Flashing is installing a new or modified firmware on your device’s internal memory. Firmware is the software that controls the basic functions of your device, such as booting, operating system, and applications. Flashing can be done to upgrade the software, fix issues, or customize the device.
However, flashing can also be risky, as it can cause the device to become unusable or void the warranty if not done correctly. Therefore, it is recommended that only experienced users attempt to flash their devices and follow the instructions carefully.
In this blog post, we will show you how to flash the official firmware on the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G, a mid-range smartphone that was launched in December 2022. The device features a 6.5-inch display, a quad-camera setup, a 5000 mAh battery, and runs on Android 13 with One UI 5.0.
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Requirements
Before you start flashing, you need to have the following requirements:
- A Samsung Galaxy A14 5G with model number SM-A146B. Do not try this on any other device or variant.
- A Windows PC or laptop with a USB port.
- A USB cable to connect your device to the PC.
- A backup of your data, as flashing will erase everything on your device.
- A fully charged battery or at least 50% battery level.
- Enable USB debugging and OEM unlocking on your device. To do this, go to Settings > About phone > Software information and tap on Build number seven times. Then go back to Settings > Developer options and enable USB debugging and OEM unlocking.
Download Firmware
The first step is to download the official firmware for your device. You can download the latest firmware from Samsung servers using the Frija tool. Frija is a free and easy-to-use tool that lets you download firmware for any Samsung device.
To use Frija, follow these steps:
- Download and install Frija on your PC.
- Run Frija and enter your device model (SM-A146B) and region (e.g. INS for India) in the respective fields.
- Click on Check Update and wait for Frija to find the latest firmware for your device.
- Click on Download and choose a folder to save the firmware file.
- Wait for Frija to download the firmware file, which will be in a ZIP format.
Alternatively, you can also download the firmware file from other sources, such as SamMobile or ROM-Provider, but make sure you download the correct firmware for your device model and region.
Download Odin
The next step is to download Odin, a tool that is used to flash firmware on Samsung devices. Odin is a Windows-based program that communicates with your device in download mode and transfers the firmware files to the device’s memory.
To download Odin, follow these steps:
- Download the latest version of Odin from here.
- Extract the Odin ZIP file to a folder on your PC.
- Run the Odin.exe file as administrator.
Prepare Device
The third step is to prepare your device for flashing. You need to boot your device into download mode, which is a special mode that allows Odin to communicate with your device.
To boot your device into download mode, follow these steps:
- Power off your device completely.
- Press and hold the Volume Up and Volume Down buttons simultaneously.
- While holding the buttons, connect your device to the PC using the USB cable.
- Release the buttons when you see a blue screen with a warning message.
- Press the Volume Up button to confirm and enter download mode.
- You should see a green screen with a downloading message and an Android logo.
Flash Firmware
The fourth step is to flash the firmware on your device using Odin. You need to add the firmware files to the appropriate slots in Odin and start the flashing process.
To flash the firmware on your device using Odin, follow these steps:
- Open Odin on your PC and make sure it detects your device. You should see a COM port number in the ID: COM section and a blue or yellow highlight.
- Click on the BL button and browse to the folder where you saved the firmware file. Select the file that starts with BL_ and click on Open.
- Repeat the same for the AP, CP, and CSC buttons. Select the files that start with AP_, CP_, and HOME_CSC_ respectively. Do not use the file that starts with CSC_ as it will wipe your data.
- Make sure the Auto Reboot and F. Reset Time options are checked and the Re-Partition option is unchecked in the Options tab.
- Click on the Start button and wait for Odin to flash the firmware on your device. Do not disconnect your device or close Odin during the process.
- Wait for Odin to show a PASS message and your device to reboot automatically.
- You have successfully flashed the official firmware on your Samsung Galaxy A14 5G.
Conclusion
In this blog post, we have shown you how to flash the official firmware on Samsung Galaxy A14 5G using Frija and Odin. Flashing can be useful to upgrade the software, fix issues, or customize the device. However, flashing can also be risky, so make sure you follow the instructions carefully and back up your data before flashing.
We hope you found this blog post helpful and informative. If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to leave a comment below. Thank you for reading.