Updating Android is not always easy. Many firms decide to launch terminals on the market and forget about their support, although, luckily, this is beginning to change. The arrival of Android One to the mid-range, and the improvements in its hardware, allow manufacturers to update with a little more ease. Although the pace continues to be slow, the new versions are reaching the devices slightly by miniature.
Having the operating system up-to-date not only serves to have the latest news and improvements, but it is also an important factor when talking about security. The updates often bring patches that protect the device against the different threats in the form of viruses.
Therefore, today we will teach you one of the essential advanced tricks on Android that you should know: keep your mobile updated to the latest available version of Android at all times. Let’s go there!
How to update Android by OTA any mobile or tablet
OTAs, or updates over the air, are the easiest way to get the latest Android update. In general, they arrive automatically in the form of a notification, so when the new version is ready, you have to confirm that you want to download and install it from the notification bar. This method also works for updating Android tablets.
Sometimes OTAs do not jump until they are manually forced, which must be done from the system settings. In most smartphones, you will have to go to about the phone or any section with a similar name and look for the updates section. Other mobiles have an update section directly in the settings or an application to receive OTAs, so research for a few minutes is straightforward.
Suppose you cannot do it by OTA, either because it does not reach you or because the manufacturer or the operator is blocking the update. In that case, there are other methods to update your Android mobile, although they depend on the brand. For this reason, we will detail how the latest version of the system available from the leading brands can be installed.
How to update Android on a Samsung
When we cannot update a Samsung by OTA, we must resort to Odin. First, you must download the ROM corresponding to your mobile. You can check sites like Sammobile or XDA Developers to do this, but make sure the model number is the same as yours, number by number, and letter by letter. A single variation in this number can cause you to install the wrong version of Android, with the consequent brick of your device.
If you have made sure that the file is correct, follow these steps:
- Download the software that Odin can flash
- Please save it to some recognizable folder or desktop
- Put the mobile in download mode – home + power + vol-
- Connect the mobile to the PC
- Upload the file you have downloaded in the AP box
- Hit the Start button
Ready, if the process fails, try not to disconnect the phone unless it is necessary. Samsung ROMs weigh several gigs, and it is expected that everything takes a few minutes. Do not despair and let everything take its course.
How to update a Sony
Flash tool is a classic, and it does the same thing as Odin. If you need to update the Android version of your Sony mobile, you can use another program. The process is the same, but the program is somewhat more straightforward.
- Find the file you want to install
- Please save it to some recognizable folder or desktop
- Switch off the mobile phone
- Connect it to the computer with Flashtools open while pressing the vol – button.
- Upload the file to Flash tools
- Flashealo
Ready! Flash tools have been with us for a few years, and the truth is that it works pretty well. Indeed, finding Sony ROMs is not that easy, but with a bit of patience, you can have your Sony mobile with the most recent version.
How to update a BQ smartphone
From BQ’s page, they explain to us how to update the Android software on their devices by hard reset, it is a relatively simple process, but we are going to take a closer look at it.
- Download the tool package on your computer and unzip it
- Please save it to some recognizable folder or desktop
- Unzip it and install the tool
- In the development options of your mobile, activate the bootloader unlock
- Power up your phone in Fastboot mode. Press and hold the power button and the volume down button at the same time.
- Connect the mobile to the PC
- Click on install latest firmware available
Ready!
How to update an LG phone
LG also has its tool. In this case, it is one of the easiest to use since you don’t have to flash anything “by hand.”, you must download the program from the LG website, connect your phone, and download the Android update for your mobile.
LG itself recommends doing the process from a laptop. A power outage or any sudden shutdown of the terminal can end in brick, so be careful.
How to update a OnePlus
The popularity of OnePlus is unstoppable, and its development community is one of the main reasons for buying these devices. There are several methods to install an update on your OnePlus mobile, although we have selected the simplest for you and the one that is explained on its official page.
- Download the ROM from OnePlus’ own page
- Now, save the file in the root memory of your phone
- Restart your mobile in recovery mode for this. Turn it off, hold the Power and Vol keys – simultaneously
- Now, click on install from internal memory and select the file
How to update a Xiaomi smartphone
Xiaomi is one of the most important manufacturers worldwide. Say that Xiaomi has their updater within the settings, from which you can install any compatible ROM, as long as you have downloaded it in .zip format. However, if this method does not work for you, calm down because we will help you.
- Download the ROM for fast boot from the official MIUI forum
- Unzip the .zip file that you download
- Download the program MiFlash from the official mustache page and install it
- Download the Google ADB drivers from the official Android page and install them
You already have the necessary files! Let’s get our hands on it.
- Xiaomi goes to settings about the phone and presses seven times on the MIUI version section.
- Go back, and you will see the developer settings option. Enter and activate USB debugging mode
- Connect your Xiaomi to the PC
- Open a command window in the ADB folder
- Type ADB Reboot EDL command, the device will reboot
- Open the MiFlash program that you downloaded earlier
- Find the ROM folder and select it
- Press the refresh button so that the program detects your phone
- Dale a flash
How to update a Huawei smartphone
Like other companies, Huawei mobiles can be updated manually using a proprietary tool called “HiSuite.” Therefore, the first step will be to download HiSuite from the official Huawei website. With the program already installed on the computer, these are the steps to follow to update the firmware of a Huawei mobile:
- Connect your mobile to the computer through the USB cable, with the battery above 30%.
- Open the HiSuite program on your computer, and wait for a new version of the available software to be found.
- Click on the “update system” button at the bottom, and wait for the process to finish.
How to update a Google smartphone
Updating a Google Pixel or Nexus mobile is one of the most straightforward processes since Google does not oppose any impediment or block to avoid it. The company itself offers factory images and OTA packages for all models, so installing updates manually is easy. These are the steps you must follow:
- Download the OTA package corresponding to your device from the official Google developer website.
- Connect your device to your computer via USB with USB debugging enabled.
- Restart the mobile in bootloader mode – with the power and volume down buttons simultaneously- or through a CMD command window with the command “ADB reboot bootloader.”
- Once started in bootloader mode, go to the recovery menu through the volume up or down keys. When “Recovery” appears on the screen, press the power button.
- When the device boots to a screen with the Android logo, press and hold power and volume up buttons.
- Ya en el recovery, ve hasta la opción “Apply update from ADB”.
- In the command window of the computer, execute the instruction “ADB devices.” If the identifying number of the mobile appears, you can continue.
- To install the update, run the command “adb sideload [OTA FILE] .zip, “where [OTA FILE] is the path where the update package downloaded in the first step has been saved.
- When the process is admonished, the mobile will be updated to the latest version.
All with the latest update!
As you can see, many smartphones have a manual method to update the Android system. We always recommend using these methods; they are somewhat more tedious but much more effective than OTA updates, which can cause some instabilities and problems when using the device.
As these are official methods, you will not have problems with the warranty or the operation of your terminal, so we hope we have been helpful in your purpose of updating Android to the latest version.
Sharlene Meriel is an avid gamer with a knack for technology. He has been writing about the latest technologies for the past 5 years. His contribution in technology journalism has been noteworthy. He is also a day trader with interest in the Forex market.
