Upgrading Android on a Samsung Mobile

android SmartSwitch Install

I wanted to upgrade the version of Android of my Samsung phone. I was expecting to download firmware on the phone’s WIFI, but it was giving me an error message. Maybe it requires an activated SIM to function? I have no idea. After some searching about, I determined that for Android 4.3+ I could download a desktop application called SmartSwitch and run the upgrade while tethered to my laptop.

To download the software for yourself, goto:
https://www.samsung.com/in/support/smartswitch/

Installing on an Apple laptop works fine, but it “requires” a reboot, which I didn’t want to complete. So, I following these steps:

  1. Download software and charge your mobile device.
  2. Run installer.
  3. Two buttons are available: install and uninstall, click Install.
  4. When it asks to reboot, open Activity Monitor, find the installer, and Force Quit.
  5. Then, open Finder, navigate to Applications | SmartSwitch | Smart Switch.
  6. The applications immediately wants you to run an update, which you should allow.

Once the update is completed, the application will restart, and you can attach your device. As soon as I tethered my device with a USB cable, I received a warning message that the connection was not supported. What did this mean? At first, I reacted by moving my device to the other USB port. This made no difference. Then, I realized the real problem was that my phone was screen locked. Once I entered the credentials and unlocked it, the software application was able to function.