How to reinstall Android on a Samsung tablet

Preparatory actions

You can reflash the device using a PC. You first need:

• Read the instructions for the gadget.
• Study the algorithm of actions required to reinstall the OS.
• Download and prepare suitable firmware and drivers, special software, for example, acmeuninstaller, and equipment.
• In case of failure, create a backup copy of the system. Otherwise, it will not be possible to restore it by any means.
• Fully charge your phone or tablet. This is one of the main requirements when flashing. And the phone or tablet itself will not agree to such actions when the battery level is below 80%.

Preparing to reinstall Android

For many people, flashing a tablet is a very simple task. If you compare this operation with a similar process on computers running Windows, then reinstalling Android will take much less time and will not require a lot of knowledge. But even flashing a tablet requires a careful approach and fulfillment of certain requirements.

If you do not prepare to reinstall Android, errors may occur in the operation of the operating system, even if they did not appear before.

How to prepare to install updates:

1. Check if the tablet is charged at least 40-50%. If the charge level is below these indicators, then the OS will not be able to install completely, which is why the gadget will simply stop turning on.
2. If you have instructions for the tablet, you need to study it. Particular attention must be paid to the advice of the developers, since each device is unique.
3. Completely clear the device memory, as some files can affect the functioning of the new version of Android.
4. Follow the instructions from the instructions step by step if flashing is being done for the first time.

All these tips are important and cannot be avoided if the user wants to reinstall Android the right way. If at least one requirement is not met, further stability of the tablet is not guaranteed.

There is no need to be afraid of clearing your tablet's memory. If the device’s memory is occupied by useful files and applications, it is enough to create a backup copy that will help restore lost information.

Independent firmware and update

There are two ways to update the firmware of a smartphone or tablet: manual and automatic. But the possibility of failure, albeit low, cannot be ruled out.

Auto mode

Automatic updates and firmware are carried out thanks to the functions available in the gadget. But although a similar item is present in devices from different manufacturers, some of them may either not release updates and firmware at all, or discontinue their release due to the obsolescence of the models.

The whole process is very simple. All you need is a reliable internet connection and a fully charged device. Next, in the settings you need to find the “Auto-update” item and check the box next to it.

To save mobile traffic, it is better to check the box next to the corresponding settings item so that the update occurs only via a Wi-Fi wireless network.

At this point, all actions are completed, and the user can calmly wait for updates, which will be installed automatically as they are released. But custom firmware versions cannot be installed using this method.

Manually via computer

Updating or flashing manually is a much more labor-intensive process. Necessary:

• Make sure that the device can in principle be updated. After all, the first versions of the OS do not have such capabilities.
• Obtain firmware for a specific model from a specific manufacturer. You can download them on the Internet on the official website, in the play market or on specialized platforms. But in the latter case, the functionality of the device after all manipulations is not guaranteed.
• Run a special program on your computer or laptop and follow the instructions.
• Connect the device to the computer and allow the installation of updates.
• Once all steps are completed, reboot to complete the installation.

But before you reinstall the firmware on Android via a computer and remove the old operating system, you can try to solve the problem with your phone or tablet much easier.

If the desire to reinstall the OS appeared only because the device began to slow down, glitched or got viruses, then it is absolutely not necessary to resort to such radical measures. You just need to use the “Hard Reset” function, which is equipped with most models of smartphones and tablets. This will reset all settings to their original settings. Moreover, the entire memory of the device will be cleared, but the system kernel will not be affected. Often these actions can solve most problems.

A complete reinstallation of the firmware can be done in two ways:

1. Through the Recovery Menu, which is included in the software of any device model.
2. Using a computer, USB cable and additional programs.

Many well-known manufacturers produce special programs with which you can reinstall the system on an Android tablet or other device with this OS. But if you don’t have one at hand, then the Fastboot utility will do an excellent job with most firmware.

Once the program is downloaded, all that remains is to find the appropriate firmware. If you already have it, you need to connect your mobile or tablet to your computer and perform the following manipulations:

1. The downloaded archive must be unpacked into a folder called “Program tools”, where there are already files named “fastboot” and “adb”.
2. Switch the gadget to fastboot mode. To do this, you will need to install USB debugging on the device, and on your computer, open the command line using the Win+R key combination and type “cmd” in the field that appears. And then the data is entered: cd/;cd (location of the “adb” and “fastboot” files on the disk) and adb reboot bootloader.
3. The Android device will reboot in the desired mode.
4. Using the “fastboot erase” command, you need to format all partitions.
5. The command “fastboot flash->partition name->firmware file name” flashes the corresponding folders.
6. Often, “flash all” can install all the firmware at once.
7. At the end of the procedure, a corresponding message will appear.
8. The gadget will reboot.

After this, the device is ready to work with the new firmware.

Using the Recovery Menu

If you don’t want to understand the intricacies of the command line or don’t have the opportunity to use a computer or laptop, then the Recovery Menu utility built into the gadget comes to the rescue .

1. To begin with, you should save all important data to an external drive, since they will be deleted during installation.
2. The device is turned off and put into Recovery Mode. Devices from different manufacturers can also do this in different ways. For example, for all Samsung phones they use the combination: center key + volume up button + power button. You can find out how to do this on other phones on the website of the developer of your device.
3. After successful entry, use the volume buttons to select “install zip from sdcard”.

4. Now you need to indicate the location where the firmware is located. It must be located either in the internal memory or on the SD card.
5. Then everything happens automatically.

This method of reinstalling the system on Android is much simpler, but when using it, you need to make sure that the battery is fully charged.

Why is it necessary to reinstall Android?

Over time, the software of any smartphone begins to work incorrectly. This is due to the fact that over the course of several years of use, a person downloads a large amount of information onto the gadget, which includes viruses. They negatively affect the functioning of the system.

The need to flash Android can be boiled down to several reasons:

• The smartphone or tablet began to work slowly.
• Applications crash regularly.
• The gadget does not turn on.
• When you try to download the required application, information is displayed that it is not supported by the device.
• The user wants to test the new version.

It turns out that absolutely any reason can serve as a reason to reinstall the system. It is not always the case that the owner of a smartphone or tablet complains about its performance. Sometimes you just want to get acquainted with the new version of the software that the developers advertise.

Tips and Cautions

Updating and flashing devices on Android OS is not difficult. However, you should be aware that the device can fail if done incorrectly.

Particular attention should be paid to the choice of firmware. After all, incorrectly selected software can completely damage the device, and even the service cannot restore it.

It is better to choose firmware on official websites. Although they do not shine with beauty and originality of design, and some - with capabilities, they give confidence in a successful result.

Custom firmware, on the contrary, can have not only an interesting design, but also additional functions. But no one here will give a guarantee of quality.

It is always worth remembering that before reinstalling the system on Android completely, you can try to solve many problems using simpler methods.

According to the latest data: almost every 2nd touch gadget produced in the world uses the Android OS. Therefore, it is completely unsurprising that questions constantly appear on thematic forums, such as how to reinstall Android on a tablet? In this small phrase we are not talking about a complete reinstallation (as on a computer), but about such a concept as flashing a tablet.

Few words

Many famous manufacturers regularly release updates for their devices, so most users do not think about how to reflash their device. The incoming updates are enough to keep the touchscreen computer in excellent working condition:

• Minor improvements;
• Error correction;
• Changing the user interface and more.

This is what reputable companies do, however, there are also unknown Chinese manufacturers on the market who buy only in large quantities and very rarely accompany their devices. Their low price, relatively average technical characteristics and huge variety attract potential buyers.

However, for the most part, it will not be possible to update them via a computer or server to a new version of the system. More and more topics: how to flash a Chinese tablet appear on thematic forums - in this case, experts, alas, shrug their shoulders.

Optimal edition

Next we will talk about how to reinstall the Android version. A feature and advantage of Android is the rapid and high-quality improvement of versions. Any PC user will be able to update this OS, since due to its easy installation it is accessible to everyone. Here are a series of sequential steps that will help you update your version of Android to a more recent one:

1. In the settings of your phone there is an item ABOUT PHONE. This will indicate the current version of your phone and whether there are updates that you can download and install. If the OS version for your phone is not available, an alert will appear (as a dialog box).

2. If you want your phone to regularly install new software, then you need to check the box in the ABOUT THE DEVICE section next to automatic updates. All you need is constant access to the Internet.

3. Your OS will be constantly updated.

Methods to update Android

To eliminate the possibility of manually flashing the tablet, you need to check whether it is possible to update the device using official sources. Therefore, we turn on the gadget and wait for Android to load.

Next, connect the device to the Internet using one of the possible methods and go to general settings through a special shortcut.

It is highly recommended to use only a Wi-Fi connection that will be able to provide normal speeds when updates are detected.

We go down to the very bottom of the settings and in the “About Tablet PC” item, it may be called differently on different devices, click on “System update”. If the device detects something, you will be prompted to update the system through the manufacturer’s server; of course, we agree. Otherwise, flashing the tablet manually is inevitable.

Using PC

One of the most reliable, but more intensive ways to reflash a device is considered to be through a computer, since it requires the installation of additional software. Many users, at the stage of searching for the necessary drivers for their tablet, give up this “disastrous” business and prefer to stay on the native firmware.

The most popular program for flashing Samsung tablets is the Odin application. User-friendly interface, minimal settings and a simple mechanism for installing a new system. To update your gadget via a computer using Odin you need to:

• Download KIES to install the driver (disable it after completion);
• Install Odin;
• Charge the tablet and download the system image from the official website;
• Connect to your computer and run the firmware.

In addition to Odin, there is an extensive line of Flash_Tools applications that are suitable for most touch devices.

Many owners will ask: how to flash a tablet if it is not made by Samsung?

Easy update

Many companies, without bothering to create specialized software, have provided a mechanism that allows you to update the tablet without a computer and any additional problems.

Just go to the manufacturer’s official website, download the latest version of the tablet firmware and move it to the root directory of the device via your computer (possibly rename it to Update.zip). Next, restart your tablet, and the system will automatically prompt you to update Android to the new version.

After this, the action plan is simple: wait for the installation to complete and take advantage of the new features of the Android OS. If at this stage the question arises: how to flash a tablet, then we move on to a more complex method.

The first method is auto-update

Automatic update is the simplest and most secure solution. This eliminates the possibility of screwing up, because the device will carry out the entire procedure on its own. To run auto-update on the tablet, we need a fully charged battery and a stable Internet connection.

In the settings of almost every device running Android OS there is a corresponding function. It can be called differently, but as a rule it is hidden under the menu item “Software Update”, “Update Center” or similar. Having entered it, we check the availability of the current version of the software for our tablet. But it also happens: the menu does not contain the mentioned option, or the device refuses to search for an OS update. In this case, PlayMarket and one of the special update programs will help us.

IMPORTANT: in some cases, tablet product manufacturers do not provide users with the opportunity to update through a special function in the menu. Then the only thing we can do is a complete reinstallation of the operating system.

Custom Recovery

A very labor-intensive, but very interesting and useful way of flashing a tablet, which allows you to learn, so to speak, from the inside the entire Android operating system. This method involves installing a custom Recovery:

• CWM https://www.clockworkmod.com/rommanager;
• TWRP https://twrp.me.
• PhilZ Touch Recovery – advanced CWM.

These are special modules that are installed on top of the factory bootloader and allow you not only to reflash the tablet, but also to make a full backup, install individual scripts and much more. Surprisingly, custom Recovery in most cases is installed through the previously discussed Odin or FlashTools applications; installation is also possible using the FastBoot mode or the Rom Manager utility.

Touch TWRP

The presented types of bootloaders are available for most devices, however, developers simply do not have free time to develop for hundreds of varieties of Chinese tablets. In this case, owners have only one option - to look for specialized forums where free developers or craftsmen post modified bootloaders.

TWRP main menu

After installing a broken bootloader, you need to immediately go into it - there are a number of versions that simply crash after a normal reboot. To enter, use the control keys (volume and power) or the Rom Manager utility. Next, using TWRP as an example, click:

• Install – install;
• Through the internal explorer we find the file;
• Select it and start the process.

Next, you need to reboot the tablet to normal state and, after turning it on, delete the image file.

Some custom firmware requires additional installation of the GAPPS kit (Google applications) - the process is identical to the one discussed above.

CWM - lightweight version

Finding this bootloader is much easier than the previously reviewed one, since it appeared first. Many early versions are suitable for most manufactured tablets, so it can safely be called universal. Updating Android through it won’t be much of a hassle, the main thing is to install it correctly.

To flash the tablet you will need a system image, some free time and a clear head. By following the given instructions in each image, the user will complete the firmware with a positive result. Next, the standard scheme is to reboot and wait for the necessary components to be configured.

Reinstalling Android on a smartphone automatically

Manufacturers of most well-known smartphone brands inform users about the need to flash the firmware. In practice, information appears in the notification shade that an update is available. After clicking on the message, the owner of the smartphone can reinstall Android right at this moment or postpone the process for a while and activate the option independently.

The Android operating system is regularly updated, plus some manufacturers use their own shells that are placed on top of the OS. In this regard, it is impossible to provide an exact algorithm for how to enable automatic Android updates. The steps below may vary depending on the OS version and shell type (EMUI, Flyme, MIUI, etc.).

To enable automatic updating you need:

1. Go to device settings.
2. Select the “Software Update” section.
3. Check the box next to “Auto-updates”.

After this, Android will be reinstalled automatically. The user is only required not to cancel the operation when the next notification pops up. And the process itself will take 5-15 minutes.