Apply Update From ADB - What It Is And How It Works

There are some situations where you’ll discover that you can’t download updates on your phone or you can’t install updates you’ve downloaded. This is often because your manufacturer isn’t providing further updates for your phone.

Generally, manufacturers specify the number of updates they allow for a device. When the device reaches its specified number of updates, they stop providing updates. In these cases, you can sideload the updates to your smartphone using ADB sideload method.

If you are looking to find out what ADB sideload is and how to apply update from ADB, you will find this guide helpful. In this article, you will get to know everything about the ADB feature.

What is ADB?

ADB is short for Android Debug Bridge. It is a command-line tool that allows you to communicate with any Android device connected to your PC.

With this tool, you can transfer data and gain control over a device’s filesystems. In addition, developers use this tool for debugging and deploying codes on Android devices as long as they can establish a host-target connection using a USB connection.

Due to the functionality of this tool, many people apply update from ADB when they are unable to receive regular OTA (Over-the-air updates).

People with knowledge of ADB and the Android operating system can usually enable features that influence user experience. For example, aside from debugging apps, they can also install third-party apps that aren’t on Play Store.

With all of that being said, you should know that ADB is a client-server program that consists of three components;

The Clients: The Clients are the computer and Android devices involved in the process.
Daemon or The Client Service: Daemon is a Client Service that needs to be present on the computer and Android device to allow communication through commands.
The Server: The Server is the software that manages all the communications between the “Clients” and “Daemon.”

What is ADB Sideload?

Before you know what ADB sideload is, you need first to understand what Sideloading means. Sideloading is a term that’s similar in functionality to uploading / downloading. It involves the process of installing apps and software from an external source.

This system is what people use to apply update from ADB.

ADB sideload itself refers to installing or sideloading apps and software using ADB. It involves the transfer of data between an Android device and a PC.

Is Apply Update from ADB The Same on Samsung?

Yes, it is the same. However, there are some situations where you will need to do something different for you to be able to apply update from ADB on a Samsung device.

Sometimes, an ADB connection requires an official Samsung cable to work. For example, you will need an official Samsung cable to establish a connection between the Samsung device and your PC.

Advantages of ADB

You can use ADB with any command-line interface such as CMD, Mac OS, or Linux Command-Line.
You can transfer files outside the Android User Interface using push or pull.
ADB allows you to push updates to your Android when you cannot receive regular OTA (Over-the-air updates).
If your phone has issues, you can pull logs, system information, memory usage, and information on Installed apps to pinpoint where the issues originate.
ADB allows you to install Third-Party Android apps not available on Google Play Store.
You can use the ADB also to remove pre-installed apps.
ADB provides a way of removing Bloatware without the root.

Disadvantages of ADB

You may not be able to access some commands on the ADB system.
Before running commands, you need first to install ADB on your computer. You cannot execute commands if you don’t have ADB.

Things to Check Before You Apply Update From ADB

You need to do some things before you apply update using ADB. These things include:

Charging your device above 75% to ensure that your device won’t run out of battery during the update process.
Get a USB cable.
Activate developer mode and enable USB debugging on your device.
Install the required device drivers on your PC
Download all the required files, which include zip files.
Download and install Android SDK on your PC.
Install the ADB driver on your PC

Precautions to Take When You Want to Apply Update From ADB

Before you do any other thing, you need to make sure that you always back up your phone before applying any update. One way to do this is by copying all the data on your device into your computer. For example, make sure you copy every picture, video, and contact on your phone.
If you want to apply update from ADB onto a device, you need to make sure you disconnect all other devices connected to the PC.
As mentioned earlier, you need to ensure that you always charge your device before you apply update from ADB. This will help prevent interruptions that can occur due to low battery.
Start the update procedure slowly so that the device doesn’t begin to hand when the procedure becomes more intense.
Ensure that you use the latest tools when you want to apply update from ADB.
You can disable all wireless connections by turning ON airplane mode.

How to Apply Updates from ADB – Step by Step

You can apply updates from ADB, just like the option on the Android system recovery screen implies. Applying the update can be done by connecting your Android device to your computer and then using a command line to send and install the update onto your phone. Below is a step-by-step guide to applying an update from ADB.

STEP 1: Charge your phone battery and make sure that it is fully charged (or at least more than 60%) before unplugging from the power source.
STEP 2: Enable debugging via USB.
STEP 3: Install device drivers on a computer.
STEP 4: Download the required file (file.zip). Be sure to download files from trusted sources only, so as not to harm the computer (it is recommended that you use the services of the portals of the manufacturer of the smartphone).
STEP 5: Download Android SDK on your computer.
STEP 6: Download the Platform-Tools package on your computer (This is a special tool necessary to install custom recovery and root the phone).
STEP 7: Unzip the zip. File.
STEP 8: Connect your android phone to the computer with a USB cable and ensure that it is detected by the computer.
STEP 9: Open the unzipped folder and hold the “shift” key, then right-click your mouse.
STEP 10: Choose “open command window here”. A command window will show up next.
STEP 11: Enter the command “ADB devices”. This helps to check if ADB is properly installed and compatible with your computer. Getting a serial number followed by “device”, means your ADB is working correctly.
STEP 12: Now, move the update.zip file to the Platform-tools folder.
STEP 13: Boot your smartphone into recovery mode. Turn OFF the phone, then hold the volume control key for a few seconds. Use the same keys to choose the “apply update from ADB” option and then click on “power”.
STEP 14: Go back to the computer and type “ADB sideload firmware file name” in the command prompt window and then the zip. file will be sent to your android. Your android will open the file and verify it. The zip. file will be sideloaded and written in your android. The process will take a long time. Do not stop the process halfway, as the file will not open after and you will have to repeat the steps. When it is completed, you will see “Install from ADB complete” on the screen.

Note: If “error: closed” is displayed, it means that the sideload was not activated on your android.

If “error: device not found” is displayed, it means that the PC did not see android. To fix the problem, change the kernel, recovery, reboot the device, and start all over again.

How To Update An ADB Installation To The Latest Version

There are several methods to update an ADB installation to the latest version. One of the simplest methods is to get the latest platform tools and combine them with a bash alias for convenience.

Doing this will enable you to create a new ‘Android’ directory at the root of your home directory. Then, you can change the paths using the example below if you prefer a different location.

mkdir ~/Android && cd ~/Android

After doing that, download and extract the platform-tools from Google:

Full code line:

wget https://dl.google.com/android/repository/platform-tools_r33.0.3-linux.zip && unzip platform-tools-latest-linux.zip

By now, the latest ADB and other tools will be able to run directly from the newly extracted ‘platform-tools’ directory. It would be best if you uninstalled obsolete packages to avoid conflicts.

Overall, all you need to do to update your ADB is to ‘cd’ the Android directory and repeat the download and extract step again. After that, you can use the ADB version to check the version you currently have installed.

How Do I Update Software Using ADB?

Firstly, you need to download the required Update file. You need to ensure that you download from a trusted source. XDA has a dedicated forum for different phones. Find the one for your phone type and download it from there.
After you have downloaded the file, rename it as update.zip.
Connect your device to your PC using a compatible USB cable.
What you need to do next is to copy the update zip file to the desktop.
Now for Windows, when you are on the desktop, press Shift + Right-click simultaneously and select “Open PowerShell window here” or “Open command window here.”
For Mac, open the Terminal by right-clicking on desktop and then selecting Terminal.
Inside the Command prompt or Terminal, type” ADB reboot recovery.” Your phone will open up recovery mode.
When your phone opens up recovery mode, select Apply update from ADB. Use the volume keys to move up and down and the Power key to select.
After the selection, type “adb sideload Update.zip” on your command prompt. This will make the file start a flashing process.
Wait for the flashing process to finish, then reboot the device by holding the power key.

These steps will enable you to apply update from ADB. Upon completion, your device will reboot, and the software will be updated.

How Do I Use ADB Recovery?

Follow these steps to use ADB recovery.

After installing ADB, connect your phone to your PC via a USB cable. Make sure that you have enabled USB Debugging on your phone
Locate the folder where you stored your installed ADB
Type ADB devices and press enter to ensure that your device is connected correctly

When you are done with that, follow these steps to start the Recovery Console from the F8 boot menu:

Restart your PC
After the booting process, press the F8 key
Choose the option that says “Repair PC”
Then click the Next button
Choose your Username
Enter your password and click OK
Choose the option “Command Prompt”

How to Enable Developer Options and USB Debugging on Your Android Device for ADB To Work

You need to enable USB debugging on your device before ADB can work. It is usually disabled by default for security reasons.

You can follow the steps below to enable USB debugging.

Go to Settings on your device
Move to the About section
Then, go to Software Information
In Software Information, move to build number and tap on it 7 times to enable Developer options
After doing that, your Developer Mode will become active.
Go back to settings, and you will be able to find the Developer options below the About phone setting
Find the debugging option and turn on USB debugging.

How to Install ADB Drivers on Windows

Open your browser
Search Google for Platform Tools and then find developer.android.com
Go ahead to download the zip file of the SDK Platform-Tools for Windows
Extract the files with WinRAR/WinZip
Click on ADB drivers universal EXE file.
Then connect your device to your PC with the aid of the USB cable
When you connect your device, the ADB tool will be able to show your device’s manufacturer name and status
You can proceed to click on the install button and wait for the process to finish
A popup message will ask you to Allow USB debugging when the process finishes. Click Yes.

How to Install ADB Drivers on Mac

Search for the Platform-tools zip file for Mac and download it
Extract the zip file to a separate folder and copy the location of the folder
Open the Command prompt or Terminal to change the directory of the extracted file. You can do this by typing cd/”the copied path to the ADB folder”
Connect your device to your Mac using the supported USB cable.
In terminal window type, type – ADB devices
A popup screen will appear asking you to allow USB debugging. Click OK and type ADB devices
If your device is connected, it will appear in the terminal window. You can then apply update from ADB when you want to.

How to Exit Apply Update From ADB

To exit apply update from ADB mode, press the Power and Volume UP button for 10 seconds. If this doesn’t work, try taking out your device’s battery.

If you can’t take out your device’s battery, follow this procedure:

Install ADB on PC
Connect your device to your PC using a USB cable
Enter the following command on your PC’s Command prompt

adb sideload /dev/null

Your device will bring up an error message saying the file is not valid, but it will exit the apply update from ADB state.

What Is ‘Apply Update from Sd Card’?

This feature or process allows you to apply an update from an SD card. It enables you to sideload firmware from an SD card.

To apply update from an SD card, you must first go online and download the update file on your computer. Then plug your memory card into your computer and copy the update file to your SD card.

The file has to be located in the root directory (the highest folder) on the SD card or the update won’t work properly. After the update file is saved on the SD card, unplug it from the computer and insert it into your powered-off android device.

Boot the device into the Android system recovery and select the “apply update from external storage” option. The phone will then install the update from your SD card. After this, the phone should reboot or prompt you to manually reboot with the “reboot system now” option. Once your phone reboots, the update will be installed.

How Do I Update My Android Software from Sd Card?

Outlined below are the steps to update your android software from an SD card.

With your phone powered off, insert the update SD card into the phone.
Afterward, hold down the power button and at the same time, briefly press the volume up button.
When the Android system recovery menu appears, use the volume down button to highlight “apply update from SD card”. Then, press the power button to select.
Use the volume down button to highlight the software image file and then update.

Can You Really Install Android OS from Sd Card?

Yes, you can install Android OS from an SD card. To do this, simply insert the SD card into the device and set the device into recovery mode. Then use the navigation buttons to select “install from SD card”. Again, use the navigation buttons to select the zip file to launch the process.

Conclusion

In summary, Android Debug Bridge or ADB is a tool that enables you to use commands on your PC for executing modifications on your Android device. For example, when you can’t update your phone through the regular OTA, you can use the ADB sideload method to update it.

If you follow the steps listed in this guide, you will be able to update your device easily.

Ola

I am Ola, a tech writer with a passion for breaking down complex technical concepts into easy-to-understand language. With over five years of experience in the tech industry, I have a wealth of knowledge on a variety of topics, from software development to cybersecurity. My writing style is clear, concise and engaging, making it easy for readers to grasp even the most complex technical concepts. Learn more about tekpip and the team here on our about us page.

Apply Update from ADB – What It Is and How It Works