Rolling back the Android version (downgrade) may be necessary for many reasons: from bugs in the new firmware to incompatibility with critical applications. However, this process is much more complicated than a regular update. Wrong actions can turn a smartphone into a brick, so it is important to understand all the nuances - from unlocking the bootloader to choosing a compatible software version.

Many users encounter a problem after an automatic upgrade, when the new version Android 14 or One UI 6.0 starts to slow down on the old device. Others want to return functionality removed in recent builds (for example, permissions for third-party launchers v Android 13). This article contains current downgrade methods for different brands, pitfalls and ways to minimize risks.

Before you start, please note: manufacturers often block the ability to roll back to older versions through official tools. This is designed to protect users from vulnerabilities, but creates problems for enthusiasts. There are workarounds, but they require technical skills.

Preparing for a downgrade: what you need to do before you start

The first step is to back up all data. Downgrading almost always results in a complete reset of the device. Use Google Drive for contacts and photos, and for applications - adb backup or specialized utilities like Swift Backup (requires root).

Check your device model and current firmware version in Settings → About phone. This data will be needed to find a compatible software version. Pay special attention region code (for example, SM-G975F/DS for Samsung Galaxy S10) - the firmware must correspond to it.

  • 📱 Find out the model and device region (printed on the box or in the settings)
  • 🔗 Download drivers for your brand (Samsung Kies, Xiaomi Mi Flash, etc.)
  • 🔋 Charge the battery up to 80% or more - the process may take several hours
  • 🔐 Find the factory cable —cheap analogues often cause errors during firmware
⚠️ Attention: On devices with Knox (all Samsung after 2015), the downgrade is triggered KNOX 0x1, which voids the warranty and blocks some functions (Samsung Pay, Secure Folder).

If you have never worked with ADB or Fastboot, practice on an unnecessary device or in an emulator. Errors at the bootloader unlocking stage are the main reason why smartphones become bricked.

📊 What brand of your smartphone?
Samsung
Xiaomi/Redmi/Poco
Google Pixel
OnePlus
Other

Unlocking the bootloader: without this, downgrading is impossible

The bootloader on most Android devices is locked by default. Unlocking it is a mandatory step, but the process differs for different brands. For example, Xiaomi requires waiting 7 days after linking your account, and Samsung does not support official unlocking on new models at all.

For Google Pixel and most pure Android devices:

  1. Activate Developer mode (click on Build number 7 times in settings)
  2. Enable USB debugging and OEM unlocking in the developer menu
  3. Connect the device to the PC and run the command: 
    fastboot flashing unlock
  • 🔓 Samsung: official unlocking is not possible, an exploit is required (for example, Combination Firmware)
  • ⏳ Xiaomi: you need to link an account in Mi Unlock Tool and wait 168 hours
  • 🛠️ OnePlus: unlocking through fastboot oem unlock, but data encryption is lost
⚠️ Attention: On some devices Huawei i Honor unlocking the bootloader requires a unique code that is no longer issued by the manufacturer since 2018.

Install ADB/Fastboot drivers|

Enable USB debugging|

Download the official brand utility (Mi Unlock, Odin, etc.)|

Check the IMEI of the device (save in case of blocking)-->

Search and select firmware for downgrade

You can’t just take any old version of Android. The firmware must:

  1. Match exact model device (up to revision)
  2. Suitable region (for example, EUR for Europe, GLB for the global version)
  3. Be official or a proven custom assembly (for example, LineageOS)

Sources firmware:

Brand Firmware tool Firmware file type Features
Samsung Odin .tar.md5 Requires Combination Firmware to bypass locks
Xiaomi Mi Flash Tool .tgz or .zip You need to select clean all for a full reset
Google Pixel Fastboot .zip (factory image) Flashed through a script flash-all.bat
OnePlus MSM Download Tool .ops Requires authorization through a OnePlus account

A critical mistake of many users is updating the firmware version for a different region. This leads to problems with the network, GPS and Google services. Always check CSC code (for example, OXM for multi-regional firmware Samsung).

💡

For devices Samsung with a processor Exynos you can use the utility Frija to automatically download the correct firmware by model and region.

Downgrade process: step-by-step guide for different brands

The general scheme is the same for all devices:

  1. Unlock the bootloader
  2. Switch the device to firmware mode (Fastboot or Download Mode)
  3. Connect to the PC and run the firmware through the official tool
  4. Wait for completion (do not disconnect USB!)
  5. Reset to factory settings

Let's look at the nuances for popular brands:

Samsung (via Odin)

1. Download Odin3 (version 3.14.4) and firmware in format .tar.md5.

2. Launch Odin, connect the phone in mode Download Mode (press Vol Down + Power, then Vol Up).

3. In Odin, select the files:

- BL — bootloader

- AP — main firmware

- CP — modem

- CSC — region (select HOME_CSCto save data, but better CSC for a clean installation)

Important: On new models (Galaxy S22 and newer) you may need to roll back first to Combination Firmware, and then to the target version.

Xiaomi (via Mi Flash Tool)

1. Unpack the firmware into a folder without Cyrillic characters.

2. Run Mi Flash Tool, connect the phone in Fastboot (hold Vol Down + Power).

3. Select the folder with the firmware and press Refresh → Flash.

4. At the bottom select clean all (full reset) or clean all and lock (if you want to block the bootloader after flashing).

⚠️ Attention: On devices Xiaomi with a processor MediaTek (series Redmi Note 10/11) additional authorization through an account is required to unlock bootloader.

Google Pixel (via Fastboot)

1. Unpack factory image and run the script: 

flash-all.bat
(for Windows) or 
./flash-all.sh
(for macOS/Linux).

2. If you need to flash only certain partitions (for example, save data), use the commands manually: 

fastboot flash boot boot.img

fastboot flash system system.img

What to do if Odin freezes on setup connection>

This is a typical problem when using a non-original cable or driver conflict. Try:

1. Disable the antivirus

2. Use a USB 2.0 port (not 3.0!)

3. Reinstall drivers via Zadig (select libusb-win32)

4. Run Odin as administrator

Typical errors and how to avoid them

Even experienced users encounter problems when downgrading. Here are the most common:

  • 🚫 "Invalid IMEI" after flashing — occurs due to incompatibility of the modem part (CP file). Solution: flash the original CP from your model.
  • 🔄 Looped boot (bootloop) helps. Check that the firmware is suitable for your region. For —usually caused by kernel incompatibility or incorrect CSC. A full reset via Recovery Mode.
  • 📵 No network — check that the firmware is suitable for your region. For Samsung you may need to register the IMEI via Chimera Tool.
  • 🔒 Locked bootloader after flashing - on Xiaomi this can be corrected by re-unlocking through Mi Unlock.

If the device does not turn on after downgrading:

  1. Try to go to Recovery Mode (usually Vol Up + Power) and do Wipe Data.
  2. Flash again, but selecting a different file CSC (for example, instead of OXX try DBT for Germany).
  3. For Samsung with a processor Qualcomm firmware via EDL Mode can help (requires an authorized account).
💡

90% of problems during downgrade are related to incompatibility of the firmware and device model. Always check the model and region codes before starting.

Data recovery after a downgrade

Downgrade almost always leads to a complete reset, but some data can be restored:

  • 📱 Contacts and calendars - are synchronized automatically through your Google account.
  • 📷 Photo/video —if you made a backup via Google Photos or locally on a PC.
  • 🎮 Game progress —restored through accounts in games (Google Play Games, Facebook).
  • 📁 Files — if you used adb backup before the downgrade, restore via: 
    adb restore backup.ab

To restore SMS and call logs you will need root access and utilities like SMS Backup & Restore. If root is missing, this data is most likely lost.

⚠️ Attention: On devices with encrypted storage (all modern Android), data recovery without a backup is almost impossible. Encryption is tied to the keys that are reset during downgrade.

If you used TWRP to create a backup before downgrading, restore it via:

  1. Install TWRP for your model (the version must match firmware!).
  2. Boot into recovery (Vol Up + Power).
  3. Select Restore and specify the path to the backup.

Downgrade without unlocking the bootloader: are there possible workarounds?

On some On devices, you can rollback without unlocking the bootloader, but the options are limited:

  • 🔄 Through OTA packages: If the manufacturer accidentally left the rollback option (for example, Google sometimes provides downgrade OTA for Pixel).
  • 📦 Through service centers: Some workshops have access to authorized tools (for example, Samsung Knox Guard), but this is a paid service.
  • 🛠️ Through exploits: For older devices (for example, Samsung Galaxy S7) there are methods to bypass the blocking through Combination Firmware.

For Samsung with a processor Exynos sometimes the method works:

  1. Flash Combination Firmware via Odin.
  2. Disable in the temporary engineering menu Factory Binary Lock.
  3. Flash the target firmware.

Important: These methods often trigger KNOX or Anti-Rollback protection, which makes the device vulnerable to attacks.

💡

On devices OnePlus Sometimes rollback works through Local Upgrade in the settings, if the manufacturer has not blocked this function in the new firmware.

FAQ: answers to frequently asked questions about downgrading Android

Is it possible to downgrade on Samsung without losing the warranty?

No. Even if you return the original firmware, the trigger is triggered, which is fixed in the hardware chip. The service center will always see the fact of hacking. KNOX 0x1, which is fixed in the hardware chip eFuse. The service center will always see the fact of hacking.

Why does the mobile network not work after a downgrade?

This is due to the incompatibility of the modem part (CP file) with your operator. Solutions:

  1. Flash a separate file CP from the firmware of your region.
  2. Update APN settings manually in Settings → Mobile network → Access points (APN).
  3. If all else fails, go back to the new firmware - some modems do not support older versions of Android.

How do I know if my device supports downgrade?

Check:

  • Availability of official firmware for your model on the manufacturer's website.
  • Status Anti-Rollback (for Xiaomi and Huawei - if the version is higher than the threshold, rollback is blocked).
  • Ability to unlock the bootloader (on Samsung After 2019, this is impossible without exploits).

For accurate information, look for a topic on your model on XDA Developers or 4PDA.

What to do if the phone does not turn on after downgrading?

Sequence Actions:

  1. Try to go to Recovery Mode (Vol Up + Power) and do Wipe Data.
  2. Flash the firmware again, but selecting another CSCfile.
  3. For Qualcomm-devices: try flashing via EDL Mode (requires an authorized account).
  4. If all else fails, contact the service center - the EFS-partition (IMEI) may be damaged.

Don't try flashing firmware from other models is is guaranteed to kill the device!

Is it possible to return root access after downgrading?

Yes, but there are nuances:

  • On older versions of Android (Android 9 and lower) you can get root via Magisk or SuperSU.
  • On new versions (Android 12+a patch may be required boot.img via Magisk.
  • For Samsung s KNOX 0x1 root makes it impossible to use Samsung Pay i Secure Folder.

Instructions:

  1. Download Magisk and flash the patched boot.img via fastboot.
  2. For devices with A/B partitions (all Pixel and many others) you need to flash both slots: 
    fastboot flash boot_a magisk_patched.img

    fastboot flash boot_b magisk_patched.img