Installing android 5.0 on a smartphone. How to install Android on a smartphone and not make a brick out of it

In terms of the quality of iron and assembly, Chinese manufacturers are already keeping pace with the world's giants. Yes, sometimes plastic is cheaper, the design is not impressive at all, but there are no crumbling panels, as well as there are no millimeter gaps between the body parts and terrible backlashes. But the software is still not always well-developed. Even the pure Android that manufacturers install is sometimes a little crooked. In such a situation, the question of how to install Android firmware on a smartphone without turning the device into a brick becomes very relevant.

Why you may need to install Android on a smartphone from scratch

Before you start installing Android on a smartphone from scratch, you need to decide for yourself why you need it. If none of the reasons on the list fit, then better not. Practice shows that the lion's share of problems in topics on specialized forums comes from those who just like that, out of interest or out of boredom, decided to "pick" the firmware. If you want to experiment, you need to be aware that the consequences can be very different. So, in what cases you may need to reinstall Android:

What you need to install Android

Before you start installing Android on a smartphone, you need to have a theoretical minimum of knowledge and basic inventory for this. Otherwise, it is possible to "distort" the device to such an extent that it is not reanimated in the SC (for example, accidentally demolishing a low-level bootloader). If you are determined, then check out the list items below.

The firmware requires a stable working PC or laptop on Windows based(preferably x64).
To connect to a PC, you need a good USB cable, whose contacts will probably not go away during the process.
To correctly connect your smartphone for installation Android firmware, you need to download and install the driver for it on your computer. Find out what chipset your smartphone has and download a driver for it.
There is no one-size-fits-all installation guide for Android on all smartphones. Depending on the manufacturer of the device, as well as the model of the chipset, the programs for the firmware are different. For MediaTek chips, this is SP Flash Tool, for Sony - just Flashtool, for Samsung - Odin, Xiaomi - XiaoMi Flash. Check which program is needed for your model on a profile resource (like XDA or 4PDA).
If you need to install an alternative firmware assembly on your smartphone, make sure on the specialized forums that one exists at all. Not all devices have high-quality alternative versions of Android.
Make, if possible, a full backup ( backup) the entire contents of the system memory of the smartphone (completely copy the current version of Android). How to do this through a computer depends on specific model... There is no universal advice here either.
Think again: are you willing to take risks? After all, suddenly arising problems will have to be solved by yourself, and it is impossible to foresee all the unsuccessful turns of events.

Universal way: installing Android on a smartphone using TWRP

TWRP Recovery is a special add-on over the OS bootloader that replaces the standard recovery service menu. After installing it, functions such as backup firmware (copy current version Android), reset the system to factory condition, deleting the application cache, installing patches and full Android assemblies. There are two ways to install TWRP:

1. Through native Recovery

To do this, you need to download the TWRP assembly for your smartphone model, save it to the device's memory or to a MicroSD flash drive. After that, you need to turn off the device, and turn it on by simultaneously holding down the "power" and "volume +" keys to call recovery menu(depending on the smartphone model, sometimes you also need to hold down the "volume -" or the "home" key under the screen). A menu of several items should appear on the screen. Using the "volume +" and "volume -" buttons, you need to select the "install" item and select the saved archive file with TWRP in memory. The selection is made by pressing the power button.

V this menu you must select the item "instal zip from sdcard" after dropping the archive of the installation file to the root folder of the memory card

When the installation of the patch is completed - when turned on with the "volume +" pressed, the TWRP menu with convenient touch control will open.

Not all smartphones have a recovery menu that looks like this. There are such options:

V this case instead of "instal" the word "update"

Well, a similar case:

2. Through the TWRP Manager program

To install the recovery using the program, you need the phone to meet two conditions: it turns on normally and has Root access. Root rights for each smartphone model open in its own way individually. After downloading TWRP Manager from PlayMarket, you need to launch the program, give it root rights and select the name of the smartphone (device name). In the proposed list, you should find your model and download the TVRP for it. Then you need to click Install recovery. Then you can work with patches and firmware, as well as make backups, directly from the program interface.

Unfortunately, both options are not truly universal. Smartphones with a locked bootloader (for example, all Xiaomi released in 2016) do not have native recovery for protection. Only official firmware and patches can be installed on them. To unlock the bootloader, you need to submit an application on the manufacturer's website and wait until you are allowed to do this. In some cases (for example, on Samsung Galaxy S7) - you just need to enable OEM unlocking in the "for developer" menu.

The use of TWRP is also limited on smartphones with Android OS 6 or newer. Many of the manufacturers use memory encryption to protect data. In such cases, the TVRP will not be able to read the data for removing the backup, which increases the risk of getting a brick when unsuccessful firmware(there will be nothing to roll back, or very difficult). All that is possible in such conditions is only to install Android entirely, at your own peril and risk.

In order to install Android on a smartphone in TWRP, you need to download a compatible firmware to a USB flash drive, turn it off and turn it on by holding down "power" and "volume +" at the same time. In the selected menu, you need to find the item "install" or "install", select it, confirm the seriousness of your intentions and wait for the end of the process. Sometimes, before installing Android, you need to select the "wipe cache and data" item. After installation, the smartphone can be rebooted and it will start with the new firmware.

You will also like:

Before 5.0, think carefully. There may be two reasons why the update did not arrive automatically. Either this is an error (when sending, when receiving, etc.), or the manufacturer did not plan to update the software for your device. And if in the first case the defect is easy to fix, then the second option makes you think. Of course, the point here is not that the manufacturer does not care about your device or that he has forgotten about you. Everything is much more prosaic.

Every manufacturer, be it Samsung, Sony, HTC, LG or any other, remembers perfectly about each of its devices. But he also knows everything in detail specifications each model. Much better than you and me! And no matter how much the OS developers talk about increasing the performance of gadgets after their update, numerous tests and user reviews speak of either a scanty or zero "increase" in the speed of work. But most often, users report a deterioration in the performance of the device after the update. The explanation for this is simple: Android 5.0 Lollipop is brighter and more functional than its older brother, and this requires more resources to work. And all manufacturers also know about this, so they do not send an update to your device.

Therefore, let's start with advice: if it seems to you that your device on Android 4.4 Kitkat is working at the limit of its technical capabilities, then most likely it does not seem to you! Of course, you can experiment with deleting photos, videos, games and applications, installing accelerator programs, checking for viruses, and more. But the risk of getting a "brick" after a forced update still remains!

It is worth remembering that there are a few things to take care of before starting the installation. You probably know very well about them, but, as they say, "Repetition is the mother of learning!"

First, you need to do a Backup. After installing the update, there will be nothing on your device except the operating system itself and the programs installed by default. Therefore, SMS, applications, games and everything that you downloaded, you have to yourself. Good, special programs There are many that will help you do this.

Secondly, if you decide to install custom firmware, of which there are an incredible number now, then you have to take care of Root rights. Just like with Backup, you need special software.

Thirdly, before starting to manipulate the system, make sure that the battery is fully charged and that you have a USB cable (preferably original) at hand.

Before proceeding directly to the Android update process, it must be said that there are not so many options to do this, only two: "over the air" (that is, over the Internet) and through a computer.

Option number 1. "By air"

As mentioned above, there can be two situations here. Either the update came automatically, or it needs to be checked and installed forcibly.

If the update came automatically, then there are no problems at all. You will see a notification that a new version of Android 5.0 Lollipop is available. Typically, this same notification prompts you to "Update Now" or "Postpone Update". You know what to choose!

In case your Android update did not come automatically, you can check its availability manually. To do this, open the "Settings" menu, go to the "About device" submenu, then to the "Updates" section. In the window that opens, tap on the "Check for updates" button. If the update is found, install it.

It happens that this method does not work. Then you can go the other way. To do this, you must first erase data from google apps Services Framework. And you can find this application at "Settings" - "Applications". After the data is erased, restart your phone and check again for updates.

Before going to the following way OS updates, I would like to note that the options described above will be installed on your device official firmware... Therefore, you do not need to think about any other nuances. But it's better to do Backup all the same!

Option number 2. Via a computer

This method will be interesting for those who want to install custom firmware, as well as for all owners who were not originally "intended" for Android 5.0 Lollipop.

I would like to note right away that for everyone specific device Whether it is a smartphone or tablet, the process of installing the OS through a computer is individual. Before starting the installation of the update, study the algorithm in detail in theory. Read forums, reviews, ask questions. Firmware assembly is individual for each device separately. Install only the one that is right for yours.

In essence, the process of updating via a PC boils down to the fact that you need to download the firmware to your computer and use a specific bootloader program to install it on the device. For many gadgets, the network has detailed instructions on installation, and even video materials with visual reviews. Especially for the popular models of the tablet-smartphone world.

The update method will depend on the specific device

We will focus on the basic steps that will have to be performed, based on the fact that you have already downloaded the firmware, root, bootloader and backup programs, unpacked everything, installed and are ready to start.

Put the device into firmware mode (see the instructions for your device).
Connect to computer.
Run the bootloader, load the firmware into it.
, start the installation process and wait a little.
After completion, the device will reboot and turn on with the new version of Android.

This is the structure of the process. In fact, for some manufacturers' devices, this process can be much more tricky. But you can certainly figure it out!

Conclusion

In conclusion, I would like to say thanks to those programmers who, despite all the manufacturers' restrictions, bypass the prohibitions and adapt the firmware for our phones and tablets. Also, thanks are due to those people who test these updates, find bugs and test again. After all, everyone wants to enjoy the new features and new design, and not just those who bought their gadget today!

Conclusion (alternative)

In the end, after all of the above, I want to philosophize a little. Because a number of questions hang in the air:

Why, by default, device manufacturers only "push" updates to flagship devices?
Why do they make the decision to update for us?

Android is relatively new, and we all remember how crude and awkward it was. Developers do not sit idly by! Today, many users have an excellent opportunity to download the Android 5.0 firmware for free. different smartphones and tablets, and then quickly update your device.

The differences between the starting and the latest version of the OS are, of course, huge. For a long time, Google has not paid attention to external mind android by tacitly allowing manufacturers to create appearance applications.

Main functions

Material Design

Absence standard interface created a number of additional problems. Experts at Google have decided to make deep changes to the Android interface, which are simply necessary. Thanks to this, the Material Design idea came to life, unifying all Google services and products.

Lock screen and application menu

Now, in order to view notifications or turn off data transfer, you do not need to unlock your smartphone, as it was in more earlier versions... In Android 5.0, the lock screen is designed in such a way that the user has easy access to notifications, to the point that you can write a response in lock mode, which greatly simplifies the use of the device.

The updated menu makes it easy to work with both system and user-installed applications that are located in one place. Application icons are displayed on a light background, so navigation in the menu has become much easier.

User change

Special attention should be paid to such an option as a user manager. The function is very relevant for family tablets, which are used by all family members. A separate user can be created for each user. Account... By switching between accounts, using one gadget becomes more convenient for a group of people.

Notification panel

The notification panel has undergone global changes, now, when it drops out, it does not close the main screen, because it is made translucent. In the context of multitasking use of a smartphone, this feature will become an additional plus for ease of use.

Settings

After the installation, you will see that the settings menu improvements are not so global, you will not find any special differences: all the same icons, all the same functions. The exception is additional function"Contactless payment" - a section designed for mobile payments.

Extra options

Smartphone, calendar and clock

Voice calls are set by default quick calls... You will find the contact lists, as well as the call log, if you scroll to the right. The change to the calendar consists of an option added to it to display the schedule. You will see the calendar and all events in one feed.

The application standardly contains local and world time, a timer, an alarm clock, and a stopwatch. Here you can set off the display of time on the display at night, saving a little battery, the setting is called "night mode".

Contacts, photos and keyboard

The address book is an alphabetical list of contacts. The "Favorites" tab allows you to create an additional short list of the most important numbers for you.

Lollipop's image storage is inextricably linked to Google+; photos can be saved in cloud storage Google At the automatic level, the program will edit pictures, it is possible to create interactive and animated albums, consisting of a series of photos. But everything has changed in the keyboard: the interface as a whole, the design of the buttons, the animation when pressing the keys, the vibration response.

Google fit

In the updated OS, you will find a pedometer from Google - Google Fit. The program will count the steps, show the average speed, display the number of kilocalories spent, but it will also allow you to organize and save the results of training and various health information.

Recently under Android project x86, an important event happened - a stable version of the Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system was released. This means that the latest version of Android is now available for installation on computers and laptops. In this article, we will show you how to install Android 6.0 Marshmallow on your computer, as well as how to set up and better use this system on a full-fledged computer.

How to install next to other OS

Burning an image to a disc or USB drive:

Download the ISO image of the system from the official site - and bit (direct download links).
The image can be burned to disc in a standard way via CD Burner XP Windows applications, or using standard utility on Windows 7 and up. If you do not want to waste an extra disk, then you can create bootable USB:
To do this, it is better to use the Linux Live USB Creator (LiLi) application, which can be downloaded for Windows and Linux on the project's official website.
Run the utility, in step 1, select the USB drive on which you would like to install Android.
Select the very image that you downloaded earlier.

Ignoring all the settings, press the lightning bolt in step 5, after which the image will begin to be written to the USB drive.

System installation:

Prepare a disk partition for Android. For partitioning a disk, it is better to use the package Acronis programs Disc Director Suite. A new version Android x86 allows systems to be installed side by side with another OS without damaging it. Therefore, you don't even have to worry about the section if you don't want to bother too much.
After the image is finished writing to the USB drive, if there were no errors, restart your laptop. After turning on and the manufacturer's logo appears on the screen, periodically press the button that brings up the window with alternative ways downloads. On ASUS laptops- this is the Esc button, on most PCs - F8 or adjacent buttons from this row. Better check on the Internet. If an alternative boot is not available, then enable it in the BIOS, which is usually called by the Delete button.
In the Alternate Start window, select the USB, CD, or DVD drive where you installed Android.
After that, you will see a window with four options. The first three allow you to run Android in Live CD or Live USB mode - working with the system directly from the disk. The last option starts the installation. We need it exactly.

Next, you have to choose which partition to install Android on. You can select any supported partition by formatting it, or by installing Android next to another system. In the latter case, choose the “Do Not Format” option instead of the file system name. If you decide to install the system on a clean partition, then select the file system (ext3 or ext4 is recommended).

The next window will ask you to install the GRUB boot manager. If you have not installed it with another Linux-system, then you can safely choose “Yes”. Then, during the next start-up, the laptop will display a window with launch options for all installed OS. It is worth noting that Windows is recognized normally. If you already have GRUB installed, you can select “Skip” and then add Android to the /grub/menu.lst list in another OS. In both cases, you can choose to install GRUB - you won't go wrong.

The installation will then begin. At the end, the installer will offer to immediately launch the installed Android or reboot the system. If you chose to install GRUB, the laptop should display something like this after turning it on.

We select the first item, after which the launch will begin installed Android.
Next, you have to go through the usual operation that every buyer of a new Android device faces: setting the language (Russian is present), setting Google account, Wi-Fi connection and more. There is nothing difficult here.
After all this, a desktop should appear in front of you. full Android... Voila, the mobile OS runs on your laptop.

How to install on a virtual machine

If you do not want to install Android x86 on your computer as a complete system, but would like to try it on virtual machine, then there is one more instruction for you.
How to install Android x86 6.0 Marshmallow on VirtualBox virtual machine:

Create a new virtual machine in VirtualBox. We choose Linux type, Linux version 2.x / 3.x / 4.x (32 or 64 bit) depending on your PC. Also create a virtual partition of at least 2 GB. As a result, the settings should look like this:

After creating the machine in its settings, connect the downloaded Android x86 image. This can be done in the "Media" section.

Start the virtual machine. If everything is set correctly, then you will be presented with a screen with four points. We select the lowest one - “Installation”. But you can also try Live CD without installation.

The partition selection menu appears. The sequence of actions is as follows: Create / Modify partitions → Do you want to use GPT (no) → New → Primary → (you can select the volume of the partition) Enter → Bootable → Write (yes + enter) → Quit.

Select the section that was created (VBOX HARDDISK). It will be the first item on the menu. The file system is ext4.

Are you sure to format this partition? → Yes
Do you want to install boot loader GRUB? → Yes
Do you want to install EFI GRUB2? → Skip
Do you want to install / system directory as read-write? → Yes
The system is installed, select the Reboot item.
After rebooting the virtual machine, the GRUB boot loader will appear. To start Android, select the topmost item in its menu. You can leave nothing at all and the system will boot automatically.

Voila! Now you can use Android in a virtual machine.

Additional settings

Launcher

Keyboard
During setup after the first launch, you may notice that keyboard shortcut language switching does not work. To fix this, you need to go to the settings in the "Language and input" section and select the layout you need. Android developers for computers even provided support for a keyboard shortcut to change the language - by default, it's CTRL + Space. By the way, if you need a virtual touch keyboard, which is not initially displayed on the screen, then switch the "Show input method" toggle switch in the same layout selection menu.

Many combinations are supported that are necessary for normal operation: copy (CTRL + C), paste (CTRL + V), cut (CTRL + X), the Windows button minimizes all applications and returns to the desktop. Some laptops and computers will run function keys in row F. The PrintScreen button works, which takes a screenshot.

Video
On Android x86 it is better to use a dedicated video player called Dolphin. It better understands the architecture of desktop chips, and also works well with big amount formats. You can download Dolphin video player for Android x86 at Treshbox.

Battery
To see more detailed condition laptop battery, it is better to install the Battary Disc widget, which can be brought to the desktop. The widget displays the battery charge as a percentage.

As you can see, Android 6.0 Marshmallow x86 is already pretty well optimized for most laptops, considering my device has an AMD chip. I even managed to play the Android port

Other versions and updates

updated Linux kernel up to version 4.4.12;
OpenGL ES 3.x hardware acceleration support for Intel graphics/ AMD (radeon / radeonsi) / Nvidia (nouveau), as well as VMware and QEMU (virgl);
OpenGL ES 3.0 support through software rendering with or without other graphics chips;
Support for secure boot via UEFI and installation on a UEFI disk;
the ability to install on partitions with ext4 / ntfs / fat32 file systems via a text-graphical interface;
improved upgrading from older Android x86 releases - now file systems ext2 and ext3 are automatically updated to ext4;
improved support for multi-touch screens, audio, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, sensors, cameras and Ethernet (only via DHCP);
automatic mounting of USB drives and SD cards;
support for other architectures (arm / arm64) through the native mechanism (Settings -> Application Compatibility).

Android versions

Android 6.0 Marshmallow RC1 (32 bit).
Android 6.0 Marshmallow RC1 (64 bit).

Users of the first versions of Android probably remember how illogical and inconvenient the system interface was when it appeared. But as time goes on, today Android has grown to version 5.0 and has significantly changed from all sides.

Material Design

Have Google For a long time there was no standard design for Android, so manufacturers created application interfaces to their liking, which did not always lead to a good result. Google quickly decided that Android needed deeper changes. This is how the Material Design idea was born, covering every segment of Google's mobile OS design.

It changes the appearance of the system, from icons to animation. It is based on the concept that flat design doesn't have to be flat.

Lock screen

In Android 5.0, manufacturers have improved the lock screen on which quick settings and all notifications are displayed. As a result, in order to see, for example, incoming letters or turn off Wi-Fi, it is not necessary to unlock the device at all.

Application menu

Installed and system programs collected in one menu, which has also been updated.

For ease of navigation, applications are now displayed on a white background, because now, their icons are much easier to distinguish.

User change

The system has a full-fledged user manager. It's not so interesting for a phone, but for a general tablet it can even be very useful. Thanks to this mode, you can create several accounts on one device and switch between them.

Notification panel

The Lolipop notification bar that drops down from the top of the display has been drastically redesigned. Now it does not close the main screen, but only shades it.

Settings

The settings menu has been slightly improved, it is still a list of icons with names of functions.

From the innovations in the Lollipop settings, there was a section "Contactless payment" for mobile payments.

Smartphone

Calendar

The app has changed noticeably. It appeared new option display “Schedule”, which shows calendar and events in one feed.

Watch

The "Clock" application shows local and world time, there are alarms, a timer and a stopwatch.

In this program you can mark “ Night mode”, Which displays the time on the off display.

Contacts

The address book displays the entire list of contacts, and you can also go to the "Favorites" tab, where the marked contacts are present.

Photo

The mode for storing photos is closely related to Google+, and allows you to save pictures in the Google cloud.

The program automatically enhances photos, creates animations and interactive albums from a series of frames.

Keyboard

The keyboard has been significantly redesigned. Its design has changed, the animation of button presses, and even the vibration of the response to pressing.

Google fit

The system will immediately install the application of the Google Fit service, which can independently count only steps, but with the advent of compatible utilities and accessories, it will make it possible to collect in one place a variety of information about the user's health.

Outcomes

Android 5.0 Lollipop is a very serious Android update that brings Google's mobile OS to high level... The Material Design idea combined the best of volumetric and flat design to present an unusual but overall good interface.

Video review Android 5.0 Lollipop

Installing Android 5.0 Lollipop Firmware

Now update and install your smartphone or tablet operating system to latest version just got easier. Now to install new firmware, just download Android 5.0 Lollipop from our website, follow the instructions from the downloaded archive, download and install the application on your smartphone or tablet with operating system Android.