Are
you interested to know what that “Android System Recovery <e3>”
screen is? Wondering what the Android System Recovery tool is used for?
Look no further this guide explains what this tool is and what each of
the options available can be used for on your Android device.
Before
we begin… if you have come to this article because your cell phone, or
other Android device, is getting stuck on the Android system recovery
<e3> screen and it doesn’t want to power on properly then you
should readHow to fix a phone that’s stuck on the Android system recovery screen instead as it describes why that can happen and best of all some things that can be done to try and fix it.
If
your simply curious and would like to know a little more about the
Android system recovery and what it can do please continue reading and I
hope you enjoy the article.
What is the Android System Recovery tool?
The
Android system recovery tool is a feature on Android devices which can
allow a person to perform certain functions without having to access its
settings or even power it on completely. This includes manually
updating the software, clearing the cache partition, restarting it, or
even performing a hard reset.
Accessing the Android System Recovery tool
The
exact method which can be used to access the Android system recovery
tool is going to vary from device to device but in general you’ll need
to power off your cell phone, make sure that it’s unplugged from a
charger, and then you’ll press and hold a combination of keys
simultaneously until the recovery screen appears. The key combination is
what is going to vary from device to device.
If you would like to see a list of common key combinations that can be used to access this feature you can check outHow to hard reset an android phone,
it has a list of methods that can be used to open the Android system
recovery tool in order to hard reset many android devices. Just remember
not to select the “wipe data factory reset” option or it will erase all
the user data from the phone. But you can use that article as a
reference for actually accessing the Android system recovery tool and
we’ll get to the “wipe data factory reset” selection in further detail
later in this article.
Using the Android System Recovery
Instructions
on how to navigate and make selections will usually be presented on the
Android system recovery <e3> screen. To navigate and highlight
the choices available (which we’ll review below) you’ll typically use
the volume keys. The Volume Up to scroll up and the Volume Down key to
scroll down then the Power button or the Home key to actually make the
selection. The selector tool can depend on the make and model of phone
though so even though the Power key or Home key are often the keys used
it may be different on your Android.
Reboot system now
The
“reboot system now” option simply instructs your phone to restart; the
phone will power itself off and then turn itself back on. No loss of
data, just a quick re-boot.
Apply update from ADB
ADP
stands for Android Debug Bridge and allows you to do just that. By
connecting your Android device to a computer you can create a bridge
between that Android device and the computer which allows you to run
software and commands through a PC. This allows Android app developers
to troubleshoot their applications and work out the bugs.
You
can also use the ADB tool to modify your phones software or like the
option on the Android system recovery screen implies you can use it to
“apply an update from the ADB” which can be done by connecting your
Android device to the PC and then using a PC command line to send and
install the update onto your phone. This can be pretty daunting for the
average person but if you ever need to use this tool you can often find
step-by-step instructions by performing a quick search online.
Apply update from external storage
Allows you to do exactly what it says and apply an update from an external storage source, more specifically from a memory card.
From
a computer you can go online and download the update file onto your PC.
Then you can plug your memory card into your computer, copy the update
file from your PC onto your SD card (just make sure that the file is not
placed in another folder on your memory card or the update won’t work
properly, it has to be located in the root directory (the highest
folder) on the memory card aka /sdcard/). After the update file is saved
onto the SD card you can remove the memory card from the PC, place it
into the powered off Android device, boot the device into the Android
system recovery and select “apply update from external storage”. This
option will tell your Android to search the SD card for the update file,
the phone will install the update from your external storage, the phone
should reboot or prompt you to manually reboot with the “reboot system
now” option.
Once
it reboots the update will be installed and you will have successfully
updated your phone through the external storage. This can be a handy
tool when your Android no longer has access to either a mobile or Wi-Fi
internet connection.
Wipe data factory reset
Probably
the most commonly used option for the average person as it allows you
to factory reset your Android without having to power the phone on
completely or even accessing the phones settings.
A
powerful tool if your phone is not starting properly, not responding
correctly, or for any reason why you wouldn’t be able to hard reset your
smartphone (or other Android device) through its settings.
Wipe cache partition
As
we use our Android phones and other Android devices things can tend to
pile up and I am not just referring to apps, photos or text messages;
some of these things that can add up over time run in the background of
our device and we don’t even know it. This temporary data is stored in
the cell phones memory and can help the phone boot up quicker or help
your apps run faster.
Performing
a wipe cache partition clears out some of this temporary data and can
help prevent annoying issues from occurring. It’s important to note that
choosing to wipe cache partition will remove data from your device but
its only temporary data and it does not remove or erase any personal
information or user data from the device.
The
worst thing that you might notice after wiping the cache partition is
that things may not boot up or start as quickly the first time you try
and open them. Once opened though the data will be added back to the
cache and you should notice that these things on your device will load
and run either the same speed or faster than they did before.
Apply update from cache
Applying
an update from the cache is not one of the greatest update methods
available and is a pretty uncommon way to update a cell phone but if you
don’t have access to a PC or a memory card and you would still like to
manually update your Android smartphone then this option could be used
to do so.
It
involves downloading the update file to your phone through the phones
wireless data connection. Although it’s recommended that you use a Wi-Fi
connection for a faster download, the update file can be downloaded
using an internet connection provided by either your Mobile Data or a
Wi-Fi Connection. I suppose the file could also be downloaded to a PC
and then transferred to the phones files system that way as well…
In
any case the update file can be put into the /cache directory (which
you need to have Super User permission to do, thus your phone needs to
be rooted).
After
the update file is in your Androids /cache folder you should be able to
power the phone off, boot into the Android system recovery screen,
highlight and select the “apply update from cache” option. You may have
to manually select the update file you wish to apply, once selected the
update should begin.
After
the cell phone reboots the update should be installed and you would
have manually updated your phone by applying an update from the phones
cache. A little too complicated and messy for me but… it’s an available
option.
Quick Recap
The
Android system recovery tool is a powerful feature on Android devices
that can be accessed by pressing a specific key combination while the
device is unplugged from the charger and powered off.
- Reboot system now – can be used to simply restart your phone.
- Apply update from ADB– can be used to install a software update through a computer.
- Apply update from external storage – can be used to install an update file from a memory card.
- Wipe data factory reset– can be used to hard reset your device without having to access its settings.
- Wipe cache partition – erases temporary data that gets saved to your unit through daily use.
- Apply update from cache – can be used to apply an update file from the /cache folder of your cell phone or other Android device.
Important things to consider
Some important things to consider when using the Android System recovery tool
- When manually applying updates make sure that the update file is from a site you trust, you don’t want a false or bad upgrade file as it can cause some major issues on your cell phone or other Android device.
- A hard reset erases all user data from the phone and puts all of the settings back to their factory default. If you still have access to your phones settings and can navigate to some degree on your device then you should attempt to backup anything on your phone that you would like to keep. As you will find out after selecting the “wipe data/factory reset” option THIS CAN NOT BE UNDONE. If you’re thinking about resetting your phone and would like to know more about factory resets then you might find this Hard Reset FAQshelpful.
- If the Volume buttons do not let you scroll down and highlight the available options on the recovery screen then it could be the result of defective or malfunctioning volume keys. This is especially true if your phone is booting right to the recovery menu every time you try and turn on your phone.
- To exit or close the Android system recovery tool all you need to do is restart the phone. This can be done by pressing and holding the power key until the phone restarts or by simply selecting the “Reboot system now” option displayed on the Android system recovery screen.
Thanks for reading
I
hope that you have found this article informative and that it has
helped answer some of the questions that you may have had about using
the Android System Recovery tool on your Android smartphone, tablet, or
other Android device.
If
you did enjoy it and would like to show me your appreciation then don’t
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Thanks again for visiting the site I hope you have a fantastic day.
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