While the Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy S4 are enjoying their official KitKat updates, those of us with Note 2s are left to play the waiting game. While we know our devices will eventually see an update to Android 4.4.2 KitKat, it's unclear when an official update for our devices will come.
But who needs to wait for anything official? If you have a rooted, international variant (GT-N7100) of the Note 2, you can install the NB4 KitKat update through a leak...and keep your root.
Disclaimer
As with anything that involves manually flashing ROMs, it's critical that you create a current backup, just in case anything goes wrong. Use this guide for informational purposes only, as we cannot test this build.
What's New in KitKat 4.4.2 for the Note 2
Leaked by XDA member Ravi Jani, the update has been reported to be stable, with many saying they're getting a smoother experience with KitKat then with the previous build.
Other changes include white icons in status bar, new application and location settings, some Note 3 apps, and various fixes (Memo, Pen Window, etc.). Note that the camera lock screen shortcut doesn't work, and that SuperSU will force close, but you will maintain root. Check out the walkthrough posted by XDA member Parth Patel:
What You'll Need to Manually Install This Update
This will only work for the N7100 model of the Note 2, which is a prominent international variant. If you are in the states, this isn't for you. If you're unclear about your model number, you can check it in Settings -> About device. Making certain you have the correct device for this leak, then make sure you have the other requirements below.
- Root.
- TWRP Recovery (use this guide, the steps will be the same).
- Leaked KitKat Stock ROM.
- For the love of god, back that thing up!
Place the leaked ROM .zip file on your device, make sure you have at least 50% battery, and get ready to flash!
Installing the Leaked 4.4.2 Update
If you're familiar with flashing zip files in recovery, this will be nothing new. For the uninitiated, power off your device, then press Volume up + Power button + Home button to enter TWRP recovery.
Step 1: Wipe
If you've already made a backup, the first thing you're going to want to do is wipe your device. Hit the Wipe button, then move the slider on the bottom of the next screen across to confirm the system wipe. Remember, this will erase all your data.
Step 2: Install
Now go back to the main screen and select Install, then navigate to the folder where the downloaded .zip file is located. Tap on the file name, and swipe the bottom slider to begin the flash process.
Step 3: Reboot
When that's done, select Reboot. Your Note 2 will take slightly longer to boot up than normal, and when it does, you'll be prompted to setup your accounts and Wi-Fi.
That's all there is to it. Now you've got KitKat, possibly months before we see anything official. Let us know if you find any goodies hidden away.
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24 Comments
I am new to all this, but if you don't mind explaining, I have a fell questions:
When you root your phone, is it easy to find a root version of the latest version of android or you might get stuck on the old ones?
Can I unroot my device?
I don't see why making the first question since there is a rooted version of kitkat when the oficial one is not available yet for note2, but just in case...
I thank you guys so much for all this!
When you root, you generally lose the ability to take updates directly from your provider. That being said, much like the case here, the developer community is usually faster than the carriers.
When I root my phone and a new Android version comes out, I simply Flash (install) the newest one that is pre-rooted, like the one linked here.
Unrooting is also simple, and we have guides on that as well.
can i use cwm instead of twrp recovery mode.
You can, but make sure it's 4.4.2 compatible. If you want to use a CWM based recovery, it is recommended that you use Phil's recovery.
If you use Phil's recovery, before flashing, make "update binary" option from (x) to (), then flash.
Thanks... jst installed this rom.... looks good
Can i install this rom over the currently installed AOSB ProBAM v1.2.8 (android 4.4.2) on my n7100?
You can try, but I would definitely recommend a clean wipe to avoid any complications. Installing over another ROM could cause you to bootloop.
i flashed it via phil's recovery over a custom 4.1.2 and now its not booting ....it just showing the samsung word flashing in blue its been like about 10 min !! should i wait longer or i flash back the 4.1.2 ?
my note 2 was originaly an official 4.3 btw....
and its super hot !!!
Did you make sure to wipe all your data before doing this? Also, did you make sure that you're on the latest version of Phil's recovery?
yes and yes and i flashed back to 4.1.2 but it didnt work it showed a msg on the top left corner of the download page saying unsupported version and my firmware had a soft brick so i flashed the CF auto root and then instaled cyanogen mod 10.2 ... then i tried do flash the 4.4.2 again not before i wiped everything and again i got a soft brick so now im just running the cyanogen mod ... its the only way that i can get access to my phone :/
what do u suggest i should do ?
Can you tell me what the model number is of your device?
GT-N7100
can i use mobile odin pro for this one?
ODIN is used for .tar files, whereas this is a .zip file that needs to be flashed.
If the Pro version flashes .zip files, it should work, but you will need a full data wipe beforehand.
what is the latest twrp?
My Knox is already tripped, my concern here is bricking my phone.
At last I updated it.. But one thing "S note" is gone..
Can i still have the S note after going back to official 4.3
I find it runs pretty smooth, and s note works for me!
Craig Where did you get your S Note ?
Mine was gone after updating
Many people are reporting the same issue. Let me look into it.
Is same process for Galaxy s4?
No this ROM is only for the Note 2.
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