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Samsung S8 update to Android 10
- Thread starter Jelyob
- Start date
Your phone was only upgradeable to android 9. So if it says it's up to date then it is up to date. If you want android 10, you will have to root the phone and flash a custom rom that has android 10 cooked in.
svim
Extreme Android User
Unless you do feel comfortable taking more involved efforts to manually force an upgraded version of Android on your S8, unfortunately it's not going to happen. In the Android platform, version upgrades are determined primarily by the manufacturers, so if Samsung arbitrarily decides that your S8 can only be upgraded to its current status, you don't have a lot of options otherwise. Google continues to release monthly updates and annual version upgrades for Android, but that does not necessarily mean any of the manufacturers will then allow those updates/upgrades to actually released to our phones. It's also a very complicated problem as there are a lot of really dated and/or low-spec Android phones that simply have too many hardware limitations to be able to operate using a new or newer Android version. Your S8 for example was Samsung's flagship model back in its day, but six years later while it's still quite usable it's also dated with just average specs.
Regarding that check for update option in your Settings menu is at this point a bit of a misnomer. With older phones that are no longer supported, that 'Up to Date' message can be misleading and irritating. But it is important to take it into proper context -- from your perspective there are newer Android versions available, but from Samsung's perspective your S8 is running its most current version.
There is a remote possibility you can apply an update/upgrade to your S8 using Samsung's Smart Switch utility:
https://www.samsung.com/ph/support/mobile-devices/how-to-update-software-using-smart-switch/
But don't get your hopes up too much, as this won't put Samsung's stock Android 12 on your S8. Maybe some update patches to your current software.
Smart Switch is primarily intended to be used as a backup and restore utility so it's a good idea to install and use it anyway. It'll make it a lot easier to seamlessly transfer your S8's user account to a new or newer Samsung phone when the time comes.
..... it will also work with some non-Samsung phones but not many and mostly dated models -- see Compatibility in link below
https://www.samsung.com/us/support/owners/app/smart-switch
Regarding that check for update option in your Settings menu is at this point a bit of a misnomer. With older phones that are no longer supported, that 'Up to Date' message can be misleading and irritating. But it is important to take it into proper context -- from your perspective there are newer Android versions available, but from Samsung's perspective your S8 is running its most current version.
There is a remote possibility you can apply an update/upgrade to your S8 using Samsung's Smart Switch utility:
https://www.samsung.com/ph/support/mobile-devices/how-to-update-software-using-smart-switch/
But don't get your hopes up too much, as this won't put Samsung's stock Android 12 on your S8. Maybe some update patches to your current software.
Smart Switch is primarily intended to be used as a backup and restore utility so it's a good idea to install and use it anyway. It'll make it a lot easier to seamlessly transfer your S8's user account to a new or newer Samsung phone when the time comes.
..... it will also work with some non-Samsung phones but not many and mostly dated models -- see Compatibility in link below
https://www.samsung.com/us/support/owners/app/smart-switch
Jelyob
Lurker
Thanks very much to both of you for the prompt and thoughtful responses. It is more help than I got from our IT Dept. This is a company phone that is heavily locked down with security so I can't root it, I'm not allowed; that's the reason I'm trying to update to 10 in the first place because the new security software won't run on 9. Our useless IT guy's answer was, "On an Android? Don't have a clue." Apparently our university has decided to "standardize' with apple and we'll no longer be able to get ANY Android models. and my only option for a new company phone is an Apple POS. So it looks like I'm going to the dark side as I literally can't work w/o a smartphone
I would tell your employer about the issue and see if they will foot the bill for a new Android smartphone for you. It's not your responsibility since the app will not run on your device. Honestly, stay away from Apple.
Jelyob
Lurker
Don't think I haven't tried. Our department is run by a bunch of no brain apple fanboys who only care about the bottom line. Apple is practically giving us their low-end POS phones with a whopping 64G of ram, SE 2022. I even offered to pay for an Android but they won't put proprietary software on personal phones.
OK then your stuck with an apple supplied by your employer.
Nothing more you can do, really...
I used to be in sales, and I was stuck with a company supplied apple and I hated it.
Nothing more you can do, really...
I used to be in sales, and I was stuck with a company supplied apple and I hated it.
svim
Extreme Android User
The fact that this is not your own personal phone is a really important aspect. Given this is a company phone you don't have a lot of options as far as trying to force any software update/upgrades onto it. If you allow yourself to fixate on this issue, it's just going to be a source of constant frustration. It's a work phone, use it to do work-related stuff as is. Your own phone is your responsibility.
As for an iPhone, there are literally millions of people across the planet who just use their phones to do the same things as what we do with our Android phones. Apple's integrated oversight is a background issue -- from your viewpoint there's a phone with a display and a bunch of icons you tap on to use different apps, just like with Android. The underlying, background processes that Apple maintains and your IT department manages on your company phones isn't your responsibility. Use your personal phone for your own issues.
As for an iPhone, there are literally millions of people across the planet who just use their phones to do the same things as what we do with our Android phones. Apple's integrated oversight is a background issue -- from your viewpoint there's a phone with a display and a bunch of icons you tap on to use different apps, just like with Android. The underlying, background processes that Apple maintains and your IT department manages on your company phones isn't your responsibility. Use your personal phone for your own issues.
What's the problem with a low-end work phone? A 2022 SE will be fast enough, and 64GB storage isn't an issue if you are only using it for work: if it's not enough space for your work needs that's the university's problem to solve.
And there is no way I would want my university's IT department touching my personal devices. So just use that thing for work, and when you leave work you can turn it off.
And there is no way I would want my university's IT department touching my personal devices. So just use that thing for work, and when you leave work you can turn it off.
svim
Extreme Android User
Since you're not willing to just buy your own phone, trying to force a work-supplied phone to be both a work and a personal phone requires a good amount of effort on your end as far as endearing yourself more to the administration and the IT staff.
Most universities have understaffed IT departments that need to maintain a lot of oversight over a large number of devices. This involves a lot of restrictions and limitations to keep private matters private, along with staff and user data isolated and secured.
Some users gripe and complain that they can't use those devices for personal usage with expectations that they're entitled to do what they want them, without taking any responsibility when they might inadvertently introduce some random exploit or compromise into the University's internal network. If people where to be made personally responsible financially for their own actions, that would reduce some of that entitlement attitude.-- there's a distinction between allowing some ransomware disaster into a network because of some clever social engineering hack or someone browsing through their personal Instagram account or whatever. The former is work-related matter, the latter is not.
Most universities have understaffed IT departments that need to maintain a lot of oversight over a large number of devices. This involves a lot of restrictions and limitations to keep private matters private, along with staff and user data isolated and secured.
Some users gripe and complain that they can't use those devices for personal usage with expectations that they're entitled to do what they want them, without taking any responsibility when they might inadvertently introduce some random exploit or compromise into the University's internal network. If people where to be made personally responsible financially for their own actions, that would reduce some of that entitlement attitude.-- there's a distinction between allowing some ransomware disaster into a network because of some clever social engineering hack or someone browsing through their personal Instagram account or whatever. The former is work-related matter, the latter is not.
Yeah, I don't think there's much you can do. It's really up to the university what devices they supply for their purposes, if it's usable for you as well then that's a bonus but it's not really their concern to provide one that suits your personal requirements.
(If my university gave me a work phone I expect they'd be fine with my using it personally, but I'd not be fine with them having their fingers in my personal phone so I'd end up carrying 2 phones anyway. And I'm sure they wouldn't choose a device that suits me: heck, they are so deeply in Microsoft's pockets I'd not be surprised if they still tried to find a Windows Phone
)
(If my university gave me a work phone I expect they'd be fine with my using it personally, but I'd not be fine with them having their fingers in my personal phone so I'd end up carrying 2 phones anyway. And I'm sure they wouldn't choose a device that suits me: heck, they are so deeply in Microsoft's pockets I'd not be surprised if they still tried to find a Windows Phone
)
Jelyob
Lurker
I am willing to buy a phone. I guess you missed my post where I said I'd offered to pay for an Android work phone and was rejected. I just don't want to carry two phones, did that for a year and it's a hassle. And I don't like iphones but I guess I'll learn to live with it.