Samfirm and Frija have been the only Samsung firmware download tools available until now. However, with the arrival of Samloader, the privilege that Windows users used to enjoy has been democratized. Now, not just on macOS, Linux, and Windows, you can also download official Samsung firmware on Android using the Samloader tool. Samloader is a Python-based script without a GUI and works via Command Prompt, Mac Terminal, or terminal emulator apps like Termux on Android.
There was a time when Samsung users had to download firmware from 3rd-party repositories. These websites provide free firmware downloads with speed limits. As a result, users had to wait for 5-7 hours for the download to finish. Those who wanted high-speed download had to purchase a plan.
Later, some developers came up with user-friendly Samsung firmware download tools like Samfirm and Frija. Since these tools use Windows DLL to connect and authenticate to Samsung FUS, they can only be used on a Windows PC. Samloader, on the other hand, uses the algorithm used by Samsung Smart Switch and is written in Python. Since Python can be installed on all major operating systems like Linux, macOS, Windows, Android, etc., you can use Samloader on all these platforms and enjoy high-speed downloads.
Usually, we needed a PC to download firmware for Samsung devices but now we can check the availability of the latest firmware for a Samsung Galaxy device even on an Android device. In this tutorial, we’ll see how we can use Samloader on Termux and download Samsung firmware on an Android phone or tablet.
Steps to Use Samloader via Termux (Android)
So, are you ready to download the official firmware for your Samsung Galaxy device directly from Samsung servers without using a computer? You can use Samloader on Android via Termux and below are steps to do just that.
Before you proceed, however, you should also check out my tutorial describing the steps to install ADB and Fastboot on your Android device using Termux.
- Install Termux app from the Google Play Store.
- Now go to Settings > Apps > Termux > Permissions.
- Now, tap on Storage and select Allow to enable storage permission for the Termux app.
- Open Termux and upgrade it using the following command.
pkg upgrade
- Since Samloader is a Python-based tool, you need to install Python on your Android device. Don’t worry, you need not install another app. Termux can install Python on your device with a simple command. You can use the following command to do that.
pkg install python
- Termux will start downloading Python libraries and installing them on your Android device. Keep an eye on the download progress as you’ll need to type “Y” when prompted to continue with the installation a couple of times. Wait for the Python installation to finish.
- In case you get any red flags or errors during the installation of Python on your Android device, don’t worry.
pkg install python --fix missing
- Anyway, it’s time to upgrade the PIP version to the latest one.
pip install --upgrade pip
- Now that we have successfully upgraded PIP, we need to install one more component called Git as it’s required to clone Samloader Git via Termux.
pkg install git
- It’s time to install Samloader on Android via Termux. Execute the following command to clone the Samloader Git and install it on your device.
pip3 install git+https://github.com/nlscc/samloader.git
- The latest version of Samloader will be installed on your Android. In case you want to update Samloader to the latest available version in the future, you can use the following command.
pip3 install --upgrade git+https://github.com/nlscc/samloader.git
- Having installed Samloader on your Android phone or tablet, you’re all set to check for the latest software update for your Samsung Galaxy device and download it. Issue the command in the following format.
samloader -m [model_number] -r [CSC] checkupdate
- You are supposed to replace [model_number] and [CSC] with the actual model number and CSC code of the Samsung device you own. The Samloader command you use in Termux should look as shown below.
samloader -m SM-N975F -r INS checkupdate
- As soon as you tap the Enter key after issuing the above command, Samloader will give you the latest Samsung firmware version available for your Galaxy phone or Tab. The firmware version available for my Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ as of now is as follows.
N975FXXU6DTJ4/N975FOXM6DTJ4/N975FXXU6DTJ2/N975FXXU6DTJ4
- So, we now have the Samsung firmware version that we can download. Copy and save it in a notes app or a text file as you’ll have to use it in the next step.
samloader -m [model_number] -r [CSC] download -v [firmware_version] -O [location_path_on_device_storage]
- Replace the fields highlighted in blue color with actual values. Using
/storage/emulated/0/Download/
as the path of the location where the firmware file will be downloaded on your Android device will save it to the Download folder on the internal storage. I would suggest you copy the following command to a text file, edit it to change the model number, CSC, and firmware version for your Samsung device, and paste the edited code at the command prompt in Termux to avoid any mistakes.samloader -m SM-N975F -r INS download -v N975FXXU6DTJ4/N975FOXM6DTJ4/N975FXXU6DTJ2/N975FXXU6DTJ4 -O /storage/emulated/0/Download/
- Since Samsung firmware files are enormous in size, it might take minutes to hours depending on your download speed. You can take a little rest while the firmware download finishes.
- Once the firmware is downloaded to your device, navigate to My Files > Internal storage > Download on your Samsung device and you’ll find the firmware file saved there. Tap and hold the firmware file, tap on the 3-dot icon and select the Rename option, and copy the full file name. In my case, the name of the encrypted firmware file name is…
SM-N975F_1_20201016232934_i2b0cuyqhv_fac.zip.enc4
- Use the copied firmware name at 2 places [firmware_name.zip.enc4] and [firmware_name.zip] as mentioned below.
samloader -m [model_number] -r [CSC] decrypt -v [firmware_version] -V 4/2 -i /storage/emulated/0/Download/[firmware_name.enc4] -o /storage/emulated/0/Download/[firmware_name]
- To get a better idea, check the following Samloader command that I used. Keep in mind that Samsung firmware files have 2 types of encryption (enc2 and enc4). If the firmware you downloaded has .en2 encryption, replace ‘4‘ with ‘2‘ in the above command. Also, replace the model number, CSC, firmware version, encryption code (2 or 4), firmware file name.enc2/4, and firmware name as I did in my case.
samloader -m SM-N975F -r INS decrypt -v N975FXXU6DTJ4/N975FOXM6DTJ4/N975FXXU6DTJ2/N975FXXU6DTJ4 -V 4 -i /storage/emulated/0/Download/SM-N975F_1_20201016232934_i2b0cuyqhv_fac.zip.enc4 -o /storage/emulated/0/Download/SM-N975F_1_20201016232934_i2b0cuyqhv_fac.zip
- When you execute the above command in Termux, Samloader will start decrypting the encrypted firmware and you will have a normal firmware.zip file that can be extracted.
- When you unzip the firmware.zip, you’ll get the BL, AP, CP, CSC, and Home CSC files that can be installed using Samsung Odin.
You have successfully downloaded Samsung firmware on your smartphone or tablet device using Samloader on Android. If you encounter any issues while going through the steps described in this Samloader tutorial, please let me know via the comments below.
Read Next: How to Check the Manufacturing Date on Samsung Devices
Im havin a problem installin python. It keeps sayin it cant find it or im not puttin it in right. Please help.
Hi, what error are you getting? You are trying it on Windows or Mac?
when i put my model number and csc in it says no latest firmware found
Which device do you have? To diagnose that you entered the model number and CSC correctly, please try Frija as well.
https://technastic.com/frija-samsung-firmware-download-tool/
If Frija gives you the firmware for your device, you must be making some mistake in Samloader.
Doesn’t work at all. The python version downloaded does not allow a PIP update Nor can the “git” be installed. It has some ridiculous SSL error that there is no findable fix for… never in my life have I been so annoyed with technology.
Hi, I have tested this method on Windows, Mac, and my Samsung Galaxy 21. It might be complicated but works.