Database Users

[Q] S4 Google Edition - Downgrade to 4.2

My GE was updated OTA to KitKat a few days ago and I hate it. Tried restoring factory data settings but the phone still has 4.4
In addition, I tried looking for a stock official 4.2 ROM for this device to flash - but couldn't find anything.
Is there any way to downgrade the current OS to stock 4.2?
Thanks

SchpidermaN said:
My GE was updated OTA to KitKat a few days ago and I hate it. Tried restoring factory data settings but the phone still has 4.4
In addition, I tried looking for a stock official 4.2 ROM for this device to flash - but couldn't find anything.
Is there any way to downgrade the current OS to stock 4.2?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What issue you had?
I think you have flash the 4.2.2 rom...

[Q] Downgrade from 4.4 to 4.2

Hello, i am currently at 4.2.2 firmware (I9505XXUBMG4) and i have a EFS backup and a nandroid backup. i wish to upgrade my phone to 4.4 but i not sure because maybe if i do not like the 4.4 i will not be able to downgrade to 4.2.
can i go back to 4.2 from 4.4?? i don't care about the warranty or the knox feature

fdlm82 said:
Hello, i am currently at 4.2.2 firmware (I9505XXUBMG4) and i have a EFS backup and a nandroid backup. i wish to upgrade my phone to 4.4 but i not sure because maybe if i do not like the 4.4 i will not be able to downgrade to 4.2.
can i go back to 4.2 from 4.4?? i don't care about the warranty or the knox feature
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi ,
Once you upgrade your bootloader is not possible to go back to 4..2.2 (or 4.3)
You upgrade your bootloader if:
Flash a stock rom 4.3 and higher
you do not upgrade your bootloader if:
root , install custom recovery and flash a custom rom , there are a few good rom based in samsung stock 4.3 and 4.4.2 you can try them see if you like them and if you don't you can always flash stock 4.2.2 and be as you were

Ok, so essensialy i can't downgrade the bootloader to 4.2.
but a official 4.2.2 firmware (without knox) will work on a 4.4 bootloader ??? (again i don't care about knox working or not)

fdlm82 said:
Ok, so essensialy i can't downgrade the bootloader to 4.2.
but a official 4.2.2 firmware (without knox) will work on a 4.4 bootloader ??? (again i don't care about knox working or not)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats downgrading. So no it wont work.

Lennyz1988 said:
Thats downgrading. So no it wont work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes i know is downgrading, that is the main question of this

MAX 404 said:
Hi ,
Once you upgrade your bootloader is not possible to go back to 4..2.2 (or 4.3)
You upgrade your bootloader if:
Flash a stock rom 4.3 and higher
you do not upgrade your bootloader if:
root , install custom recovery and flash a custom rom , there are a few good rom based in samsung stock 4.3 and 4.4.2 you can try them see if you like them and if you don't you can always flash stock 4.2.2 and be as you were
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, so essensialy i can't downgrade the bootloader to 4.2.
but a official 4.2.2 firmware (without knox) will work on a 4.4 bootloader ??? (again i don't care about knox working or not)

fdlm82 said:
Ok, so essensialy i can't downgrade the bootloader to 4.2.
but a official 4.2.2 firmware (without knox) will work on a 4.4 bootloader ??? (again i don't care about knox working or not)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are asking the same question again. It's not possible.

Lennyz1988 said:
You are asking the same question again. It's not possible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It has been done to 4.3 in this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2744061
they have flashed a 4.3 ROM without bootloader over a 4.4 ROM so the result is a 4.3 rom with a 4.4 bootloader

fdlm82 said:
Ok, so essensialy i can't downgrade the bootloader to 4.2.
but a official 4.2.2 firmware (without knox) will work on a 4.4 bootloader ??? (again i don't care about knox working or not)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HI ,
Mate if you flash with Odin or OTA (kies) you will change the bootloader , ok? so once you have a 4..4 bootloader installed there is no way to install back a 4,2,2 stock ( official ) firmware , 4.4.2 official firmware includes 4.4.2 bootloader and flashing an older bootloader than the one you have is not possible (yet)
your options are:
4.2.2 bootloader
stay there do nothing
Upgrade to official 4.4 and not be able to downgrade to 4.2.2 official
root , install CWM and install any custom rom you want ( 4.2.2 , 4.3 or 4.4.2 and 4.4.4 ) and if you do not like any of them go back to official 4.2.2
Once you upgrade to official 4.4.2 there is no way to go back to official 4.2.2 , the only way to go back to 4.2.2 would be with a custom rom

MAX 404 said:
HI ,
Mate if you flash with Odin or OTA (kies) you will change the bootloader , ok? so once you have a 4..4 bootloader installed there is no way to install back a 4,2,2 stock ( official ) firmware , 4.4.2 official firmware includes 4.4.2 bootloader and flashing an older bootloader than the one you have is not possible (yet)
your options are:
4.2.2 bootloader
stay there do nothing
Upgrade to official 4.4 and not be able to downgrade to 4.2.2 official
root , install CWM and install any custom rom you want ( 4.2.2 , 4.3 or 4.4.2 and 4.4.4 ) and if you do not like any of them go back to official 4.2.2
Once you upgrade to official 4.4.2 there is no way to go back to official 4.2.2 , the only way to go back to 4.2.2 would be with a custom rom
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If i understood right, you are saying that can be done if i flash a custom rom as intermediate step between official 4.4 and official 4.2 ??

fdlm82 said:
If i understood right, you are saying that can be done if i flash a custom rom as intermediate step between official 4.4 and official 4.2 ??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No . I did not say that
Once you are in an official 4.4.2 firmware , the only way to use a 4.2.2 rom would be by flashing an un official 4.2.2 custom rom

MAX 404 said:
No . I did not say that
Once you are in an official 4.4.2 firmware , the only way to use a 4.2.2 rom would be by flashing an un official 4.2.2 custom rom
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, thanks for the info.
in the following this thread they have installed a 4.3 rom over a 4.4 bootloader: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2744061
maybe someone find a similar way to install a 4.2....

fdlm82 said:
Ok, thanks for the info.
in the following this thread they have installed a 4.3 rom over a 4.4 bootloader: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2744061
maybe someone find a similar way to install a 4.2....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok mate ,
Good luck .

MobileODIN and KitKat

My GT-I9505 is still running Android 4.3 (Stock). It is rooted, and I have MobileOdin (paid, last version).
My question is: can I use MobileOdin to upgrade from 4.3 to 4.4.2, w/o the need to wipe and reinstall everything?
When KitKat was first released for the S4, there were problems that required people to only install usin Odin (desktop). Since I haven't been following the latest news, I don't know if this has changed, hence my question.
Thanks.

Simonetti2011 said:
My GT-I9505 is still running Android 4.3 (Stock). It is rooted, and I have MobileOdin (paid, last version).
My question is: can I use MobileOdin to upgrade from 4.3 to 4.4.2, w/o the need to wipe and reinstall everything?
When KitKat was first released for the S4, there were problems that required people to only install usin Odin (desktop). Since I haven't been following the latest news, I don't know if this has changed, hence my question.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You will have to reroot your smartphone and all this thins you done with your root(kernel, recovery).
But here is a Link to sammobile: http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/3/?download=34550

Downgrade CM11 to TW 4.3?

So, my note 3 came with stock 4.4.2 touchwiz.
I rooted and flashed CM 11. I also did flash a couple of AOSP android 5.0 roms, but now I am on CM 11. I never updated with the OTA updater of samsung.
Now for personal reasons, I would like to give 4.3 a try, but is it possible?
I saw a video demonstrating it on youtube, but cant post itnhere yet. Just search for downgrade note 3 4,3, and you'll find a vid of it pretty (title also says something about restoring imei), but i dont know if its legit?
Thanks!

Umm, you can easily downgrade to 4.4.2 from 5.0, but not sure about 4.3. But you do know that official Lollipop Touchwiz ROMs are already out there for quite a while right?

Attempts to downgrade the bootloader from 4.4.2 to 4.3 may hard brick the phone so I would advise against it.

Galaxy Note 3 4.3 android how to fix?

hey , i want to downgrade from 5.0 lollipop to 4.3 jelly bean android, on my sm-n9005 . i downloaded, i install from odin, the odin says pass. the phone reboot, in to recovery mode, doing factory reset... and after that my screen is bootloop with samsung logo and phone number, sometimes samsung letters blink, and stuck at bootloop, factory reset dont help... so my android is 5.0 the first? why i cant downgrade to 4.4 or 4.3 because created with 5.0 android? my phone from VIETNAM. how can i downgrade? plz HELP i wanna 4.3 android

myka_1997 said:
hey , i want to downgrade from 5.0 lollipop to 4.3 jelly bean android, on my sm-n9005 . i downloaded, i install from odin, the odin says pass. the phone reboot, in to recovery mode, doing factory reset... and after that my screen is bootloop with samsung logo and phone number, sometimes samsung letters blink, and stuck at bootloop, factory reset dont help... so my android is 5.0 the first? why i cant downgrade to 4.4 or 4.3 because created with 5.0 android? my phone from VIETNAM. how can i downgrade? plz HELP i wanna 4.3 android
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, it is impossible to downgrade to 4.3 once you've upgraded to 5.0. You CAN however downgrade to 4.4 downloading the firmware from sammobile and flashing it with odin. But what do you like about kit kat that Lollipop doesn't have?

If you really want 4.3, flash a custom ROM that is based off a stock 4.3 ROM.

in status bar was notifvation toggles the biggest and thats greeen color more confortable then lollipop 5.0 notification draw........ i dont like 5.0 android.

myka_1997 said:
in status bar was notifvation toggles the biggest and thats greeen color more confortable then lollipop 5.0 notification draw........ i dont like 5.0 android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You could try Jellybean or KitKat ROMS if you feel those Android versions to be better. There's also Lollipop and Marshmallow
But when it comes to PURE AND STOCK Jellybean 4.3 downgrade, it is impossible.

All that was mentioned before is true. You can't overwrite the new bootloader with the old one. If you really want to downgrade, I recommend https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2472301 . It's a very old Android 4.4.2 ROM. I used it when it was 4.3 back in December 2013 ( oh man,the memories! ) .It was a great ROM,maybe THE best one at the time. Stability,battery life and customization,it was all there. ROM died and the thread was closed because, I quote, "Thread closed and links removed as the OP is trying to push all his donation-only themes and paid for applications, which is in violation of the terms set out in this portal post and also counts as soliciting donations and commercial advertisement." ... he was basically offering skins for the Samsung keyboard for money. I still love the ROM, if you really want to downgrade, but I can't recommend it. Flash via TWRP 2.8.7.0 and you should be good to go (theoretically) . I would however recommend trying MagMa NX ROM (for a more stock feeling) or AryaMod Note 7 port (for customization). If you don't want a newer ROM,I recommend AryaMod 5.0 . It is based on the stock Samsung Lollipop.

myka_1997 said:
hey , i want to downgrade from 5.0 lollipop to 4.3 jelly bean android, on my sm-n9005 . i downloaded, i install from odin, the odin says pass. the phone reboot, in to recovery mode, doing factory reset... and after that my screen is bootloop with samsung logo and phone number, sometimes samsung letters blink, and stuck at bootloop, factory reset dont help... so my android is 5.0 the first? why i cant downgrade to 4.4 or 4.3 because created with 5.0 android? my phone from VIETNAM. how can i downgrade? plz HELP i wanna 4.3 android
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
u need root to be able to downgrade, flash the 5.0 firmware via odin, root the phone and flash a kit kat rom and you will be more happy than ever lol

Root isn't required to downgrade and the OP wants JB, not KK.