odin (firmware flashing software)
{{Short description|Utility software developed by Samsung}}
{{Infobox software
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| screenshot = Odin 3.14.png
| screenshot alt = A screenshot of the Odin dialog box
| caption = Odin 3.14 running on a Windows 11 machine, with a device ready for flashing plugged in
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| developer = Samsung
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| latest release version = v3 - 3.14.4{{cite web|date=2024-08-15|title=Download Odinflash for Window|url=https://samfw.com/blog/download-odin-all-version/ |website=samfw |language=en-US}} (Windows)
v4 - 1.2.1 (Linux)
| latest release date = {{Start date and age|2022|06}}
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| operating system = (v3) Windows
(v4) Linux
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| language = English
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Odin is a utility software program developed and used by Samsung internally which is used to communicate with Samsung devices in Odin mode (also called download mode) through the Thor (protocol). It can be used to flash a custom recovery firmware image (as opposed to the stock recovery firmware image) to a Samsung Android device. Odin is also used for unbricking certain Android devices.{{Cite web |date=2023-12-09 |title=Odin Download: Samsung Firmware Flash Tool |url=https://magiskzip.com/odin-latest-version-samsung-firmware-flash-tool-download/ |access-date=2023-12-13 |website=Magisk ZIP |language=en-US}} Odin is the Samsung proprietary alternative to Fastboot.
There is no account of Samsung ever having officially openly released Odin,{{Cite book|last=Drake|first=Joshua J.|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/875820167|title=Android hacker's handbook|date=2014|publisher=Wiley|others=Zach Lanier, Collin Mulliner, Pau Oliva, Stephen A. Ridley, Georg Wicherski|isbn=978-1-118-60861-6|location=Indianapolis, IN|pages=488|oclc=875820167}} though it is mentioned in the developer documents for Samsung Knox SDK{{cite web|title=Knox Glossary of Terms and Acronyms|publisher=Samsung|website=Samsung.com|location=Santa Clara, California|url=http://www.samsung.com/at/business-images/resource/solution-brief/2013/12/samsung_knox_glossary-0.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171030223121/http://www.samsung.com/at/business-images/resource/solution-brief/2013/12/samsung_knox_glossary-0.pdf|date=2013-10-17|archive-date=2017-10-30|access-date=2019-07-04}} and some documents even instruct users to use Odin.{{cite web|url=https://seap.samsung.com/faq/how-can-i-change-or-download-device-firmware|title=How Can I Change or Download the Device Firmware?|website=Samsung Enterprise Alliance Program|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613234120/https://seap.samsung.com/faq/how-can-i-change-or-download-device-firmware|archive-date=2018-06-13}} Some other docs on Knox SDK reference "engineering firmware",{{cite web|url=https://seap.samsung.com/faq/how-can-i-check-if-my-device-firmware-engineering-or-commercial-build|title=How Can I Check If My Device Firmware is an Engineering or Commercial Build?|website=Samsung Enterprise Alliance Program|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613210649/https://seap.samsung.com/faq/how-can-i-check-if-my-device-firmware-engineering-or-commercial-build|archive-date=2018-06-13}}{{cite web|url=https://seap.samsung.com/faq/how-can-i-make-my-app-work-properly-device-engineering-firmware|title=How Can I Make My App Work Properly on a Device with Engineering Firmware?|website=Samsung Enterprise Alliance Program|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613210710/https://seap.samsung.com/faq/how-can-i-make-my-app-work-properly-device-engineering-firmware|archive-date=2018-06-13}} which presumably can be a part of the Knox SDK along with Odin. Publicly available binaries are believed to be the result of leaks. The tool is not intended for end-users, but for Samsung's own personnel and approved repair centers.{{Cite web|title=How to Manually Update Your Samsung Phone with Odin|url=https://www.howtogeek.com/341321/how-to-manually-update-your-samsung-phone-with-odin/|last=Crider|first=Michael|website=How-To Geek|date=5 February 2018 |language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-13}}
Usage
Although none of the publicly available downloads are authorized by Samsung itself, XDA-Developers consider the files offered on their Forum ([https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/patched-odin-3-13-1.3762572/ Patched Odin v3 3.14.1 for windows]) ([https://xdaforums.com/t/official-samsung-odin-v4-1-2-1-dc05e3ea-for-linux.4453423/ Odin v4 1.2.1 for linux]) the safest option. There is now a [https://samfw.com/blog/download-odin-all-version 3.14.4] but it is not stable release
For the usage of Odin, the phone needs to be in Download mode. For this, some key combination need to be pressed, such as Power + Volume Down + Home, or Power + Volume Down + Bixby for later models.{{Cite web |last=Dumitru |first=Bogdan |title=Boot any Samsung Devices into Download Mode |url=https://www.odinflashtool.me/boot-any-samsung-devices-into-download-mode/ |access-date=2021-09-11 |website=Odin |language=en |url-status=dead |archive-date=2021-12-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211202210434/https://www.odinflashtool.me/boot-any-samsung-devices-into-download-mode/ }}
Heimdall
File:Heimdall v1.4.1 GTK frontend.png]]
[https://github.com/Benjamin-Dobell/Heimdall Heimdall] is a free/libre/open-source, cross-platform replacement for Odin which is based on libusb. Heimdall can be used on Mac or Linux.{{Cite web |last=Shukla |first=Rakesh |date=2023-04-09 |title=Flash Samsung Firmware with Heimdall & JOdin3 on Mac |url=https://technastic.com/flash-samsung-firmware-mac-heimdall-jodin3/ |access-date=2024-09-21 |website=Technastic |language=en-US}} The name Heimdall, like Odin, is an allusion to Norse mythology; both Odin and Heimdall are among the deities of the Norse pantheon.{{cite web |title=Heimdall |url=https://glassechidna.com.au/heimdall/ |access-date=December 15, 2021}}
{{Non-primary source needed|date=May 2023}}