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Help Help, samsung s3 update button doesn't work

Collin_bannister_5

Collin_bannister_5

Newbie
Hello, I have a samsung s3 , original phone with total wireless as the carrier , its on version 4.1.2 and would like to update to (kitkat) 4.4 .
I go settings》about device》system update》which leads to a screen showing last update check , in the bottom righr corner it says , check for update.
I click and nothing happens , I've reboot several times, tryed other forums, nothing works , please help , thanks ,
P.s. : sorry its so long.
 
Most phones sold by prepaid carriers hardly ever receive any updates and the Android version that is on the phone when purchased is what you are stuck with unless you root and install a custom ROM.
What is the complete model number of your S3?
 
Check KIES PC software, When I had my S2 updates wouldn't show OTA but were available through Samsung PC software.
 
SCH-S968C is the model number, and What is rooting.
Also thanks for all the replys , never thought forums could be so nice.
 
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As is, stock ,unrooted, you are stuck at Android version 4.1.2 with no official updates.
If you want to use a custom ROM with a higher Android version, you need to root the device and install a custom Recovery first.
To root is fairly easy using Odin to install TWRP recovery then flashing SuperSU update zip in recovery.
If it is something you want to try, I can walk you through it.
 
I went to the site and tryed to download kies 2.6 but would not let me open, I assume it needs to be on pc , what exactly is kies though , idk what I'm getting myself into.
 
I prefer root and custom ROM but it is not for everyone. Having root access opens up a lot of potential for the device and if you are not careful, can brick it beyond repair.
Both Kies and proper root method requires a pc.
Guess it depends on how comfortable you feel.
 
I too prefer rooting and trying different ROMs etc for the phone. But if you are just a standard user, looking for normal access it is safer to stick with Kies and seeing if there is an official update for the phone. Some banking apps and the like won't work if you are rooted (Barclays being one I know doesn't work in my use) if it recognises it is running on rooted device.
Rooting is pretty easy if you decide that is the way you want to go and opens up to other opportunities and you can play around and tinker with device a bit more if that interests you.
Have a read up, see if it's something you want to go ahead with and as @Jfalls63 says, if you want to go ahead someone here will be happy to talk you through it.
 
You have no option but root. Not even Kies will help you. Samsung never upgraded the S3 beyond 4.1.2 except for a couple of US based models which had 2GB RAM instead of the usual 1.5GB for most models.
 
So then that makes sence becausw I tried kies 2.6 and it said I had the latest version (which isnt true) so this rooting thing , is thst what I should do , is it worth it , how risky is it hows it work,.

PS: Thanks for all the help
 
Well my variant is different than yours as I have the sprint s3 that got the update to kitkat. But you may want to look here for rooting instructions. Rooting as well as installing custom roms can be dangerous so make sure to always do your homework and make a FULL backup first! Good luck!

EDIT: Forgot to mention. Installing a custom rom will let you upgrade all the way to the latest Android Marshmallow.
 
Collin_bannister_5 said:
So then that makes sence becausw I tried kies 2.6 and it said I had the latest version (which isnt true) so this rooting thing , is thst what I should do , is it worth it , how risky is it hows it work,.

PS: Thanks for all the help
Click to expand...
Rooting a popular model like the S3 is easy nowadays. There are already 1 click safe root options. The problem is in flashing an upgraded ROM. These updated ROMS will not be made by Samsung but by Android enthusiasts who know how to code. The problem lies in how each ROM is device variant specific. Not all S3 have the same internals all throughout. You need to find specific ones for your specific variant, otherwise thr phone will stop working.
 
The S968C is basically the i535 with a unlocked bootloader. Everything custom for the i535 will work on the S968C, TWRP and Roms.
This one I installed CM12.1
I don't have a active Sim for it so could not check cellular data but everything else was fine.
Notice the baseband
 

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Think of the ROM as the device operating system, Android version.
Part of the process of obtaining root that I use and recommend is installing a custom recovery, TWRP.
The custom recovery allows you to make a backup of your current system (Nandriod backup) that you can restore if/when needed.
Backups are your best friend and I save mine to SD card and also copy to pc.
Stock firmware can be found at Sammobile and installed with the Samsung flash tool called Odin
http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/database/SCH-S968C/
I think there are two versions of stock, MH1 and MH2
Check in Settings -ABOUT Phone, and look at your build number and baseband version, last 3 characters, and see what you have
 
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