Update to Lollipop and Root AT&T Galaxy S4 Active SGH-I537

The one-time Samsung’s flagship, the Galaxy S4 is quite an old device now. The phone was released with Android 4.2.2 about 2 years ago and things have changed drastically since then. The Android OS has witnessed the greatest update since its evolution in the form of Lollipop. It might sound surprising to you that only 3% of all Android devices have been fortunate enough to rock the new software in the last 6 months. The Samsung Galaxy S4 Active is really lucky to get the Lollipop update despite being so old now.

The AT&T Galaxy S4 Active (SGH-I537) started receiving the Android 5.0.1 Lollipop OTA with build number I537UCUCOC6 just a couple days ago. Most users of the phone might have already got the new update but if you have been able to get the OTA for some reason, or just did not take the Lollipop update for fear of losing root privilege, our today’s tutorial is just for you.

Whether you want to just enjoy the stock Android 5.0.1 Lollipop without root, or you happen to be one who can’t live without root, we got a detailed guide to help you get what you wish.

Install Lollipop OTA on AT&T Galaxy S4 Active (No Root)

Note:

To be able to install the Android 5.0 Lollipop OTA package on your AT&T Galaxy S4 Active, your device must be fully stock (no root) with Android 4.4.2 (NH3) firmware running on it. You can check your firmware and build version under Settings> About on your device. If your S4 Active is on a lower firmware version, download the NH3 firmware from below and install it. Then flash the NH3 OTA package using the instructions given below. You can then install the Lollipop OTA. Flashing the OTA will not wipe your phone’s data!

Download Android 4.4.2 NE3 Firmware: SGH-I537UCUCNE3_v4.4.2_ATT_ALL.zip

Firmware Installation Tutorial: Install stock firmware on Samsung devices

Download NH3 OTA package: NE3toNH3.zip

→ Having downloaded the OTA zip package (NE3toNH3.zip), unzip it. Open the extracted folder to find 2400258.cfg. Rename this file as update.zip and copy it to the external SD card of your phone. Install it via stock recovery (detailed steps below)

Installing the OTA Package

1. Download the Lollipop OTA package: NH3toLollipop.zip (972MB)
2. Now extract the downloaded zip and unzip it. Open the extracted folder to find a file with .cfg extension. Rename the xxxxxxx.cfg file as  update.zip and copy it to the external SD card of your phone.
3. Enable USB Debugging on your phone as a precaution.
4. Turn off your device and reboot into the stock recovery. To do so, hold the Volume Up+Home+Power keys together while the device is switched off. As soon as you see the Samsung logo, release the Power key and keep the other two keys pressed until you see the recovery menu.
5. Using the volume keys, scroll to apply update from external storage option and select it by pressing the Power key.
6. Navigate to update.zip package and select it.
7. Confirm installation when prompted.
8. When the file is flashed, go back to the main menu and select reboot system now option.

Done! Now you need to wait patiently for about 5-10 minutes and when your AT&T Galaxy S4 Active boots up, you’ll have Android Lollipop on it.

Install Lollipop on AT&T Galaxy S4 Active & Keep Root

Note:

The procedure will not trip the KNOX Warranty Void counter but it will wipe your apps and data present on the internal storage of your phone. You can use Titanium Backup or similar apps to back up your data. It’s a good idea to backup everything before proceeding. No base firmware is required to update your AT&T Galaxy S4 Active to Lollipop using the FlashFire method given below. You can install the pre-rooted firmware regardless of what Android or firmware version your device has. However, your device must have root access as FlashFire requires it. To root your S4 active on the 4.4.2 KitKat firmware, you can use Towelroot.

Preparations

• Enable USB Debugging on your Galaxy S4 Active. This step has nothing to do with the method given below but it could be a lifesaver if anything goes wrong.
• Install Chainfire’s FireFlash app on your AT&T Galaxy S4 Active. Since this new app is only available for beta-testers currently, go to the Google+ page and join the Android-FlashFire community. You must be signed into Google+ using the same Gmail ID that you use on the Google Play Store. Having joined the community, click the Play Store link to download FireFlash.
• Download the stock rooted Lollipop firmware for the AT&T Galaxy S4 Active: I537_OC6_Stock_Rooted_ROM.zip
• If you also want to enable WiFi Tethering on your AT&T Galaxy S4 active, download this file too: I537_OC6_TetherAddOn.zip
• Backup your apps and data.

Instructions

1. Open SuperSU app, tap Settings and check Enable su on boot option.
2. Copy the I537_OC6_Stock_Rooted_ROM.zip to your device.
3. Open the FlashFire app and Agree to the Terms and Conditions prompted by the app.
4. Press the rounded “+” button twice to bring up the Actions menu.
5. Tap Flash Zip or OTA option and select the I537_OC6_Stock_Rooted_ROM.zip.
6. Make sure that Auto-mount is unchecked under the Options menu and press the checkmark to continue.
7. From the main menu uncheck all options under EverRoot and use default Reboot settings.
8. When all’s done, tap the Lightning bolt icon followed by OK to begin the installation.

The screen of your phone will turn black for a while and then show the contents of your device before initializing the installation. Just wait patiently while it all happens. Your device will reboot automatically.. The first boot might take more than 5 minutes, so be patient until the device boots up. Done!

Note: To enable WiFi tethering on your S4 Active install the tether add-on zip file using Flash Fire app using the same method as above. Just make sure to use only Flash ZIP or OTA option and do not select the Wipe option this time.

Credits: muniz_ri & Devo7v