How to Install Android 4.1 Jelly Bean Update on T-Mobile Galaxy S3 Unofficially [GUIDE]

Recently, a flurry of Android devices have been getting custom ROM based Android 4.1 Jelly Bean updates, thanks to dedicated efforts of the XDA Recognised Developer community. T-Mobile's Samsung Galaxy S3 is the latest to enter the fray, which inherits features picked from CyanogenMod 10 for enhanced customisation.

Jelly Bean OS has hogged the limelight ever since its launch at the recently concluded Google I/O conference. The new Android platform sets a high standard with smoother interface, thanks to Project Butter. The latest Android software also ports a host of advanced features such as voice recognition, offline voice typing and more that deserve greater optimisation levels through custom ROMs and mods.

As the XDA Developer - Euroskank - notes, the custom ROM seems fully functional. Nevertheless, like all beta updates, it could still harbour a few bugs and issues that may need refining. It must be noted that the tool misses out some customisations from CyanogenMod, as it is still under development.

Key Points to Note

• The instructions in this guide are meant for T-Mobile's Galaxy S3 T999 model only and will not work with other models or US variants. You should check your device model number before trying to install this ROM update. This can be done by navigating to Settings > about phone in your device.
• It is advisable that you backup your important personal data and settings (bookmarks, contacts, SMS, APNs etc.) to avoid risk of data loss while installing the custom ROM - Jelly Bro. The only exception is SD card contents, which will not be affected by the ROM update.
• The instructions in this guide are meant for reference purpose only. IBTimes UK will not be held responsible in case of any claims of warranty being void or causing damage to the device as a direct consequence of performing the Jelly Bean update.

Here is a step-by-step guide to install ClockworkMod Recovery on T-Mobile's Samsung Galaxy S3 [Courtesy: XDA Developers]:

How to Install ClockworkMod recovery on T-Mobile Galaxy S3

1. Download and install the latest drivers for the phone on the computer.
Download Drivers

2. Download Odin 3.04, which will be required to flash recovery.
Download Odin | Filename: Odin3-v3.04.zip

3. Extract Odin3-v3.04.zip file to the desktop on your computer.

4. Download the ClockworkMod recovery file.
Download CWM Recovery | Filename: clockworkmod.tar

5. Power off your phone and boot into download mode. This can be doneby performing a button sequence. Press and hold down the Volume Down, Home and the Power buttons simultaneously until you see a Warning message on the screen. At this point, press Volume Up button to enter download mode. A green Android logo and the Downloading progress bar will be displayed on the screen.

6. Now, launch Odin by clicking on the Odin3 v3.04.exe file which you got after extracting Odin3-v3.04.zip in step 3.

7. Then, connect the phone to your computer with an USB cable and wait until Windows finishes installing drivers. Odin will flash a message saying Added!! in the message box on the bottom left if the phone is identified successfully. If not ensure the drivers are installed correctly and also try using a different USB port - preferably a rear USB port if using a desktop computer.

8. In Odin, tap the PDA button, then choose the clockworkmod.tar file that you downloaded in step 4.

9. Do not touch any other button or make any other changes in Odin except choosing the required file as given in step 8.

10. Now, tap the START button to initiate ClockworkMod flash recovery on the phone. Once the flashing is complete, your phone should automatically reboot - and when you see the Samsung logo, you can safely disconnect the cable. Besides, you'll get a PASS confirmation message (with green background) in the left-most box at the very top of Odin. What to do if Odin gets stuck: If ODIN freezes and doesn't seem to respond, or you get a FAIL message (with red background) in ODIN, unplug the phone from the PC, close ODIN, remove battery, re-insert it, then repeat the procedure from step 6.

11. Finally, to test out ClockworkMod recovery, power off the phone. Press and hold down Volume Up, Home and then the Power button together until the screen turns on, then let them go. The phone should now boot into ClockworkMod recovery in a few seconds. Navigation through ClockworkMod recovery can be done by using the volume buttons to scroll up/down and the Home button to select an option.

Once you have successfully installed the ClockworkMod Recovery on your T-Mobile Galaxy S3 phone, you are all set to install the latest Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS on the device.

Here is a step-by-step guide to install Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update on T-Mobile Galaxy S3 [Courtesy: The Android Soul]:

How to Install Android 4.1 Jelly Bean Update on T-Mobile Galaxy S3 Unofficially

1. Download the latest version of the ROM from the official development page.

2. Download the Google Apps package.

Download Gapps | Filename: gapps-jb-20120726-signed.zip

3. Copy the downloaded zip files from step 1 and step 2 to the internal SD card. Do not extract them.

4. Now, you need to boot into ClockworkMod recovery. This can be done by performing a button sequence. Power off your phone. Then, press and hold down Volume Up, Home and then the Power buttons together until the screen turns on, then let them go. The phone should boot into ClockworkMod recovery in a few seconds. In recovery screen, use the volume buttons to scroll up/down and the home button to select an option.

5. Select wipe data/factory reset, then choose Yes on next screen to confirm. Wait until the data wipe process completes.

6. Hit install zip from sdcard, then select choose zip from sdcard. Locate the the ROM file on the SD card and select it. Confirm its installation by selecting Yes - Install _____.zip on the next screen. The ROM should now begin installing.

7. Once the ROM installation is done, select choose zip from sdcard again, then choose the gapps-jb-20120726-signed.zip file to install the Google apps package.

8. After the Google apps package finishes installing, select go back then tap reboot system now to reboot the phone into CM10.

9. During the first boot sequence, the phone might reboot several times before fully loading up the OS, which is normal. If it fails to boot even after 15 minutes, disconnect the phone's battery, reinsert it, boot into recovery mode as given in step 4, wipe data again as given in step 5, then reboot the phone.

JellyBro ROM based on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean is now successfully installed on your T-Mobile Galaxy S3.