have different approaches to flashing their devices, and accordingly, different software will be required.

List of programs by manufacturer:

1. Samsung - Odin
2. Lenovo - Flash Tool
3. HTC - Fastboot
4. LG – KDZ Updater
5. Sony - Flashboot
6. Nexus - Fastboot.

These are not all smartphone manufacturers and, accordingly, applications for their firmware.

Video to help:

Articles and Lifehacks

Often, when a mobile device starts to malfunction, it is necessary to reinstall its software, but users do not know how to change the phone’s firmware.

This manipulation allows you to slightly adjust a number of functions. The procedure makes it possible to use equalizer, audio and other options in a fundamentally new quality.

Preparing for firmware

To change the firmware, you must perform the following manipulations:

• Synchronize your computer with your mobile device. This can be done using a data cable, synchronization software and a driver for your computer.

  In this case, the drivers must correspond to the gadget model used.

• Connect your mobile device to your personal computer. The phone must first be prepared for the operation.
• Verify that the software has detected the mobile device.
• Copy all personal information present on the device. These can be audio recordings, contact numbers, photographs, videos. It should be remembered that flashing the firmware may lead to their removal.

Further actions

When all the preparations are completed, all that remains is to download the software to carry out the procedure. You can find it on the Internet. To do this, just use a search engine.

1. Install the downloaded program.
2. Copy the current firmware version to a personal computer. This step is an excellent guarantee of safety in the event of an unsuccessful procedure.
3. View the battery level of phones. The mobile device must be charged at least 50%.
4. Taking further steps. Everything must be done based on the instructions in the instructions.
5. Upon completion of all manipulations, you must press the power off key. To evaluate the flashing, you only need to reboot the gadget.

It is important to consider that sometimes the provider recommends installing a special firmware version. This is not always the latest version.

Provides active customer support, releasing updates and upgrades for its gadgets with varying degrees of success. In practice, the developer delivers official firmware mainly “over the air” (via OTA updates), as well as by posting a special firmware image file on its website or portal.

You can flash the image using a set of special software:

• CWM Recovery.
• TWRP Recovery.
• Using a computer and a special set of programs (Fastboot, KDZ Update, Odin and other utilities).

As a rule, firmware images before updating are packaged in special archives with the extension ZIP, ISO and others.

In addition to official firmware, very often users and the gadget community form support for devices by releasing custom firmware versions and posting them on amateur forums and portals. Such updates can provide expanded or reduced functionality of official images, adding or removing unnecessary aspects from them.

To begin with, before the flashing process, be sure to take care of your data on the internal memory of the device. When updating, all files are erased, which means you need to make a backup in advance and save important files on external media.

On question how to flash android We won’t stop at OTA updates “over the air”, but rather, let’s concentrate all our attention on other update methods.

Flashing your phone using CWM Recovery

The rich functionality of CWM Recovery allows you to perform many manipulations with the device, including updating the firmware. By default, devices have stock Recovery installed, which means that first you need to install the ClockWorkMod Recovery utility itself.

The general flashing process described below applies to ZIP files. Instructions:

1. Go to Recovery. To do this, you need to completely turn off the device, and then press a certain sequence of buttons on the body of the device. The set of keys may vary depending on the device manufacturer. Each combination may be different. Additional information can be found using search engines by asking the appropriate question. A universal option is to set the following keystrokes:

• Volume up button + power key
• Volume down button + power key
• Volume up/down buttons + Power key + Home key.
• Simultaneously hold down the volume up+down keys and the power key.

Once in recovery, you will see a central menu, which you can navigate using the volume up and down buttons, and the power key will function as an action selection.

1. Before starting the device, you are required to perform a full reset of the gadget to factory settings. To do this, go to the “wipe data/factory reset” item and confirm the action by clicking on the line that says “Yes – Wipe all user data”.
2. Returning to the main lobby, select “Install zip”.
3. Next, click on the “Choose zip from /sdcard” item and in the Explorer tree, select the file with the previously saved firmware.
4. Confirm your choice by clicking on “Yes – Install...”.
5. The process of flashing the device will begin. At the end of the process, the user will see the message “Install from sdcard complete” on the screen.
6. All that remains for the user to do is return to the main CWM Recovery lobby and complete the process of rebooting the gadget by clicking the “reboot system now” line.

After these steps, the firmware installation will begin. Don't panic, because the installation algorithm can take up to 10 minutes.

How to flash an Android phone using TWRP Recovery

For those who prefer working with the utility in the form of TWRP Recovery, we offer the following step-by-step instructions for installing the update in the form of a ZIP archive:

1. Upload the file with the firmware image to the device memory.
2. Go to TWRP recovery. This is done by analogy with CWM.
3. Perform a factory reset by clicking on the “Wipe” option in the main menu. Drag the lever to the right. When you finish cleaning the gadget, return to the original lobby by pressing the “Back” button.
4. In the main lobby, select “Install” and find the previously downloaded image in the file system tree. Click on it by dragging the slider to the side.
5. After this, the firmware process will start. According to the standard, it does not exceed 2-3 minutes.
6. Upon completion, the utility will automatically display a message indicating successful flashing. By clicking on the “Reboot System” item, reboot the device.

Installing updates using ROM Manager

Using this application, you can not only flash the firmware, but also create a backup copy of the system. Use this option so as not to lose important data and quickly restore all the functionality of your smartphone.

To get started, you will need special devices on your device that allow you to access the internal files of your device at the system level. To do this, you can use any of the presented programs.

The second important aspect when working with ROM Manager is custom recovery. All firmware operations take place directly in the Android launcher itself, and ROM Manager serves as a visual add-on to Recovery.

To get started, download the firmware file for your gadget and follow the instructions below:

1. Transfer the firmware archive, in a ZIP extension, to the memory of your device.
2. In the utility menu, go to “Install ROM from SD card.”
3. Among the folders and files, select your image and click on it.
4. In the new lobby, select “Reboot and Install”. Don't forget to check the "Save current ROM" checkbox. In this case, you will have the opportunity to restore the system at any time.
5. By clicking “OK” your gadget will go into Recovery mode and the firmware update process will begin.

Thanks to the advanced functionality of the ROM Manager application, users can directly download images for their device from it. You can do this by clicking on the “Download firmware” item. Access to some ROMs is only available in the paid version of the program.

How to flash Android via computer

A universal tool for flashing Android devices using a PC is the Fastboot utility. It is part of the SDK Platform Tools, which means it is suitable for a large number of devices.

The second step before starting the firmware is gaining access to the system kernel. Very often, many manufacturers block this system parameter, not wanting users to personally change the system files of their firmware images. Such manufacturers include HTC, the Nexus line of devices, Sony and others. To do this you need to unlock Bootloader. To do this, you need to study the detailed instructions for setting up and managing the command line. Before starting the firmware using a computer, do not forget to enable device debugging via USB in the engineering settings of the device.

Brief instructions for installing ZIP firmware using Fastboot

1. First, copy the .zip archive with the image and place it in the folder with “ADB”.
2. Switch your smartphone or tablet to fastboot mode and write the request on the command line: fastbooflash zip filename.zip, where filename.zip is the name of your firmware.
3. Wait until the installation is complete and reboot the device.

The Android operating shell has conquered a huge market segment primarily due to its functionality and customization capabilities. However, sooner or later the question arises - how to change the firmware on Android; it can arise in cases where the stock one is no longer satisfactory, or a new version has been released with updates that make the platform more stable. This article will discuss in detail the issue of updating the shell.

Replacement methods

Let's look at ways to replace the firmware.

Update via device settings

Let's look at the first way to update the firmware on Android.

Rollback to the previous version of Android: Video

Updating with superuser rights

The first method is considered official; using it does not void the device’s warranty, but such an update is not available from all manufacturers. Let's look at how to change the firmware on Android using the second method.

The utility also allows you to search for firmware for specific gadgets; this can be done in the same main menu. If you failed to activate the “Install Rom from Card” button, then you need to download ClockWorkMod Recovery. After this, it will be possible to load the engineering menu and install the shell from the archive.

How to get ROOT rights: Video

Rollback to previous version

Reinstalling the firmware on Android is relatively simple, but during this procedure unpleasant situations may occur when the platform stops working correctly. In such cases, rolling back to a previous version helps. To do this, before any manipulations, you need to make a backup copy of the current shell and save it, so that you can install it again if necessary. The process is different for each individual device; in some cases, a simple reset to factory settings helps. To do this, go to the “Backup and Reset” and “Reset Settings” menus. After activating the “Reset phone settings” item, the procedure will start and everything will be

Tips for choosing firmware and instructions for installing it on Android via the recovery menu.

Navigation

The Android operating system is famous today for its stable operation, but even with it, sometimes troubles happen. Your device starts to slow down, close applications automatically, generate critical system service errors, and the like. As a rule, this is due to the firmware installed on the mobile device.
There are two types of firmware: stock and custom. And, before flashing your device, first you need to think carefully, weigh all the pros and cons of each firmware and choose the one that suits you best

Android firmware

Main pros and cons of stock firmware

• And so, stock firmware is the official software released by the developers and optimized as best as possible for most mobile devices
• As a rule, tablets and mobile phones are initially sold with the optimal version of the operating system (firmware) for them and replacing it with earlier or later versions is not recommended, but in some cases such a need may arise. For example, if you skipped updating to a new version after getting root rights

pros

• Official firmware provides a guarantee of quality and stable operation of the system
• Provides reliable protection against external hacking
• It is possible to automatically update if a new version of the operating system is released
• Absence of any serious bugs, glitches or software that conflicts with third-party applications
• If a device with stock firmware breaks down, it can be sent to a repair service or exchanged under warranty

Minuses

• There is a lot of unnecessary software in official firmware that cannot be removed. If you have a weak mobile phone or tablet, this may even slow down the system
• No full access to device management
• There is no option to install some additional software

Custom Android firmware

The main pros and cons of custom firmware

• Custom firmware is an official version of the operating system upgraded by skilled users. Since Android is open source, anyone can edit the operating system the way they want
• There are a great many custom firmwares and they all have their pros and cons. Some work like clockwork on all devices, others only on certain models, and others not at all. It all depends on the skill of the person who created it.

pros

• Most custom firmwares are fast
• No unnecessary off-the-shelf software
• Availability of additional third-party software
• Fixed multiple bugs that were present in the stock firmware of this version
• Availability of root rights

Minuses

• There are a sufficient number of firmwares that greatly slow down the system
• There is no guarantee of safety and security of data on the device
• Not all devices run custom firmware
• Having a device with custom firmware installed will void its warranty and you will not be able to send it to a service center for repairs.

Carefully weigh all the pros and cons and decide which of the above is best for you

Recovery menu on Android

How to flash a device through the recovery menu?

• Regardless of what firmware you want to install on your device, stock or custom, you must first obtain root rights. After receiving them, you need to install one of the versions on your device custom recovery menu. The most reliable and popular today are TWRP And ClockworkMod recovery

IMPORTANT: Remember that obtaining root rights will void the warranty on your device and, in the event of a breakdown, you will not be able to return it to a service center.

• To set the menu TWRP Goo Manager
• To set the menu ClockworkMod, you need to download the program to the Play Market Rom Manager and in the main menu click on the item “ Setup recovery»

Android firmware via recovery_3 menu

IMPORTANT: Before starting the procedure, make a complete backup of all important data to the SD card, since during the process of flashing the device, all applications and contacts will be deleted from it, and the settings will be reset to factory settings

• Download and place the firmware file in the format “ zip" Remember that you need to download only the firmware that is intended for your device! If you use incompatible firmware, you risk losing your device forever
• After the menu is installed and the firmware file is moved to the SD card, you need to boot the phone into recovery mode
• This is done by simultaneously pressing several buttons on your device while it is off. On all models, the combination of buttons is different, however, most often they are pressed volume button "+" And power button
• You can also load into the menu through one of the previously downloaded applications. On the main tab, select the device to start in recovery mode and wait for the device to boot in this mode.
• Once you have booted into the recovery menu, you can proceed directly to installing the firmware

Android firmware via recovery_2 menu

• ClockworkMod, using the louder/quieter volume buttons, navigate through the menu and perform the following actions in strict order:
  Wipe data/factory reset, then Yes – Wipe all user data;
  Wipe cache partition, then Yes – Wipe cache;
  Advanced, then wipe dalvik cache, then Yes – wipe dalvik cache;
  Install zip, then choose zip from sdcard (here you are required to specify the previously downloaded firmware file)
• After all these steps, the installation process will begin, which may take an indefinite amount of time. Installation typically lasts from 15 to 40 minutes. After the process is completed, you need to return to the main menu and select “reboot system now"

Android firmware via recovery_1 menu

• If you have installed a menu on your device TWRP, then it is touch-sensitive and you can use your finger to navigate by clicking on the desired items. Perform the following steps in strict order:
  Wipe, then Swipe to factory reset; (then return to the main menu)
  Install, next specify the downloaded file for installation, which you previously transferred to the SD card;
  The installation process has begun. Wait for it to complete, then return to the main menu and click “Reboot system"

• After the reboot, the firmware will be installed and the phone will boot in normal mode

IMPORTANT: If you have a poor idea of ​​what you are doing and why you need it all, it is recommended to refrain from manually updating the firmware and entrust this task to a professional, otherwise you risk being left without a device

IMPORTANT: When resorting to flashing the device yourself, you act at your own peril and risk. The site administration and the author of the article are not responsible for possible problems that may occur on your devices during installation

VIDEO: Android firmware without a computer