Why won't my Samsung Galaxy S3 update the OS?

[Poppy Haynes]

why won't my samsung galaxy s3 update the OS

I have a straight talk Samsung Galaxy S3 with android v 4.1.2. Straight talk does not recognize my phone as being compatible with there upgrade. It is a SCH-S968C and it is a Straight Talk phone purchased from Walmart. I believe it uses verizon but when trying to upgrade through Verizon, I also get an error.

 

[Rukbat]

Re: why won't my samsung galaxy s3 update the OS

Because you're not a Verizon customer. Verizon only updates phones on a currently active Verizon account.

You'll have to get the update file (devs on XDA usually capture them and post them in the phone's development forum) and install it using Odin.

 

[CaonicalDroid]

Re: why won't my samsung galaxy s3 update the OS

I know how to get you to 4.4.4 Kitkat but you have to be willing to root your phone and flash a custom rom. You can PM me or do a quickreply on this thread letting me know if your ready. And we are currently working on lollipop for this phone ^.^ And there are some great roms out for it! I suggest you PM me and listen to what I have to say!

 

[Darren Rahilly]

I also have the s3 sch968c. I want to upgrade to KitKat, my phone is already rooted. What is the next step?

 

[Darren Rahilly]

I would private message you but I don't see that option anywhere

 

[Darren Rahilly]

Anyone else in here know how?

 

[Rukbat]

You don't have to root the phone. (In fact, rooting it is a waste of time, because it's the ROM that gets rooted, and you're replacing it, so you lose root.)

See [Samsung] How to flash Stock ROM via ODIN. It's the same whether you're flashing a full ROM (wiping everything out) or flashing an update file. (Put the update file into the AP slot.)

 

[MikDi]

Re: why won't my samsung galaxy s3 update the OS

The one thing Straight Talk won't tell you is that whatever android phone you bought from them won't be able to update the OS. Not unless you root your phone. If you don't want to do that the only other option is to get an unlocked android phone and pop in a sim card.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[shjackson72]

Re: why won't my samsung galaxy s3 update the OS

I just rooted my phone, the sch968c, how do i update os please???

 

[Rukbat]

@SHJackson,

You can't update a rooted phone. (That's deliberate because, while the phone is rooted, you can make changes that would cause an update to brick the phone [turn it into a brick, not a phone].)

The choices are reflashing the stock ROM (if you have a copy, or can get one from someone who does - it's too old to be listed anywhere that I can find), living with the one you have or buying a newer phone. And with that old a phone, the chances are that no one (other than possibly someone at Area51 Forum) ever wrote a nwewer version than the one that came with the phone. (ROMs have to be modified for each model phone.)

("Unrooting" the phone, unless you manually installed su into the filesystem, is still going to leave traces that the phone was rooted.)