The second option is advanced
If the system does not allow flashing (which happens in most cases), you can take an alternative route. It requires a PC and a previously installed ADB Run utility. The sequence is as follows.
On your mobile device, activate USB debugging mode and pair with your computer.
- Disable the gadget, and on the PC enter the “Recovery” menu.
- Go to the “Apply update from ADB” section.
- Transfer the file with the firmware to the folder with the utility.
- Launch it on your PC, enter “7” and press “Enter”.
- Enter “1” in the input line.
- Next, enter the command “adb sideload archive_name_with_firmware.zip” and confirm with the “Enter” button.
Now the flashing process is activated, the completion of which the system will notify you with a message.
Why do a rollback
Returning the previous version of the firmware, that is, doing a rollback, may be necessary for various reasons. Most often, users decide to take this action if, after the next update, the phone starts to slow down. In general, it is not recommended to install the latest version of the operating system on older smartphones. This can not only cause your device to run slowly, but also cause some applications to stop working on it.
By the way, after installing the new firmware, some not very popular programs simply refuse to start. This is explained by the fact that the developers have not yet had time to optimize the software for the “fresh” Android, or are not going to do this at all. If a person regularly uses such an application, but there is no desire or opportunity to change the smartphone, then a reasonable solution would be to roll back the system to the previous version.
How to roll back the Android version
Although there are exceptions, which include ASUS mobile devices, which allow you to quickly and easily return to the previous version of the OS, the rollback takes much longer on gadgets from other manufacturers. But there are many more possibilities for performing this process. You can reflash your smartphone in different ways.
How to get root rights
To get ROOT access to your smartphone or tablet, it is recommended to use one of the applications for Windows. The most popular are:
- Kingo Android Root;
- Unlock Root Pro;
- SuperOneClick.
Programs such as z4root and Universal And Root are considered no less useful.
The smartphone must be synchronized with the PC onto which the selected utility must be downloaded. All user actions are reduced to pressing the “Start” button. The rest of the actions will be performed by the program itself; you will only need to periodically confirm them by clicking. Each application is supported by certain phone models, so to perform flashing correctly, you need to find yours in the list.
When is it possible to do this
To save money, many manufacturers of technological devices, such as laptops, optimize them only for specific versions of operating systems. And if the device initially ran Windows 10, then installing Windows 7 on it in most cases will be almost impossible. A similar situation occurs with smartphones — rarely does anyone manage to download firmware of an earlier version than the preinstalled one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ig0PLWvbdqk
The whole reason often lies in the components, namely the installed processors. Manufacturers do not consider it necessary to incur additional costs by optimizing their hardware for all existing versions of Android. Therefore, it turns out that the modern Snapdragon 845 simply will not run on Android 5.0.
However, we are talking about a rollback, which means that a previous version of the operating system was once installed on the smartphone. Yes, this is true, but the file with the old firmware after the next update is simply deleted without the possibility of recovery. That is why you have to resort to complex flashing methods that are not always understandable to the average user.
Contact the service center
Usually this method is resorted to as a last resort. The situation is trivial: during the flashing process, an emergency situation arose, the mobile device turned off and turned into a “brick” that showed no signs of life.
Specialists have extensive experience and practice, so they know what measures need to be taken to resuscitate the device. They perform a complete diagnosis and render a verdict.
Disable automatic application updates
To avoid future problems when your application is updated, but you do not need this update, you can disable this option. Ultimately, you will decide when to download new versions for any applications on Google Play. Moreover, there are also two settings options: disabling updates for all applications at once and only for specific ones. We have analyzed both options so that you can choose the most optimal one for yourself.
The first option is simple (using the example of a xiaomi smartphone)
- Download the archive with the appropriate firmware to your smartphone.
- Go to the settings menu.
- Open the “About phone” section.
- Go to the “System Update” tab.
- Click on the icon with three vertical dots in the top right corner of the screen.
- Find the line “Select firmware file” and specify the path to the archive.
Next, all that remains is to grant the system permission to reboot and wait for the process to complete.
Through custom recovery
Another convenient option for rolling back Android is a custom TWRP flashing. Firstly, it is already installed on some smartphone models, and secondly, you can download it yourself. To do this, you do not need to obtain ROOT rights, but you only need ADB and Fastboot utilities, a PC and an unlocked bootloader on your phone.
Instructions:
- Download the “Minimal ADB and Fastboot” package to your computer and install it, placing it in the selected directory.
- On your smartphone, activate the “USB Debugging” option and connect it to the PC.
- After checking compatibility, you need to download the TWRP Recovery image file to your computer, which is suitable specifically for this smartphone.
- Next, go to the official website of the developer, find the model of the gadget you are flashing and complete the download.
- Place the file (it’s better to call it twrp.img) in the folder with the ADB application.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-C_Y9hCkWQ
Now everything is ready to install custom recovery. On the command line specify:
- first request “adb reboot bootloader” and activate execution with the “Enter” button;
- then “fastboot flash recovery twrp.img”.
After the process is completed, you will need to restart your smartphone and do the following.
- Download the archive with the firmware onto your PC, the files of which are immediately transferred to the memory card.
- Enter the “Recovery” menu by selecting one of the key combinations: “Volume (up or down) plus Power” or “Home” volume control power on.”
- Here you will first need to clear the file system, and then go to the archive and start the firmware installation process.
To complete, you will need to reboot the device again.
Via the update menu
This option is suitable for those who do not want to bother with wires and pairing devices. It is performed “by air” and does not take much time.