How to update your Nexus device without waiting for OTA?

Nobody likes to wait for an Android update and especially when it is a Nexus device. So, in this little guide, we will be telling you guys how to update your Nexus device without waiting for the OTA update. This is a perfectly official method like updating via OTA. 

This guide is for the Nexus device users, who haven’t flashed any custom ROMs or custom recoveries. If you are using a stock Nexus device, you are good to go. This guide will work with any of the Nexus devices – Nexus 4, 7, 5 or 10. Before you do any of the following step, enable USB debugging on your Nexus device. To enable USB debugging, you have to go to Settings and open Developer Options, if you don’t see Developer Options, go to About Phone/ Tablet, tap on Build Number repeatedly and the device will tell you that you are now a developer, go back and you will see Developer Options. In Developer Options, enable USB Debugging. Once you have done that, you are ready to move to these steps.

• • Now, first you will need the OTA update URL: see, as soon as the Nexus device OTA updates start rolling-out, the official OTA update URLs pop-up around the web. You will need the right OTA update URL for your Nexus device.
  • Now, download the update file using the following OTA update URL.
  • Update 3: Android 5.0 update download links: Nexus 5 (for India KTU84Q to LRX21O), Nexus 10
  • Update 2: Android 4.4.3 update download links: Nexus 7 (2013) Wi-Fi – Android 4.4.2 (KOT49H) to 4.4.3 (KTU84L), Nexus 5 Android 4.4.2 to Android 4.4.3.

• Update: Android 4.4.1 update download links:Nexus 5 Android 4.4.1 KOT49E updateNexus 4 Android 4.4.1 KOT49E updateNexus 7 LTE (2013) Android 4.4.1 KOT49E update
• Here are some of the Android 4.4 OTA Update URLs for you:  Nexus 4 (from JWR66Y) (from KRT16O), Nexus 7 (2012) – Wi-Fi (from JWR66Y) (from KRT16O) or 3G (from JWR66Y) (from KRT16O), Nexus 7 (2013) – Wi-Fi (from JSS15R) (from KRT16O)or LTE (from JLS336I), Nexus 10 (from JWR66Y) (from KRT16O), choose the right one.

• Rename the downloaded update file to update.zip.
• Now, download this platform-tools.rar file, it contains necessary ADB files, which you will need to use it to apply the update.
• Extract platform-tools.rar using WinRAR or any of your favourite archive extractors.
• Put renamed update.zip file in the extracted platform tools folder
• Now open platform tools folder and press Shift button and while you have it pressed, right click your mouse or touchpad.
• Choose “open command window here” from the list of options
• Now, a command window will appear on your computer
• Connect your Nexus device to your computer if not already connected. Give it sometime to finish driver installation etc. Once done, move to next step.
• Type adb devices command and press enter and see if your Nexus device is shown, if it is visible  (you should get something like the image below) then you are good to go to the next steps, if not then you need to get the drivers for your Nexus device and install them. When you are done with driver installation, check again using adb devices command and if it shows your device, move to the next steps.
• Now type this command – adb reboot recovery and press enter
• Your phone will rebooted and reach the stock recovery. If your Nexus device shows red triangle in recovery, try pressing volume up + power button for just 1 sec and then let it go. Try it a couple of times until the recovery options appear.
• Now with volume down, highlight “apply update from ADB” and press power button to choose it.
• Then type this command adb sideload update.zip and press enter
• If you have done everything right, you will see that the computer transferring the update to your Nexus device.
• Once it is complete, choose reboot system now and you are done.