How to install Android 4.3 Jelly Bean manually onto a Samsung Galaxy S4
If you own an international Samsung Galaxy S4 (model GT-I9500), you were probably thrilled to learn this week that an official Android 4.3 Jelly Bean firmware update was on its way to your handset via Samsung Kies.
Among the many improvements included in the new build is support for Galaxy Gear, Samsung Wallet, better RAM management, camera upgrades, a new browser and more.
Unfortunately, Samsung Kies is not a perfect system, so for those in need of a manual installation, the following how-to guide will prove helpful. As always, DroidReport assumes no liability for the firmware installation, so if your phone gets bricked, it’s on you.
Before Getting Started
Before you get started, ensure that your Galaxy S4 is the GT-I9500 model. Please note that flashing your device will remove any custom ROMNs, as well as recovery utilities like ClockWorkMod or TWRP Recovery.
As always, you want to backup your device and charge it to at least 80 percent. Finally, enable USB Debugging mode by navigating to Settings -> Developer Options.
Manually Installing Android Jelly Bean 4.3 For Galaxy S4 (GT-I9500)
1) Download the firmware package and Odin v3.07, which can be found here and here.
2) Put your Galaxy S4 in download mode by holding the Volume Down, Home and Power buttons. When a warning prompt appears, press Volume Up.
3) Unzip Odin v3.07. Right click on Odin v3.07.exe and run the application as an administrator.
4) Using your USB cable, connect your Galaxy S4 to your computer. You should see a yellow box with the message “Added!†If this does not occur, reinstall your computer’s USB drivers.
5) Within Odin, navigate to PDA and select the .tar file from the downloaded firmware package.
6) Make sure Auto-Partition is deselected, then press Auto Reboot and F. Reset Time.
7) Press start, which will begin the installation process. Do nothing until this completes.
8) Your phone will reboot and you’ll officially be running Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. Kudos.