You'll learn how to reset, back up, and restore your system to factory settings.

System rollback is a return to previous version firmware. The procedure may be necessary if the update or installation of applications was unsuccessful, after which the mobile device began to work incorrectly: the gadget freezes, Wi-Fi turns off, errors occur when launching programs, and so on.

Reset Android to factory settings

You may need to return the device to its original settings in the following cases:

  • the gadget freezes on the Android logo when loading;
  • the screen is displayed in a mirror image;
  • the touch display does not respond to touches and actions;
  • you need to delete all user data from the gadget.

How does a factory reset work?

First, you need to download zero firmware for a smartphone or tablet to your computer - it can usually be found on the manufacturer’s official website or on various thematic forums.

  1. Install drivers for your mobile device on your PC.
  2. Fully charge your gadget.
  3. Connect your device to your computer via a USB cable.
  4. Launch the desktop program for your mobile device, select the file with the downloaded version of the system and start flashing the firmware.

If, after an unsuccessful update, your smartphone or tablet has turned into a “brick”, that is, it has completely stopped responding to any actions and does not turn on, you need to contact a service center.

Rollback Android to backup

Any competent user of an Android device knows that before each installation of a new version of the platform and firmware of the gadget, it is necessary to create, which in case of problems will help you quickly and easily return to previous state systems. There are many special applications for creating backups, one of the most popular and universal programs is Titanium Backup.

This will require applications that will provide access to the necessary system folders and files. You can get them through the programs SuperOneClick, Unlock Root Pro, Kingo Android Root and others - each device has its own rules and instructions.

You need to understand that inexperienced users should be wary of root rights, since with them the owner of the gadget gets unlimited access to system management. The problem of subsequent problems due to obtaining root rights can be solved by returning to .

Creating a backup via Titanium Backup

  1. When installing Titanium Backup, grant the application root rights.
  2. Insert a microSD card with sufficient memory for the backup to take place.
  3. Go to the tab " Backup", select required action, for example, “Back up all user software and system data.”
  4. Click Start.

To restore the system from a backup copy, you need to go to the “Recovery” tab, select “Restore all software with data” for a complete rollback to the previous system state or “Backups” to restore individual applications.

ClockworkMod Recovery

You can download the ClockworkMod Recovery program directly from operating system using the ROM Manager application downloaded from Google Play. To install, select Flash ClockworkMod Recovery, to enter - Reboot into Recovery. As with Titanium Backup, the user needs root rights to work with this utility.

After entering the program, a menu appears with possible actions:

  • Install zip from sdcard - install a zip archive from a memory card.
  • Wipe data/factory reset - return to factory settings.
  • Wipe cache partition - clearing the cache.
  • Backup and restore - creating backup copies and restoring them.
  • Mounts and storage - connecting certain memory sections and formatting them.
  • Advanced - advanced features such as rebooting CWM, clearing dalvik cache, partitioning device memory, restoring system application rights to default and others.
  • The capabilities of ClockworkMod Recovery are much wider than those of the Titanium Backup application. This utility is perfect for confident users of Android devices, but beginners should be careful not to damage the gadget's operating system.

    Disabling automatic updates

    As a preventive measure, experts recommend disabling the automatic updates function of your mobile device. This will help avoid installing “raw” firmware, which can lead to various problems described above.

    1. Go to the settings menu in the “System” section, “About phone” item.
    2. Open Update Center.
    3. Select Software Update.
    4. Uncheck the box next to “Check and download updates automatically.”

    Now you can independently manage the device update process: wait for the final firmware version or refuse to install updates altogether if you feel most comfortable with the current version and do not want to change anything.

    Data-lazy-type="image" data-src="http://androidkak.ru/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/android.png" alt="android" width="300" height="206"> !} Sometimes it is useful to know how to roll back the Android firmware to the previous version. This operating system receives updates regularly. For example, Android 4.4.4 KitKat could have been upgraded to version 5.0.1 Lollipop at one time.

    Thanks to updates, the system becomes more secure, since developers are always striving to find and fix vulnerabilities. In addition, after the improvement, Android gets a new GUI, as a result of which it acquires a more stylish and modern appearance.

    Why do you need a rollback?

    Changes sometimes concern not only functionality and visual design. Some applications that could actually be used in the previous version of the system may not be supported after installing the update, which is why the user begins to think about how to uninstall the new one. Android version.

    If there are concerns that switching to a different version of the operating system may remove support for a particular application that was actively used by the previous system, then it would be wiser to wait until it becomes available. official update for this program. If the user has updated the system, but for some subjective reasons is dissatisfied with the improvement and wants to return to the previous version, then he needs to perform a system rollback and remove the new software environment.

    Next we will tell you how to return the old version of Android after updating. The Nexus 5 phone will be used as an example since it is officially supported by Google, it has its own Factory image file and bootloader that can be unlocked by restoring an older version. When performing this operation, the user will face the risk of losing important data being deleted.

    The user must act at his own risk. Performance next steps can lead to breakdown of the mobile device without the possibility of recovery after unsuccessful firmware.

    Read also: How to reflash Windows Phone on Android

    Preparing to perform a rollback

    Nexus devices are very convenient for performing rollbacks. All you need to do is save your personal files, go to the developer page on Google and download any factory image ever released for the device. Then you should flash it via ADB data-lazy-type="image" data-src="http://androidkak.ru/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/14722200366071-300x225.jpg" alt="nexus" width="300" height="225" srcset="" data-srcset="http://androidkak.ru/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/14722200366071-300x225..jpg 350w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px"> !} (Android Debugging Bridge).

    IN in this example using a Nexus 5 phone installed system Android 5.0, which should be replaced by version 4.4.4 (you need to find this firmware on Android and download it to save it in an accessible location). If you need to roll back another device, you should search for suitable images for it using search engine Google.

    So, how to restore the firmware on Android? In addition to the Factory image, you should download a few more files to your PC. Will need Android app SDK required for flashing the firmware. In addition to the SDK manager, you also need a standalone SDK file. To use this software you will need the latest Java environment. In progress SDK installation you will need to specify where Java is installed.

    After installation is complete, go to the SDK manager to select Tools, Platform-tools, Android Support Library, Google USB Driver and install them. Now you need to go to where the Nexus 5 Factory image was previously saved. You should extract the contents of this file to the Platform-tools folder. From this point on, you can assume that all preconditions have been met and begin the procedure of rolling back the mobile device.

    Process of reverting to a previous version

    It is necessary to perform the following steps sequentially:

    • go to the settings of your mobile device, scroll down the page and find the section with the build number;
    • Click on the build number until a notification appears that developer mode has been successfully enabled;
    • will appear in the settings new section“Developer options”, there you need to scroll down and enable “USB Debugging”;
    • connect your device to your computer using USB cable and make sure the computer recognizes it.

    The market for mobile products is structured in such a way that as new versions of Android OS are released, smartphone manufacturing companies introduce their support into their own, both recently released and already proven models. How it works? At the time of purchasing a new mobile product, it is available basic version system installed by default. After some period of time, Google releases a new Android release. After six months or a little later, depending on the geographic region, when the new version becomes tested and stable, you can install it on your smart phone. As a result, you get a new one, modern interface, support for new applications and more settings and customization. In this material we have compiled a detailed guide for you, how to update Android on your phone.

    What is a software update on Android and why is it needed?

    You need to be aware that as a result of updating or rolling back the operating system, all data stored on the phone will be irretrievably lost. Be sure to do backups all the data you need ( address book, notes, photos) to a reliable external media before taking any of the steps in this guide. This could be an external drive, a hard drive on a PC (as a last resort, a memory card, but not advisable).

    One more nuance. Since updating the operating system will require certain time(from 5 to 10 minutes, and sometimes more), be sure to charge the phone to 70-80% of the total battery capacity so that the update procedure is not interrupted due to problems with the phone’s battery.

    Automatic Android update

    The most affordable and least complicated way to update. Go to the options menu and select the “Phone Information” section. Here we go to the “Software Update” item. On your device, this section may be located somewhere else, so you may have to go through the settings.

    Now tap on the “Update” button, having previously set the option to download updates only via Wi-Fi, so that the update does not “eat up” all your money from your account.

    Option in settings menu for automatic update OS

    When all the data from the manufacturer’s server has been downloaded, in the menu that appears, tap the “Install” button and wait until the device reboots.

    Since using the method described above you can only update your mobile device to the minor release build, you should also use special utility from the manufacturer (for Samsung gadgets it’s Kies, for LG it’s PC Suite, etc.) or updated “over the air” (most of the companies that produce smartphones or tablets have such a proprietary feature).

    Latest Android update, if it is already available on the server, you can download it to your device at any time using just such a program.

    Manually updating Android firmware

    Almost all service centers use this method, but we can easily update ourselves, using exclusively available means. Applies to update system application Odin. You can download it on many web resources (for example, on the same w3bsit3-dns.com). Using this technique, you can only install a new version of the official firmware, but not a custom one.

    1. download the Odin program. We need version 1.83 (or later) - it is very popular among technicians and is suitable for the vast majority of products

    2. find and download an archive on the Internet with the firmware we need. After extracting the contents from the archive (you will first need to download the archiver for Android), you should have 3 files: PIT, PDA and CSC

    3. connect the smartphone to the PC. It is critical that the phone is detected correctly in Windows

    4. launch Odin. If the device connection was successful, in the program yellow the port name will light up in the corresponding field

    Indication of successful connection of the device to the PC for updating in Odin

    5. turn off mobile device and put it into Download Mode by pressing the home, power and volume down keys at the same time

    6. Confirm activation of Download Mode by holding down the “Volume Up” key

    7. in the central Odin window, select the downloaded files so that they correspond to the PIT, PDA and CSC objects

    8. In Odin, click the Start button and wait until all files are updated.

    If the Android system update went smoothly, a field with the inscription PASS in green will appear on the application screen.

    Successful system update via Odin

    Rollback to previous version

    Perhaps you updated to one of the latest versions and were not satisfied (the phone is slow, errors appear frequently, you need to reboot, etc.). If necessary, you can roll back to any version you need. How to roll back?

    1 way

    Suitable for those who want to return the basic official factory firmware installed in the device at the time of its purchase in the store. This is quite easy to do. Go to the device settings and select the item responsible for resetting the settings (this can be “Privacy” or “Backup and reset”). On the test phone, this function was available in the “Backup and reset” menu in the “Personal data” category.

    Section in the options menu designed to reset the device to its factory state

    1. We go to this section of the menu and stop at the “Reset settings” item.
    2. A form pops up warning you that all data from the gadget will be deleted. If the backups are already saved in a safe place, feel free to click “Reset phone settings”.
    3. The phone begins to reboot. After 5-10 minutes it will boot again, with a clean basic system on board.

    Method 2 - reset to factory settings (hard reset)

    1. turn off the phone/tablet
    2. simultaneously press and hold down the “Volume Up”, “Home” (bottom center) and “Power” buttons. The Recovery menu opens.
    3. Using the volume keys, check the “wipe data/factory reset” item.
    4. press the power key to confirm your choice
    5. in the next menu you need to confirm your decision. Select “Yes – Delete all user data” using the keys designed to adjust the volume
    6. Press the power button again. The main menu appears in front of you again
    7. Using the power key, select “reboot system now”

    All is ready. Next time the factory version of the OS will boot.

    How to rollback if a custom version of Android is installed (Cyanogenmod, MIUI, Paranoid Android)?

    If you installed a custom ROM, return official firmware can be done the same way manual update, - using the Odin program already mentioned in the review. First, you will have to search the Internet for files with the firmware you need, individually suitable for your smart model. Perhaps the best resource to search for is mobile portal 4PDA, here you can find any firmware for almost every phone model.

    1. connect the mobile device to the PC
    2. launch Odin
    3. turn off the phone and enter it into Download Mode. To do this, press the home key, power key and volume down key.
    4. when the phone is booted, press the volume up key to activate Download Mode
    5. on main form Odin select downloaded files as matching PIT, PDA and CSC
    6. in Odin, click the Start button and wait until all the files are updated.

    The successful completion of the rollback procedure will be indicated by a green field with the inscription PASS at the top.

    Information about a successful rollback to a previous version via Odin

    How to update Play Market on Android

    The first time you boot a fresh system, you have to configure everything again: account, language, mail, time zone, network, etc. The same goes for the Google store. Play Market. An update to this module will become available immediately after setting up a Google account on your mobile device.

    Proposal to connect your Google account to the system

    Once you enter your authentication details account Google, Play Store components will appear in the notification panel, which can be updated exactly like any other applications.

    Updates for Play Market components

    If you are using custom firmware, you need to go to the store itself at least once to update. After this, an update for the service will appear on the display.

    Answers to readers' questions

    When will the new Android update be available?

    Answer. Since a certain time passes between the immediate release of a new version of Android and the physical possibility of installing it on a gadget (from 2-3 to 6-8 months), you need to be patient and follow the announcements of companies. Among the first products with marshmallow support are devices from the Nexus and Android One lines. As for the Samsung brand, this month they promise updates to 6.0 for the following models mobile devices: Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 edge+; in January 2016 – Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge; in February – Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note Edge.

    Now about others trademarks. Sony announced an update for all current devices in the Xperia line, starting from the Xperia Z Ultra GPE released in 2013 and ending with all models of the Z5 series (both Premium and budget). The range of devices from LG is limited to the G4, G3 and G Flex2. HTC, in turn, limited itself to only the last two generations of devices of its own production: One M9/E9 and One M8/E8. In addition, companies such as Motorola, Xiaomi, Huawei, Asus, OnePlus and ZUK promise to equip their flagship devices and mid-level devices with Android 6.0. This list is not yet final. Subsequently, we will keep you updated on the latest announcements.

    I have Huawei phone U9500, and I didn’t know or didn’t understand that I needed to update the version. Now I have Android 4.0.3, how can I update the firmware to the new version, please help!

    Answer. Update process Huawei firmware described . In short, there are two ways to update the Huawei U9500 firmware.

    1. We take out the battery and hold down the volume buttons on the phone. After this, the Android update process will begin.
    2. Go to Settings -> Storage -> Software Update -> SD Card Update, launch the Android OS update.

    I have a MFLogin3T tablet and until now I didn’t know that it was possible to update the system. I read it on different sites, tried it, but it doesn’t work. I have Android 4.4.4. How to update the Android version?

    Answer. The easiest way to update your phone is through Settings - Options - About device - Software update. IN different versions Android OS partition location may vary. In this way, a standard update on Android is performed and the official software is downloaded. This is the safest and easiest way.

    I have Samsung Duos, version 4.1.2 I can’t update the operating system to a higher version. Please help me update Android on my phone!

    Answer. First you need to find out if it is possible to update Android on your phone to version 5.x. It turns out not. The fact is that specifications your phone is preventing you from installing newer versions of Android.

    On the other hand, you can download the update for Android from the 4pda forum, where modified firmware is posted. But we wouldn't recommend setting it to enough old phone such updates if you do not have the necessary skills and are not prepared for a drop in the performance of your mobile device.

    Lenovo A1000, Android is not updated. I'm trying to update version 5.0 to the newest one. At first everything goes well, but then he writes “Error” and shows an opened Android with a red triangle hanging above it with exclamation point. What should I do? How to update the OS to the latest version?

    Answer. Why isn't Android updated? The fact is that Android 5.0 is latest version The OS to which you can officially update the firmware on your phone. At least that's what users of the 4pda forum say. Of course, you can update your phone by installing custom firmware, but no one guarantees stability after such an update.

    I purchased NTS one m7. I can't update Android 4.4.2. The device does not find the software update, how to solve this problem? How to update it?

    Answer. NTS one m7 can be updated to at least Android 5.1. If you can’t install the official update, try downloading custom firmware on the 4pda forum. Instructions for updating on this device are also collected there (see). In this topic you will find solutions to the problem if the Android OS is not updated.

    I have a Moto x play, I don’t want to update the system, the message “Android 6.0.1 software available” constantly appears, which is wildly annoying. Please tell me how to remove this message so that it doesn’t appear again. I even contacted the support service of the smartphone manufacturer itself, All the instructions they gave me did not bring any results.

    Answer. To disable firmware updates, go to Android settings, section About phone - Software update and disable updates by unchecking the corresponding item.

    A year ago, the memory on my device died (the phone stopped turning on), it was replaced, but the firmware was not the original one (it’s no different, only the yellow Kernel inscription appears in the corner on the startup screen). Naturally, there are no updates for this firmware. Can I use Kies to roll back Android (install the native one) and update it?

    Answer. In order to roll back the update, you need to reboot the phone in Recovery mode, select wipe data/factory reset, wipe cache partition and reinstall the firmware from the zip archive previously downloaded to the memory card. You can find the official firmware both on the manufacturer’s official website and on the 4pda forum, in the section with the corresponding name of your mobile device.

    Tablet Acer Iconia A1-810. I don't have firmware updates... I click system update and it says "your device requires an update." How can I “force” it (forcefully update the Android system) or update it myself?

    Answer. This model The tablet was released about 5 years ago, it does not support new versions of Android, so the manufacturer does not provide firmware updates. You can search for custom (unofficial) firmware on the 4pda forum, but we do not recommend installing them - it’s better to purchase new tablet than experimenting with firmware to the detriment of the stability and speed of the device.

    The build number does not open on Android. I called for a long time. What should I do?

    Answer. Number Android builds initially available for viewing in the “About smartphone” (“About tablet”) section. If you go turn on hidden settings(section “For Developers”), you can activate them by clicking on the build number, just 4-7 clicks on this line.

    Each operating system needs to be improved in order to: increase its performance and ease of use, correct shortcomings and errors.

    Which is easy to do with updates. For the Android operating system, this can be done by updating its version, and this operation is called flashing.

    What kind of problems appear after updating Android?

    By and large, not scary at all. Very rarely, after modification, several shortcuts disappear from the desktop, and the programs themselves are the owners of these icons. Because they have long been outdated, there are many updates or replacements for these programs in the Play Store.

    Along with flashing, new useful but uninteresting programs are installed that cannot be removed.

    The worst thing is if you install the operating system not through settings and updates. Like this, on your own installed version Android will be unofficial software, and all service warranties for your device will be void.

    How to return to the old version of Android after updating?

    It may happen that you want to return the old version of Android if you do not like the update made. But such an opportunity, without harm to personal data and those already liked installed applications, does not exist.

    Still, it’s better to get used to Android after the update. Install new applications, shortcuts on your desktop, and you will like the updated operating system.

    The stubborn desire to return the old version of Android after the update does not leave, then this can be done.

    Firstly, before returning the old version of Android, you need to rewrite all personal data from internal memory phone:

    • contacts, phone numbers – to the SIM card;
    • photographs, music, text files, SMS messages, mail letters - to a separate memory card.

    Secondly, you will need to perform a factory reset. There are two options.

    Reset to menu:

    For different types and device models, the operation is different:

    • on Android phones version 2.3 -
      Settings > Privacy >
    • on Android phones version 4 –
      Settings > Device storage > Factory reset
      or Settings > Built-in memory > Factory reset.
    • on Android tablets version 4 –
      Settings > Backup & reset > Reset settings.

    Hard reset to return to the old version of Android:

    You need to enter the “Android system recovery” () menu. First you need to turn off the device, and then use the key combination, which differs for different manufacturers.

    • For most phones and tablets, simultaneously press and hold the power and volume down buttons.
    • Samsung – simultaneously press and hold the power and volume up buttons.
    • Sony Ericsson - simultaneously press and hold the power, volume down and camera buttons.
    • LG – simultaneously press and hold for more than 10 seconds the buttons: power, volume down, home screen (home). Release the power button after the LG logo appears, and hold the rest until the recovery screen appears.
    • Huawei – simultaneously press and hold the buttons: power, volume down, volume up.
    • HTC – press and hold the volume down button, then briefly press the power button. When the recovery menu appears on the screen, release the Volume Down key. Find the “Clear storage” item, select it by pressing the power button and confirm the action with the volume down button.

    In the “Android system recovery” menu, remember the key assignments: highlight – move through the menu; select – select a menu item. Move to the line “wipe data / factory reset” and select this item. Next, in the new menu, go down to the action confirmation sub-item and select it.

    In both reset options, a reboot will occur, and your device will turn on with factory settings - with applications and old version Android pre-installed by the manufacturer.

    It happens that smartphone users are often dissatisfied new version operating system for various reasons. Many people are interested in whether it is possible to rollback Android updates, returning the previous version of the system. Any restoration to a previous version means installing the operating system from scratch, in which all files are completely deleted. Let's look at how to roll back the Android version.

    Preventing unscheduled updates

    To avoid automatic updates on Android, you need to disable the auto-updates function in the settings. Because once the installation procedure starts, it will be impossible to stop it.

    To adjust the settings, do the following:

    The described algorithm was created using Android 4.4 as an example. These steps will protect you from unexpected downloads of updates, so you don’t have to rack your brains over restoring the original firmware.

    The intermediary in this operation will be special program. A common product is Titanium Backup. The utility can work if you have root rights. Obtaining them is necessary to open access to system documents and archives.


    As a result, a Titanium Backup folder will be created on the flash drive, which will contain many files. We advise you to copy the contents to your computer to avoid data loss.

    The Odin program helps you remove the firmware on Android and return the old one. Let's say you don't have a backup copy. Then you will have to search the Internet for documents with the desired operating system. The optimal place is the 4PDA site, intended for those who are planning to restore old software. There are many firmwares for smartphones and tablets.


    Refund via Titanium Backup

    Thus, this program allows you to save copies of data from gadgets and helps you roll back the firmware on Android. Therefore, its use makes it possible to easily downgrade the Android version without searching for files and data.

    To roll back the Android update to the factory firmware, just use the smartphone settings.