You would like to update the firmware on your Android smartphone or tablet, but the latest version does not come "over the air". Is there any new firmware for your gadget at all? Where can it be found and how to update android on a phone or tablet? Let's look into the issue together.

It would seem that what could be easier than updating the firmware on Android? Even a person who is completely ignorant of operating systems and devices can click desired button by agreeing to the platform upgrade offer. But, as it turned out, this seemingly simple process also has a number of nuances that can puzzle many experienced users and professionals. Anyway, let's go point by point...

How do Android devices get updates?

Novice users are often concerned about the question: how do Android updates arrive, and how often does this happen. There is no single answer to this question. Specific terms depend on the manufacturer of the device, as well as on the general situation with the correct operation of the operating system. It can be unequivocally stated that devices belonging to the model line receive updates as regularly and promptly as possible. Google Nexus.

It is simply impossible to update all other gadgets in the same short time - manufacturers always need a certain amount of time to create their own version of the platform based on fresh android versions. It also takes some time to test the so-called beta version, to eliminate bugs. Only after the final debugging of the software, the update is sent "over the air" to smartphones and tablets. Approximate times - from one month to six months.

Sometimes users are perplexed: the gadget was running, and then the update comes immediately to. Where are all the other versions? Why didn't they come? The answer is simple: having a large the lineup(sometimes three or more than a dozen devices are released at the same time), the manufacturing company simply does not have time to work on each new version for all models. Therefore, updates are developed as far as possible and "rolled out" as soon as they are ready for a particular smartphone or tablet.

How long will the manufacturer send (develop) Android updates for a particular device? Will he lose interest? From this point of view, of course, it is more profitable to purchase popular models. A whole army of users becomes their owners, and it is important for manufacturers to maintain the software of such a device at the proper level for as long as possible, so that the owners can always update the version of Android and not be disappointed in the brand and remain faithful to it with the next purchase.

How to find out about the release of an Android update for your gadget? There are a lot of options here: communication on specialized forums and in groups social networks, reading news on resources dedicated to the Android OS. But the surest way is to regularly view the official website of the manufacturer. The new platform image for manually updating Android on your device will definitely appear there first. One way or another, the corresponding notification will definitely come to your device.

How to update android over the air?

It happens that some time passes between the announcement of the latest version of the platform and the receipt of updates. Sometimes someone familiar with the same model as yours has already managed to update Android, and you are still waiting for the cherished notification. There is nothing critical in this - manufacturers simply send updates to users of their gadgets, gradually covering the entire audience, and not all at once. It may take from several hours to two or three weeks before receiving a notification, and you will know about the possibility of updating the system the next time you connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi. However, you can periodically go to "Settings" and check the item " System update" in the "About device" section (located at the bottom of the settings menu).

If, when checking the "System Update" item, you saw the "Download" button, then it's time to install the latest version of the platform.

1. Click the "Download" button and wait for the download to finish;

2. To initiate the process of installing the updated system, click the "Restart and install" button;
3. The device will then reboot on its own. After rebooting the device, it will work with the updated version of Android.

How to speed up the receipt android updates by air?
You can speed up the receipt of OTA updates as follows:
1. Go to "Settings" -> "Applications" -> "All";

2. Open "Google Services Framework";
3. Select the function "Erase data";
4. Check for updates: "Settings" -> "About device" -> "System update".
Sometimes you need to repeat these steps several times, and in some cases it is enough to wait a few minutes and recheck for updates (they may not appear immediately).

How to update Android manually?

We have already said that you can find the latest firmware version on the official website of the manufacturer. If you do not want to wait for OTA updates, you can update the Android version manually using the platform mirror provided by your smartphone manufacturers or tablet computer. The first thing to do is to go to the site and download the ZIP archive with the firmware to your gadget, placing it in the device's memory in any place convenient for you. Then follow the step by step instructions below:
1. Turn off the device.
2. Turn it on again using a specific key combination - find it on the Internet for your smartphone or tablet model (even better if you use the "How to enter the Recovery Menu" instruction for your device). The most common keyboard shortcuts are:
Power button / "Volume +";
Power button / "Volume -";
"Volume +/-" + power button + Home;
"Volume +" + "Volume -" + power button.
Navigation through the Recovery menu is carried out using the "Volume +" and "Volume -" keys, the choice is made with the power / lock button (in case the navigation through the menu is not touch-sensitive).
3. After entering the Recovery menu, select "Apply update".
4. If the ZIP archive with the firmware is located on the memory card, then select "Choose from sdcard". If the archive is located in the device's own memory, select "Choose from internal storage".
5. Next, find the folder where you saved the firmware and select it - the update installation process will start automatically.

Upon completion of the update installation process, you will need to return to the main Recovery menu, where select " Reboot system now"- the gadget will reboot with the latest firmware version.

Now you know how to update Android over the air and manually. If you have any questions, you can ask them in the comments to the article - we will be happy to help.

Periodically, each device running the 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, with old version some problems may occur. Therefore, today we will talk about how to update Android.

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

There are also third-party developers who do not work for one or another company that produces mobile devices, but release their own, unofficial software (custom firmware) for many models of devices, which can be even better quality than Android versions directly from the manufacturer.

In addition, devices from little-known manufacturers (usually Chinese) purchased outside the Russian Federation and not having normal localization also need a firmware update.

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 manufactured by well-known companies.

Such updates are absolutely free, do not require special knowledge from the user, and usually 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 phone" (may be " About device"), then open the position" System update" (may be " Update ON", on some models you will need to press the " Check now«):

The display will show “ System check“, after which a message will appear about the availability of the latest version or about its use, which means the system has been updated automatically. If this does not happen, then before flashing to a new version of Android, we will find out information about the firmware installed on a particular device. To do this, we return 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 a specific smartphone / tablet model 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 already there to look for the necessary information.

Using third-party programs (ROM Manager)

Sometimes downloading an official update via Internet is not possible, and even custom firmware cannot be installed in this way at all. In this case, one of the best apps used for these purposes - .

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

For correct work 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 Android Recovery OS. We agree, and then we do the following:

Upload to SD card of your device with the necessary firmware (zip-archive format), which can be found on the official website of the developer of our device, run the utility ROM Manager, then select " Install ROM from SD card". Using the folder navigation, we indicate the path to the archive on our es-di map. Now let's activate the button Save Current ROM" (this is done to be able to roll back to the old version if you do not 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 the mode CWM and installing new firmware.

Also, the ROM Manager application will help in finding the firmware for a specific device, for this, in the program menu, select the item " Download firmware”, and it may well be that there is something more suitable for you.

Learn more about app features ROM Manager we watch the video:

Via ClockWorkMod Recovery

It is possible that updating Android using the ROM Manager utility did not work, 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 the standard recovery with advanced features. This utility will help not only perform a hard reset of the device or install patches for games, but also make the firmware of the mobile gadget.

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

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

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

Further, hitting the point " choose zip from sd card”, specify the path to the new firmware in the ZIP archive that was saved on the es-di card, confirm the choice by clicking“ Yes - Install /sdcard/update.zip»:

After the steps have been taken, 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 load, which can take a rather 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, the smartphone will need a lot of energy to correctly complete the task. In addition, the backlight of the display during the update procedure will be at maximum brightness, and the update process interrupted due to 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 issue of how to update the Android version responsibly. Good luck!

Android is the operating system that has revolutionized mobile technologies. More and more gadgets are produced on this platform every day due to its flexibility, and mainly because it software open source code. Developers are constantly coming up with new ideas to make Android even better, but there are users who still operate devices with older versions. Because of this, they cannot use some of the new applications and modern features.

What to do with the old version?

Many in this regard will ask the question: "How to update Android, if possible?" Answer: yes, it's real and it's quite easy to upgrade from the old version to the latest one.

Even though the Android OS is already widespread in the 4.0.5 distribution, many people still use version 2.3. Even developers of various applications today make changes to their products that have entered the market earlier to make them compatible with new releases of the platform. If you update Android 23 to new version, it will improve your device in many ways, adding multitasking and functionality, and most importantly, making it compatible with new applications offered in Google Play store.

So let's see how you can update Android 2.3 to 4.0 or even newer releases using OS settings (OS Updater). Follow the instructions below to properly perform this operation.

Before updating "Android", be sure to make all the data saved in your smartphone. This is necessary in case you make a mistake and delete all the contents of the memory. Otherwise, all data will be lost forever.

So, how to 40 and above?

First you have to download OS Updater for Android. Then save it and run. Connect your device to your computer and click "Find Android Device" in the menu of the program you just installed.

After the device is found, go to the next step and click on the "Find Similar OS Platform Ver" button to find updates. Then click the "Upgrade to 4.0" button and start the download process. Speaking of how to update Android, you can install version 4.0.3, and even 4.0.5 in your device in a similar way.

Then reboot your smartphone or tablet - and you will have the latest distribution. As you can see, this process is very simple. This instruction works with all kinds of devices.

Is an update to version 4.3 available?

In addition, the Android-4.3 Jelly Bean operating system, introduced in the new Nexus devices, has already been released. However, other gadgets will take time to be upgraded to this version. Speaking about how to update Android to version 4.3, it should be noted that the standard procedure may not be effective (for the above reason). However, if you don't want to wait for the official release of this version, you can update directly from the Google servers and try to download them using the Sideload command. In other words, it's better to wait a while and then enjoy the new features of your favorite platform to the fullest. Moreover, all new items become available to the general public rather quickly. As the representatives of the company promise, in the near future it is planned to release about a dozen devices on the new version of the platform.

Many users try to find on the Internet android updater phone or tablet, although you don't really need it. Why ask you? Because all official updates for your gadget come "over the air" (via connected Wi-Fi), or simply via the Internet. In 99% of cases, as soon as an update to your version of Android is released, you will see a pop-up message that new updates are available for your operating system.

Official Android update

The advantage of this method is that it is the easiest way to get the latest Android updates over the Internet. Most importantly, everything is official, and you can't go wrong with the installation, since there are a huge number of versions and builds of Android. Of the minuses, several can be noted - if there is no Wi-Fi, you will have to pay for GPRS traffic, and this is sometimes very expensive and slow.

To get the official update of the operating system, you need to go:

Settings - General - About phone - Software info

Different versions of Android may have slightly different menus, but the principle remains the same for all devices. Next, you can go to the Update Center and check for updates, as well as check the box "Check for and download updates automatically"

This method is suitable for all users who have not installed other builds on their Android.

Android Update Manager - Android updater

Android Update Manager- this free program which you can download and install on your computer. With this utility you can flash custom firmware at one's own risk! If you have not previously installed updates to the Android operating system manually do not recommend you to use this method.

The market for mobile products is arranged in such a way that as new versions of the Android OS are released, smartphone manufacturers introduce their support into their own, both recently released and already proven models. How it works? At the time of purchasing a new mobile product, the basic version of the system installed by default is available on it. After a certain period of time, Google releases a new release of Android. Six months later or a little later, depending on the geographical region, when the new version becomes run-in 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 article, we have compiled a detailed guide for you, how to update android phone.

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

You need to be aware that as a result of updating or rolling back the operating system, all data stored on the phone will be irretrievably lost. Be sure to back up all the data you need (address book, notes, photos) to a reliable external drive before taking any of the steps in this guide. This can be an external drive, a hard drive on a PC (as a last resort, a memory card, but not desirable).

One more nuance. Since the update of 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 so that the update procedure is not interrupted due to problems with the phone's battery.

Android auto update

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

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

Option in the settings menu for automatic update OS

When all the data from the manufacturer's server is downloaded, in the menu that appears, tap the "Install" button and wait until the device reboots.

Since, in the manner described above, you can only update a mobile device to a minor release build, you should also use a special utility from the manufacturer (for Samsung gadgets, this is Kies, for LG, PC Suite, etc.) or update "over the air" (most of companies that produce smartphones or tablets have such a proprietary feature).

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

Updating Android Firmware Manually

Almost all service centers use this method, but we can easily update ourselves, using only improvised means. Used for updating 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 custom.

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

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

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

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

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 key, power and volume down at the same time

6. confirm the activation of Download Mode by holding down the "Volume up" key

7. in the central window of Odin, select the downloaded files to match the PIT, PDA and CSC objects

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

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

Successful system update via Odin

Rollback to a previous version

Perhaps you upgraded to one of the latest versions and were not satisfied (the phone is slow, errors often appear, a reboot is necessary, 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. It's pretty easy to do this. Go to the device settings and select the item responsible for resetting the settings (it can be "Privacy" or "Backup and reset"). On the test phone, this feature was available in the "Backup and Reset" menu in the "Personal" category.

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

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

Method 2 - reset to factory settings (hard reset)

1. turn off phone/tablet
2. Press and hold the Volume Up, Home (bottom center) and Power buttons at the same time. The Recovery menu opens.
3. using the volume keys, mark the item "wipe data / factory reset".
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 pops up in front of you again.
7. using the power key, mark "reboot system now"

Everything 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, you can restore the official firmware in the same way as doing a manual update - using the Odin program already mentioned in the review. You will first have to search the network for files with the firmware you need, suitable individually for your smart model. Perhaps, best resource for search - the w3bsit3-dns.com mobile portal, here you can find any firmware for almost every phone model.

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

How to update Play Store on Android

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

An offer to connect a 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 application.

Updates for Play Market components

If you are using custom firmware, you need to go to the store itself at least once to update. The service update will then appear on the display.

Answers to questions from readers

When will the new Android update be available?

Answer. Since a certain time passes between the immediate release of a new version of Android and the physical possibility of installing it on a gadget (from 2-3 to 6-8 months), you need to be patient and follow the announcements of companies. Among the first products with the support of "marshmallow" are devices of the Nexus and Android One lines. As for the Samsung brand, this month they promise updates to 6.0 for the following models mobile devices: 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 for other brands. Sony has announced an update for all current devices in the Xperia lineup today, from the Xperia Z Ultra GPE released in 2013 to all models of the Z5 series (both Premium and budget). LG devices are limited to G4, G3 and G Flex2. HTC, in turn, limited itself to only the last two generations of devices of its own production: One M9/E9 and One M8/E8. In addition, companies such as Motorola, Xiaomi, Huawei, Asus, OnePlus and ZUK are promising to equip their flagship and mid-range devices with Android 6.0. This list is not yet final. Subsequently, we will keep you updated with the latest announcements.

I have huawei phone U9500, and I did not know or did not understand that I needed to update the version. Now I have Android 4.0.3, how to update the firmware to the new version, please help!

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

1. We take out the battery, hold down the volume buttons on the phone. After that, the Android update process will begin.
2. Go to Settings -> Memory -> Software update -> SD card update, launch the Android OS update.

I have an MFLogin3T tablet and until that moment I did not know that it was possible to update the system. I read on different sites, tried, it does not 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. Thus, a standard update to Android is performed, official software is downloaded. This is the safest and easiest way.

I have Samsung Duos, version 4.1.2 can't update operating system to a larger version. Please help me update my android 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 does not allow you to install newer versions of Android.

On the other hand, you can download the Android update from the w3bsit3-dns.com forum, where modified firmware is posted. But we would not recommend installing such updates on a fairly old phone if you do not have the necessary skills and are not ready 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 the opened Android with a red triangle hanging above it with exclamation mark. What should I do? How to update the OS to the latest version?

Answer. Why is Android not updating? The fact is that Android 5.0 is latest version The OS to which you can update the firmware on your phone officially. At least that's what users of the w3bsit3-dns.com forum say. Of course, you can update the phone by installing custom firmware, but no one guarantees stability after such an update.

Acquired NTS one m7. Can't update Android 4.4.2. The machine does not find the software update, how to solve this problem? How to update it?

Answer. HTC one m7 can be upgraded to at least Android 5.1. If you can't install the official update, try downloading custom firmware on the w3bsit3-dns.com 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 Moto x play, I don’t want to update the system, the message “Android 6.0.1 software is available” constantly appears, which is wildly annoying. Please tell me how to remove this message so that it does not appear again. I even contacted the support service of the smartphone manufacturer itself, all the instructions given to me by them did not bring 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 the device flew off (the phone stopped turning on), it was replaced, but the firmware was not installed native (it's no different, only the yellow Kernel inscription appears on the startup screen in the corner). There are no updates for this firmware, of course. Can I roll back Android through Kies (put my own) and update it?

Answer. In order to roll back the update, you need to reboot the phone in Recovery mode, select wipе data / factory reset, wipе 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 official website of the manufacturer and on the w3bsit3-dns.com forum, in the section with the corresponding name of your mobile device.

Tablet Acer Iconia A1-810. I do not have firmware updates ... I click system update and writes "an update is required for your device." How can I "force" - (update the android system forcibly) or update it myself?

Answer. This tablet model was released about 5 years ago, it does not support new versions of Android, so the manufacturer does not upload firmware updates. You can search for custom (unofficial) firmware on the w3bsit3-dns.com forum, but we don’t recommend installing them - it’s better to purchase new tablet than to experiment with firmware to the detriment of the stability and speed of the device.

Build number not opening on Android. I clicked for a long time. How to be?

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