How to Get Android 8.0 Oreo Update for Galaxy S8 in Advance
Samsung has been testing versions of Android 8.0 on the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus for several months now , approaching the final version. The company announced last week that it would wrap up beta testing on January 15, but you can get the official version a week early by installing the leaked version now.
The final version appeared on Reddit over the weekend and it looks like it works pretty well for most people. Here’s what you need to know to get it up and running, and what Android 8.0 will really bring to your Galaxy S8 or S8 Plus.
How to Install Samsung Final Android 8.0 Software
Before we get started, it’s important to note that this will only work with Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus phones that use a Snapdragon processor and not Samsung’s own Exynos chip. This applies to US and China models, but all other versions will not work.
It’s also a leaked software, so you should back up your phone before installing in case something goes wrong. With that out of the way, let’s get started.
The first thing you need to do is make sure you are using the correct version of last year’s Android 7.0 Nougat operating system. Go to “Settings” on your phone and select “About device”. Check build number. It must end in “BQL1”.
Otherwise, you’ll have to flash your phone first with Samsung’s Odin software , which makes it easy to install official updates on your Windows computer. If you have Mac or Linux, you can use a similar program called Heimdall .
You are now ready to download Android 8.0 to your phone. First download the file from Reddit . Then save it as a ZIP file on your microSD card and use a file management application like Solid Explorer to make sure it’s saved. You can also long press rename the file to make things easier later on.
Then turn off your phone and restart it in recovery mode while holding down the Bixby button, volume up button, and power button. After a few seconds, the screen will turn blue. You should see an Android mascot followed by an exclamation mark. You can now release the buttons.
Use the volume keys to find “Apple Update from SD Card” before pressing the power button to confirm. Then find the Android Oreo file you saved to your SD card and select it using the same buttons. This will start with a process, and after restarting it, you should start the new software.
What’s in the latest Samsung update?
If you’ve been following Samsung’s beta tests, the final build hasn’t changed much. It adds a few small tweaks, including a redesigned loading screen with bold text. Samsung has also made its Adaptive Color feature, which matches the lock screen color with your wallpaper, the default setting.
Finally, there is a new Dolby Atmos button in the Quick Settings drop-down menu. This should allow you to switch between different EQ settings when using headphones with options like Auto, Movie, Music and Voice. However, according to Gadget Hacks, it doesn’t work very well and may not be included in the official release next week.
What else is coming with Android 8.0?
The latest version of Android also contains many new features that you may not be familiar with. There are new notification settings to control the types of messages and apps that can use push notifications on your phone, as well as the ability to pin a notification so it doesn’t disappear or be delayed until later.
Samsung has updated its keyboard app with new resize options, built-in GIF support, and all the latest emojis. You can also hide albums in the default Gallery app, although if there’s anything truly personal on your phone, you should save it in a password protected folder .
Another nice new feature is app shortcuts, which offer contextual options when you long press the home screen icon. For example, clicking on the YouTube app takes you quickly to a page where you can manage your subscriptions, or another where you can see which videos are trending right now.
There is still a lot to explore. So go ahead and download Android 8.0 for your Galaxy S8 right now to start digging.