New Android operating systems tend to come out each year, offering new and interesting features, as well as an improved user experience. For that reason, you might be encouraged to update the system on your tablet, in an effort to gain access to all the fun perks.
However, the automatic updates might have been turned off on your tablet, you might not have manually updated the OS on your Samsung for a while, or you might even own an old model that doesn’t officially support new updates. So, how exactly can you update the operating system on your older Samsung tablet? Here are some tips that might help:
Searching for official updates
The first thing to do when attempting to update any OS is to check whether new official updates are available for your device. To do this, simply follow the steps below:
- On your Samsung tablet, open the Apps section.
- Here, click on Settings, and then select General.
- Choose the About Tablet option, and then press Software Update.
- You might also have to confirm by pressing Update or OK. Your tablet will now start searching for new software updates.
- If new updates are currently available, a pop-up window will then appear, where you can press Download or Install in order to install these OS updates onto your Samsung tablet.
If your device hasn’t found any new updates during the search, this means that there are no official updates available for your specific tablet model. In this case, it would be wise to consider the option below.
Rooting your Samsung tablet
If you haven’t managed to find any official updates for your specific tablet, you also have the ability to root your device in order to manually install a new OS. This action will allow you to gain deeper access to the tablet’s OS, giving you the opportunity to make more significant changes you might not be able to achieve otherwise.
However, it’s vital to remember that rooting your tablet will most likely void its warranty, and might also damage your tablet or make it unusable in other ways.
If you still want to proceed, follow the steps below in order to root your Samsung tablet:
- Step 1 – Firstly, it’s essential to back up your tablet before you attempt to root it, in order to ensure all of your current data will be saved. You can do this through your Samsung Cloud account, Google Drive, or any specific backup application that could be downloaded from the Play Store.
- Step 2 – Now, you will have to change your device’s settings to allow for rooting. To do this, load the Settings app, and click on About Tablet. Here, locate the Build Number option, and press it 7 times. The Developer Options should now appear, and will be able to enable them by entering your password. Within the Developer Options, make sure that both the USB Debugging as well as the OEM Unlocking options are enabled.
- Step 3 – Now, you will have to download specific SDK Platform Tools for Android from a trusted developer’s website, appropriate for your computer’s OS. Simply follow the vital steps that are provided on the website in order to download and then install the necessary files.
- Step 4 – You will then need to connect your Samsung tablet to your PC via a USB connection. If your device doesn’t currently support this, you should then install the necessary USB drivers from Samsung’s website.
- Step 5 – Next, you should attempt to boot your tablet. This process usually means you’ll need to restart your Samsung tablet and use some combination of the volume and the power keys for a set amount of time. As this will be different for each model, it might be wise to do a quick Google search on how you should boot your specific Samsung device.
- Step 6 – After your tablet has been successfully booted, you should then unzip the Android SDK files which you have previously downloaded onto your computer. Then, load the Command Prompt, enter the ‘fastboot flashing unlock’ command, and then press the Enter key.
- Step 7 – Now, it’s time to finally root your Samsung device. You could easily do this by downloading a specific application such as Root Master or Framaroot. Then, follow the necessary steps that are provided on the application’s website for the appropriate installation and rooting processes.
- Step 8 – Next, visit a trusted website such as the XDA Developer’s forum. Here, you will have to locate and download the appropriate ROM of the OS that you’d like to install, which is compatible with your specific Samsung device.
- Step 9 – Install the necessary ROM, and simply reboot your tablet after the installation process has finished. You should then be able to enjoy your updated Android system. You might also wish to download your backed up files now.
Note: Before installing a new version of Android, make sure that your tablet is actually compatible with your chosen OS. Many old models might not have enough processing power to handle newer systems, and are better off using their original OS.
And there you have it; everything you need to know about updating the operating system on your older Samsung tablet!
