Will the firmware help? How to reflash Android: detailed step-by-step instructions. Flashing via ROM Manager

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If you don’t know why you should reflash your phone, perhaps you haven’t yet encountered software glitches on your device. Unlike purely constructive ones, these problems are solved differently.

Those who have noticed many times how a mobile phone refuses to work, periodically turns off or the sound in the device disappears, know that all these problems can be treated by updating the OS.

What is mobile phone firmware

Mobile phone firmware is an update of its software, which eliminates malfunctions of the device, adds new programs to existing ones or replaces them.

For firmware you need:

• Special wires.
• Stable Internet connection.
• Fully charged phone.

What does flashing a mobile phone give?

• Updating the software facilitates the correct operation of the device, while eliminating previously identified errors and system glitches.
• The interface is being replaced, which may completely change color schemes mobile phone, the previous pictures will disappear. But you can enjoy new emoticons, backgrounds, and fonts.
• The volume and quality of sounds improves. If there were problems with sound before, now they will simply disappear.
• The quality of photography on a mobile phone is improved. New functions can be added, for example, color rendering and contrast have been changed.
• Games and applications that were previously unavailable due to software failures are launched.

Many manufacturers offer phone owners to update the system on their official website.

You may receive a special message in which you will be asked to flash the OS, and the update itself will occur in the background.

Greetings to all readers of the computer blog site! The other day, a friend of mine approached me with a request to unlock his iPhone 5s. According to him, while he was drunk, he set a password on his phone (from his girlfriend), but in the morning he could not remember it. After several unsuccessful attempts entering the password, the iPhone was automatically locked.

When turned on, the message “ iPhone disabled! Connect to iTunes." When connecting to a computer, the problem was not solved - a password was still required.

In this article I will tell you how to unlock any Apple device— iPhone 4, 4s, 5s, 5, 6, 6s, 7, iPad, etc. We will remove the lock by flashing the firmware, i.e. Completely reset the phone to its factory state. Flashing an iPhone is a seemingly complicated procedure, but in reality it’s quite simple, so don’t rush to take your phone to a service center, but first try to do everything yourself.

The firmware will help solve any software problems with your phone. Essentially we will do full reset iPhone to factory condition as if we had just bought it. Let me warn you right away, we will need Internet access.

I unlocked iPhone 5, model a1429, but The firmware method is universal, and will work for all Apple devices − iPhone 4,5,6,7, and also iPad.

Most often, this article is read by people who forgot your phone password. In such cases, the iPhone/iPad displays messages like: “ iPhone is disabled. Connect to iTunes" or “Repeat in 24,000,000 minutes«.

However, you can try to flash the phone if there are any problems with your iPhone. For example, if your iPhone glitches, reboots, or does not boot and does not turn on at all— iPhone flashing can help you!

Alarm! Using this method, all information on your Apple device will be erased. Be careful, and if you still hope to remember the password, look for other unlocking methods.

You do all the actions described below at your own peril and risk, and I do not bear responsibility for a damaged phone. Fortunately, the procedure is standard, invented by Apple itself, so go ahead! 😉

I will immediately upset those whose iPhone is linked to iCloud.

If you don’t have access to this iCloud, this method still won’t help you. After the firmware is installed, the phone will start asking for a password from iCloud. In this case, you can restore access to the phone only if you have the original box from this phone, as well as the sales receipt for it. All this will need to be sent to Apple, they will check the information and restore your access.

If you have neither a password nor a receipt, alas, you have a brick. Well, you can change it motherboard, or sell the phone for spare parts, which is basically the same thing.

How to flash any Apple device - iPhone 4, 5s, 5, 6, 6s, 7, iPad? Step by step instructions.

To begin with, you need download and install iTunes from the official apple website: apple.com/ru/itunes/download/

Installing iTunes should not be difficult for you, but just in case, it is described in detail in video at the end of the article.

So, we have the program installed.

First we need to switch the iPhone into recovery mode. It's very easy to do this:

Congratulations! You are logged in Recovery Mode!

Now let's turn our attention to the laptop screen. iTunes should launch automatically. If this does not happen, start it manually. You will see a window asking you to restore or update your iPhone:

Click the button " Restore«.

Next, most likely, a window will pop up asking you to install the latest iOS version. After clicking the "Restore and Update" button all data on your iPhone will be erased, then downloaded and installed the new iPhone software. We think, then press this button.

A window like this may pop up:

The firmware download for the iPhone will begin from the Apple website. The download time depends on the speed of your Internet connection. The download progress can be monitored by clicking the icon in the upper right corner:

After completing all the steps, you will see a welcome screen on your iPhone:

Hurray, our iPhone 5 is unlocked! All you have to do is insert the SIM card and set it up as if you just bought it in the store!

iPhone is disabled. Connect to iTunes - how to unblock? [VIDEO]

I recommend watching the short video below. In it I talk about the process iPhone unlocking 5 in as much detail as possible:

Don't forget subscribe to my YouTube channel!

Error 4013 when restoring iPhone.

If you read further and are not happy about your “resurrected” phone, it means something didn’t work out for you. To be honest, it didn’t go smoothly for me the first time either. When you first try to restore an iPhone using firmware, at the “Waiting for iPhone” stage Happened unknown error (4013):

“B.., what the f..?!” … "Great!" - I thought. “If I encounter a problem, I can warn my subscribers about it!” I started looking for a solution. The forums were full of advice of various kinds. The option " Put the iPhone in the freezer and then flash it«:

I did not resort to such radical solutions as freezing someone else’s device, and decided to first follow the recommendations from the official Apple website.

When these errors appear, Apple technical support recommended 3 options: install latest updates Windows or Mac, change the USB cable (I also recommend trying to plug the device into a different USB port), or try restoring the iPhone on another computer:

Since I have many different laptops at hand (), I decided to go the third way, especially since on the first laptop due to the small volume hard drive there was a “stripped down” Windows 7. Of course, without any updates.

What do you think - After running the recovery procedure on another laptop, everything was successful!

If you encounter any other errors when restoring your iPhone, take a look.

If you have any questions or just liked the article, leave a comment below.

And also join

What is “firmware” and what is it eaten with?

“Flashing a phone” means replacing the software in it. Such a replacement can serve many purposes, such as: updating software, adding new functionality, eliminating various errors and problems, increasing the security of the device and its performance.

Why “reflash” mobile phone?

If your new phone for no reason it started to slow down, the interface freezes, applications and calls are terminated without your commands - you definitely need to “reflash” your device.

The point is that software, no matter who wrote it, and no matter what it was intended for, even after careful testing, it always contains errors or shortcomings. Therefore, software developers cell phone regularly release updates to their products. More often than not, these updates fix bugs and sometimes introduce new features or expand the functionality of the mobile phone.

However, visually regular user may not notice these changes, thinking that the next update does not bring anything with it. And this idea is wrong, because most of the changes that are in the new firmware version affect the optimization of the operation of the mobile phone, for example, networking, battery charging settings, etc.

Sometimes, as a result of a software update, the menu changes, expanding its functions or, conversely, simplifying them, certain changes are made to the localization settings (making more exact translation into one language or another), the sizes and types of fonts are adjusted, etc.

The most preferred by users, but also the most rare, is updating communication functions that may have previously been missing, as well as new programs, games, gadgets, media content, etc.

Of course, installing new firmware cannot work miracles. After the update, your mobile will not have more pixels in the camera, the display resolution will not change, but the updated device will work better, so do not ignore software updates for your smartphone!

Reflashing your phone at home

The main argument for flashing the firmware on your own is that you can update the software of your device without leaving home.

Flashing methods:

Software updates through proprietary applications that must be installed on your computer. For Nokia phones to download Nokia apps Software Updater for Samsung is the Samsung Kies program. This method is the safest, since these programs independently determine the availability of updates for your firmware and, if necessary, offer to update your phone.

Self-download unofficial firmware created by enthusiasts and install it using third-party applications. Using this method You are putting your computer and mobile phone at risk, since no one is responsible for the quality of third-party software.

Important! Incorrect actions during firmware can damage your smartphone, up to its complete failure. Be careful, soberly assess your capabilities, weigh all the risks and benefits of flashing your phone yourself.

To my great regret, such a huge layer of geek culture as smartphone firmware is very little covered on IT sites. But I bet everyone who reads this article has a friend who knows how to flash smartphones, does it for money, or for fun. But have you ever wondered why he needs this? But there are a lot of reasons: software updates, urgent need, and sometimes a banal excess of free time. Let's figure out once and for all why people update their smartphones, what problems they might encounter, and whether the game is worth the candle.

There is an opinion that you can buy a cheaper phone, but in the end you will get the same thing as the flagship, but for less money. This is, of course, not true. Phone manufacturers are not altruists or philanthropists - they make money. Therefore, if a smartphone costs $650 and $150, then there is a difference between them, believe me. Yes, not as big as marketers are trying to convince us, but still significant. The obvious differences between the budget model and the flagship are the build quality and budget components. This is all clear, let’s not stop. But besides this, there are other expenses - for software, for example. And first of all, on its optimization. It is very expensive to have a large staff of testers, because of this there are problems with the smoothness of the interface, launching applications, and so on. But on the other hand, it turns out cheaper!

This is the basis of the Xiaomi brand philosophy, successfully played out in advertising for Citrus stores. “I removed all the unnecessary things, removed all the fluff and all the pathos - I said “fuck” to the brands!” – as Lei Jun, the founder of Xiaomi, seemed to tell us in an advertisement for smartphones of his own production. We all understand that Mr. Jun did not say this, but those whom this advertisement is aimed at will fully believe the words of a rich Chinese. “My own guy, went against the system, made normal phones at a normal price, for ordinary people from the area” - such thoughts arise after such advertising. Sounds very attractive, you must agree.

From the lips of owners of budget Chinese gadgets you can often hear the expression “he deceived the system, bought a smartphone three times cheaper smartphone name, but I got the same thing.” It's a pity that this is not true. There is a big difference between a cheap and an expensive smartphone, but it can be reduced. Add to it those functions that it did not get due to the artificial deterioration of the budget line. Or make the interface simply smooth.

Let's look at seven reasons to flash your smartphone.

Necessity

Every year the smartphone works worse and worse. This is primarily due to the software, which needs to be periodically cleaned and reset to factory settings. Do you often restore your smartphone like new? But it would be necessary. Due to the accumulated garbage over the years, all these freezes appear. Firmware allows you to avoid all this. The smartphone simply does not have time to become clogged in the couple of months that you use it specific firmware. And then flash the firmware again and the phone is ready to work, just like on the first day. Of course, there is no objective need to reflash your smartphone once a month. But the more often the better, right?)

Another problem is poor firmware optimization. Some manufacturers are dishonest when it comes to firmware testing. A striking example is Xiaomi. It’s no surprise to anyone when even flagships come out with crude software. Either the fingerprint scanner is not perfect, or the screen somehow doesn’t work well. I’m silent about the camera: it almost never works normally for the first six months. And if you can forgive a smartphone for 100-200 dollars for this (although you don’t really want to), then a smartphone for 700 dollars with six gigabytes RAM and the slow-down shell raises many questions. Hello Samsung. Therefore, go ahead and get rid of the brakes with the help of an android that is as clean as a tear!

Refusal of garbage

In flagship smartphones the price of pre-installed software sometimes reached half the cost of the smartphone itself. But let's face it - do you need the pro version of any office suite, if Google Docs is enough for your eyes? And all this stuff not only takes up the device’s memory, but also slows down the system. If the pre-installed Facebook is still useful, then non-working applications in Chinese firmware are completely unnecessary. Down with! We install pure Android with a Pixel-like launcher and live in peace.

Update

We all know that updates are not that important. If you buy a device and you are satisfied with the software at the time of purchase, then why do you need updates? But I still want something new. And buy every year or six months new flagship almost impossible. Phone firmware is the cheapest way to get a new experience with the device and try out the latest Android version. For example, Xiaomi mainly updates the version of its own MIUI firmware(even on smartphones from 2012!), while leaving the Android version the same. Yes, of course, some functions from new versions of Android appear in new ones MIUI versions, but will we agree to half measures? If your smartphone has simply stopped being supported, there are options to stay on old version Software, or buy a new device. But don't rush. Take a look at the 4PDA or XDA thread with your device. Suddenly flashing it couldn’t be easier.

Xiaomi MI 2 will receive an update to MIUI 9 this year, although it was released in 2012.

Applied interest

When choosing a smartphone today, buyers choose between two operating systems: iOS and Android. But there are a lot of others, less popular, but that makes it more interesting projects. Sailfish OS, Firefox OS, Ubuntu Mobile, Windows Phone and Windows 10 Mobile. Most of these OSs are already dead, but I once installed all of this on smartphones that were not officially intended for them. Today you can install only Sailfish OS and Windows 10 Mobile on Chinese version Xiaomi Mi4 (for those who really know a lot about perversions). The rest of the firmwares are dead, and no one misses them.

If you still want to try something like this, but have not yet gone crazy with Sailfish OS, welcome to the world of firmware from manufacturers. MIUI, Flyme, ColorOS, OxygenOS and many others can be installed right now. It is quite possible that you will even like it and use this firmware on an ongoing basis. Which will lead to the purchase of a device where this OS is available out of the box.

The struggle between the Xiaomi and Meizu brands, for example, is primarily in terms of firmware. And users often buy this or that smartphone based on the desktop shell. No wonder - in budget segment The devices of both manufacturers have long been equal in hardware.

HTC HD2 stands apart. The smartphone is a legend, about which hundreds of materials have been written. Everything is ported to it! And in the last five years, the developer community has been making firmware for the HD2 purely for fun. “Look, I was able to run Android 8.0 on the old guy!” – the developer proudly declares. And it’s okay that apart from actually launching the desktop and opening the “About phone” item in the settings, the firmware can’t do anything else. It was not ported for work, but for the glory of the author!

Yes, 7.0 Nougat is also available.

Functions

With the help of firmware, you can not only free your smartphone from the brakes, but also provide new opportunities. The Moto G4 smartphone comes to mind. Two versions were released on the market - with one and two SIM cards. But the point is that in fact it was one phone. In order to “unlock” the operation of the second SIM card, you just need to remove the plug in the second slot and flash the smartphone with the correct firmware, which adds calling functions in two SIM cards. Easier than that, right?

Help from a friend

It's nice when you can flash a friend's broken phone. If you agree to help, everyone wins: you have the opportunity to practice flashing the firmware of a new device, twirl a hitherto unknown gadget in your hands, and at the same time get respect points from a friend. In return, your friend will receive a completely working phone (in most cases, of course).

Free time

The main reason for the firmware is that there is time for it. How many times have you heard from iOS smartphone users that they don’t have time to flash their phones? But this person probably has time to watch TV series) Firmware is primarily a hobby and you should not take seriously the attacks of some and the arguments of others.

After flashing, a large number of problems with the device may arise. Let's briefly list what enthusiasts may encounter after flashing their device.

Lack of features

It is worth understanding that in most cases, custom firmware is developed by users like us. Therefore, do not be surprised that the first alpha builds will not be able to make calls or connect to Wi-Fi. Of course, over time, most of the functions will still work. But it is not at all necessary that this is all. All users of Xiaomi smartphones know the fingerprint sensor from the manufacturer Goodix, because it does not work on custom ones. And about some little things, like non-display occupied space When connecting a smartphone to a PC, it is usually customary not to speak. Like, all this is not important, the main thing is the treasured Oreo!

Unstable work

Increased battery discharge and spontaneous reboots are just the tip of the iceberg. Anything can happen to a smartphone on an unsuccessful custom one. What to do? Sew again, in the hope that the next firmware is better.

Bad translation

Often refers to Chinese firmware, like MIUI, Flyme and other less popular ones. Just recently, Meizu boasted that their Flyme firmware is on almost five million third-party smartphones! Moreover, a total of 60 million users use the Meizu shell. But, unfortunately, this does not eliminate minor bugs and poor-quality translation.

Risk of turning your smartphone into a brick

Loss of warranty

A point that follows from the previous one. Anything you do with your smartphone's software is bound to void your warranty. Whether it's worth it or not is up to you to decide. However, a scratch on the screen on the first day of use also deprives you of the right to return the phone to the store and get your hard-earned money.

Pay attention to the firmware

Let's talk separately about the choice of custom. You should be very careful when choosing firmware - manufacturers are still creative when it comes to naming their smartphones. Let's take a very significant example, this year's flagship from LG - G6. In addition to the standard G6, there is also a G6+ version. It is no different except for the increased memory capacity. In total there are six models with different indexes, they are sold in different countries: H870, H870DS, H871, H872, H873, US997.

The first one is H870 – the international version. It is the most universal, best suited for flashing, but also the most expensive. The rest are sold in different countries, have minor differences from the international version, or are made specifically for a particular operator. But the most important thing is that each version of G6 needs its own firmware! Therefore, you should be very careful when choosing a device and the firmware for it. It seems like you bought a G6 and heard that there are a lot of firmware for it. But when it comes down to it, it turns out that you have a Russian version without the ability to even unlock the bootloader, let alone flash a custom one.

I will quote the most famous Russian-language forum for fans of flashing - w3bsit3-dns.com:

At the moment, unlocking the bootloader and, as a result, getting ROOT is only possible on the European version with one SIM - H870 and the American version - S997. The H870DS version, which is sold in Russia and some Asian countries, cannot be unlocked! Firmware can be flashed from other regions, but only if they are for the same model (for example, the H870DS model for Singapore can be flashed with firmware from the H870DS, released for Russia and the CIS countries). In this case, your firmware region will change to abstract and updates will no longer arrive over the air.

I especially like the one about firmware for different regions of one device and the “abstract” region. It is worth noting that such confusion with models has existed since 2014 and the second version of the flagship – LG G2.

All the problems listed above may not necessarily occur with your device. Often, on the contrary, firmware improves the flaws that the manufacturer made.

What to buy to flash?

Get all the features of the new Google Pixel 2 a few days after its presentation, without buying the pixel itself for $800? Easily! The main thing is not to make a mistake in choosing a device. Read on to find out how to do this.

The ideal candidates for purchase for subsequent experiments with firmware have always been smartphones from Google. The Nexus line had no problems with bootloader unlocking, was relatively inexpensive and was always on productive hardware. This also includes the Pixel line of smartphones. Of course, the cost of pixels is out of the economy paradigm, but if you are wealthy and love adventure, why not!

With smartphones from other manufacturers it is much more complicated. To begin with, it’s worth remembering that smartphones are only flashed on processors from Qualcomm. We remembered and crossed out Meizu, Huawei and Asus from here almost completely. More precisely, all models of these manufacturers are not Snapdragon processors. Smartphones from Sony, HTC and Samsung often have problems with the lack of custom firmware. But this does not mean that there are none at all. Look for details about specific model on w3bsit3-dns.com or XDA. Good candidates to purchase for custom installations would be LeEco, LG, Motorola (Lenovo), OnePlus, OPPO, Wileyfox, Xiaomi and ZTE.

A few words about the above brands. For LeEco and Xiaomi, make sure that the model you choose has a Snapdragon processor. It happens that in the same line there are smartphones with different processors. If you are going to buy LG for flashing, make sure that you have the international version of the flagship. No carrier models from Verizon or Sprint, which litter the secondary market. Such models will have problems both with the firmware process itself and with the presence of custom ROMs. Although their price will be very attractive. Motorola's firmware is easier than Lenovo's, of course. Despite my bias towards the Wileyfox brand, it’s worth paying tribute to, these smartphones actually have firmware up to Android 8 Oreo.

Users of a particular brand greatly appreciate the support of developers and often remain loyal to the brand for many years. Moto fans will prefer Motorola. Users of the “flagship killer” – OnePlus – remain with smartphones from this brand, sometimes turning a blind eye to some problems. Well, about the phrase “the crazy ones Xiaomi smartphones“There are already jokes going around, but somehow it’s not funny. It's a shame that it is precisely such eccentric people who represent the fans of this or that company. They say correctly - an adequate person does not write comments on the Internet, much less read them.

Bottom line

We will leave the question of whether smartphones need to be flashed at all open. Of course, it's not 2011, it's easy to find good smartphone even within $100. Not to mention a bigger budget. There is no longer an urgent need for firmware, as there was five years ago. Today, smartphone firmware has remained the preserve of a group of enthusiasts for whom the result is not so important as the process. In general, I went to flash my next smartphone with Oreo, and I wish the same for you!

Android is open source, so developers can freely modify it, add new features, and create their own images of the operating system for phones and tablets. Some of these firmwares become extremely popular and even become the basis for successful commercial projects. We introduced you to some of them in this and also. And now we want to discuss with you the reasons that may convince you to take a risk and install in your Android third party firmware

Getting the latest version of Android

It's no secret that many manufacturers of even expensive devices don't bother themselves too much with supporting their products. As soon as they sell you their product, they immediately forget about the need to release new firmware versions for them. As a result, it turns out that you are not able to update to new version Android even if the smartphone’s hardware allows it freely.

In this case, the best and sometimes only solution would be to use the well-known CyanogenMod, which, although it has many of its own “chips,” is in many ways similar to stock Android. Thanks to this development, owners of even fairly old devices can use latest versions systems.

Refusal of “branded” shells

Many popular manufacturers (let's not point fingers) love to equip phones with their own proprietary shells, which, however, not all users like. Not only are many of them frankly ugly and inconvenient - this, as you know, is a matter of taste, but they also manage to noticeably slow down the system. Naked Android against this background shows speed records and impresses with its responsiveness.

Yes, of course, you can install your own launcher and remove all these widgets, but there is no way to refuse all the dubious settings that the manufacturer has made in the operating system. So in order to get a truly "pure" Android, you will have to install a custom ROM.

Removing pre-installed software

Having received your brand new phone and having played enough with the programs installed on it, you gradually come to the understanding that it would be better not to have them at all. Most often, manufacturers complete the software package of a device, focusing not on feasibility and quality, but purely for commercial reasons. In addition, these programs are considered system programs and cannot be easily removed. As a result, we get a device full of outright rubbish that interferes with our lives.

A radical solution to this problem is to flash the device to a custom assembly that does not contain pre-installed software.

Getting additional features and system settings

Many firmwares are so different from the original Android appearance and a set of functions that we can safely say about independent operating systems. First of all, we are talking about such popular Chinese projects as MIUI, Lewa, Oppo, which are developing simply at a gigantic pace. It is likely that after trying this oriental cocktail at least once, you will look at the bland Android dish with undisguised regret.

Other firmware, for example AOKP, although based on stock Android, provide such scope in settings and customization possibilities that owners of ordinary smartphones have never dreamed of.

Safety

It may sound strange, but free community-created firmware can sometimes be safer than Google's product. In them, if you wish, you can completely get rid of the all-seeing eye of this company, completely replacing all their services and applications with third-party developments. It turns out, therefore, “Android without Google,” no matter how strange it may sound.

In addition, many custom ROMs contain a built-in antivirus and so detailed settings permissions for each application, so that you can thoroughly specify who, what, for what purpose can move on your device.

Reasons not to use third-party firmware

But, as you understand, everything is not so rosy and there are quite significant problems that you may encounter in your experiments with firmware.

1. Bricks. The flashing process, although thoroughly developed and quite easy, still, with a certain degree of bad luck and crooked hands, can turn your device into just a dead block of plastic and microcircuits.
2. Battery problems. The custom ROM may not be optimized enough for specific device and drain the battery faster than the official firmware.
3. Hardware problems. Yours new firmware may not fully support all the hardware in the phone, so you may encounter errors, some broken modules and other issues. For example, your device's camera may not capture images as well as it used to, or your GPS may suddenly be slow to find satellites.
4. Errors. The manufacturers of your device test the software well before releasing it for sale, which, of course, cannot be said about independent firmware developers. Therefore, you may encounter annoying errors, which, although they will be corrected in the future, can spoil a lot of blood for you.
5. Guarantee. If you use third-party firmware, you will lose your warranty. If this is important to you, then think about it.

Now I would like to know your opinion about the need flashing Android. We ask you to participate in the survey and express your point of view in the comments.