Often, when choosing a new mobile device, the consumer pays attention not only to the technical parameters, but also to the software component. From time to time, the developers of the manufacturing company release new firmware versions that may bring new functionality, improved hardware performance, or a new version of the operating system. Today we will describe how to flash LG smartphones and tablets using official methods.

Updating your smartphone over the air

The easiest and fastest way to update LG is the so-called “over-the-air” update method, referred to as FOTA in the case of LG smartphones. Typically, notifications about the availability of a new update come when the Internet connection is turned on after the device automatically carries out the appropriate analysis. When you receive such an alert, all you need to do is expand the notification shade and click on the corresponding message. You can also check it yourself by following the path Settings - About phone - Software update (in some Update Centers - Software Update) - Check for update. If there is an update, a corresponding window will appear on the screen where you need to click on “Install Now”. It is worth drawing your attention to the fact that the smartphone’s battery charge should be at least 50%, and better yet, fully charged.

Update via LG Mobile Support Tool

It happens that the developer, for some unknown reason, has not released the next update over the air, but it is available on the company’s website. The program mentioned above is just for such cases. It appeared quite a long time ago and does not offer as many opportunities as its more recent counterparts. However, the “old lady” is still operational and often comes to the aid of owners of LG smartphones. We connect the device to a computer with the Mobile Support Tool installed, after which the program will recognize your device and start checking for an available software update. If the update is available, then click on the “Start update” button. Requests for confirmation may appear, to which we answer “Next”, “Proceed”, “Start” and so on, while carefully reading the text displayed on the monitor screen. Upon completion of the installation, a corresponding message indicating the end of the process and a “Exit” or “Finish” button will appear. After this, we can disconnect the mobile device from the PC and use it.

Update via LG PC Suite

The PC Suite program, or as it is also called PC Sync, has a richer set of interactions with smartphones from the South Korean company than the Support Tool and also allows you to update the software of your LG mobile device. We connect the device to the PC and click the “Connect” button in the upper left corner of the program window. After the device is detected, information about the phone will be displayed, including information about the installed software. You can check for the latest version of the software by clicking on the “Check for updates” button or click on the “Mobile device” tab, and then on “Mobile device software update”. The process of installing the update does not require any professional skills, so we carefully read what is written and make the necessary choice of action.

Update via LG Bridge program

Like the previous proprietary software for synchronizing smartphone data with a computer, Bridge offers almost the same set of functionality, but the distinguishing feature is the presence of the LG AirDrive application (for remote access to phone files) and a clearer and simpler interface. This program was released last year and is mostly intended for the previous flagship device G4, but according to information from the manufacturer, the utility can be used in conjunction with all mobile devices 2015 and older. To install the update, you need to connect your smartphone to your personal computer, go to the “Software Update” tab in the program and click the “Software Update” button. Next, follow the tips from the developers.

The Android operating system today is very popular among owners of various gadgets - phones, tablets and others. That is why manufacturers are trying to monitor the process of updating the Android version and implement their support in their models, at least flagships. Therefore, you need to know how to update Android on your phone yourself.

Developers of any system strive to improve their product. Android is no exception to this. Updating the system improves the performance of the gadget and eliminates errors and shortcomings of previous versions. All this leads to improved performance of the smartphone in general. Android updates are often noticeable even visually when the interface changes and some new configurations appear.

There are micro and macro updates. Small ones often weigh no more than 70-100 MB, but macro ones can weigh on average 500 MB. To update the Android version, it is advisable to have a Wi-Fi connection or unlimited Internet. Although the latter can significantly delay the entire process.
If the auto-update feature is enabled in the phone settings, the user will simply be notified at the end that the operating system has been updated. Self-installation is relevant in the following cases:

• there is no auto-update, information about a new version has appeared;
• The current version does not support existing or new applications on the phone;
• There was a need to roll back the system.

For example, my LG L90 smartphone has Android 4.4 as its native version. But after the first turn on, it was updated immediately to the latest version, or rather to 5.0.2.
We will consider those cases when you need to update the software manually.

Update methods

Via phone

How to update the Android version with only a phone?

This method, in my opinion, is the simplest. To update using it, you need:

• In the phone settings, select the “General” tab;
• tap “About phone”;
• select “General” again (I have duos, so it may differ);
• you can view all information about the software version or immediately go to the “Update Center”;
• here you can update applications that require it, or immediately the system;
• by selecting the second item, we will see that you can check Android for updates, as well as enable/disable the ability to auto-update;
• after selecting the check item, the phone warns that to carry out this operation the device must have access to any network except 2G (I had everything turned off);
• After connecting to the network, it searches for updates, after which either a message appears about the relevance of the version, or the update begins.

The main condition for this method is a high level of battery charge so that the update process does not end in a force majeure event. You can even update Android 2.3 to 4.0 in this way.

Manual flashing

Micro and macro Android updates appear almost every day. Manufacturers do not always have time, and perhaps do not strive, to develop them for all models. Sometimes this takes a very long time, and the update may not arrive at all. How to make sure you don't miss out on improvements for your phone?

In such a situation, you can independently change the firmware of your smartphone via Recovery. To do this you need:

• From the official website of the manufacturer of your device, download a zip archive with the firmware we need (check the version number and build date before doing this) and place it on the phone’s memory card.
• Turn off your smartphone and go to Recovery. The login combination may be different for all phones. For example, on LG L90 it is “Power + Vol (up or down)”, on Motorola and Lenovo phones it is “Power + Vol up + Vol down”.
• Select the “Apply update” item.
• Now the item “Choose from sdcard” (“Choose from internal storage” if the archive was saved in internal memory).
• Go to the desired folder, find the installed firmware file and run it.
• After the installation process has been completed, you need to return to the main menu and from there reboot the device “Reboot system now”

Using a computer

How to update the operating system if there is no access to Recovery?

In this case, you need to have a cord to connect your smartphone to your PC, as well as a disk with drivers for the official service program for a certain brand of phone. The latter may be missing, but this program can be downloaded.

Let's look at this method using LG phones as an example. For them you can download the KDZ Updater application. The necessary conditions are:

• download the Android system update (archive KDZ_Update.zip);
• mobile phone charging level is 50% or higher;
• LG drivers installed;
• availability of a firmware file for a specific model in KDZ format;
• absence of any other program for LG (not counting the driver).

The procedure for updating software for Android through this program is as follows:

1. Unzip KDZ_Update.zip and transfer it to your computer’s system drive. Move the firmware file there too. Run the msxml.msi file from the archive.
2. Through the phone settings, enable USB debugging on LG. In my case, the fifth Android did not immediately provide such an opportunity. This does not mean that it is not possible to enable it. First, you need to find the build number in the phone information and click on it 5 to 10 times in a row. The notification “You are now a developer” will pop up. Now the “Developer Options” item will appear in the general settings. There you will find the “USB Debugging” item.
3. Then turn off the device and remove the battery (for some LG phone models this is necessary for flashing).
4. Press and hold the “Vol down” button and connect your smartphone to the computer. The message S/W Upgrade should appear. If it is not there, you should repeat everything, but with the battery inserted. Next, the battery must be in the phone in any of the cases.
5. Go to Device Manager on your computer. Disable LGE Mobile USB Modem.
6. In KDZ Updater, in the type field, you need to select 3GQCT from the drop-down list, and in phonemode - DIAG.
7. In the KDZ file field we enter the path to the firmware file or simply select it through the open files button.
8. If everything was done correctly, the user will see that the system is updated.

You should use the same method and, if necessary, roll back the Android version to any of the previous ones. Do not forget that the software update will lead to the fact that all files, contacts and SMS stored in the internal memory of the phone may be lost.

Everyone is happy with Android devices, but manufacturers stop supporting their devices too quickly. Not everyone can wait for an update with the latest version of the operating system to arrive on your smartphone. But there are custom firmware developers who can help cope with this misunderstanding. Below I will tell you how to install Android 7 on LG G3, for which the latest official version is Android 6.

If you are not confident in your abilities, it is better not to start. Crooked hands and a combination of circumstances can turn a smartphone into a brick. All responsibility is yours. If you haven't changed your mind yet, read below.

To successfully install the “seven” we will need:

1. Smartphone with custom TWRP recovery installed
2. Battery charged more than 50%
3. Files: firmware based on Android 7.1 Nougat, (7.1, ARM, nano or micro recommended)

How to install Android 7 on LG G3

Now let's talk about everything in order.

I won’t describe how to install a modified TWRP recovery on a smartphone, you can read it

Copy downloaded LineageOS firmware, modem firmware And GApps to a memory card and insert it into the phone.

We boot into recovery (hold down the power and volume down buttons at the same time, when the logo appears, release the buttons and press again. In the window that appears, click “yes”).

A window should appear as in the picture below:

Now we need to flash the modem. Click the button " Install" and select the modem downloaded earlier. Confirm the firmware by swiping to the right.

Without rebooting, we flash LineageOS and GApps in the same way ( Do not reboot between firmware!)

Let's start the phone.

The first turn on is about 5 minutes, for some it may be longer. Then, as usual, enter your account information, download the necessary applications and games and enjoy lightning-fast work.

Feelings after flashing:

• The speed of work after the sixth Android is simply amazing. Smooth animation without delays, fast response of the system as a whole.
• A large number of new features: liveDisplay, customization of gestures for controlling the phone, advanced energy management.
• Autonomy remained at the same level or improved slightly, not sure yet.
• The body began to warm up less.
• The camera takes pictures worse than stock. I liked the Snap Camera application, which, in my opinion, produces the highest quality photos. You can download

If your LG phone or tablet is unstable, freezes, slows down or does not open system applications, most likely it needs new firmware. This is analogous to an operating system. It determines what programs are installed on the device by default, what functions it has, what the interface and widgets look like. Gadget manufacturers often install their proprietary OS based on Android. But if you are somehow not satisfied with the standard LG firmware, you can change it.

There are official operating systems and custom ones. The latter were created by users. If Firmware is “amateur”, this does not mean that it is bad. Such utilities make the interface more convenient and responsive. They remove unnecessary functions and add necessary ones. Of course, the OS may not be suitable for your specific device or may not work correctly on it. But, if you are interested in the unofficial system, it is worth trying it.

Updating LG firmware is as easy as shelling pears :)

To install or reinstall Firmware, you will need special programs and the firmware itself. You can find it on the Internet. A large collection of custom and official OSs is available on the 4pda website. There is also a specialized resource lg-phone-firmware - there are systems for different device models.

Older phones may not support modern operating systems. After all, Firmware requires certain resources for stable operation. A device with 512 MB of RAM is unlikely to run Android 5.1.

Before flashing your LG device, do the following:

• Save all important information from your gadget on another medium or in cloud storage. It is better to create a backup copy of contacts, sms, call lists, photos, notes, videos. When installing Firmware, settings will be reset and all data will be erased.
• Charge your device to at least 80%. And better - 100%. If the battery dies while reinstalling the OS, problems will arise with the device. It will be difficult to restore it.
• Download drivers for LG devices (in particular, LGUnitedMobileDriver) to your computer if you want to flash your phone using a PC.
• Find out the model of your gadget. This information is in the instructions and in the device parameters.
• You must have a USB cable to connect your phone or tablet to your PC.

Firmware using a computer

KDZ Updater

Here is the first way to install Firmware:

Smart Flash Tool

There is another program with which you can reinstall the operating system on your phone. This is Smart Flash Tool. It is suitable for older models.

Firmware without a computer

Zip archive with firmware

To flash a device without connecting to a PC, Clockworkmod Recovery must be available on the mobile device - this is “recovery mode”. You also need a memory card on which the archive with the OS will “fit.”

1. To enable Recovery, you need to download the Rom Manager program from the Play Market. To use it, you need Root rights. They can be obtained using special utilities. For example, Kingo Root, Framaroot, GingerBreak are suitable. Some of them are launched from the computer, some are installed on the phone.
2. Launch Rom Manager on your smartphone or tablet.
3. Find the “Recovery Setup” menu there and open it.
4. Confirm the action by clicking on “Clockworkmod Recovery”.
5. In the next window, select your phone model. And confirm the action again.
6. Give the utility root rights. The installation will begin.
7. After that, you will be able to enter this mode through Rom Manager if you click “Load Recovery”.

It’s easier to install Firmware that already has the necessary options, and then write what you need “on top” of it.

With the debugging mode running, you can begin installing the OS.

1. You need special firmware in .zip format. The instructions for it should indicate that it is activated through Recovery mode.
2. Copy the archive from the OS to the memory card of your LG device.
3. Reboot it into Recovery. A menu will appear.
4. To make a backup of your current system, click “Backup and restore”. Next, select “Backup to / sdcard”. The data will be copied to the SD card.
5. To reset, click “Wipe data/factory reset” and confirm “Yes”.
6. To install Firmware, go to “Install zip from sdcard”.
7. Select the firmware file and click “Yes”. Wait for the installation to complete.
8. Tap “Reboot system now” and enjoy the new OS.

Mobile Odin Pro

Mobile application for quick installation of Firmware. No PC connection required. Suitable for three-file firmware. Usually their names include CODE, CSC, Modem.

1. Move them to your memory card.
2. Launch Mobile Odin Pro on your phone or tablet.
3. Click “Open file”, select a file that has the word “CODE” in its name and click “OK”.
4. Open the “Modem” menu, add a file with “Modem” in its name and confirm the action.
5. Click "Flash Firmware". Installation may take a long time.

With this program, downloading single-file firmware is also available. They are in .tar or .tar.md5 format.

1. Copy the Firmware to the memory card.
2. Open Mobile Odin Pro.
3. Click “Open file” and specify the path to the tar file.
4. After this, you can begin the installation.

There are many options for flashing a phone or tablet. Firmware must be selected according to the device model. It is better not to try to install an OS that is definitely not suitable for your gadget.

WiFi