Odin is Samsung's internal flashing tool. With it you can install official stock firmware on a Galaxy phone or tablet from a Windows PC — to update manually, return to stock, or recover from a bootloop. Flashing signed Samsung firmware does not trip Knox.
What you need
- A Windows PC with the Samsung USB driver and Odin3 v3.14 or newer.
- The original USB cable, and the phone charged to at least 50%.
- A backup: flashing with
CSCerases everything, and evenHOME_CSCis not a backup. - Firmware for your exact model code (Settings › About phone, e.g. SM-S938B — an SM-S938U build will not install on an SM-S938B). Find it via the search on the home page.
- A build whose bootloader binary (the Bit column) is the same or higher than the installed one — see how to read a build number.
Step by step
- Unzip the firmware. You get five
.tar.md5files:BL_,AP_,CP_,CSC_andHOME_CSC_. Wi-Fi-only tablets have noCP_. - Enter Download Mode. Phones without a Home button (2019 and later): power off, hold Volume Up + Volume Down and plug in the USB cable, then press Volume Up to continue. Older models with a Home button: power off, hold Volume Down + Home + Power, then press Volume Up.
- Start Odin as administrator. A blue
ID:COMbox means the phone is detected. - Load
BL_into BL,AP_into AP (it is large — Odin checks it for a while),CP_into CP. -
For CSC choose one:
HOME_CSC_keeps your apps and data,CSC_performs a full factory reset. UseCSC_when changing region, when the phone bootloops, or when the update is a big jump. - In Options leave Auto Reboot and F. Reset Time checked. Do not tick Re-Partition unless you also load a PIT file.
- Click Start. When the box turns green with PASS!, the phone reboots; the first boot can take several minutes.
Common errors
| Odin / phone message | Cause and fix |
|---|---|
SW REV CHECK FAIL | The build has a lower bootloader binary than the phone. Pick a build with the same or higher Bit — downgrading across binaries is blocked. |
Stuck at SetupConnection / Complete(Write) operation failed | USB problem: use another cable or a USB port on the motherboard, reinstall the Samsung driver, re-enter Download Mode. |
FAIL! Model mismatch or Unsupported dev_type | The firmware is for another model code. Download the build for the code shown in Download Mode. |
Bootloop after flashing with HOME_CSC | Leftover data conflicts with the new system. Flash again with CSC_, or factory-reset from Recovery (Volume Up + Power). |
| Asks for the previous Google account after reset | Factory Reset Protection: sign in with the Google account that was on the phone. |