[Snap. +] Guide for Flashing Standard FW, Carrier Switching, and Flashing Unlocked FW

[Mike15678]

ported to att from sprint...flashed unlocked rom..all good!..perfect!...signal bars and lte symbols are ugly tho...anyway to change them?

There is no way, as it is part of the firmware. Unless, you have root, which is not available as of right now for the S8 and S8+.

 

[Mike15678]

I'm trying to switch from Verizon Wireless to Cricket. I bought this phone online and it was supposed to be unlocked however I believe it might be IMEI locked or something has it worked for a few days and then all of a sudden stopped working and locked my SIM card. Can anyone help me use this phone or did I just waste 500 bucks. It is an S8 Plus running US1 firmware last 4 digits aqdf

You probably got scammed. The phone must have been stolen and sold to you. The original owner of the phone must have called their carrier and reported that their phone was stolen, therefore the IMEI of the phone you bought became blacklisted. This is all speculation, so don't take my word for it. You should try contacting the seller (don't accuse them) and tell them that your phone became blacklisted. If they don't respond back, try getting support from the website you bought your phone. I can't help you.
P.S.: In general, if buying used electronics, find websites that offer buyer protection. It's always good to have.

 

[AxlxA]

Quick question. I flashed from U1 to 955U AT&T, it's still on the April release. How do I get OTA updates to latest? If not, what's the best way of updating?

 

[Mike15678]

Quick question. I flashed from U1 to 955U AT&T, it's still on the April release. How do I get OTA updates to latest? If not, what's the best way of updating?

First, make sure you have an AT&T SIM card. Then, go to the "Settings" app. Scroll down and tap on "About Device". Finally, scroll and tap on "Software update". The AT&T firmware from fw.updato.com is a bit outdated, but functional.

 

[AxlxA]

First, make sure you have an AT&T SIM card. Then, go to the "Settings" app. Scroll down and tap on "About Device". Finally, scroll and tap on "Software update". The AT&T firmware from fw.updato.com is a bit outdated, but functional.

Since my initial firmware flash didn't give me that UMS option, I decided to redo the whole phone again. I did the firmware carrier change steps first. Now i'm doing the standard firmware change. Still the UMS button is greyed out.... Any idea why?

 

[Mike15678]

Since my initial firmware flash didn't give me that UMS option, I decided to redo the whole phone again. I did the firmware carrier change steps first. Now i'm doing the standard firmware change. Still the UMS button is greyed out.... Any idea why?

You didn't follow the "Prerequisites for anything you decide to do in this guide (Required)" section.

 

[AxlxA]

You didn't follow the "Prerequisites for anything you decide to do in this guide (Required)" section.

You're right. Just updated the odin ini and button appears. Thanks. Latest AT&T firmware on updato website does not have the USERDATA file in its zip... I guess I'll try the original AT&T firmware and see if it'll OTA update from there.

 

[Mike15678]

You're right. Just updated the odin ini and button appears. Thanks. Latest AT&T firmware on updato website does not have the USERDATA file in its zip... I guess I'll try the original AT&T firmware and see if it'll OTA update from there.

You're download was most likely corrupted. Try downloading the firmware again. All carrier variants have a "USERDATA" file. Only the Unlocked Firmware does not.

 

[AxlxA]

You're download was most likely corrupted. Try downloading the firmware again. All carrier variants have a "USERDATA" file. Only the Unlocked Firmware does not.

http://updato.com/firmware-archive-select-model?record=6032047A52D711E7963AFA163EE8F90B

that's the one i downloaded. It contains no USERDATA file. Also it's 2.88gb

 

[Mike15678]

http://updato.com/firmware-archive-select-model?record=6032047A52D711E7963AFA163EE8F90B

that's the one i downloaded. It contains no USERDATA file. Also it's 2.88gb

Oh, that's the unlocked firmware with a CSC already set to "ATT".

 

[AxlxA]

Oh, that's the unlocked firmware with a CSC already set to "ATT".

I found no way to update the AT&T firmware OTA on an unlocked s8+. I installed the AT&T april release with UMS userdata and all. After setting up the device, went to Software Update. And it gave me a "your software is already up to date" and shows me my current baseband. I even tried setting my date to a month later and tried updating again, still saying I'm at the latest (even though it was a MARCH security update). Yes I have AT&T sim that i used in my AT&T Galaxy S7 Edge SM-G935A so I know it's legit.

I grabbed the update files on the xda AT&T S8+ forum and did a adb sideload to update to the next iteration, still couldn't update through OTA. Flashed the remaining updates manually each time wiping the device. It got pretty annoying having to skip the set up 3x.

I'm currently on latest update through the files shared on the xda at&t subforum. I'm afraid this is the only method in the future to update with AT&T firmware.... =crying:

 

[Mike15678]

I found no way to update the AT&T firmware OTA on an unlocked s8+. I installed the AT&T april release with UMS userdata and all. After setting up the device, went to Software Update. And it gave me a "your software is already up to date" and shows me my current baseband. I even tried setting my date to a month later and tried updating again, still saying I'm at the latest (even though it was a MARCH security update). Yes I have AT&T sim that i used in my AT&T Galaxy S7 Edge SM-G935A so I know it's legit.

I grabbed the update files on the xda AT&T S8+ forum and did a adb sideload to update to the next iteration, still couldn't update through OTA. Flashed the remaining updates manually each time wiping the device. It got pretty annoying having to skip the set up 3x.

I'm currently on latest update through the files shared on the xda at&t subforum. I'm afraid this is the only method in the future to update with AT&T firmware.... =crying:

Hmmm... That's strange. You're sure you followed the "Carrier Switching" section before flashing the AT&T firmware?

 

[AxlxA]

Hmmm... That's strange. You're sure you followed the "Carrier Switching" section before flashing the AT&T firmware?

yep, because the first time i posted few days ago, I didn't need to do carrier switching and already got ATT on the CSC so I ran the phone for a few days doing that. But today I decided to start off legit and followed your guide for carrier switching, enabled ATT in the adb echo, then followed the firmware loading guide using the userdata too.

I'm not sure but I'd like to hear from others who were successful at getting OTA updates when you flash to a carrier rom from the unlocked phone. I thought OTAs were also tied to the imei being a legit carrier imei too?
To get OTA from carrier?
1) carrier phone/IMEI?
2) carrier sim
3) no bootloader unlock or root?

 

[Mike15678]

yep, because the first time i posted few days ago, I didn't need to do carrier switching and already got ATT on the CSC so I ran the phone for a few days doing that. But today I decided to start off legit and followed your guide for carrier switching, enabled ATT in the adb echo, then followed the firmware loading guide using the userdata too.

I'm not sure but I'd like to hear from others who were successful at getting OTA updates when you flash to a carrier rom from the unlocked phone. I thought OTAs were also tied to the imei being a legit carrier imei too?
To get OTA from carrier?
1) carrier phone/IMEI?
2) carrier sim
3) no bootloader unlock or root?

I've never heard of not being able to receive OTA updates, before. I recommend that you flash the unlocked S8+ firmware (by following the "Flashing Unlocked Firmware Section") and then once your phone gets fully setup, flash the AT&T "USERDATA" file in the "UMS" box in standard Odin. If you get an Odin fail, hold the buttons that allow you to enter Download Mode and try flashing the "USERDATA" file in Prince Comsy's Odin. You must patch the Prince Comsy version the same way you would patch standard Odin (instructions can be found in the prerequisites section) so you can gain access to the "UMS" box in Prince Comsy's Odin. FLASHING THE "USERDATA" FILE GIVES YOU CARRIER SPECIFIC APPS AND FEATURES.

 

[gvmahesh]

I found no way to update the AT&T firmware OTA on an unlocked s8+. I installed the AT&T april release with UMS userdata and all. After setting up the device, went to Software Update. And it gave me a "your software is already up to date" and shows me my current baseband. I even tried setting my date to a month later and tried updating again, still saying I'm at the latest (even though it was a MARCH security update). Yes I have AT&T sim that i used in my AT&T Galaxy S7 Edge SM-G935A so I know it's legit.

I grabbed the update files on the xda AT&T S8+ forum and did a adb sideload to update to the next iteration, still couldn't update through OTA. Flashed the remaining updates manually each time wiping the device. It got pretty annoying having to skip the set up 3x.

I'm currently on latest update through the files shared on the xda at&t subforum. I'm afraid this is the only method in the future to update with AT&T firmware.... =crying:

Yes you are correct you do not get its updates I did the same like you and sideliad

 

[Mike15678]

Yes you are correct you do not get its updates I did the same like you and sideliad

Weird... Maybe AT&T handles firmware updates a bit differently then the other carriers. I'll update the guide.

 

[bcool15]

Disclaimer:

I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE DONE TO YOUR DEVICE IF YOU DECIDE TO USE THIS GUIDE. IT'S PRETTY SAFE THOUGH BECAUSE I HAVE HEAVILY TESTED EVERYTHING THAT I WROTE.

Prerequisites for anything you decide to do in this guide (Required):

Odin
Samsung Drivers
Steps:
1) Uninstall Samsung Switch and/or Samsung Kies, if present on your computer.
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. 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 click the "X" button on the top right to leave Notepad.

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; from http://fw.updato.com
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 "Auto Reboot" and "F. Reset Time" are checked/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
Prince Comsy version of Odin
Google Platform-Tools (ADB)
Canadian Firmware
Steps:
1) Extract the downloaded S8+ Factory Binary (You will need a third party application, such as 7zip to extract the .rar), 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" are checked/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.
17) 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+).
18) Navigate to the "platform-tools-latest-windows" folder. Shift+Right click on any blank space in file explorer with that folder open, on your computer. Click on "Open command window here".
19) Type in "adb reboot bootloader". Leave ADB open.
20) Your phone will reboot into Download Mode. Your device should still be connected and ADB should also still be open.
21) Navigate to the Prince Comsy version of Odin and double click on the "Odin PrinceComsy" executable (Odin PrinceComsy.exe).
22) 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.
23) Click the "CSC" box and navigate to the extracted Canadian firmware.
24) Double click on the file that starts with "HOME_CSC" (DO NOT USE the "CSC" file for the "CSC" box). It should load quickly.
25) Go to the "Options" tab and make sure that only "Auto Reboot" and "F. Reset Time" are checked/ticked.
26) Go back to the "Log" tab.
27) Click the "Start" button on bottom right.
28) Odin will output what is being flashed in the "Log" and on a box in the top left.
29) The box in the top left will become green and in black letters say "PASS" once the flash was successful.
30) Once your phone reboots, you will see an "IME" button on the 'factory binary homescreen'. Its on the bottom. Tap on it.
31) A number pad should appear. Type in "*#243203855#".
32) A menu will pop up. Scroll down until you find an "XAC" option. Tap on it and tap "Install".
33) Your phone will reboot. Once it reaches the 'factory binary homescreen', go to ADB on your computer and type in "adb shell".
34) *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.
Chose 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
35) Type in "exit" in the ADB shell.
36) 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
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 "Auto Reboot" and "F. Reset Time" are checked/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. CONTINUE WITH THE SETUP ON YOUR PHONE AND ENJOY!

I dont see the ums file in the firmware package downloaded

http://updato.com/firmware-archive-select-model?record=55E89C7D4BED11E7963AFA163EE8F90B

tmobile USA

i keep getting in fail model odin 3.12.7

nvm found it, in one of the latest packages of tmb and it flashed straight up.

 

[DruoGaby]

how often does the unlocked rom update?...and i had to manually install bixby voice..lol..was a cool lil process but it worked..asking about updates cuz im not trynna miss any..lol..i forget to look here alot!

 

[Mike15678]

I dont see the ums file in the firmware package downloaded

http://updato.com/firmware-archive-select-model?record=55E89C7D4BED11E7963AFA163EE8F90B

tmobile USA

i keep getting in fail model odin 3.12.7

nvm found it, in one of the latest packages of tmb and it flashed straight up.

Re-download it, it's corrupted.

 

[Mike15678]

how often does the unlocked rom update?...and i had to manually install bixby voice..lol..was a cool lil process but it worked..asking about updates cuz im not trynna miss any..lol..i forget to look here alot!

The unlocked firmware gets updated pretty frequently. Almost on the same schedule as the other carriers.