TUTORIAL: Downgrade Samsung Galaxy S5 from 5.0 to 4.4 KitKat

[ironass]

Ironass,

Will the OC7 help with the battery problem or should I just the 4.4.2 reinstall? Very frustrating...

See post #8 of Lollipop improvements are here!

As for using the worldwide, international, G900F on US networks, you should be fine on GSM for Edge and 3G but you may have problems on LTE/4G not connecting. You will need to check with your carrier.

 

[crammy]

thanks for this. worked a treat.

Only pain is that kies 3 shows it backs up apps but when i tried to restore it said it would only restore to same phone so i have to reinstall apps but all app data was backed up.

Also cant find a way of getting rid of the icon.

Other than that extremely happy to be back on 4.4.2 on EE

 

[DotScott1]

Uhm, no. Getting RID of Lollipop is the entire POINT. It sucks. But thanks anyway.

Yeah and I found out that doesn't really fix it anyway It worked at first but now... it sucks again. Going to be downgrading my S5 soon. Maybe later today.

 

[DotScott1]

For those that don't see the verizon firmware on sammobile, you have to type it in and then it'll come up. Just type it in like you see all the other versions but put a V at the end. I just downloaded it last night and today I have gone from 5.0, that wouldn't let me send texts, back to 4.4.4 and working flawlessly.

I typed it in exactly but it says "0 results found" like the site doesn't even have it. I can't be the only one experiencing this... can I? I don't see version: GALAXY S5 (SM-G900V). I see all other versions but not (SM-G900V). Can anyone else out there that has already downloaded post it somewhere so I can download it?

UPDATE: Ah, I finally found it. It's because it was named differently than the rest. Just type in "SM-G900V" to find it. Well... yay!

 

[Shannan Lafleur]

Does this downgrade affect my 1 years warranty on my phone with samsung ??

 

[cris-mvp]

I hear that the downgrade is not changing the baseband and modem and can affect the phone

 

[trainingwheels]

May I ask if this procedure will make it possible to use TowelRoot? Is it possible to run a custom rom?

The only reason I would want to downgrade my phone version/kernel is to get root. From what I've read rooting the Verizon Galaxy S5 is impossible if the kernel was updated from stock.

Thank you for your time.

 

[JohnWS6]

Hello I am new to this site. I just got nailed with the new Lollipop version of Android on my Samsung S5 phone and I absolutely hate it. Im trying to go back to Kitkat version but I am running into road blocks and would appreciate some help.

As of now, I downloaded the firmware from Sammobile/Firmware website.
I also downloaded Winzip. After the firmware has downloaded and I try to extract the files, This is the only file that extracts. What is going on here? Is this the only file I need?
Can someone please help me?

thanks

 

[wudangzihe]

I have gotten it work, but I have done the process three times using the three differently dated firmwares on sammobile for my UK phone. Battery is still shot and things that were working fine before simply do not work (eg - screen auto adjust) I bought it end of January/beginning of February. Can you think of ANYTHING that might help this? Any help is appreciated.

 

[ironass]

View attachment 169286
Hello I am new to this site. I just got nailed with the new Lollipop version of Android on my Samsung S5 phone and I absolutely hate it. Im trying to go back to Kitkat version but I am running into road blocks and would appreciate some help.

As of now, I downloaded the firmware from Sammobile/Firmware website.
I also downloaded Winzip. After the firmware has downloaded and I try to extract the files, This is the only file that extracts. What is going on here? Is this the only file I need?
Can someone please help me?

thanks

That is the extracted .tar file that you need to flash via Odin in AP:

See, Verizon downgrade to KitKat - Dummies Guide

http://androidforums.com/threads/verizon-downgrade-to-kitkat-dummies-guide.902737/

 

[ironass]

I hear that the downgrade is not changing the baseband and modem and can affect the phone

If you are correctly flashing the stock firmware from SamMobile, it has the modem, (another name for baseband), included for that version of firmware and will change it.

 

[ironass]

I have gotten it work, but I have done the process three times using the three differently dated firmwares on sammobile for my UK phone. Battery is still shot and things that were working fine before simply do not work (eg - screen auto adjust) I bought it end of January/beginning of February. Can you think of ANYTHING that might help this? Any help is appreciated.

Are you flashing the correct firmwares for your model of S5 phone and CSC, (Customer Software Customisation),code?
Are you doing a Factory Data Reset after flashing and then checking your phone out PRIOR to loading your apps and Settings?

 

[wudangzihe]

Are you flashing the correct firmwares for your model of S5 phone and CSC, (Customer Software Customisation),code?
Are you doing a Factory Data Reset after flashing and then checking your phone out PRIOR to loading your apps and Settings?

Hey ironass,

Thanks for the quick response. I am pretty sure that I'm flashing the right firmware. I bought my phone in the UK at a Samsung store, unlocked it and am now using ATT in the US. On Sammobile I downloaded the firmware for sm-g900f United Kingdomw BTU. There are three options for 4.4.2... I have tried all of them... while I do get back on 4.4.2, when I go to Battery in Settings, Android system, Android OS, Screen, and Cell standby (after sleeping last night) are just sucking battery life. Screen is generally at least at 15 percent, sometimes up to 34 and Android OS and system is usually at least at 20.

I did do a factory data reset after each flash and checked the phone before loading the apps as well - systems and screen were still sucking battery. Any ideas???

 

[JohnWS6]

I am happy to report that following the steps listed on the first page got me back into Kitkat mode!
I did run into a road block on step 18. See screen shot below.

I must say, I was really intimidated when I first read through these instructions on resetting my phone back to Kitkat mode, but now, after I have finished it,there's not much too it at all. Just follow the steps listed. Thank you for putting this thread together!!!

 

[ironass]

Hey ironass,

Thanks for the quick response. I am pretty sure that I'm flashing the right firmware. I bought my phone in the UK at a Samsung store, unlocked it and am now using ATT in the US. On Sammobile I downloaded the firmware for sm-g900f United Kingdomw BTU. There are three options for 4.4.2... I have tried all of them... while I do get back on 4.4.2, when I go to Battery in Settings, Android system, Android OS, Screen, and Cell standby (after sleeping last night) are just sucking battery life. Screen is generally at least at 15 percent, sometimes up to 34 and Android OS and system is usually at least at 20.

I did do a factory data reset after each flash and checked the phone before loading the apps as well - systems and screen were still sucking battery. Any ideas???

There are around 6 different firmwares for the U.K. phone model, G900F, depending on whether you originally had generic, unbranded, firmware or lightly branded, carrier firmware. Your CSC code will tell you which firmware to flash. See #1.8 of 40 Galaxy S5 models - Dummies Guide for how to find your CSC code and build details. Make sure you wipe the cache partition after flashing, as per #1.3 of S5 Lollipop Update Problems - Dummies Guide, (not just for the Lollipop update). If you have downgraded your firmware from Android 5.0 to 4.4.2, you may well need to do a Factory Data Reset as per post #2 of the previous link.

 

[wudangzihe]

Hey ironass,

I followed all directions pretty explicitly. After the autoupgrade the CSC ended in BOB7 (if I remember correctly), now after flashing, it ends in ANE2. I suppose I will try to give it another go tonight, if that doesn't work... well... who knows. Would it be a good idea to do a factory reset and THEN flash the new firmware? Would that do anything? Heh. Thanks for your help.

 

[ironass]

I cannot comment without the full version details requested in my last post.

 

[wudangzihe]

Ironass,

As far as the firmware and whether it was generic, unbranded, firmware or lightly branded, carrier firmware...I really don't know. I bought it from a Samsung store in london and was using an 02 sim card... now unlocked and using ATT.

AP - G900FXXU1ANE2

CP - G900FXXU1ANE2

CSC - G900FXXU1ANE2

This is the info that I now have after doing the firmware flash last night. Thanks again for your help.

 

[wudangzihe]

And these three were the one's that I saw after the autoupdate to lollipop:

AP: G900FXXU1BOB7

CP:G900FXXU1BOB7

CSC:G900FOXA1BOB7

but they are now currently

AP - G900FXXU1ANE2

CP - G900FXXU1ANE2

CSC - G900FXXU1ANE2

 

[Rukbat]

Just a few comments:

Does this downgrade affect my 1 years warranty on my phone with samsung ??

No. You aren't required to keep your phone on the air to maintain the warranty. (Which is about the only legitimate way to stay on 4.4.4.) But As far as Verizon is concerned, if you bring it in for repair under warranty, all they care about is that it's got the stock ROM (stock 4.4.4 in this case) and it's not rooted.

May I ask if this procedure will make it possible to use TowelRoot?

Only if you go back to a 4.4.2 ROM with a kernel date earlier than June 3, 2014.

Is it possible to run a custom rom?

Only if it's a modification of the stock ROM. The bootloader is locked.

The only reason I would want to downgrade my phone version/kernel is to get root. From what I've read rooting the Verizon Galaxy S5 is impossible if the kernel was updated from stock.

Check the S5 Verizon forum on XDA Forums. The AT&T Note 3 has the same problems, and it's possible to root 4.4.2 and install SafeStrap, then install 4.4.4, and switch back and forth between them. Someone probably has the files posted in the Verizon S5 section too (seeing that SafeStrap was originally developed for the Verizon version of the Note 3).

Oh, and what you download from SamMobile is the official ROM. No back doors that Samsung or Verizon didn't put in there. (And you can trust most of the developers on XDA too. If the post is still there after a few days, it's okay. [One of the major, well-known developers was permanently, IIRC, banned from the site for being a little bit dishonest. Nothing wrong with the files he posted, they're just VERY strict about who they let post files.])