One of the most important aspects of mobile phones is based on updates, which allow us, among other things, to be safe and have the latest news in the system. However, to get the latest update on the mobile we have several methods at our disposal, which are not always the same and in some cases change depending on the brand of the device.
With the intention of facilitating the process, we have created this guide with methods to update on Android , where we explain the automatic and manual processes. It will not always depend on us to be able to have the mobile updated, although it will be very useful so that those updates that do not arrive are implemented on our smartphone and we do not have to wait too long.
Update the mobile via OTA
The most popular and known method to update our mobile is called OTA update, coming from the acronym in English Over-The-Air. As the name itself indicates, it is an update that reaches our mobile by air, in the case of an automatic update which is released by the manufacturers for a specific smartphone model. Anyway, there are different remittances and series of the same smartphone, so sometimes they are released little by little and two identical mobiles in the same country can receive the update weeks apart.
To carry out the OTA update, we only have to worry about receiving a notification on the device that alerts us that a new version is available. However, this automatic search is not performed constantly and to check it manually you have to go into Settings> System> System updates.
The steps may vary slightly in some Android customization layers, such as Xiaomi, where we will have to access from: Settings> About the phone> MIUI.
Manual updates on Android phones
Although the automatic option is the simplest, where we find more methods and ways of updating mobile phones is in manual methods. Not all manufacturers offer us this option where on our own we will be able to carry out a firmware update.
For this, in some cases we only need the mobile phone and the tools that the smartphone integrates, but other times we may need the computer. Before daring to update the mobile it is important that we take several aspects into account such as:
- Manual updates can erase data from the smartphone and therefore it is important to save the files on other devices.
- During the process, errors and problems may appear.
- Only official methods keep us protected by the manufacturer’s warranty.
Where to download the official firmware of each mobile
Each brand has a website that we can trust to download official updates. We advise you not to look for alternatives in alternative applications or websites, since we could come across modified versions that affect our smartphone. We share the list to download the firmware by brands and then you can know the processes to follow.
- Official Xiaomi firmware.
- Download the firmware on Huawei mobiles.
- Get the latest firmware for Samsung.
- The official OnePlus updates.
- Download the latest version of OPPO.
- The latest version of Realme firmware.
Manually update Xiaomi phones
If you want to manually install a manual update on your Xiaomi mobile, you will only have to do with the firmware of your model and ROM on the official website as we have shared previously. To carry out the process, we can download the firmware on the mobile and then follow these steps:
- We enter Settings> About the phone> MIUI
- We touch on the three points in the upper right and then on “Select update package”.
- We choose the downloaded .zip file and install it.
Install manual updates on Samsung
In the case of Samsung mobiles we have an official added way to update our mobile with the help of the Smart Switch tool for computers. You just have to download the program on the Samsung website , install and connect your mobile. In a few seconds it will detect the smartphone and a new update will appear on the computer screen if it is available just by tapping on “More”.
Huawei uses HiSuite
To carry out a manual update on Huawei phones, even when a new version does not appear on smartphones, the best option is HiSuite. This tool receives the latest firmware more quickly and directly , allowing us to get the update faster. We just have to download HiSuite from the official site , connect the mobile and activate the permissions so that in a matter of seconds we can check if there are new versions.
Manually update OnePlus phones
To get the official performance of OnePlus mobiles first, the process is very simple. We just have to load the firmware from the official website that we have shared with you previously. Then the process is as follows:
- We move the ZIP to the root folder.
- We follow these steps: Settings> System> System updates.
- Click on the upper Settings wheel.
- We choose “Local improvement” and locate the file that we have moved to the root folder.
Manually update Realme and OPPO phones
The owners of OPPO and Realme mobiles share a method by belonging to the same group. In case we want to update the mobile to the latest version , we have to follow these steps, after having saved all the files on other devices:
- We download the official firmware from the tools that we shared with you before.
- We move the file to the root folder with a file explorer.
- We put on the file and we will see the option to update it now.
The latest version on LG mobiles
For all those who have an LG mobile, there is also an option that tries to speed up the update of the mobile . In these years you do not have to download any firmware and the program will take care of everything. We just have to download and install LG Bridge on the computer. Then we will have to connect the mobile to the PC and in a matter of seconds we will have the option to update the operating system if there is news.
Update Motorola phones
Motorola mobile owners also have advanced options to try to update their smartphone sooner . In this case the tool is called “Recovery and Smart Assistant”. We will have to download and install it on the computer , connect both devices, activating the USB deportation so that it works correctly. After a few seconds it will perform a search and it will show us whether or not there are new versions to update it.
Updates with unofficial tools
In addition to the official methods, there are other ways to update Android phones that also change depending on the brand. In this case they are not endorsed by the manufacturer and therefore we could lose the official guarantee. It is recommended to resort to these methods only to advanced users or in terminals that do not have much value for us, as a problem could make it useless.
Mi Flash on Xiaomi
One of the most popular methods and we knew to install new versions in Xiaomi is with MiFlash. An unofficial tool that however only allows official ROMs . With it we will be able to get the latest version of the operating system and MIUI on our mobile. We just have to follow these steps:
- We download the corresponding ROM with the help of the tools shown above.
- Then we install MiFlash on the computer.
- We access the Xiaomi Fastboot. First we turn off the mobile and then we keep the power and low volume buttons.
- We connect the mobile and select the files unzipping to start the process.
Extra to update Samsung mobiles
For Samsung mobiles we also have an unofficial tool that allows us to get the latest version for our mobile . This method is based on the Odin tool , which will need the firmware through the tools we have seen previously. Then the process will be as follows:
- We connect the mobile to the computer.
- We enter the mobile in download mode. We do this by turning off the mobile and then pressing volume less and the power button.
- You unzip the firmware file and in the program we add the BL, AP, CP, CSC files but we don’t use USERDATA.
- We press the Start button to start the process.