Samsung Galaxy Mini GT-S5570 – How to Upgrade Android Froyo to Gingerbread Guide

This is a guide for people running Android Froyo on the Galaxy Mini GT-S5570. This how to guide tells you how to upgrade Froyo to a Gingerbread stock rom on your Samsung Galaxy Mini GT-S5570 phone.

2019 Update: I’ve published a blog post on how to get old Samsung phones in download mode to work with Odin in Windows 10. So when reading the ODIN part of the blog post below, please refer to my new post. You can read the recent blog post here.

Note: If you are already running Gingerbread on your GT-S5570, you might be interested in reading my guide on how to install a custom rom on a GT-S5570.

Introduction

I’ve received a few polite comments from a reader of the blog, who is struggling with upgrading his phone. Seeing as I have a second GT-S5570 using Froyo that I’ve not upgraded, I decided to write a fresh guide for ‘Froyo’ users, which hopefully also contains advice that will help the reader. If you are a Gingerbread or higher user, please read the installation guide mentioned in the link above.

WARNING: Please make sure you do not break the law. You are breaking your warranty by following this guide. Also please be aware that you could damage or stop your phone from working, by following this guide. You are not to hold the writer, 8Bit Mammoth or anyone else responsible for following this guide. You use the information in this blog post / page at your own risk!

2ND WARNING: Charge your mobile phone!

It is important that you charge your mobile phone before you continue with the modifications and upgrades. You don’t want the phone dying due to the battery being empty!

How to tell the version of Android you are using.

A lot of people won’t know which version of Android they are using on their Galaxy Mini phones. All you need to do is:

1. Click on ‘Settings’ icon.
2. Scroll down and select ‘About phone’.

So in my situation the Android version was 2.2.1 running Froyo, which is quite an old version. That being said, it is pretty good for the battery life in my humble opinion!

Try the Samsung Kies software!

Too many people overcomplicate the whole update procedure by not trying the Samsung Kies software. This software will install Samsung Mobile USB drivers, and will also see if it can install a new firmware / rom on the phone.

Unfortunately in my situation the Kies software said ‘Your device’s current firmware version is not supported to update firmware via Kies‘. Bit of a shame really! However many others will be able to upgrade from Froyo to Gingerbread using the Samsung Kies software.

Try updating via your phone!

Perhaps you will be lucky and you can update your phone via a WIFI or SIM connection. I’m not sure if this is available for Froyo users, but thought I should mention it as I’ve seen it before on a couple of phones, but can’t remember what OS version they were running.

You can check if you can perform an update via your phone this way:

1. Select ‘Settings’ and then ‘Software update’.
2. Sign in with a Samsung account and see if you can perform an update.

How to install a Gingerbread stock rom via ODIN.

The next step is to upgrade from Froyo to a stock rom for Gingerbread via ODIN for GT-S5570.

The ODIN software is an alternative to the Kies software, that many find scary to use! Personally I think it is fine to use, if you use it correctly.

Warning: Please make sure you have a fully charged battery, and don’t interrupt any upgrade procedures. If you make a mistake, you could ‘brick’ your phone. i.e. It won’t work!

2nd Warning: You use the files available or linked via the Sammobile service and anywhere else at your own risk! Always run a virus scanner on anything you download. You are not to hold anyone responsible for any problems that occur.

1. Either install the Samsung Kies software or install the Samsung USB mobile drivers. Personally I would install the Samsung Kies software. A quick Google search should enable you to find the official version.
2. Sign up to the Sammobile service and download a Gingerbread stock rom for your region. When I downloaded a firmware file, it was actually an archive file containing a tar file and a DLL file. You don’t need any DLL files, but need the tar file as is. i.e. Don’t open the second tar file image.I used 7-Zip software to extract the tar file from the archive I downloaded.
3. Then visit here and download the ODIN package and the accompanying TASS_V1.0.ops file which should be with the ODIN for GT-S5570 download.
4. Make sure the phone is fully charged and then turn the phone off.
5. Turn the phone back on pressing the bottom volume, home and power buttons at the same time. This places in the phone into download mode.
6. Run and configure the ODIN software. The OPS file is the TASS_V1.0.ops file you downloaded at that location mentioned in item 3. Select ‘One Package’ and then select your firmware tar file.
7. Connect the phone via usb cable to your computer.
8. Once connected, ODIN should display a port number for the phone. When ready, press the ‘Start’ button. Please note the firmware replacement process could take a few minutes.
9. The phone might take a few minutes to reboot itself initially. Let it reboot, and wait for ODIN to show the process has been completed.

Problem solved: When I installed the replacement firmware, the phone kept rebooting! Here is how I solved the problem:

1. Turn the phone off, even if you have to unconnect the battery temporarily!
2. Turn the phone back on holding the power and then the home (middle bottom) buttons until it boots into the system recovery menu.
3. Select ‘wipe data / reset, and ‘yes’.
4. Select ‘wipe cache partition’, and then ‘Yes’.
5. Then reboot the phone.

Problems solved: Windows needs to install driver software for your MSM7x27. Insert the disc that came with your MSM7x27.

Basically the first time I connected the phone via USB cable, I hadn’t installed the Samsung USB mobile phone drivers. I installed the Kies software, and it resolved the problem.

Conclusion

Now when you boot up your phone, it should show a new Android version. I upgraded my phone to 2.3.6 Gingerbread.

I’ve create other GT-S5570 related guides, including looking at custom roms for the GT-S5570. Please take a look at that page, and other related blog posts on the site.