Upgrade Android Version on Smartphone

[Hemanta Bhatt]

Please advise me on how to upgrade Android version on smartphone?

[Ulf Dittmer]

That depends on what smartphone you have, and whether updates to it are controlled by Google directly (like for the Nexus devices) or through the carrier. In the latter case, if the carrier has decided not to upgrade your particular device any longer, your only hope is a 3rd party distribution like CyanogenMod.

[Steve Luke]

Most of the time the Android version will be updated over-the-air by your carrier. The OS version is vetted by the device manufacturer to work on the device then by the carrier to add all the extra bloat-ware. Then pushed by your carrier to the phone. To check if there is a version available for you go to Settings > About phone > Software Updates (note actual path might be different in different versions of Android) and check if there is one available.

Not all phones can get the latest version of Android.

An alternative method, if you don't want to wait for your carrier to push a version to your phone, is to lookup Cyanogen-Mod. This is a modified version of the Android OS built without all the carrier-required bloat and with some cool features all its own. There may be a version that works on your phone. Of course there is risk involved so follow this route with care.

[Hemanta Bhatt]

Thanks Steve, Ulf - your replies are very helpful.