How to Install Android Oreo on Verizon Galaxy S8 / S8 + Now
According to multiple sources, Verizon is officially launching Android today for Galaxy S8 and S8 + owners – the first US carrier to do so. If you haven’t gotten a chance to update your OS and are feeling impatient, here’s how you can get Android Oreo right now.
Check automatic updates again
If you haven’t received a notification that it’s time to update to Android Oreo, you can always check for an update yourself – you might be in luck. Make sure you’re connected to Wi-Fi, then tap Settings> Software Update. Cross your fingers and click Download Updates Manually. If you’re lucky, you should be able to download and install the update using your device’s normal process.
Installing Android Oreo update manually
If you don’t have the option to install Android yet, you can manually install it on your Galaxy S8 or S8 +. The process is a little time consuming.
Before you start, you’ll want to confirm that your device is running a Snapdragon processor and not an Exynos processor. You should have a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip if you bought your device in the US or China, but it never hurts to be triple certain. Tap Settings> About Phone, then find the list of model numbers. If you have written G950U or G955U, you’re done.
Before starting the manual update process, you need the following:
- Odin (obviously): Download Odin from this link , extract the contents of the zip file, but don’t launch Odin yet.
- If you have a Samsung Galaxy S8: get this and this . If you’ve previously installed a microSD card in your smartphone, connect your smartphone to your computer and copy both files.
- If you have a Samsung Galaxy S8 +: you will need to download this and this . Same deal; if you have installed a microSD card in your smartphone, copy the files.
- ADB: If you haven’t added a microSD card to your smartphone, you also need to set up your device to connect to ADB and install ADB for Windows or macOS.
From there, check out this XDA Developers post for a very detailed step-by-step guide on how to reboot your Galaxy S8 or S8 + into download mode and how to use Odin to update your device to the latest Android Oreo firmware.
What do you get for your problems?
If the Android Oreo manual update process goes smoothly, you’ll find a number of new features to play with on your Galaxy S8 or S8 +. These include brand new emojis, a new picture-in-picture mode for multitasking apps ( not while driving , natch), a redesigned settings menu, new notification dots that alert you when apps have something to tell you, and snoozing notifications when You would prefer not to be disturbed – to name just a few.