How to use FlashFire to flash firmware files and OTA updates?

An integral part of installing a custom ROM is flashing. Being an immersive modification to the operating system, users need to pay a lot of attention. Whenever we install the firmware, we must flash it; otherwise, the stock kernel will be installed. We need a flashing application programme to flash the firmware and custom ROM to prevent that.

There is plenty of flashing software available in the domain. But FlashFire is something that users still need to include. The reason is, FlashFire can flash entire firmware packages from different manufacturers, including OTA and ZIP updates. The best part is that you don’t need a custom recovery. So, let’s learn flashing firmware using FlashFire.

How to use FlashFire to flash firmware files and OTA updates?

FlashFire is easy to use and widely accepted since it is designed for rooted Android devices. However, many users who attempt to use it need clarification as they use it. I understand some users are so evident that they can manage and use Flashfire easily. But as a beginner, many users need help to do that. As a result, here we will tell you everything from the beginning. So, let’s get started.

Note: ChainFire (developer of SuperSU and FlashFire) tested FlashFire on Android 4.2 and 5.0 and made it available publicly. So we can get the latest version from the Google Play Store. If you need to learn how to get FlashFire from the Google Play Store, follow the steps below.

1. Open the Google Play Store on your phone.
2. Search for FlashFire in the given field.
3. Tap on the result showing “ChainFire” as the developer.
4. Install the app using the green install button.
5. You now have FlashFire installed on your phone.

After installing FlashFire, everyone has many questions about where to start and what to do with it. In addition, we have OTA updates as well as ZIP packages available here. So, let’s look at each option displayed under FlashFire and their use. 

Actions: FlashFire App has numerous pages in which the Action page is, by default, open. There are cards on the action page, each with a specific action. Whatever you want to do, add a card and tap on the flash button to execute that action. This page is the main page from which FlashFire receives operational commands.

Backups: As the name implies, this page is dedicated to backups. Flashing firmware can be risky, and you may lose your data. Here you will see the backup you have made on your phone. You can’t create a backup here, but you can delete it. On this page, the user is reminded to make a backup before flashing.

Partition: While Flashing, we get a lot of flags and partitions, but at that moment, we can’t pay attention to them. So, Seeing the end result Partition page of FlashFire help us to see the different partitions and flags detected during the flash.

Settings Page: Similar to any app, this is a settings page where you can adjust the FlashFire app at your convenience. 

Credits: FlashFire is a wide platform that uses different sources and information. It also uses third-party libraries, binaries and licenses. So, To give them credit FlashFire has a dedicated page for it.

Here is the general interface of FlashFire that shows us how to use each page. But apart from that, especially for Firmware packages, we have Archives, Partition Matching, bootloader partition, individual partition and device-specific instructions. So we can easily understand the process of flashing firmware.

Now you have downloaded and installed FlashFire and are familiar with the different things that you can do with it. In our research, we found that many people want to know how to clean flash custom ROMs with FlashFire without restoring TWRP data. So, to ease those users, let’s have a look at how to do that.

1. Open the FlashFire App.
2. Next, tap the Red + button and choose ‘Wipe.’
3. Mark the System data, 3rd party apps and Dalvik cache checkbox.
4. Now Tap the Red + button and Select’ Flash ZIP/OTA.’
5. Under Flash ZIP/OTA, select the latest Cyanogenmod Zip
6. Next, unmark Auto-mount, and Mount /system read/write.
7. Again, click the Red + button and select ‘Flash ZIP/OTA.’
8. From there, select the latest Open Gapps Zip.
9. Unmark the Auto-mount Checkbox and mark the Mount/system read/write checkbox.
10. Then move the wipe option to the top.
11. Finally, press the FLASH button, and you are done.

To sum up, FlashFire is a convenient application program from ChainFire that makes firmware installation easy. Previously, we had to go through a lot of hustle to install firmware from different manufacturers. However, FlashFire introduced uniformity to flash and showcased such apps. I hope you got the basics about FlashFire, how it works and cleaning flash custom ROMs. Please ask all users below if they still have questions.

Frequently Asked Questions