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How to update your Samsung Galaxy smartphone and install official firmware
Follow these instructions to manually install Android updates through recovery and full firmware using Odin on Samsung Galaxy smartphones.
Whether you are on a tight budget or planning to pick up the latest and greatest foldable, Samsung has you covered. The Korean OEM's Galaxy lineup is among the best Android smartphones in the market. When it comes to the software update front, the company is doing a pretty decent job as well, keeping its average consumers on new and recent security patches through regular updates. However, one thing that’s not always easy to come by on Samsung Galaxy devices is the stock firmware package that you can flash to either downgrade, upgrade, or restore your phone.
How to use Samloader to download updates for your Samsung Galaxy device
Samloader provides a hassle-free way to download the latest firmware for your Samsung Galaxy device. It works on Linux and macOS as well.
Despite the fact that Samsung releases a lot of devices every year, the company doesn't offer an official user-friendly firmware download portal for its Galaxy-branded smartphones and tablets. You can either try your luck with the built-in update checker in Settings, or you can use the Samsung Smart Switch app — neither of these options will satisfy power users itching to get the latest update right now. Samsung enthusiasts thus often turn to third-party services to download updates, which are conveniently packed and ready to be flashed via Odin. Tools like SamFirm and Frija are also widely used by the community, as one can easily query Samsung FUS (Firmware Update Server) and download the latest build for their model using these utilities.
How to install custom ROMs or GSIs on Samsung Galaxy devices without TWRP
XDA Junior Member kkoo has demonstrated an innovative way to flash custom ROMs and GSIs on Samsung Galaxy devices without using TWRP. Read on to know more!
Samsung ships its "Galaxy" branded smartphones and tablets highly modified Android software builds, the latest generation of which is known as One UI. Besides all the UI/UX related differences from stock Android, there is one specific feature that makes Samsung's Android devices very unique compared to devices from other manufacturers. The Korean OEM substitutes the regular Fastboot mechanism with its own protocol in their products. Internally named after characters from the Norse Mythology, the piece of code running on the device is known as "Loke", while the remote-side (usually a PC) component is called "Odin".
How to install the One UI beta on the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+
Thanks to XDA Senior Member SoLdieR9312, we now have the OTAs for Exynos phones along with firmware.science for the Snapdragon phones.
Samsung recently launched their latest One UI beta for the Exynos Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+. One UI is Samsung's newest version of Samsung Experience, formally TouchWiz, based on Android Pie. This beta was launched in Germany, South Korea, and the United States. The US has been a bit luckier and all the Snapdragon Galaxy S9 series devices have already had the builds leaked.
How to Download Odin Firmware to Downgrade, Upgrade, or Restore your Samsung Galaxy
How to use SamFirm to download stock Odin Firmware to downgrade, upgrade, or restore your Samsung Galaxy smartphone or tablet.
Samsung Galaxy smartphones are the most popular Android smartphones on the market. They have the highest market share, and in most places, an easily unlockable bootloader. One thing that's not always easy to come by on Samsung Galaxy phones is the stock Odin flashable firmware that you can flash to either downgrade, upgrade, or restore your phone. Odin firmware files are like the factory images for the Google Pixel, just put into a .tar file and made easy to use via a GUI tool instead of the fastboot command terminal.
Microsoft’s Windows platform has been the single most widely-used desktop OS for decades, only recently sliding to second place behind Android as the most popular operating system used to browse the Internet. As popular as these two platforms are, unfortunately there are still intercommunication issues that can frustrate any user who owns a Windows computer and an Android phone (which is millions). These issues are especially prominent when dealing with ADB and Fastboot. Android enthusiasts, being no strangers to tinkering, have sought to remedy this in a variety of ways. But sometimes, no matter how many times you boot into safe mode, reinstall your drivers, install new drivers, or mess with system settings, you just can't get your Windows computer to recognize your Android phone. To that end, XDA senior member steadfasterX released "Forget Windows Use Linux" (FWUL) - a bootable GNU/Linux ISO geared specifically towards Windows users who need to communicate more reliably with Android.
We first featured XDA Senior Recognized Developer Chainfire's Mobile ODIN app a little over two years ago. Ever since the beginning, Mobile ODIN has allowed users to flash ODIN-flashable firmwares directly from the device itself, without the need to connect to a full computer.
Odin and Heimdall were pretty badass gods in the Nordic mythology. But to Samsung device owners, these are important and powerful tools designed to flash stock ROM files, much like Flashtool on Sony phones. In short, they are an essential part of Samsung Android development here at XDA.
Chainfire's abilities know no bounds. The XDA Moderator and Recognized Developer now presents Mobile ODIN, allowing you to flash firmware from your device, itself. That's right, you no longer need to connect your device to your computer.