How would I get OS updates for an AT&T phone as a Cricket customer?

[4SoMiss94]

I just did this with an ATT LG g4 which I bought to use on on my existing cricket account. It was not getting the Marshmallow update and this is what I did. I had a older un-activated sim from an ATT gophone and I activated it on-line. I had to register but you do not need to give any credit card details - in fact it looks like you could give any info you want - perhaps just a real email address. The completion of registration gives the sim a phone number but it does not work as you have not put any $ on the account and it will un-register if no $ have been added in 28 days but this is no problem.
However, after installing the sim overnight it did NOT upgrade to MMallow. So, I pulled out the gophone sim, put back my cricket sim and lo-and-behold, as soon as it booted up, it said an upgrade was available and it upgraded to MM. Whether it was the re-boot or putting the cricket sim in, I do not know but I'm on MM now. Note you can buy inactive ATT gophone sims for about $5 online.

bluehills5, I’m a long-time lurker, first-time poster to this website. I just created an account to say THANKS a million. I read your comment last night after struggling to get my AT&T LG G3 (on Straight Talk) to update past Kit Kat 4.4.2. After purchasing my phone from Best Buy in 2014 outright, I unlocked it to use on STALK. After a few weeks I rooted my device thinking I would flash roms as I have in the past with my HTC DNA, but I kept reading some of the G3 ROMS had small issues that kept me away. So as an HTC fan I winded up putting the Blinkfeed launcher on my G3. I was happy and content until last week when out of the blue I got a notification about a software update. I had read that marshmallow had begun to roll out for the AT&T LG G3 so I let the excitement get the best of me. Obviously proceeding with the OTA update on a rooted phone was a mistake and it had me in a boot loop. Thanks to Max Lee's instructional video I was able to flash back to stock. Once back at stock, I thought I would get the update notifications for sure but they never showed up. Once I read your email, I just went by Wally World bought the ATT Go Phone BYOP kit for $9.88 and followed your activation directions. Once the sim was activated and I got my GO Phone Number assigned to the sim I went ahead inserted the sim card and rebooted. Then I turned Data on (which strangely worked because I never really gave my credit card info during activation like you said) and I checked for the OTA update. BAM! There it was. So I turned WIFI on to download the OTA update. My software is updating as I speak. First update just completed for Lollipop 5.0.1, now downloading a second update 205.43MB, so far so good. Just wanted to chime in and let others know your method worked for me.

 

[bloodybunny]

I have a T-Mobile Galaxy S5 on cricket and woke up this morning with an update for marshmellow 6.0 from T-mobile. If I update it, it will not mess up anything will it?

EDIT: I am on Cricket so therefore I have a Cricket SIM card. But T-Mobile pushed the update to me. Obviously it still says T-Mobile after restarting and everything since I have no rooted it. Just unlocked it.

 

[2sleepy]

I bought a Samsung Galaxy S5 active AT&T branded unlocked on Ebay. It's on Cricket but I can't update the OS which is currently 4.4. (when I attempt the update it simply says no update available both through the phone and Kies.) Cricket said it's not their fault, and I should call AT&T. AT&T Said they know nothing about it and said to call Samsung. Samsung said they have no 5.0 or 5.1 binary file for that phone even though I found one listed on the AT&T page, Baseband v. G870AUCU2CPB3. Samsung said to call Best Buy or to hire someone to jail break the phone. When I called Best Buy they said that they no longer flash Cricket phones and that if they tried it might lock it to AT&T again. I have no idea what to try next this is just crazy. 5.0 or 5.1 is needed to run android auto or it wouldn't be such a big deal Any ideas?

 

[lucianus_luciferus]

you could flash 5.1 via odin

 

[2sleepy]

How do I get the binary? This is the latest one I can find, and it's the same one that's on the phone: Firmware for Samsung SM-G870A - SamMobile

 

[lucianus_luciferus]

then there is no 5.1 for your model

 

[2sleepy]

then there is no 5.1 for your model

Yes, there is but the binary isn't available, here- look for yourself this is from AT&T https://www.att.com/esupport/article.html#!/wireless/KB425050

 

[travis ressler]

I'm new to Android so still have a lot to learn, and one thing I've been wondering is how I will be getting OS updates. I understand that they are pushed down by the carrier, but I have the AT&T branded phone and am using Cricket, so I suspect I might not be seeing any automatic updates at all. I would've kept things simple and got a Cricket phone but they don't offer anything other than the 32 GB sapphire.

What everyone is telling you is incorrect. The updates are pushed by the mobile carrier. Like I have an AT&T s7 edge on cricket. I can not get updates from AT&T or cricket. Not only did I ask both but AT&T has had a few updates that I can't get. I have heard if I put AT&T active sim card or find a way to self put it on is the only way.

 

[justnivek]

I have had a Verizon Galaxy S6 with a T-Mobile sim inserted and I got updates using a PC/Mac and the Sasmsung Smartswitch app

Once your phone is connected to your PC/Mac and smartswitch is open it'll ask you if you wanna update your phone to the newest software (if a new software is available)

 

[MyDarlin1]

my locked AT&T samsung galaxy s4 active currently served by StraightTalk says 'checking AT&T servers' when i chose to check for updates. then says 'no update found' im pretty certain i need to be able to connect to ATT to update.

 

[justnivek]

my locked AT&T samsung galaxy s4 active currently served by StraightTalk says 'checking AT&T servers' when i chose to check for updates. then says 'no update found' im pretty certain i need to be able to connect to ATT to update.

I am 99% sure that you're right about connecting to ATT