Galaxy S4 I9500 Gets Official Android 4.2.2 XXUBMF8 Jelly Bean Firmware [Manually Install and Root]

Samsung Galaxy S4 GT-I9500 users can now rejoice over the release of latest official Jelly Bean firmware, Android 4.2.2 XXUBMF8, as it brings a host of feature enhancements and stability fixes over its previous build. The new Over-The-Air (OTA) firmware is being gradually rolled out to all the countries across various regions in phases and those who missed the update or cannot wait for the official release in their country can follow our step-by-step guide given below.

As this is an official release, it can be installed via ODIN flash tool and does not require ClockworkMod (CWM) recovery to be installed on the phone.

NOTE: Instructions provided in this guide are meant for reference purpose only. IBTimes UK will not be held liable if the device is damaged or bricked during or after firmware installation. Users are advised to proceed at their own risk.

Android 4.2.2 XXUBMF8 Firmware Details:

PDA: I9500XXUBMF8
CSC: I9500OLBBMF8
Version: 4.2.2

Pre-Requisites

• XXUBMF8 official firmwareand instructions provided in this guide are applicable to the Galaxy S4 GT-I9500 model only. It will not work on any other device. Verify your device's model number by navigating to Settings > AboutPhone.
• Back up important data and settings on the device to avoid data loss while performing any data wipe tasks during or after firmware installation.
• Ensure the phone is factory unlocked (not locked to a specific carrier) as well as bootloader unlocked.
• Verify that the correct USB drivers are installed forthe phone on computer (download Galaxy S4 GT-I9500 USB drivers).
• Enable USB Debugging mode on the device by navigating to Settings > Developer Options (if device is running on Android 4.0 or later) or go to Settings >Applications> Development (if phone is running on Android 2.3 or earlier). Otherwise if the device is running on Android 4.2, then do the following:
• Go to Settings > About Phone
• Scroll down to the bottom and select Build Number
• Tap the Build Number seven times to unlock or reveal the hidden Developer Options under Settings. Then select the checkbox to enable USB Debugging mode under Settings > Developer Options.
• Make sure that the phone has at least 80% battery charge to prevent unexpected device shutdown (due to battery drain) during firmware installation.
• ODIN is designed to work in Windows OS only. Linux and Mac OS X users should use CrossOver Utility to run ODIN on their computer.

IBTimes UK brings you a step-by-step guide to install official Android 4.2.2 XXUBMF8 Jelly Bean OTA on Galaxy S4 GT-I9500, courtesy of Team Android.

How to Install Official Android 4.2.2 XXUBMF8 Jelly Bean OTA Update on Galaxy S4 GT-I9500

Step 1: Download Android 4.2.2 XXUBMF8 Jelly Bean OTA for Galaxy S4 GT-I9500 and Odin v3.07 on your computer.

Step 2: Extract the firmware zip file to the desktop to obtain a .tar.md5 file and some other files (optional).

Step 3: Now extract Odin zip file to get Odin3 v3.07.exe as well as few other files.

Step 4: Power off the phone and wait for vibration (about 5-6 seconds) to confirm complete device shutdown. Then boot the device in Download Mode by pressing and holding Volume Down, Home and Power buttons together until a construction Android robot icon appears on screen. Then hit Power button to progress into Download Mode.

Step 5: Launch Odin3 v3.07.exe that you extracted in Step 3 as an Administrator, as Admin privileges is required to complete the installation process smoothly.

Step 6: Connect the Galaxy S4 to computer via USB cable, while the phone is still in Download mode. When the device connects successfully, a message saying "Added!" appears in ODIN and the ID: COM box will turn yellow with the corresponding COM port number. If the message fails to appear, try reinstalling the tablet's USB drivers or changing the port on the computer.

Step 6: Choose the following files from the extracted I9500XXUBMF8 folder that you obtained in Step 1 by using respective checkboxes:

• Select the PDA checkbox, and click the '.tar.md5' file
• Tap the Phone checkbox, and select the file named 'modem' (ignore if such file is not found)
• Choose the CSC checkbox, and click the file named 'CSC' (ignore if there is no such file)
• Click the PIT checkbox, and choose the '.pit' file (ignore if the file is missing)

Step 7: In Odin, enable Auto Reboot and F. Reset Time options by selecting the checkboxes. But the Re-Partition checkbox must be selected only if a .pit file was chosen in the previous step in ODIN.

Step 8: To prevent ROM related errors, verify Step 6 and Step 7 are done correctly. Then hit the START button to begin flashing the firmware.

Step 9: Once the firmware installation is complete, the phone will reboot automatically and soon a PASS message with green background appears in the left-most box at the very top of Odin. Now it is safe to unplug the USB cable to disconnect the device from computer.

The Galaxy S4 GT-I9500 is now running on the latest Android 4.2.2 XXUBMF8 Jelly Bean OTA update. Go to Settings > About Tablet to verify the firmware installed.

Troubleshooting:

If the phone is stuck at boot animation or Samsung logo after Step 9, then go to recovery mode (press and hold the Volume Up, Home and Power buttons together) and perform Wipe data/Factory Reset as well as Wipe Cache Partition before choosing reboot system now option. NOTE: Use Volume keys to navigate between options and Power key to select an option in recovery. Performing data wipe task will only erase your phone's internal memory and not the data on SD card.

Now that you have successfully installed the latest official Jelly Bean firmware on the Galaxy S4, you can root the same via CF-Auto Root, using our guide (courtesy of Team Android).

How to Root Official Android 4.2.2 XXUBMF8 Jelly Bean OTA Update on Galaxy S4 GT-I9500

Step 1: Download CF-Auto-Root for Galaxy S4 GT-I9500 and Odin v3.07 on the computer.

Step 2: Extract CF-Auto-Root and Odin 3.07 files using winrar/7zip/winzip or any other file extracting tool.

Step 3: Power off the phone and then boot it into Download Mode by pressing and holding Volume Down and Home buttons together, and then tap the Power button until the construction Android robot icon appears onscreen. Now hit the Power button again to confirm entry into Download Mode.

Step 4: Launch Odin on computer.

Step 5: Connect the device to computer via USB cable while it is still in Download Mode. When the device is connected successfully, one of the ID: COM box will turn yellow with the corresponding COM port number. If Odin fails to detect the device then re-install USB drivers for your phone or try connecting to different USB port at the back of computer.

Step 6: In Odin, click the PDA button and select CF-Auto-Root-jflte-jfltexx-gti9500.zip file.

Step 7: Verify that Auto Reboot and F. Reset Time checkboxes are selected in Odin. Also, ensure the Re-Partition option is not selected.

Step 8: Verify that steps 6 and 7 are done correctly and then click Start in Odin. The installation process will now begin.

Step 9: Once the installation process completes, your device will reboot and soon a PASS message with green background appears in the left-most box at the very top of Odin. When the Home screen appears, unplug the USB cable to disconnect the phone from computer.

Samsung Galaxy S4 GT-I9500 is now rooted on Android 4.2.2 XXUBMF8 Jelly Bean official firmware. It is now possible to install any app that requires root permission. Confirm root access to the device by downloading Root Checker app from Google Play Store.