Last Updated on April 12, 2017 by Mathew Diekhake
While we were sleeping a surprise Android 4.4.4 KitKat update started rolling out to Google Nexus 4, 5, 7 and 10 device owners OTA. If you want to install these OTA files manually like we are about to show you today starting here with the Nexus 5, be sure to read the steps correctly because this is a factory image, and it requires a different setup process compared to the normal firmware we connect using Odin. That means many people will not be familiar with this process we are about to show unless you updated the factory image during 4.4.3 KitKat only a matter of weeks ago.
Even though, the manual option is turned over, the update will arrive the same way as all the others. You can verify by cruising to Settings>About Phone>System Updates>Check Now. The firmware size is roughly 3 to 5 MB in size, so it is minuscule and only comes with a security fix for a vulnerability found in OpenSSL. It also has a tweak for WebView and Chromium plus a variety of bug fixes that make it more stable than the last build.
The almighty Google Nexus 5 was one of the first smartphones to get Android 4.4 Kitkat because it is a Google controlled and managed phone that they look after on purpose to bestow the world that they should buy it. Outside of the tech-loving world it doesn’t make a big difference, and many don’t even know what firmware is, but hopefully have at least heard of software. Anyhow, inside of the tech circles there’s no question it has become a hot commodity, and that alone will be enough for the Mountain View company to continue it down the track.
It is a little update as we wind down the latter stages of KitKat and soon move on to what is being labeled 4.5 Lollipop. That is why the update is so small this time. It’s still worth doing because security is one thing you never want to be compromised so don’t be lazy and get installing already.
Temporarily disable antivirus on the computer and Android-based smartphone. We want to have no interruptions until it finishes. Allow it again when we are finished the steps listed.
If your Nexus 5 has a root, this will revoke the root access; it had. Along similar lines, any custom recovery option installed will be changed back to the stock recovery. It’s also going to replace the custom ROM with the stock Android experience and if you had the custom ROM stored on the system partition deletes after following this through. Everything mentioned will be doable once again after you update to this if that’s the path you want to take but for now there is no way of getting around watching everything turn back the clock and becoming official builds and deleting anything that was unofficial.
Helium for Android is a great way to backup market apps and data. You can sync the handset with the Google account applied on the phone if you just want to backup contacts. Others can perform a full backup to the phone’s internal memory but no external memory because it lacks the SD card slot. There is 32 GB of built-in storage space that people can use or if that is run out take a look at Google Drive and what they are offering for extra data. Many of you will want to backup apps, contacts, photos, videos, music, call logs, SMS text, MMS and more.
The smartphone is not always connected to a network in this guide so make sure it has adequate battery life remaining before starting. Only you know how quickly your individual battery drains but for the record the Nexus 5 came with 17 hours talk time, 12.5 days stand-by time and capacity of 2300 mAh. It is not user replaceable though so if you use it each day it might not be performing this way still after first coming out on the 31st of October 2013.
Enable USB Debugging Mode by hitting the Develop Options menu. Find it via the setting’s application. For some Android software, this menu was hidden such as 4.2 but that doesn’t matter here because it came out with 4.4 so unless you had been downgrading to software before it came out it isn’t hiding.
Make sure you have the Google Nexus 5 USB Drivers fully installed and up to date before starting. Now we know it will have no worries connecting the way it should. A lot of you can skip this step because the USB Drivers will be working already. However, if you notice a problem with these symptoms then this is your answer and where to come back to.
The Nexus 5 has US carrier availability with T-mobile, Sprint, AT&T and it can be used with any of those companies plus any other carrier around the world you subscribed to.
You can’t start this until you have Fastboot installed on the computer. You also need ADB and Android SDK. You also need an unlocked bootloader for it to work. If yours is not unlocked, it will let you know and offer on-screen instructions after the sixth step during the tutorial.
Install KTU84P Android 4.4.4 KitKat On The Nexus 5
1. Download the 4.4.4 KitKat factory image.
– remove the contents of the file to the desktop or C: Drive.
2. Download Odin 3.09.
– It is the latest Odin out and after the download is concluded pull out the contents to the desktop or the C: Drive.
3. Switch off your mobile completely.
4. Turn it on is fastboot otherwise known as bootloader mode.
– press volume up + volume down + power to make this happen.Note: it won’t work unless you have fastboot pre-installed.
5. Go to where you extracted the factory image and fetch the hammerhead-KTU84P folder. Copy and paste all of the folder’s files over to the fastboot directory.
6. From in the folder:
– Run the file “flash-all.bat” for Windows users
– Run the file “flash-all.sh” using Terminal for Mac users
– Run the file “flash-all.sh” for Linux operators.
7. Do not touch anything until it finishes.
The first boot process is longer than what you will be used to experiencing, and it will not be like this in the future. Wait for it to load properly. It will reboot with Android 4.4.4 that you can enjoy immediately.
Nobody has reported any issues with getting the update so far but if you get stuck in a boot loop try performing a full factory reset. That is why it is so essential to backup the device beforehand because it will wipe during this stage.