- Unlock your bootloader (if not already unlocked)
- To install an OrangeFox
zip, simply flash the OrangeFox zip with OrangeFox itself, or with any TWRP-compatible custom recovery, without any wipes - exactly the same way that you would flash any other zip.
- Do the same thing if you want to upgrade (or downgrade) OrangeFox (see further details about upgrading OrangeFox below).
- When you flash an OrangeFox zip, there is no need to flash any DFE or any other such thing.
- Always ensure that you are flashing the correct OrangeFox zip for the ROM that is running on your device.
- See below for detailed instructions on how to install OrangeFox via fastboot.
¶ 2. Via fastboot, and then recovery
You need a PC for this. If you do not have a PC, or access to a PC, then you are stuck!
Note - these instructions are mainly for A-only devices:
Note 2 - do NOT EVER use fastboot to flash a zip file:
- Unlock your bootloader (if not already unlocked)
- Install adb, fastboot from here, and the relevant USB drivers onto your PC
- Download the correct OrangeFox zip file to your phone, and to your PC
- Extract
recovery.img from the OrangeFox zip file, and copy recovery.img to your PC’s adb directory
- Reboot your phone into bootloader mode
- Open up a command line window / terminal emulator on your PC
- Change to the adb directory on your PC
- If you have an
A-only device, flash OrangeFox Recovery by running: fastboot flash recovery recovery.img. Then Reboot into OrangeFox by pressing the power + volume up keys, until you see the OrangeFox splash screen (the keys may be may vary on your device)
- If you have an
A/B or Virtual A/B device (eg, Poco F3 or Poco F4), boot OrangeFox Recovery by running: fastboot boot recovery.img
- If your ROM uses
vendor_boot-as-recovery, then none of these will work; you will require special assistance and instructions from your ROM's maintainer
- After OrangeFox has booted up, check that everything is working – eg, that it has mounted the data partition successfully, and that the touchscreen works.
- Find and
select the OrangeFox zip on your phone, tap on it, and swipe to install it (because OrangeFox Recovery needs some files from the zip).
- After installation, the phone will automatically reboot into OrangeFox
- Enjoy!
- Yes. Yes. YES. YES.
- Be sure to make
full backups of your data partition and internal storage before flashing or upgrading a recovery.
- Do this
every single time you want to flash or upgrade a recovery.
- By doing this, you can secure yourself against potential problems.
- If you do not make these backups, and something goes wroing with the installation,
you will be on your own.
- Connect to your phone with a usb cable, open a command prompt, and run the command:
adb shell getprop ro.boot.slot_suffix
- If your phone is an A/B device, you will be shown the active slot (ie, either "_a", or "_b"). If the command shows no output, then the phone is NOT an A/B device.
- If you want to change your OrangeFox version, first, you should remove any OrangeFox password/PIN protection that you have set in OrangeFox itself. Do NOT skip this step;
- Then flash the new/replacement OrangeFox zip with OrangeFox, in the same way that you would flash any zip
- If you have an
A/B or Virtual A/B device, then you will be able to do this. But if your ROM uses vendor_boot-as-recovery, you will not be able to do this.
- For
A-only devices, see below:
- Some devices allow you to "hotboot" a recovery image, without actually flashing it to the device. This is done via "
fastboot boot <recoveryimage.img>".
- Old Xiaomi devices, running old MIUI firmwares (ie, based on Android 6.x, 7.x or 8.x) are typical devices that allow this.
- Some new A-only Xiaomi devices also allow "hotbooting" a recovery image (eg, miatoll, vayu, etc).
- For some older A-only Xiaomi devices (eg, violet, lavender), if your MIUI firmware is based on Android 9 or later, then it might not be possible. Why? Because newer Xiaomi firmware updates in newer MIUI ROMs (based on Pie or later) will replace your bootloader with one that cannot "hotboot" a recovery image in this way.
- Your only option in such a case is to flash the image, with "fastboot flash ..."
- This is not an OrangeFox issue, so please do not come to the OrangeFox groups to ask about it.
- Of course. Just be sure to NEVER, EVER forget your password/PIN. If you do,
you will be on your own.
- Yes. Yes. YES. YES. You really
MUST flash the OrangeFox zip.
- Do you really think that we release OrangeFox in zip format, just for the sake of it, or just because we do not know what we are doing?
- If you do not flash the zip, and you get problems,
you will be on your own.