ADB Sideload One UI 5.0 in Galaxy S21/Plus/Ultra [2 Methods]

In this guide, we will show you two different methods to sideload the One UI 5.0 Beta to your Samsung Galaxy S21/Plus/Ultra. The South Korean giant has just started the testing phase for the thirteenth iteration of the OS. Being in a beta stage, there are bound to be a few bugs and issues. But for tech enthusiasts, that isn’t much of a concern as they are ready to jump into this new One UI bandwagon.

The easiest way to get hold of this update is by getting yourself enrolled as a beta tester via the Samsung Members App. However, this method is still not live in many regions, and in the places where it is active, the seats might get filled pretty quickly. All in all, this might not prove to be the best bet for many users. So what else could be done? Well, you could manually install the One UI 5.0 Beta to your Samsung Galaxy S21/Plus/Ultra via the sideload method.

In this regard, there exist two different methods. The first one could be carried out right from your device [using a third-party app] without the need for a PC. On the other hand, the second approach is the native method of flashing the firmware by executing the ADB Sideload commands via the PC. We have listed both these methods below, you may refer to the one that is in sync with your requirement [just take a backup beforehand].

Sideload Samsung One UI 5.0 to Galaxy S21/Plus/Ultra without PC

1. To begin with, download the One UI 5.0 Beta Firmware for your device. I am attaching the links below [will try to frequently update them]. You may also request your beta tester friend to capture the OTA URL and share it with you.

   G998B UK [CVH7 TO ZVHE]: Download Link
   

2. Once downloaded, rename it to update.zip and transfer it to your device’s Internal Storage [but not inside any folder].

   The downloaded firmware might be in .bin format. 
   So make sure to delete .bin and rename it to .zip. 
   If you get any confirmation prompt, reply YES/OK.

3. Then and install the Alliance Shield app from the Play Store.
4. Now launch the app and complete the one-time setup process.
5. This involves creating your account, enabling Device Admin for this app, and verifying Knox Detection.
6. Once all that is done, you will be taken to the app’s home screen.
7. So tap on App Manager, scroll to Software Update [com.wssyncmldm], and tap on it.
8. Now go to the Activities tab and scroll to “com.idm.fotaagent.enabler.ui.admin.main.AdminMainActivity”.
9. Then tap on it and hit Open. It will launch the Software Update page, select Sideload.
10. Now navigate to the downloaded One UI 5.0 firmware [update.zip] and select it.
11. It will now be flashed onto your device. Once done, your device will then automatically boot to the upgraded OS.

That’s it. These were the steps to install the latest One UI 5.0 update on your Galaxy S21/Plus/Ultra device via Sideload without using the PC. If you have any queries concerning the aforementioned steps, do let us know in the comments. We will get back to you with a solution at the earliest.

ADB Sideload One UI 5.0 on Galaxy S21/Plus/Ultra using PC

While the aforementioned method is quite easy to execute and doesn’t require the need for a PC as well, but I guess not everyone might find it safe in converting a third-party app [Alliane Shield] into a Device Admin app. If you also echo this thought, then you should take the longer but much safer route of installing the One UI 5.0 update via the ADB Sideload command on your Samsung device. Here’s how it could be done:

STEP 1: Install Android SDK

First and foremost, you will have to install the Android SDK Platform Tools on your PC. This is the official ADB and Fastboot binary provided by Google and is the only recommended one. So download it and then extract it to any convenient location on your PC. Doing so will give you the platform-tools folder, which will be used throughout this guide.

STEP 2: Enable USB Debugging on Samsung

Next up, you will have to enable USB Debugging on your device so that your device is recognizable by the PC in ADB mode. This will then allow you to boot your device to Recovery Mode. So head over to Settings > About Phone > Tap on Build Number 7 times > Go back to Settings > System > Advanced > Developer Options > Enable USB Debugging.

STEP 3: Download One UI 5.0 Beta OTA File

1. To begin with, download the One UI 5.0 Beta Firmware for your device. I am attaching the links below [will try to frequently update them]. You may also request your beta tester friend to capture the OTA URL and share it with you.

   G998B UK [CVH7 TO ZVHE]: Download Link 

2. Once you have downloaded the firmware, it will be in a .BIN format. Name it ‘update’ and change its extension to ZIP, so that the complete name becomes update.zip.
   

STEP 4: Boot Samsung to Stock Recovery

1. Connect your device to the PC via a USB cable. Make sure USB Debugging is enabled.
2. Then head over to the platform-tools folder, type in CMD in the address bar, and hit Enter. This will launch the Command Prompt.
   
3. Now type in the following command in the CMD window to boot your device to Recovery Mode

   adb reboot recovery

STEP 5: Install One UI 5.0 on Galaxy S21 Ultra via ADB Sideload

1. First off, transfer the update.zip file to the platform-tools folder on your PC.
2. Now with your device booted to Recovery Mode, use the Volume keys to highlight the “Update via ADB” option and press the Power key to confirm it.
   
3. Finally, execute the below command in the Command Prompt that you have opened inside the platform-tools folder

   adb sideload update.zip

4. The One UI 5.0 Beta file will now begin flashing onto your device and could take a couple of minutes.
   
5. Once done, you may use the below command to boot your device to the newly upgraded OS

   adb reboot

That’s it. These were the steps to install the One UI 5.0 update (based on Android 13) onto your Samsung Galaxy S21/Plus/Ultra via the ADB Sideload method. If you have any queries concerning the aforementioned steps, do let us know in the comments. We will get back to you with a solution at the earliest.

A Request to the Beta Testers Users

If you are one of the One UI 5.0 beta testers, then before downloading/installing the OTA, please spare your valuable 2 minutes and capture the OTA download link and share it with us via the comments section of this guide. It will be of great help for the rest of the users who are still looking for the update file to sideload to their device. Thanks in Advance.

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