How to update the software on Android: Detailed step-by-step instructions
Android update not coming over the air? Is it possible to update the device, is there a new official firmware for it, and how to update Android to KitKat yourself? You will learn the answers to all these questions from this article.
It seems how to update Android to KitKat is the simplest action that even a person who does not understand the system can handle. In general, this is true, but there are several important nuances that even many professionals have not heard of.
How do smartphones and tablets get updates?
Users often ask the question: how often do updates come? About how to update Android to KitKat. Unfortunately, there is no universal answer – it all depends on your manufacturer. Only gadgets of the Google Nexus line are updated regularly and promptly.
All other devices are simply unrealistic to update in such a short time – you need to wait until the manufacturers create their firmware based on the new version of Android, test them, and only then start updating. Usually, this process can take from 1 month to six months.
Often, many versions are simply “skipped”, that is, the device does not receive everything in order: for example, not Android 5.0, 5.1, 5.1.1, and 6.0, but only 5.0 and then 6.0. You must understand that each manufacturer has to support up to 30 models at the same time and, purely physically, company developers cannot have time to roll out new updates for each smartphone or tablet about how to update Android to KitKat.
How long will your gadget be updated? Only the manufacturer knows the answer to this question. It is impossible to predict this when choosing a new device. It is logical that the more popular the model, the more advantageous it is in terms of updates. It is beneficial for the manufacturer to satisfy a larger number of users so that they, in turn, remain loyal to the brand and buy its products again next time.
But how can you find out about the release of new system updates for your smartphone or tablet before the corresponding notification appears on the device? Just follow the thematic sites, forums, or groups on social networks, and also check the official website of the manufacturer for new images for manually updating the device (this process is described later in this article).
Checking and installing Android updates
After the announcement of the system update, it may not “fly” to you immediately. Usually, this process takes from 2-3 days to 2 weeks. The fact is that the manufacturer sends out updates gradually, on how to update Android to KitKat, which is why it turns out that your friend with the same smartphone got the update instantly, and it only reached you after some time.
When it’s your machine’s turn, a notification will appear on a new Wi-Fi connection prompting you to update the system and reschedule on how to update Android to KitKat.
Select System Update.
Click the “Check for Updates” button.
And if an OTA update is available for the device, a “Download” button will appear.
System Update will be downloaded to your phone, or tablet, after which you will need to click on “Restart and install”.
The installation process will begin, after which the device will reboot with the updated system.
How to speed up (force) the receipt of OTA updates
If the owners of your device have been updated for a long time, and the update still comes to you, you can resort to a method that few people know about.
Go to “Settings” → “Applications” → tab “All”. Open ” Google Services Framework”. Select the “Erase data” option.
After that, again check for updates according to the instructions above and most likely you will be pleasantly surprised. Sometimes it does not work the first time, and sometimes it takes several minutes before the OTA update appears.
How to update Android manually
In order not to wait for an update over the air (and it happens that it does not come at all), I recommend installing the official firmware manually via Recovery.
First, the ZIP archive with this very firmware must be downloaded from the official website of the manufacturer to a smartphone, or tablet and placed in any convenient place in memory. After that, go to the Recovery menu and follow the instructions.
1. To enter the Recovery Menu, first turn off the machine.
2. Then turn it on, but while holding down a certain keyboard shortcut. Depending on the manufacturer, this combination is different, but the most common are (in general, it is better to find information on the Internet on how to enter Recovery on your particular model):
- Volume up + power button
- Volume down + power button
- Volume up / down + power button + “Home”
- Volume up + volume down + power button
Moving around Recovery (if it is not touched) is carried out using the volume keys, and the selection is made with the Power / Lock button.
The option names may vary slightly, but I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it.
3. Select “Apply update”.
4. Then select “Choose from internal storage” if you saved the archive with the firmware in the internal memory or “Choose from sd card” if on a memory card.
5. After that, go to the desired folder where you saved the firmware and select it.
The update installation process will begin.
After completion, return to the main Recovery menu and select “Reboot system now”. Your device will reboot with the updated firmware.
That’s how I told you everything you need to know about the Android update. If you have any questions about this topic, ask them in the comments.
The Android operating system is very popular and the reason for this is its many advantages. Many modern smartphones and tablets run on this operating system, which indicates its reliability, otherwise, well-known gadget manufacturers would not use Android. In general, this OS has enough advantages, but the purpose of this article is not to describe the advantages and disadvantages of Android. This rather voluminous manual is intended for users who want to know how to update Android.
Periodically, for each holder of a smartphone, tablet, or other device running on the Android platform, there is a need to update the version of the operating system. Of course, updating is not mandatory, and if this is not done, any device will continue to function normally. However, the old version of the OS often becomes a problem. For example, it may be difficult to install new programs or games whose developers did not take care of later versions of Android. In addition, developers regularly release new versions of the Android OS for a reason. First of all, this is done to eliminate all the shortcomings of previous versions and add new, user-friendly features.
So, we figured out the need to update Android, now let’s find out how to update Android on different devices. In this article, we will consider the use of official and non-official firmware versions. Your attention will be presented with step-by-step instructions, based on which you can update Android on your phone and tablet. We will also tell you how to update Android through a computer. So, let’s get down to business.
Before you update Android, you need to choose the method that suits you best, and there may be several options. Perhaps the most convenient is automatic software updates directly through the phone. That is, this method does not require the use of a computer and pre-loading a new firmware version, since all the necessary actions will be performed in the smartphone settings. This method of updating the OS is suitable for all devices with a version of Android no later than 4.0. The software update procedure is extremely simple and will take very little time.
It should be noted that the Android update process may vary slightly depending on the specific smartphone model. We have prepared step-by-step instructions using the most common software as an example, but you can easily figure it out if your device has a slightly different interface. So, to update Android on your phone, follow these steps:
1. Go to “Settings” on your smartphone. This is usually done through the main menu of the phone or using a special button on the phone. It all depends on the model of the gadget. In any case, there will be no problems with this.
2. After entering the phone settings, find the “About phone” item (in some cases, this section may be called “About the tablet” or “About the smartphone”). Here you will find the build number and version of Android. After clicking on the “About phone” item, the following window will appear in front of you:
3. Next, you need to find and go to the “System Update” section. (In some cases, this section may be called “Software Update” or simply “Update”). Now you need to click on the “Update” button (in some cases, this button may be called “Check for updates” or “Check now”). If an update is available for your device, your smartphone will automatically download and install it. In some cases, automatic download is not provided and you will need to confirm the software update. If there is no update for your smartphone, then you will see a message stating that you have the latest version of the Android OS installed.
It should be said that some devices require certain features of the Android operating system update. For example, some Samsung smartphones require you to enable your Samsung account before updating to Android. Note that this is not a Google account, but a Samsung account. If you have not yet created a Samsung account, then follow these steps:
- In the phone settings, find the “Account and sync” item and go to it.
- Now click on “Add account” and in the window that opens, select the “Samsung account” section.
- Now follow the prompts on the smartphone screen. After activating your account, you can proceed to update the Android, following the previously given instructions.
Also, watch the Android update video on your smartphone.
You already know how to update an Android phone. Now let’s find out how to update Android on a tablet. It should be said that the process of updating the software on a tablet computer does not imply significant differences from updating a smartphone, however, there are still some differences, so we decided to prepare a separate instruction.
Quite often, tablets are almost constantly connected to the Internet. In this case, the Android update procedure is greatly simplified. The fact is that being in the mode of constant access to the network, the device itself can find a new version of the operating system and inform you about it. You will only have to accept or reject the new software. If you have already received such an offer, but at that time you decided to refuse it, then there is nothing to worry about. Just go to the section “About the tablet PC” and select the item “Update software”.
If automatic updating does not occur, then this procedure can be performed manually. Again, the process of updating Android on a tablet may involve minor differences depending on the specific device model, but the meaning is the same and you will not have any difficulties. To update Android on a tablet computer, you need to follow these steps:
- Go to “Settings”.
- Find “About Tablet PC”. Click on this tab and click on the “System update” item.
- After that, the tablet will start searching for the latest software version.
- If the device has the latest version of Android installed, the device will inform you that no updates were found. If a new Android OS version is found, you will be prompted to install it. install. After installation is complete, your tablet may restart.
On how to update Android to KitKat, you can update Android not only directly from the device itself but also from a computer. To do this, you will need a special program and a disk that comes with the device. Also, the Android version can be downloaded from the Internet, for example, if there is no corresponding disk or you want to install a specific version.
To date, there are several programs how to update Android to KitKat, but we use the special Kies application as an example. You can download the program on the Internet, just use the Yandex or Google search. To update Android through a computer, you need to follow these steps:
1. Connect your smartphone or tablet to your computer and launch the Kies app. The program will automatically check if there is an available software update for your device and the result will be reported to you in the corresponding window.
2. If there is a new version of the operating system for your device, then the “Update” button will appear in front of you. Click on it and a new warning window will appear. Carefully study the information provided and only then proceed to the next step.
3. If you agree with everything, check the box next to “I have read all the above information” and click on the “Start updating” button. After that, the download of the latest version of the operating system will begin, which fully corresponds to your model smartphone or tablet.
4. Once the Android OS files are downloaded, the software update will start automatically. If the automatic update has not started, a corresponding button should appear, by clicking on which you will confirm the start of the software installation.
5. That’s it. You have updated Android to the latest version. Now you can evaluate the benefits of the new software.
Android is updated in the same way through Sony PC Companion programs and others.
Also, watch the video on how to update Android to KitKat via Kies.
Many modern gadgets, such as Nexus, HTC, Samsung, etc. have the opportunity to get Android 5 Lollipop. Meanwhile, often for unknown reasons, many users cannot manage how to update Android to KitKat, since the long-awaited update simply does not come.
That is, the corresponding section reports that there are no updates available for the device. If you are sure that your smartphone or tablet supports this version of the operating system, but there is no automatic update, then you can try to update in another simple and safe way, which, moreover, does not require.
We are talking about how to update Android to KitKat in a forced update, and you will not need to manually install the image and use non-official firmware. Since we did not find a device on which Android 5 Lollipop has not yet been installed, the screenshots presented in the instructions will already be with this version of the software, but there is no significant difference and the contents of the menu are no different, so you can easily cope with the task.
So, go to “Settings” and select “Applications”.
Open the list of all applications. Now you need to find an application called Google Services Framework. Click on it and select the “Erase data” option.
After that, turn off the smartphone and immediately after turning it on, check the software updates again, to do this, go to the following path: “Settings” → “About device” → “System update”.
Note: In some cases, there may be a delay in the arrival of the update. As a rule, after 10-15 minutes you can already start the update.
If your device does not support Android 5 Lollipop and the previously specified file is deleted, nothing bad will happen. True, for the further correct operation of Google Play, you may have to re-authorize, that is, you just need to enter your data to log into your Google account, and not re-register in the system.
You can also watch the video on how to update Android to KitKat to Android 5 lollipop.
How to update Android using unofficial firmware
This is where we will end this article on how to update Android to KitKat. We hope this rather voluminous manual helped you and now you know how to update Android to KitKat. If you have any problems with the update, ask questions in the comments.
You may also be interested;
On how to update Android to Kitkat on Android 4.4 KitKat is the latest version of Google’s OS, which was created by the developer to make it available for all gadgets. Taking care of its users, Google has developed a special application that allows you to check how the new version will work on a specific device. Newer models this year will have the latest OS, everyone else can upgrade to Android 4.4 KitKat.
Traditionally, the new version will provide a performance boost, but the most visible updates have been to the interface. The developer also changed the color of the design, inviting users to make their own choice. Another change concerns the use of the display. In addition, the updated version has several additional profiles for Bluetooth. In addition, KitKat allows you to wirelessly print various documents and has also received a new graphics editor. Along with the release of the next update, qualitatively new ones appeared, presented in all existing genres.
How to update Android to 4.0 on your phone.
How to update Android to KitKat, you must:
1. Connect to the Internet, go to the settings, and find the section with system information.
2. Select the ” Automatic updates ” function. Then the OS will do everything on its own.
3. If the auto-update function is not available, you will have to do the updates manually. To do this, click on “Update”, the system itself will scan the information of the official server and update itself.
4. OS can be upgraded via computer.
5. If for some reason the update functions do not work, you can download Android 4.0 firmware from the developer’s website.