How to Install Official/ Stock Firmware on Samsung Galaxy S3 (All Models)

Samsung has been rolling out the official Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean update for the Galaxy S3 since the last month. The new firmware has already hit Korea, Poland, selected European countries, India and a few U.S. carriers. The company is planning to treat all Galaxy S3’s with the JB update by the end of November. Here, in this short tutorial, I shall be showing you how you can install the official Jelly Bean firmware on your Samsung Galaxy S3 on the stock ICS firmware or on some custom ROM. It is not a new method if you have been flashing stock firmwares on any Galaxy handset using Odin.

Preparations to be Made before you Proceed:

Here are a few pre-requisites to be taken care of before flashing a stock firmware on to you Galaxy S3.

• Download the correct version of the firmware for your country/region from one of these sites and download if available: Droidviews.
• If the downloaded firmware is a zip file, extract it to get a file with .tar.md5 extension.
• In my case, I have downloaded the I9300XXDLK1_I9300ODDDLI7_INU.zip (for India).
• Download Odin3-v3.04.zip and extract the zip on your desktop.
• Download Samsung USB Driver and install on your computer
• Open device Settings and turn on USB Debugging on your phone: Settings> Developer Options> USB Debugging.
• Do not forget to charge your device’s battery to a decent level (above 60%).
• Backup your contacts, messages, and all other important things to some external storage using some good backup app.

Flash the Stock JB Firmware to Galaxy S3:

Okay, now you are just a few clicks away from the pleasure of having the Jelly Bean ROM on your Galaxy S3. Follow the instructions given below carefully.

1. Boot your device into download mode using the same method as described above. The only difference being that this time you have to replace the Volume Up key with the Volume Down button: Volume Down+Home+Power keys. The next screen will prompt you to press the Volume Up key to proceed to the Download mode (see below).
2. Now double click on the Odin3 v3.04.exe file to run the Odin3 flasher program.
3. Connect your Galaxy S3 to your computer via USB cable.
4. You should see the ID:COM port at Odin3 turn Blue with “0:[COM7]” text and “Added!” text at the Message box below. This shows that your phone has been detected by Odin3. 
5. Make sure that only the “Auto Reboot” and “F. Reset Time” options are checked on the Odin.
6. Now click on the PDA button and select the firmware file with .tar.md5 extension. The firmware file name should look similar to this: I9300XXDLJ5_I9300ODDDLI7_INU.tar.md5 (the version and region codes might be different for your country). 
7. It’s action time now. Click on the Start button and let Odin do its job. The installation will begin and will not take much time.
8. When it is finished, you would see “PASS!” message on ID:COM port with a green background. 
9. Your phone should reboot automatically. Disconnect your device from the computer.

The Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean stock firmware should now be installed on your Samsung Galaxy S3. Cheers! Enjoy the new Jelly Bean flavored TouchWiz and a plethora of new features, and yes do not forget to share with us what you feel about it.

How to Fix Issues?

In case you notice any problem with the performance of your phone after installing the new firmware, do the Steps given under Method 1 from here.

Other Topics on Galaxy S3:

How to Root Galaxy S3 on Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean Firmware

Install Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean Official Firmware on Galaxy S3

Root Samsung Galaxy S3 on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean Firmware

Review: Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean Update for Samsung Galaxy S3

Customization Tips and Tricks for the Galaxy S3