If you need to flash a stock ROM (firmware flash file), custom ROM, custom recovery, or rooting file on any of the ZTE mobile devices, then you can use the SP Flash Tool (Smartphone Flash Tool), provided that your smartphone comes with a MediaTek system chip inside.
Some manufacturers like Samsung have their own dedicated flashing tools. Samsung uses the Odin flashing tool, for example. On the other hand, other manufacturers share flashing tools. The SP Flash Tool works for all ZTE mobile devices, as well as for smartphones from other manufacturers that have MediaTek chips as well. It doesn’t matter what version; the latest will be compatible with more devices, but all manufacturers share the same versions. For more on SP Flash Tool versions, you can see the Smartphone Flash Tool’s download page.
The SP Flash Tool was actually developed and released by MediaTek Inc., hence why it’s always working for those particular devices with MediaTek chips.
You can refer to the list of devices with MediaTek system chips from Wikipedia if you’re unsure, or use a search engine such as Google to research it further yourself.
Download ZTE Flash Tool
1. Start off by downloading and install the Android CDC driver on the Windows computer. (You don’t have to install the driver a second time if you’ve already got it on the computer.)
2. Download the ROM that you want to flash onto the computer and extract the file by right-clicking on it > choosing extract from the menu. (You can also follow the same steps given below for flashing a custom ROM that’s made for your device if you like.)
3. Download and extract the Smartphone Flash Tool file onto your computer.
4. Double-click on the SP Flash Tool application from within the extracted folder.
5. You’ll now have the Smartphone Flash Tool interface open on your computer. Click on the “Download” tab from its menu.
6. Click on the “Choose” button from the Scatter-loading section. Navigate to where your ROM file is on your hard drive, click on it, and then it will upload to the flash tool.
7. Click on the “Download” button when you want to start the ROM flashing.
8. Pick up the smartphone, making sure it is powered off first, and connect it to the computer with the USB cable, remembering to press one of the Volume buttons once it’s connected so the computer can detect the mobile device.
The ROM will then get flashed to the smartphone. You know the flashing is finished when you get a big green tick at the end.
Just about anyone is equipped to use the Smartphone Fash Tool. All it takes it locating the ROM that you want to be flashed on the computer, upload it to the scatter-loading file button and then hit that Download button to get the flashing process underway. There are plenty of other buttons and tabs around the flashing tool’s interface, but none of those are required for the flashing of stock or custom ROMs.
The only other piece of knowledge that you need is that the scatter-loading file is unique to devices that have MediaTek system chips, which is why it’s always the MediaTek devices that can use this tool but none of the others. The fact that it is made by MediaTek Inc. also might have something to do with it.
While the SP Flash Tool can flash stock and custom ROMs with ease, you will likely be missing the IMEI at this point in time. To get it back on the device, you can flash it with the SN Write Tool.