Android 5.0 rollback. How to Restore Stock Firmware on Any Samsung Galaxy Device

operating room Android system, which is the brainchild of the Internet giant Google, is constantly being improved, and every six months the company rolls out new versions. First, updates go to the devices of the corporation itself, then the system is taken by manufacturers of other smartphones and remade for their own hardware, with its own additions, features and functions.

It's very good that the system is developing, but updates are good for a well-developed pure Android, which works flawlessly and updates are applied to it smoothly. As for other manufacturers, their modifications do not always work as we would like, especially for budget devices, for which OS modifications will account for the lion's share of expenses. Therefore, situations often arise when you need to abandon the updated version of the OS, but how to roll back Android 7 to 6? This is what we will look at below.

How to roll back firmware on Android

The problem, unfortunately, does not change with the click of one button, since rolling back an Android update is only possible by completely rewriting the system. That is, officially regular means such a procedure is not provided. There is logic in this; the developers don’t even think that users will use anything other than the latest version of the software.

So, how to roll back the Android version to the previous one? Just reflash the device by connecting it to the computer. Some users think that return old version OS can be done via Recovery smartphone, However, it is not. A full reset or restoration of factory settings does not remove updates to the firmware itself, and if you managed to update it, then resetting the settings via Recovery will reset the most latest firmware, since she is now the only one you have.

How to roll back updates on Android without a PC

On some devices, the recovery menu has a function to overwrite from an existing archive. In fact, it's the same thing as restoring backup copy, only the firmware will be with the previous version.

When you are in the recovery menu and have already selected factor reset and deleting data, you will need to select through Install zip from sdcard/choose the file that contains the firmware of the old version that you want to roll back to.
Select it and click Yes - install
We are waiting for the re-recording and installation to take place. We do not interrupt the process, otherwise your device may turn into a brick, which can only be restored by a service for money.

How to roll back updates on Android from backup

Every user computer devices, be it a mobile phone, laptop or PC, must be aware that the software environment does not last forever, and you need to regularly back up your data. In case of Android is better create copies of the entire system and this must be done immediately after purchasing the device. There are many applications that create backups, the most popular is Titanium Backup.

And remember, before updating the system to the next version, you first need to wait for feedback on its operation, learn about all the nuances, pros and cons. And only then decide to Android update.

Not all updates are equally useful, so some users prefer to return to an old, proven version of the system. However, returning the old firmware version is not easy, so first we will tell you what to do to prevent unwanted updates from appearing on your device.

Disable auto-update

By default on smartphones it is automatic update systems, i.e. When the opportunity arises, the smartphone itself will download the new version of the software. It’s easy to stop such independence: go to settings - “About device” / “Software update” - uncheck the box next to “Auto-update”.

If you have already received a new version of the software and just want to roll back your device to the old one, you can do it in two ways, using third party utilities or without. But please note that a rollback always completely destroys the data on the smartphone, so you MUST first backup the data or save the necessary photos, audio and video files, contacts and messages on another medium or in the cloud.

So, one of the options for returning the old version of the software is to reset it to factory settings. Please note that after this the phone's hardware will be the same as it was when the device was first taken out of the box.

How to reset to factory settings?

General scheme of actions:

Settings.
Backup and reset / Backup and reset / Restore and reset ( different variants titles).
Reset data/Reset settings.
Erase everything.

IN different models smartphones, the data reset option is located in different sections settings, so first you need to know the exact sequence of actions for specific model phone. This can be done on the manufacturer's website.

System recovery using third-party applications

If a typical smartphone does not have a separate button for rolling back the OS, special programs for backups will help. Provided that you make a backup copy in advance.

For example, Titanium Backup is one of the most popular and effective applications in this area. But to use such programs you need to get root rights. Getting root rights voids your smartphone's warranty, but if you're willing to take the risk...

Download Titanium Backup.
Give the program superuser rights.
Insert a memory card of sufficient capacity into the slot.
Select the “Backups” tab - “Menu” - “Processing”.
Select "Make" backup all user software and system data", - "Start".
To create a complete copy of the system, do not change anything in the proposed menu or check the boxes.

When a system backup has been created and you need it: “Processing” - “Restore” - “Restore all software with data”.

But please note that a rollback always completely destroys the data on the smartphone, so you MUST first backup the data or save the necessary photos, audio and video files, contacts and messages on another medium, a flash drive or in the cloud.

Updates operating system this is always an expected event. Some phone owners find it difficult to wait for official patch releases from developers, so they choose more affordable option– installation of custom firmware, which is not always successful. There are also users who are frightened by innovations of this kind. This is understandable, because updates do not always help, they can even be worse than older versions. Sometimes fixes for certain programs load the system significantly, making the user experience more difficult, or are so useless that it becomes a little alarming. But the most disastrous result awaits users when the user interface, naturally, not for the better.
It's probably worth starting with Nexus smartphones. Installation process new firmware simple as hell: save everything necessary information; On the Internet we find the required image of the version to which we want to update, and carry out the installation. It is necessary to take into account that if you do not open root rights, then create a backup current version operating systems, as well as extremely important system data, will be impossible. The market also provides the opportunity to download applications that can be used to save almost all information, but they require additional rights.
For Nexus smartphones it is much easier to return the old version of the application if you don’t like the new one. Just find an older version apk file, we completely remove the new application, and, using Explorer, install the old version. The main thing is not to forget to open access to install applications from other sources.
Regarding other devices (except Nexus), in particular, in matters of Android rollback to previous firmware versions, the situation is somewhat different. Some, even most, devices running on the Android system are not designed to change the firmware manually. Factory settings limit the possibility of user intervention in system files smartphone. These restrictions also need to be lifted independently. For example, first you need to unlock the bootloader. The installation of the old firmware version itself takes a little time, but preparing for the entire procedure may even require several hours.
Looking at all the nuances, the most reliable option for updating the system to a more recent build would be to use custom firmware. A little higher in context we have already indicated this method, now we will try to justify the fact why this option is much better android rollbacks systems to older versions. First of all, reliable assemblies are free of inaccuracies and errors, because huge teams of professionals work to create these updates. Secondly, you have the opportunity to choose the most suitable firmware. Thirdly, if you make every effort, you can always find an update with a better design.

Many users are eagerly waiting for manufacturers to release a new firmware update for their Android smartphone. As a rule, they fix bugs previous versions OS, new features are added and the overall operation is optimized. But what should you do if, after the update, your phone starts working worse than it did initially? Let's take a closer look at why and how to restore your phone after unsuccessful firmware Android.

Self-firmware of an Android device is always a risky undertaking, the consequences of which are borne by the user himself. Unless, of course, we are talking about installing a standard official update by air or using a proprietary program on a computer. In this case, responsibility for the consequences of the update lies with the developer, so you can safely contact the warranty service center. But before you panic and everyone possible ways try to restore original firmware, you need to understand whether a failure actually occurred. There are several main reasons that can lead to failure when flashing:

Emergency interruption (the phone was disconnected from the computer, the smartphone battery was low, etc.)
Inappropriate OS version.
Incorrect settings, user errors.

Any of above problems may cause incorrect operation mobile device, permanent system failures etc. In the event that the phone does not turn on or begins to work worse than before installing the update, you need to begin active recovery efforts.

How to roll back the firmware

At failed update The question arises, how to return the old OS? Depending on whether you used the official or custom version of the firmware, the recovery options will be different. Let's consider both cases in more detail.

Crash caused by installing official firmware from the developer

This does not happen often, but in some situations the phone may not work correctly even when an official update is installed. Roll back and restore the factory version of the mobile phone operating system in in this case quite simple. To do this, the user will need a computer with installed drivers on mobile device And special program. Depending on the manufacturer of your smartphone or tablet, the required utility must be downloaded from the developer’s official website. Further actions on installation native firmware can be written in two points:

Connect your mobile device to desktop computer or laptop via USB cable.
Run the program, find the recovery partition in it and start rolling back the changes made.

Website with Samsung program Kies

After this, the program will automatically search for and install the required OS version and return the mobile phone to its original state.

Program interface on a computer

Crash caused by installing custom (custom) firmware

In this case it will help re-update from Recovery mode. In order to enter recovery mode, you need to turn off your mobile device and simultaneously hold down the key combination. In most cases, these are the buttons: power + volume down.
Management in Recovery menu carried out by the same keys: volume and power. In the case when you made a backup of the system before flashing, then just select the “Backup” item and restore" If no backup was made, the restoration procedure will take a little longer. You need to do the following:

Reset all settings by selecting “wipe data/factory reset”.
Format the cache partition by clicking on “ wipe cache partition".
Try to reinstall the firmware by selecting “install zip from sdcard” and clicking on the file with a pre-created archive on the memory card.

After this, the phone should work normally. You can also try downloading and installing another version of the OS in a similar way. For more information on how to roll back newly installed firmware, see the training video below.

How to return factory firmware?

If you want to return the factory version of the OS by correcting the accumulated system errors, then you can do this directly from the main settings menu of your smartphone. To do this you will need:

Turn on your mobile device, go to the main settings (via the application menu or by clicking on the gear icon in the right top corner when the curtain is lowered).
Find the “restore and reset” tab, then click “Hard reset” and agree to the necessary conditions.

After successfully completing this operation, your phone or tablet will return to its factory OS settings. We recommend that before resetting the settings, you back up important data or save it to a separate media, as it will be deleted from memory.
The training video below shows how to perform a factory reset. mobile gadget, running on Android OS bases, up to factory ones.

The Android operating system is constantly being improved: device manufacturers and Google itself are correcting errors, combating shortcomings, optimizing energy consumption, and adding new features. It would seem that updating to a newer version of the OS is always good. However, all this is far from so rosy: you can often update to an unfinished version and your smartphone or tablet will work much worse than on a stable build. That is why we decided today to talk about how to return the old version of Android after updating.

Unfortunately, neither Google company, as the creator of the OS, nor device manufacturers have provided such a function. enjoy full reset going to factory settings from the corresponding menu is pointless, all your data will simply be deleted, and the operating system version will remain the same. We think that this is clearly not what you want. So what should we do?

Returning the old version of Android using Recovery

First, save all your data. You can use any program, but we recommend Titanium Backup. To use it, you need Root rights, as well as to restore the old version of the OS, so if you don’t have them, get them. Each device has its own unique instructions upon receipt of them. Here's exactly what you should do:

We agree, the process is clearly not easy and it is worth using it only in one single case, if the device really does not work well with new version OS: constantly freezes, does not turn on indispensable applications And so on. In other cases, we recommend simply getting used to the new interface and new features - this is not always a bad thing. Moreover, people adapt to everything quite quickly. So what does it cost you to cope with a smartphone or tablet?! In any case, now you know what to do if you decide to return the old one Android version after update. If you have any difficulties, we recommend visiting the 4pda forum, where you can find out detailed information according to your device.