I have Samsung S8+ (G955U) SPRINT phone with TMOBILE logo and "unlocked" used phone which I am using on CRICKET (essentially ATT). I have tried searching threads for removing branding and changing carriers, et al, but I am stuck. I am wanting to remove the TMOBILE logo because they suck and I seriously cannot stand to see anything TMB - needless-to-say we had a falling out after only 3 months of service. Soooo ANYTHING BUT TMB please. I know AT&T works on CRICKET but prefer standard Android with no branding and bloatware. HELP. I have flashed with Odin before on my old S8+ to remove the AT&T crap but for whatever reason, I am unable to get TMB off of this one. It automatically updated a few weeks ago so I have the ONE UI & Android 9. I don't even care if I have to downgrade and wait for the 9 to come around again if necessary. I hate TMB that much!
So here's the basic info:
IMS registration status: Not registered
Phone Status: Official
One UI Version: 1.0
Android Version: 9
Baseband version: G955USQU5DSD3
Kernel version: 4.4.153-15480860 #2 Wed Apr 10 17:114:07 KST 2019
SE for Android Status: Enforcing
Service Provider: TMB - XAA - SPR
I think I have everything DL'd that I could possibly need and I have USB 2.0 avail for transferring. Just need to figure out why I cannot unbrand.
Can anybody kindly link me the Unlocked Firmware for (Bootloader v5)?
I live in outside usa, i have a t-mobile network unlocked S8+, now i want it to be completely unbranded. Which firmware should i flash? Help please. Phone Info:
Bootloader version: G9555USQU5DSD3
Product code: SM2G955UZVAXAA
Firmware's CSC Code: XAA
Active CSC Code: TMB
Having trouble with this method on a SC-03J (s8+ NTT Docomo ) Snapdragon phone. I am able to get to factory binary but when I flash CSC and go to IMIE screen I am not able to see the codes I only see one sales code with DCM.
Any suggestions ?
Hello, there. This is my second guide, so please forgive me if it looks a bit weird. But without further ado I present you with my Official [Snapdragon] Guide for Flashing Standard Firmware, Carrier Switching, and Flashing Unlocked Firmware for the S8+.[/SIZE] Here are some useful reminders: All download links are at the bottom of this post.
Make sure you follow the "Prerequisites For Anything You decide To Do In This Guide" section.
Don't copy quotation marks, unless I tell you to in this guide.
You will need a Windows computer in order to utilize the software provided. Mac users can use Boot Camp to dual boot their machines. Using WINE is not recommended.
This is an S8+ guide, not an S8 guide. Go to https://xdaforums.com/galaxy-s8/how-to/snap-guide-flashing-standard-fw-carrier-t3625817 to check out my S8 guide.
WARNING: Anything you do in this guide will erase your phone completely. It's recommended that you back up before you do anything and that you remove your Google account from your phone (so you don't have to go through FRP). Note: Flashing to stock from Unlocked firmware requires you to follow the "Carrier Switching" section (which eventually requires you to follow the "Flashing Standard Firmware" section) and do as it says, unless the CSC code of your carrier is currently active. You can check this by going into Recovery Mode by holding the Power button, Bixby button, and Volume Up button until you see a dark blue screen with text saying that the firmware is being updated (it's not actually). Once it transitions to a black screen, your active CSC will be on the bottom log (three characters). If your CSC code is already your carrier's, then just follow the "Flashing Standard Firmware section. But for anything you decide to do, you must follow the "Prerequisites for anything you decide to do in this guide" section.
Disclaimer:
I am NOT responsible for any damage done to your device if you decide to use this guide.
Prerequisites for anything you decide to do in this guide (Required):
Standard Odin
Samsung Drivers
Steps:
1) Uninstall Samsung Switch and/or Samsung Kies, if present on your computer. This helps removes any conflicts with Odin.
2) Extract the Samsung Driver zip and the Odin zip to somewhere safe on your computer.
3) Double click on the extracted "SAMSUNG_USB_Driver_for_Mobile_Phones" executable (SAMSUNG_USB_Driver_for_Mobile_Phones.exe).
3) Navigate to your extracted Odin folder and double click on the Odin configuration file (Odin3.ini).
4) You should have entered Notepad (or your preferred note editor). Find the "[ButtonOption]" section.
5) There should be a setting there called "UMS/PATCH". Change the value of "0" to "1" so it becomes "UMS/PATCH=1".
6) Press the "Ctrl" key and "S" key on your keyboard to save the file.
7) Go ahead and close out of Notepad.
All About Bootloaders (Required Reading):
As Wikipedia puts it, “A boot loader is a computer program that loads an operating system or some other system software for the computer after completion of the power-on self-tests.” In other words, a bootloader is what loads you operating system. In most Samsung phones (including the S8 and S8+), there’s an e-fuse that prevents downgrading of the bootloader. This means any firmware or firmware update containing a lower Bootloader version than the one you have, will FAIL to be applied. There is really no way to circumvent this.
(From what I can tell) S8+ firmware released since December are Bootloader v2, while anything before that month is Bootloader v1. In the next section, I’ll be explaining how to properly identify your current Bootloader version.
How to identify Bootloader version (Important):
Steps:
1) Open “Settings” on your phone.
2) Scroll down to “About Phone”.
3a) If you are on a standard, carrier firmware, under “Baseband version” you should see something similar to this: “G955UXXXXXXXX”.
3b) If you are on an unlocked firmware, under “Baseband version” you should see something similar to this: “G955U1XXXXXXXX”.
4) No matter which firmware you're on, the fourth “X” would be either a “1” or a “2”, which means you will have either Bootloader version 1 or Bootloader version 2, respectively.
Note: As stated in the last section attempting to flash firmware that contains Bootloader v1 onto a phone that already has Bootloader v2, will fail. You can update a phone on Bootloader v1 to a firmware that has Bootloader v2, however. How To Download Firmware with Updato:
Note: This is an add-on section for any part of the guide that requires you to download specific firmware.
Updato can download old or new firmware for phones, therefore you can download Bootloader v1 or Bootloader v2 firmware. However, Updato tends to be much slower than SamFirm, therefore its recommended that you use SamFirm if you’re willing to download Bootloader v2 firmware. You should only use Updato if you need to download Bootloader v1 firmware.
Steps:
1) Go to http://fw.updato.com
2) Type in your Model Number (SM-G955U for carrier S8+’s; Firmware for unlocked S8+’s can be found in the “Downloads” section)
3) Find firmware for your specific region.
Here are some common Region codes:
BST Boost
VZW Verizon
ATT ATT
USC US Cellular
ACG C Spire
TMK MetroPCS
VMU Virgin Mobile
TFN Tracfone
XAS Sprint
TMB T-Mobile
XAA Unlocked US
SPR Sprint
CCT Xfinity Mobile
AIO Cricket
4) Download it somewhere safe onto your computer.
How To Download Firmware with SamFirm (Faster):
Note: This is an add-on section for any part of the guide that requires you to download specific firmware. SamFirm can only download the latest firmware for phones, therefore you’ll be downloading a Bootloader v2 firmware (which means once you flash it, there's no going back to Bootloader v1 if your phone is currently on that version). SamFirm tends to be much faster than Updato for downloading firmware, since the firmware is downloaded directly from Samsung.
Prerequisites:
SamFirm (SamFirm_v0.3.6.zip):https://xdaforums.com/galaxy-tab-s/general/tool-samfirm-samsung-firmware-t2988647
Steps:
1) Download “SamFirm_v0.3.6.zip”. Make sure you’ve installed all of its prerequisites listed on the page, such as “.NET Framework 3.5”, “Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable Package (x86)”, and “Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package (x86)”
2) Extract “SamFirm_v0.3.6.zip” somewhere safe onto your computer.
3) Double-click on “SamFirm.exe” to open it.
4) Enter your Model Number and 3-character Region code.
Here are some common Region codes:
BST Boost
VZW Verizon
ATT ATT
USC US Cellular
ACG C Spire
TMK MetroPCS
VMU Virgin Mobile
TFN Tracfone
XAS Sprint
TMB T-Mobile
XAA Unlocked US
SPR Sprint
CCT Xfinity Mobile
AIO Cricket
5) Make sure you’ve ticked the “Manual” checkbox.
6) Input your “PDA”, “CSC”, and “Phone” strings into their respective slots based off the information found from fw.updato.com for your latest specific firmware. Please note that the “CSC” slot is not the same as the same as the “Region” slot; the “CSC” slot should have a long string inputted.
7) Tick the “Binary Nature” checkbox.
8) Click the “Check Update” box.
9) Your firmware should now appear. Make sure the “Check CRC32” and “Decrypt Automatically” checkboxes are ticked.
10) Click on the “Download” box, choose where you want to store the firmware, and relax for a while.
Flashing Standard Firmware:
Prerequisites:
What's listed in the "Prerequisites For Anything You Decide To Do In This Guide" section.
Firmware you want to flash; follow the “How To Download Firmware with SamFirm” or “How To Download Firmware with Updato” section, if you need firmware.
Steps:
1) Extract your downloaded firmware to somewhere safe on your computer.
2) Turn off your S8+.
3) Once off, hold the Power button, Volume Down button, and the Bixby button until you see a blue screen on your phone.
4) Press the Volume Up key to enter Download Mode.
5) On your computer, navigate to your extracted Odin folder.
6) Double click on the "Odin3 v3.12.7" executable (Odin3 v3.12.7.exe)
7) Connect your phone to your computer with your USB cable.
8) You should see Odin output "Added!!" in the "Log" tab and underneath the "ID:COM" section, you should see an empty box turn blue.
9) Now it's time to add your firmware files that were extracted earlier. Individually add an appropriate firmware file for each box on the right. The "BL" box will require a firmware file that starts with "BL", the "AP" box will require a firmware file that starts with "AP", the "CP" box will require a firmware file that starts with "CP", the "CSC" box will require a firmware file that starts with "CSC" (DO NOT USE THE "HOME_CSC" file for the "CSC" box), the "UMS" box will require a firmware file that starts with "USERDATA". The "AP" and "USERDATA" files will take the longest for Odin to load because of their size.
10) Go to the "Options" tab and make sure that only the "Auto Reboot" and "F. Reset Time" checkboxes are ticked.
11) Go back to the "Log" tab.
12) Click the "Start" button on bottom right.
13) Sit back and relax for a while. Odin will output what is being flashed in the "Log" and on a box in the top left.
14) The box in the top left will become green and in black letters say "PASS" once the flash was successful.
15) Once the flash finished, disconnect your phone from your computer.
16) Your phone will do an erase at this point, so don't mess with your phone until you reach the setup screen.
17) PROFIT. Follow the setup on your phone and you're good to go.
Carrier Switching:
NOTE: Doing this process does NOT unlock your phone for use on other carriers.
Prerequisites:
What's listed in the "Prerequisites for anything you decide to do in this guide" section.
S8+ Factory Binary (either Bootloader v1 or Bootloader v2)
Prince Comsy version of Odin
Google Platform-Tools (ADB)
Canadian HOME_CSC (either Bootloader v1 or Bootloader v2)
Steps:
1) Extract the downloaded S8+ Factory Binary, the Prince Comsy version of Odin, Platform-Tools, and the Canadian firmware, to somewhere safe on your computer.
2) Turn off your S8+.
3) Once off, hold the Power button, Volume Down button, and the Bixby button until you see a blue screen on your phone.
4) Press the Volume Up key to enter Download Mode.
5) Navigate to the extracted Odin (NOT PRINCE COMSY) folder.
6) Double click on the "Odin3 v3.12.7" executable (Odin3 v3.12.7.exe).
7) Connect your phone to your computer with your USB cable.
8) You should see Odin output "Added!!" in the "Log" tab and underneath the "ID:COM" section, you should see an empty box turn blue.
9) Click on the "AP" box and navigate to the extracted Factory Binary folder. Double click on the file the starts with "COMBINATION".
10) Wait for Odin to load the file.
11) Go to the "Options" tab and make sure that only "Auto Reboot" and "F. Reset Time" checkboxes are ticked.
12) Go back to the "Log" tab.
13) Click the "Start" button on bottom right.
14) Odin will output what is being flashed in the "Log" and on a box in the top left.
15) The box in the top left will become green and in black letters say "PASS" once the flash was successful.
16) Leave your phone connected and let your it reboot into the 'factory binary homescreen' (Basically, the equivalent of a home screen on a regular S8+).
17) Navigate to the "platform-tools-latest-windows" folder. Once you’ve navigated to where “adb.exe” is located, click the address bar on the top and press “Ctr+C”.
18) Open cmd.exe through “Run” (Windows key + R)
19) Type in “cd /d “<copied folder location>”” (Make sure you’re putting the folder location in quotes and not the command itself)
20) Type in "adb reboot bootloader". Leave ADB open.
21) Your phone will reboot into Download Mode. Your device should still be connected and ADB should also still be open.
22) Navigate to the Prince Comsy version of Odin and double click on the "Odin PrinceComsy" executable (Odin PrinceComsy.exe).
23) You should see the Prince Comsy version of Odin output "Added!!" in the "Log" tab and underneath the "ID:COM" section, you should see an empty box turn blue.
24) Click the "CSC" box and navigate to the “HOME_CSC” file you downloaded.
25) Double click on the file that starts with "HOME_CSC" (DO NOT USE the "CSC" file for the "CSC" box). It should load quickly.
26) Go to the "Options" tab and make sure that only "Auto Reboot" and "F. Reset Time" are ticked.
27) Go back to the "Log" tab.
28) Click the "Start" button on bottom right.
29) Odin will output what is being flashed in the "Log" and on a box in the top left.
30) The box in the top left will become green and in black letters say "PASS" once the flash was successful.
31) Once your phone reboots, you will see an "IME" button on the 'factory binary homescreen (It’s on the bottom). Tap on it.
32) A number pad should appear. Type in "*#243203855#".
33) A menu will pop up. Scroll down until you find an "XAC" option. Tap on it and tap "Install".
34) Your phone will reboot. Once it reaches the 'factory binary homescreen', go to ADB on your computer and type in "adb shell".
35) *LOOK A TINY BIT BELOW!* Type in "echo "XXX" > /efs/imei/mps_code.dat" (the quotation marks that surround the X's are used, but not the ones that surround the whole command... you know that by now- right?) and REPLACE XXX with your preferred CSC code.
Choose one of these CSC codes:
BST Boost
VZW Verizon
ATT ATT
USC US Cellular
ACG C Spire
TMK MetroPCS
VMU Virgin Mobile
TFN Tracfone
XAS Sprint
TMB T-Mobile
XAA Unlocked US
SPR Sprint
CCT Xfinity Mobile
AIO Cricket
36) Type in "exit" in the ADB shell.
37) Type in "adb reboot bootloader" and flash your desired firmware by following the "Flashing Standard Firmware" section of this guide or by following the "Flashing Unlocked Firmware" section of this guide. PROFIT FOR NOW.
Flashing Unlocked Firmware:
NOTE: The unlocked firmware does NOT unlock your phone for use on other carriers, it only removes bloatware. Some carrier specific features, such as Wi-Fi Calling and VOLTE will not work with the Unlocked Firmware.
Prerequisites: What's listed in the "Prerequisites for anything you decide to do in this guide" section
Prince Comsy version of Odin
Unlocked Firmware (either Bootloader v1 or Bootloader v2)
Steps:
1) Extract the Prince Comsy version of Odin and the Unlocked Firmware you downloaded from below.
2) Turn off your S8+.
3) Once off, hold the Power button, Volume Down button, and the Bixby button until you see a blue screen on your phone.
4) Press the Volume Up key to enter Download Mode.
5) On your PC, navigate to your extracted Prince Comsy Odin folder.
6) Double click on the "Odin PrinceComsy" executable (Odin PrinceComsy.exe).
7) Connect your phone to your PC with your USB cable.
8) You should see PrinceComsy's Odin output "Added!!" in the "Log" tab and underneath the "ID:COM" section, you should see an empty box turn blue.
9) Now it's time to add your firmware files that were extracted earlier. Individually add an appropriate firmware file for each box on the right. The "BL" box will require a firmware file that starts with "BL", the "AP" box will require a firmware file that starts with "AP", the "CP" box will require a firmware file that starts with "CP", and the "CSC" box will require a firmware file that starts with "CSC" (DO NOT USE THE "HOME_CSC" file for the "CSC" box).
10) Go to the "Options" tab and make sure that only the "Auto Reboot" and "F. Reset Time" checkboxes are ticked.
11) Go back to the "Log" tab.
12) Click the "Start" button on bottom right.
13) Sit back and relax for a while. Odin will output what is being flashed in the "Log" and on a box in the top left.
14) The box in the top left will become green and in black letters say "PASS" once the flash was successful.
15) Once the flash finished, disconnect your phone from your computer.
16) Your phone will do an erase at this point, so don't mess with your phone until you reach the setup screen.
17) Continue with the setup on your phone and enjoy!
I'm a true beginner and this thread was very helpful to me. I’m hoping you’ll have the time to answer a question. I know the specific details are no applicable to my phone but I’m assuming the process is.
I have a Galaxy S10+ (SM-G975U with Baseband version G975USQU1ASD3) purchased directly from Samsung with an AT&T SIM card. I had AT&T send me the unlock code and my phone was SIM unlocked so that I can move to T-Mobile, which I've done successfully
My problem is that I'm on the T-Mobile network, but I still have all of the AT&T bloatware including the jingle and blue/white rotating globe on startup. I'd like to get a clean install of the T-Mobile ROM (U1) and remove all vestiges of AT&T. Is this possible? If so, can I do it in one step (move directly from T-Mobile SIM with AT&T ROM (SM-G975U) to T-Mobile SIM with T-Mobile ROM- SM-G975U1).
T-Mobile phone customer service and local store personnel say they understand my problem but that they can't help me since the phone is working fine.
Thank you.
I am going to attempt to use this guide to flash from SM-G955U (TMB) to SM-G955U1 (XAA).
Here is my current phone info:
Model: SM-G955U (Snapdragon)
One UI: 1.0
Baseband: G955USQU7DSL3
Bootloader: 7
Service provider SW ver: SAOMC_SM-G955U_OYN_TMB_PP_0026
98895a3739595a3653
TMB/XAA/TMB
I am in India and would like to use the India CSC, but do not see that as being possible right now. Will figure that out down the road if this is successful.
Flashing to SM-G955U1 (unbranded USA, snapdragon) (XAA)
The firmware I am flashing is newer firmware than currently instaled.
Model: SM-G955U1
OS: Pie(Android 9)
File Version: G955U1UES7DTB2/G955U1OYM7DTB2/G955U1UES7DTB2/G955U1UES7DTB2
BL ver : G955U1UES7DTB2
Bootloader: 7
AP Ver : G955U1UES7DTB2
CP Ver : G955U1UES7DTB2
CSC Ver : G955U1OYM7DTB2
Filename: SM-G955U1_1_20200131184615_sapzy2x6yh_fac.zip.enc4
Size: 3.502 GigaByte
LogicValue: joqo8w1r63us2fil
To future proof myself, should I possibly use the same firmware as currently installed?
IE: G955U1SQU7DSL3 instead of G955U1UES7DTB2 for SM-G995U1 | matching my current firmware G955USQU7DSL3 for SM-G995U
?
I need to head to public WiFi to download this file as it is 3.5Gb. If anyone sees any issues witht his please speak up before I begin the process. Don't want to have to purchase a new mobile if this messes up.
I've read the guide and a lot of the replies but I just want to make sure I'm understanding everything. I just purchased a S8+ from an individual that used it for a week with at&t(USA) 3 years ago and never used it again. I have TMobile(also USA). I was able to unlock it to work with my sim but it has 3 year old firmware. I want to update to the newest TMobile firmware so I can have WiFi calling. So, my understanding is I need to flash the stock firmware from TMobile using Odin, and then follow the carrier switch instructions in order to get the TMobile features to work? I just want to make sure I'm understanding this and doing everything in the correct order. I don't plan on using the unlocked firmware. Just want the most up to date TMobile stock room. Thanks in advance for any advice!
I've read the guide and a lot of the replies but I just want to make sure I'm understanding everything. I just purchased a S8+ from an individual that used it for a week with at&t(USA) 3 years ago and never used it again. I have TMobile(also USA). I was able to unlock it to work with my sim but it has 3 year old firmware. I want to update to the newest TMobile firmware so I can have WiFi calling. So, my understanding is I need to flash the stock firmware from TMobile using Odin, and then follow the carrier switch instructions in order to get the TMobile features to work? I just want to make sure I'm understanding this and doing everything in the correct order. I don't plan on using the unlocked firmware. Just want the most up to date TMobile stock room. Thanks in advance for any advice!
I wonder if anyone can help. This might not be correct forum.
I had an S8 (G950U1) that I purchased directly from Samsung US, and used in Canada with Bell Canada, for the last 2 years. As I only have a data plan, I always utilize the native SIP client, with the stock dialer (set up the settings using QuickShortcut Maker). I have recently purchased the S10e in Canada (G970W) and I have no luck it being able to make an SIP call using the dialer. All the settings the exact same. I assumed it had something do with the fact that it is the Canadian version. I flashed the U1 firmware, from Sammobile, on it, and it is now showing XAA/XAA/XAC under software. Still have no luck using the native SIP client. Does tips mean my phone is fully US version, or is it still the Canadian version, as the last / is XAC. Would it help to flash the combination files?
Can someone please help, or guide me? I rely on that feature. Thanks.
I wonder if anyone can help. This might not be correct forum.
I had an S8 (G950U1) that I purchased directly from Samsung US, and used in Canada with Bell Canada, for the last 2 years. As I only have a data plan, I always utilize the native SIP client, with the stock dialer (set up the settings using QuickShortcut Maker). I have recently purchased the S10e in Canada (G970W) and I have no luck it being able to make an SIP call using the dialer. All the settings the exact same. I assumed it had something do with the fact that it is the Canadian version. I flashed the U1 firmware, from Sammobile, on it, and it is now showing XAA/XAA/XAC under software. Still have no luck using the native SIP client. Does tips mean my phone is fully US version, or is it still the Canadian version, as the last / is XAC. Would it help to flash the combination files?
Can someone please help, or guide me? I rely on that feature. Thanks.
Yea this is for s8 plus mate. Xaa is unlocked us firmware and I think xac was Sprint originally. I may be wrong. The first and second are what the device is. The third is what it was originally or vice versa. I'd post in the s8 threads might get more help I don't know about using sip account never tried
Yea this is for s8 plus mate. Xaa is unlocked us firmware and I think xac was Sprint originally. I may be wrong. The first and second are what the device is. The third is what it was originally or vice versa. I'd post in the s8 threads might get more help I don't know about using sip account never tried
Thanks for your response.
My question is not device specific.
I know, XAA is US carrier free, and XAC is Canada carrier free. That was precisely my question. What doestgt mean when the last section is XAC. I'm trying to make my phone completely US carrier free, as I assume, that's why the SIP client is not working.
So, if the last section is Canadian, what does that mean, and how can I make it be XAA/XAA/XAA. Thanks.
Thanks for your response.
My question is not device specific.
I know, XAA is US carrier free, and XAC is Canada carrier free. That was precisely my question. What doestgt mean when the last section is XAC. I'm trying to make my phone completely US carrier free, as I assume, that's why the SIP client is not working.
So, if the last section is Canadian, what does that mean, and how can I make it be XAA/XAA/XAA. Thanks.
One of the three. Can't remember which one. Will always be what the device was originally. Like I had a Xfinity s8. But unbranded it. It was xaa xaa cct nothing you can do to change that one.
Hello, this guide looks really interesting.
I have an S6 Edge VERIZON variant, is it possible to carefully follow this guide and switch from VERIZON variant to an international ( UNLOCKED ) firmware where I get rid of all verizon bloat and that dreadful "sim card is not form verizon" or the occasionally "NO SIM" error?
I bought an S8 Plus off Ebay that the seller says it's for Verizon but the firmware says it's from Xfinity. The listing pictures shows Verizon stuff on the phone. The firmware is G995USQU1AQK3. How would I go about updating it to the latest Nougat firmware without losing the Verizon stuff?
I bought an S8 Plus off Ebay that the seller says it's for Verizon but the firmware says it's from Xfinity. The listing pictures shows Verizon stuff on the phone. The firmware is G995USQU1AQK3. How would I go about updating it to the latest Nougat firmware without losing the Verizon stuff?
Hello, there. This is my second guide, so please forgive me if it looks a bit weird. But without further ado I present you with my Official [Snapdragon] Guide for Flashing Standard Firmware, Carrier Switching, and Flashing Unlocked Firmware for the S8+.[/SIZE] Here are some useful reminders: All download links are at the bottom of this post.
Make sure you follow the "Prerequisites For Anything You decide To Do In This Guide" section.
Don't copy quotation marks, unless I tell you to in this guide.
You will need a Windows computer in order to utilize the software provided. Mac users can use Boot Camp to dual boot their machines. Using WINE is not recommended.
This is an S8+ guide, not an S8 guide. Go to https://xdaforums.com/galaxy-s8/how-to/snap-guide-flashing-standard-fw-carrier-t3625817 to check out my S8 guide.
WARNING: Anything you do in this guide will erase your phone completely. It's recommended that you back up before you do anything and that you remove your Google account from your phone (so you don't have to go through FRP). Note: Flashing to stock from Unlocked firmware requires you to follow the "Carrier Switching" section (which eventually requires you to follow the "Flashing Standard Firmware" section) and do as it says, unless the CSC code of your carrier is currently active. You can check this by going into Recovery Mode by holding the Power button, Bixby button, and Volume Up button until you see a dark blue screen with text saying that the firmware is being updated (it's not actually). Once it transitions to a black screen, your active CSC will be on the bottom log (three characters). If your CSC code is already your carrier's, then just follow the "Flashing Standard Firmware section. But for anything you decide to do, you must follow the "Prerequisites for anything you decide to do in this guide" section.
Disclaimer:
I am NOT responsible for any damage done to your device if you decide to use this guide.
Prerequisites for anything you decide to do in this guide (Required):
Standard Odin
Samsung Drivers
Steps:
1) Uninstall Samsung Switch and/or Samsung Kies, if present on your computer. This helps removes any conflicts with Odin.
2) Extract the Samsung Driver zip and the Odin zip to somewhere safe on your computer.
3) Double click on the extracted "SAMSUNG_USB_Driver_for_Mobile_Phones" executable (SAMSUNG_USB_Driver_for_Mobile_Phones.exe).
3) Navigate to your extracted Odin folder and double click on the Odin configuration file (Odin3.ini).
4) You should have entered Notepad (or your preferred note editor). Find the "[ButtonOption]" section.
5) There should be a setting there called "UMS/PATCH". Change the value of "0" to "1" so it becomes "UMS/PATCH=1".
6) Press the "Ctrl" key and "S" key on your keyboard to save the file.
7) Go ahead and close out of Notepad.
All About Bootloaders (Required Reading):
As Wikipedia puts it, “A boot loader is a computer program that loads an operating system or some other system software for the computer after completion of the power-on self-tests.” In other words, a bootloader is what loads you operating system. In most Samsung phones (including the S8 and S8+), there’s an e-fuse that prevents downgrading of the bootloader. This means any firmware or firmware update containing a lower Bootloader version than the one you have, will FAIL to be applied. There is really no way to circumvent this.
(From what I can tell) S8+ firmware released since December are Bootloader v2, while anything before that month is Bootloader v1. In the next section, I’ll be explaining how to properly identify your current Bootloader version.
How to identify Bootloader version (Important):
Steps:
1) Open “Settings” on your phone.
2) Scroll down to “About Phone”.
3a) If you are on a standard, carrier firmware, under “Baseband version” you should see something similar to this: “G955UXXXXXXXX”.
3b) If you are on an unlocked firmware, under “Baseband version” you should see something similar to this: “G955U1XXXXXXXX”.
4) No matter which firmware you're on, the fourth “X” would be either a “1” or a “2”, which means you will have either Bootloader version 1 or Bootloader version 2, respectively.
Note: As stated in the last section attempting to flash firmware that contains Bootloader v1 onto a phone that already has Bootloader v2, will fail. You can update a phone on Bootloader v1 to a firmware that has Bootloader v2, however. How To Download Firmware with Updato:
Note: This is an add-on section for any part of the guide that requires you to download specific firmware.
Updato can download old or new firmware for phones, therefore you can download Bootloader v1 or Bootloader v2 firmware. However, Updato tends to be much slower than SamFirm, therefore its recommended that you use SamFirm if you’re willing to download Bootloader v2 firmware. You should only use Updato if you need to download Bootloader v1 firmware.
Steps:
1) Go to http://fw.updato.com
2) Type in your Model Number (SM-G955U for carrier S8+’s; Firmware for unlocked S8+’s can be found in the “Downloads” section)
3) Find firmware for your specific region.
Here are some common Region codes:
BST Boost
VZW Verizon
ATT ATT
USC US Cellular
ACG C Spire
TMK MetroPCS
VMU Virgin Mobile
TFN Tracfone
XAS Sprint
TMB T-Mobile
XAA Unlocked US
SPR Sprint
CCT Xfinity Mobile
AIO Cricket
4) Download it somewhere safe onto your computer.
How To Download Firmware with SamFirm (Faster):
Note: This is an add-on section for any part of the guide that requires you to download specific firmware. SamFirm can only download the latest firmware for phones, therefore you’ll be downloading a Bootloader v2 firmware (which means once you flash it, there's no going back to Bootloader v1 if your phone is currently on that version). SamFirm tends to be much faster than Updato for downloading firmware, since the firmware is downloaded directly from Samsung.
Prerequisites:
SamFirm (SamFirm_v0.3.6.zip):https://xdaforums.com/galaxy-tab-s/general/tool-samfirm-samsung-firmware-t2988647
Steps:
1) Download “SamFirm_v0.3.6.zip”. Make sure you’ve installed all of its prerequisites listed on the page, such as “.NET Framework 3.5”, “Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable Package (x86)”, and “Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package (x86)”
2) Extract “SamFirm_v0.3.6.zip” somewhere safe onto your computer.
3) Double-click on “SamFirm.exe” to open it.
4) Enter your Model Number and 3-character Region code.
Here are some common Region codes:
BST Boost
VZW Verizon
ATT ATT
USC US Cellular
ACG C Spire
TMK MetroPCS
VMU Virgin Mobile
TFN Tracfone
XAS Sprint
TMB T-Mobile
XAA Unlocked US
SPR Sprint
CCT Xfinity Mobile
AIO Cricket
5) Make sure you’ve ticked the “Manual” checkbox.
6) Input your “PDA”, “CSC”, and “Phone” strings into their respective slots based off the information found from fw.updato.com for your latest specific firmware. Please note that the “CSC” slot is not the same as the same as the “Region” slot; the “CSC” slot should have a long string inputted.
7) Tick the “Binary Nature” checkbox.
8) Click the “Check Update” box.
9) Your firmware should now appear. Make sure the “Check CRC32” and “Decrypt Automatically” checkboxes are ticked.
10) Click on the “Download” box, choose where you want to store the firmware, and relax for a while.
Flashing Standard Firmware:
Prerequisites:
What's listed in the "Prerequisites For Anything You Decide To Do In This Guide" section.
Firmware you want to flash; follow the “How To Download Firmware with SamFirm” or “How To Download Firmware with Updato” section, if you need firmware.
Steps:
1) Extract your downloaded firmware to somewhere safe on your computer.
2) Turn off your S8+.
3) Once off, hold the Power button, Volume Down button, and the Bixby button until you see a blue screen on your phone.
4) Press the Volume Up key to enter Download Mode.
5) On your computer, navigate to your extracted Odin folder.
6) Double click on the "Odin3 v3.12.7" executable (Odin3 v3.12.7.exe)
7) Connect your phone to your computer with your USB cable.
8) You should see Odin output "Added!!" in the "Log" tab and underneath the "ID:COM" section, you should see an empty box turn blue.
9) Now it's time to add your firmware files that were extracted earlier. Individually add an appropriate firmware file for each box on the right. The "BL" box will require a firmware file that starts with "BL", the "AP" box will require a firmware file that starts with "AP", the "CP" box will require a firmware file that starts with "CP", the "CSC" box will require a firmware file that starts with "CSC" (DO NOT USE THE "HOME_CSC" file for the "CSC" box), the "UMS" box will require a firmware file that starts with "USERDATA". The "AP" and "USERDATA" files will take the longest for Odin to load because of their size.
10) Go to the "Options" tab and make sure that only the "Auto Reboot" and "F. Reset Time" checkboxes are ticked.
11) Go back to the "Log" tab.
12) Click the "Start" button on bottom right.
13) Sit back and relax for a while. Odin will output what is being flashed in the "Log" and on a box in the top left.
14) The box in the top left will become green and in black letters say "PASS" once the flash was successful.
15) Once the flash finished, disconnect your phone from your computer.
16) Your phone will do an erase at this point, so don't mess with your phone until you reach the setup screen.
17) PROFIT. Follow the setup on your phone and you're good to go.
Carrier Switching:
NOTE: Doing this process does NOT unlock your phone for use on other carriers.
Prerequisites:
What's listed in the "Prerequisites for anything you decide to do in this guide" section.
S8+ Factory Binary (either Bootloader v1 or Bootloader v2)
Prince Comsy version of Odin
Google Platform-Tools (ADB)
Canadian HOME_CSC (either Bootloader v1 or Bootloader v2)
Steps:
1) Extract the downloaded S8+ Factory Binary, the Prince Comsy version of Odin, Platform-Tools, and the Canadian firmware, to somewhere safe on your computer.
2) Turn off your S8+.
3) Once off, hold the Power button, Volume Down button, and the Bixby button until you see a blue screen on your phone.
4) Press the Volume Up key to enter Download Mode.
5) Navigate to the extracted Odin (NOT PRINCE COMSY) folder.
6) Double click on the "Odin3 v3.12.7" executable (Odin3 v3.12.7.exe).
7) Connect your phone to your computer with your USB cable.
8) You should see Odin output "Added!!" in the "Log" tab and underneath the "ID:COM" section, you should see an empty box turn blue.
9) Click on the "AP" box and navigate to the extracted Factory Binary folder. Double click on the file the starts with "COMBINATION".
10) Wait for Odin to load the file.
11) Go to the "Options" tab and make sure that only "Auto Reboot" and "F. Reset Time" checkboxes are ticked.
12) Go back to the "Log" tab.
13) Click the "Start" button on bottom right.
14) Odin will output what is being flashed in the "Log" and on a box in the top left.
15) The box in the top left will become green and in black letters say "PASS" once the flash was successful.
16) Leave your phone connected and let your it reboot into the 'factory binary homescreen' (Basically, the equivalent of a home screen on a regular S8+).
17) Navigate to the "platform-tools-latest-windows" folder. Once you’ve navigated to where “adb.exe” is located, click the address bar on the top and press “Ctr+C”.
18) Open cmd.exe through “Run” (Windows key + R)
19) Type in “cd /d “<copied folder location>”” (Make sure you’re putting the folder location in quotes and not the command itself)
20) Type in "adb reboot bootloader". Leave ADB open.
21) Your phone will reboot into Download Mode. Your device should still be connected and ADB should also still be open.
22) Navigate to the Prince Comsy version of Odin and double click on the "Odin PrinceComsy" executable (Odin PrinceComsy.exe).
23) You should see the Prince Comsy version of Odin output "Added!!" in the "Log" tab and underneath the "ID:COM" section, you should see an empty box turn blue.
24) Click the "CSC" box and navigate to the “HOME_CSC” file you downloaded.
25) Double click on the file that starts with "HOME_CSC" (DO NOT USE the "CSC" file for the "CSC" box). It should load quickly.
26) Go to the "Options" tab and make sure that only "Auto Reboot" and "F. Reset Time" are ticked.
27) Go back to the "Log" tab.
28) Click the "Start" button on bottom right.
29) Odin will output what is being flashed in the "Log" and on a box in the top left.
30) The box in the top left will become green and in black letters say "PASS" once the flash was successful.
31) Once your phone reboots, you will see an "IME" button on the 'factory binary homescreen (It’s on the bottom). Tap on it.
32) A number pad should appear. Type in "*#243203855#".
33) A menu will pop up. Scroll down until you find an "XAC" option. Tap on it and tap "Install".
34) Your phone will reboot. Once it reaches the 'factory binary homescreen', go to ADB on your computer and type in "adb shell".
35) *LOOK A TINY BIT BELOW!* Type in "echo "XXX" > /efs/imei/mps_code.dat" (the quotation marks that surround the X's are used, but not the ones that surround the whole command... you know that by now- right?) and REPLACE XXX with your preferred CSC code.
Choose one of these CSC codes:
BST Boost
VZW Verizon
ATT ATT
USC US Cellular
ACG C Spire
TMK MetroPCS
VMU Virgin Mobile
TFN Tracfone
XAS Sprint
TMB T-Mobile
XAA Unlocked US
SPR Sprint
CCT Xfinity Mobile
AIO Cricket
36) Type in "exit" in the ADB shell.
37) Type in "adb reboot bootloader" and flash your desired firmware by following the "Flashing Standard Firmware" section of this guide or by following the "Flashing Unlocked Firmware" section of this guide. PROFIT FOR NOW.
Flashing Unlocked Firmware:
NOTE: The unlocked firmware does NOT unlock your phone for use on other carriers, it only removes bloatware. Some carrier specific features, such as Wi-Fi Calling and VOLTE will not work with the Unlocked Firmware.
Prerequisites: What's listed in the "Prerequisites for anything you decide to do in this guide" section
Prince Comsy version of Odin
Unlocked Firmware (either Bootloader v1 or Bootloader v2)
Steps:
1) Extract the Prince Comsy version of Odin and the Unlocked Firmware you downloaded from below.
2) Turn off your S8+.
3) Once off, hold the Power button, Volume Down button, and the Bixby button until you see a blue screen on your phone.
4) Press the Volume Up key to enter Download Mode.
5) On your PC, navigate to your extracted Prince Comsy Odin folder.
6) Double click on the "Odin PrinceComsy" executable (Odin PrinceComsy.exe).
7) Connect your phone to your PC with your USB cable.
8) You should see PrinceComsy's Odin output "Added!!" in the "Log" tab and underneath the "ID:COM" section, you should see an empty box turn blue.
9) Now it's time to add your firmware files that were extracted earlier. Individually add an appropriate firmware file for each box on the right. The "BL" box will require a firmware file that starts with "BL", the "AP" box will require a firmware file that starts with "AP", the "CP" box will require a firmware file that starts with "CP", and the "CSC" box will require a firmware file that starts with "CSC" (DO NOT USE THE "HOME_CSC" file for the "CSC" box).
10) Go to the "Options" tab and make sure that only the "Auto Reboot" and "F. Reset Time" checkboxes are ticked.
11) Go back to the "Log" tab.
12) Click the "Start" button on bottom right.
13) Sit back and relax for a while. Odin will output what is being flashed in the "Log" and on a box in the top left.
14) The box in the top left will become green and in black letters say "PASS" once the flash was successful.
15) Once the flash finished, disconnect your phone from your computer.
16) Your phone will do an erase at this point, so don't mess with your phone until you reach the setup screen.
17) Continue with the setup on your phone and enjoy!
All of the ATT firmware i try to download does not have the userdata file. My unlocked phone currently has a CSC code : ATT. Can i just flash without the userdata? I am looking to activate the wifi calling feature on this phone.
Ok, I will shout you out (if that's fine with you) and give some pros and cons on both guides regarding carrier switching and flashing unlocked firmware, by tomorrow. Thanks for your suggestion!
Truthfully, I don't need a shout out or anything. I just know noobs are ready to flash anything and everything with the word unlocked without knowing what it is or what it does.
Pros and cons would be a good addition but will require more research time and feedback from people who are using the unlocked FW.
Im on sprint, And all I want is the Unlocked Firmware without any sprint bloat. Do I need to Change my CSC from SPR to XAA first. Or Can I just Flash the unlocked firmware? If i leave the CSC will it download some of the bloat via OTA. Like the stock sprint firmware? Aplogies I know the answer is here but Having trouble finding it.
Sorry about the extremely late response, but you can just flash the unlocked firmware by following the appropriate section of the guide. Changing your CSC to "XAA" would allow your phone to accept any supported U.S. SIM card and automatically change the CSC to that carrier. In your case, you don't have to do this.
Once you have unlocked firmware, you receive OTA updates directly from Samsung and get no bloatware from your carrier.
As you may need to Factory Reset changing the CSC?
