Verizon Software Update while in Canada?

[Tim01]

Have "The New Verizon Plan Unlimited" that includes Canada and Mexico.

Bought an unlocked Galaxy S9. It has Android 8.0.0. Got a new SIM sent from Verizon.

First time it was activated was a family member when they were in Canada. Voice, data, and text are working well.

However, it will not update. Says "no update available," "software is up to date," or something similar. Same result with either WiFi or cellular network (TELUS or Rogers).

Tried Samsung Smart Things and Smart Switch. Both say up to date.

Any way to fix this? Is there a way to force the update (need Android 10)?

[SoNic67]

Download it from here (for U1 version):
https://www.sammobile.com/samsung/ga...are/#SM-G960U1

Just use the "USA" one. Use their latest ODIN tool.

[Tim01]

Thanks for the link. If I download and install using the instructions on the download page, will this then be a valid Verizon phone (with future updates, etc)?
https://samfw.com/firmware/SM-G960U/VZW/G960USQS9FUA2

FYI: Right now, voice, text, and data work on the phone, but won't update to Android 10.

[SoNic67]

Use ONLY sammobile site that I linked, you are on something else.
The U firmware was there, just a click away, on top.
https://www.sammobile.com/samsung/ga...ware/#SM-G960U

PS: You could flash the U1 version over the U, but you need to clean the apps - use for flash the CSC_*** to reset the apps, not the HOME_CSC_***.

I used to have a S7 Edge Verizon branded and I changed the software to the U1 variant because I didn't like the Verizon software (I was on a different carrier). Still kept receiving updates OTA, even another OS upgrade, as an U1, until Samsung stopped supporting that model.

[Tim01]

Thanks again for your help! You are right, I think I got to another site by searching for the currently installed software version...then linking from there.

I currently have G960USQU1ARB7/G960UOYN1ARB7/G960USQU1ARB7 - Android 8.0.0 on the phone (SM-960U).

1. What is the specific firmware I should use to update this device? If it's a Verizon version, that's fine. If not, that's OK, too.

2. If something goes wrong with this update, can I still do a factory reset to get back to the current software?

[SoNic67]

I would try the U1 firmware. Odin won't allow flashing if is not compatible. Like I said, it worked perfectly on my S7 Edge (still in use as such).

I did try to get back from U1 to Verizon specific and it worked. Then I re-flashed it U1. The only hitch is to use the CSC_*** file when switching between types, you can't retain installed apps.

You can ask more the folks at https://forum.xda-developers.com/c/samsung.11975/

[hwertz]

If you have your phone drivers and whatever set up and Odin's working then keep using Odin.

I'd like to note though, heimdall (used on Linux and probably on OSX) works very well, it's a free and open source copy of Odin. I used it back when I had a Samsung a few years back (probably on Ubuntu 16.04, now you'd probably have Ubuntu 20.04), it's command line but you feed it the options it wants and no drama at all. My recollection is it autodetected where in /dev/ the phone was, I didn't have to find the right device to point it to. No drivers required, most newer phones show up in Linux out of the box as /dev/ttyACM0, /dev/ttyACM1 etc. (USB ACM spec) and older phones show as /dev/ttyUSB0, /dev/ttyUSB1 (generic USB) (Ubuntu and probably most modern Linux distros also have out of the box support for several styles of usb tether, at least 4 methods of camera/phone file access that android's supported over the years (if it doesn't just show as standard usb storage), and so on.)

[unlockboot]

The best option if you are outside of the US would be to flash the phone with U1 firmware which usually works much better. You will also receive updates regularly and this will keep your phone bloatware-free forever.