…Enter suggestions to improve documentation in this category. Do not raise bugs or issues here…
Regain your privacy! Adopt /e/OS the deGoogled mobile OS and online services
First install experience. Great. Just make sure to read and follow every line - nothing missing as far as I can tell. For me, on Win 10 (just a Vbox VM), the “latest” (downloaded May 2025) Samsung drivers did not work. However the ones I had from Jan 2025 worked well.
If your mobile starts to get stuck on Samsung logo, just unplug from charger and drain the battery, then start again.
If it restarts too quickly after installing the recovery image, as it boots just hold the buttons as said and wait to boot into recovery mode - worked for me.
Thanks Devs and Community - will update my experience after configuring and installing apps.
Ok a couple of issue:
- Cannot make any calls mobile or otherwise
- Tried: different dialer, APN settings, resetting Wifi etc
- Backed all my data, factory reset - cannot restore from SD card - just fails without notice or warning - even says “Apps restored” but it has not
So, after this experience - very wary of using this distro
Hello @adf777, Welcome to this forum,
What was your previous android OS ?
Samsung Firmware version 13
Would you know how to power off the A71 (non-removable battery) from download mode?
on older device, volume down + power
please try older builds like 2.6.3, then 2.7…
ok, I will start with 2.8 and work my way backwards
There are 4 versions available and with everyone do I have the same problem: making or receiving mobile calls. It works with the Samsung stock firmware before the new OS.
Any suggestions?
After several attempts to flash the 4 available versions, I have to put this project on ice. It all works to the point of trying to make calls- dials but does not establish a connection.
Tried to change the APN and various other settings, unsuccessfully.
Thanks @piero for your input.
Hi all!
I’ve successfully installed the /e/OS (version “e-3.1.1-a15-20250829521751-community-a71”) on my Samsung Galaxy A71 (model SM-A715F) using a Windows 11 computer. The phone works, I can make calls, receive text messages, and listen to Spotify via Bluetooth speakers. Cool!
First off, I’d like to express my gratitude to everyone involved in the /e/OS and LineageOS projects. Your work is truly impressive!
I spent around 7-8 hours on this process (mostly reading and trying to understand “what’s going on,” but also updating Android to its latest available version, getting acquainted with Odin and adb tools). I am a complete noob when it comes to flashing phones, but have extensive experience using Android, having used it since Jelly Bean.
Here are my remarks from the process and suggestions for improving the installation instructions.
Web Installer
First, I attempted to install the system using the “/e/OS web installer.” Unfortunately, it failed. After completing all pre-requisite steps, I received a “Error in step: device-detection…” message. The advantage of this web installer is that it contains screenshots, which makes it very easy to enable “Developer Options” and set the “USB debug” and “OEM unlock” options that frequently appear during manual installation.
Manual Installation
Next, I followed the manual installation instructions: Install /e/OS on a Samsung Galaxy A71 - “a71”. I’ve stuck for longer on 2 major hurdles:
“Pre-Install Instructions”: “OEM unlock” option disappeard
Somehow I’ve managed to skip step 1, “Connect the device to a Wi-Fi network,” (my bad!) which caused issues in step 5, bullet point 4 i.e. “Verify that “OEM Unlock” is still enabled and continue to step 6”. This issue arises because without Wi-Fi connectivity, the “OEM unlock” option disappears from “Developer Options” (after restart in step 5, bullet point 2). Consequently, trying to flash VBMeta in step 13 results in an error: “Only official released binaries are allowed to be flashed(vbmeta).”
To resolve this, I found a solution on YT https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wk1UCLMDH18. To restore the “OEM unlock” option, simply connect to Wi-Fi and re-open the “Developer Options” (disable and enable DO if necessary). The “OEM unlock” option should reappear and remain enabled. After this, I’ve succesfully flashed VBMeta.
Suggestion: Update step 5, bullet point 4 of the “Pre-Install Instructions” to include a note like: “Note: Make sure ‘OEM unlock’ is visible in ‘Developer Options’. If you don’t see this option, check your Wi-Fi connectivity. You need this for successful VBMeta flashing.”
“Installing a custom recovery using Odin”: Connecting and disconnecting a USB cable
In steps 13 and 14, I got confused. I completed step 13 ("Unplug the USB cable from your device.
") and disconnected the USB cable, but then, at the end of point 14, bullet point 1, I found out that it needs to be done “while the device is connected to a PC via USB cable”. Of course I’ve no USB cable connected in step 14.
There is warning in the instruction which says “Be sure to reboot into recovery immediately after installing the custom recovery. If you don’t the custom recovery will be overwritten on boot.” But it doesn’t say exactly what custom recovery screen after flashing should look like.
Adding a screenshot of /e/OS Recovery and comparing it with AOSP Recovery would be extremely helpful. This way, users can easily identify if they’ve encountered an issue.
Suggestions:
- Add a screenshot just after step 14 showing how /e/OS Recovery should appear
- Consider removing step 13 (or move part of step 14, bullet point 1 “while the device is connected to a PC via USB cable” to the very beginning of step 14)
Cosmetic Improvements in Instructions
- Section “Downloads for a71” At the start of the instructions, provide a complete list of all necessary files, tools, and drivers and clearly state “these should be downloaded and these should be installed before processing further”. The current instruction “Try the /e/OS Recovery (limited functionality)” is unclear. When I’ve read it my instant thoughts were: Why “try” not just “download” or “install”? Why only “/e/OS Recovery”? What about other parts of system? Why “functionality is limited”? Is there some other ways to install with “full functionality”?
- Section “Pre-Install Instructions” Change tittle to something like “Installing Verified Boot Metadata with Odin”
- Everywhere: Add screenshots in key steps. For critical steps, especially during installation, include screenshots for reference (including /e/OS Recovery and AOSP Recovery comparison).
- Everywhere: In places where the instruction says “click ‘Build Number’ option 10 times,” change it to “click ‘Build Number’ option 7 times.”
Big Thanks!
I really don’t complain, IMHO /e/OS is a much-needed project. These are just suggestions to make installation easier for other users.
Thank you again! The phone works great without Google and I learned a lot about flashing Samsung phones by the way 
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Hello! I successfully flashed eOs on my deprecated Samsung A71 and it works very well! (Next I’ll repair his broken display and it will be perfect!)
It’s my first time doing something like this. I had some difficulties following the guide, it would be beneficial to review it a little bit as Iokal user suggested on September 5.
At first it was not clear to me that I had to use both Linux and Windows to complete the procedure, so I had to reboot my pc while in recovery mode (I currently don’t have a virtual machine yet, I use Linux Mint and Windows 11 with dual boot) and I was super scared to ruin everything by doing that, but luckily everything worked well.
I had to repeat the “Installing a custom recovery using Odin" steps because I was trying to flash the os with the wrong original boot. The eOs boot has the logo and a white background, if you see a black background you made some mistake while reeboting.
Anyway I want to thank you a lot for this OS and this installation guide, I learned a lot, I will do it again for sure. I really appreciate your work and I’m going to support you! 
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illustrations there :
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After having them avoided for years, I have only recently started experimenting with smartphones … carefully. I do have a long experience with GNU/Linux tho.
My model is SM-A715F/DS. Here is my experience with trying to flash /e/OS on that device.
I succeeded. All the apps I care about work. Audio works. Settings work. Camera works. Audio recording works. Flashlight works. GNSS works. /e/OS seems to behave correctly. I did not test anything else.
However, the guide at https://doc.e.foundation/devices/a71/install did not work as promised. If I had only followed these exact instructions, I would have failed. Thankfully, I still managed to install /e/OS in the end, but with help from many other guides and reading a LOT of Samsung phones online.
Most steps worked OK, but I discovered various theoretical and practical pain points. So this guide definitely needs an update.
Here is a list of nasty traps and alternative steps I discovered:
Trap 1: Factory Reset Protection (FRP)
If you factory reset your phone with the pre-installed Android but did NOT delete whatever Google account was still active on it, you trigger the phone’s Factory Reset Protection. If you then want to launch the phone again, it will first force you to log-in into the device’s Google account. If you don’t do that, you’re locked out of many important actions and are basically soft-bricked. While officially, this is treated as “thief protection”, it can also hit legit users, e.g. if you got your device gifted from a friend or bought it from seller a long time ago. And this is EXTREMELY painful to fix.
Solution: ALWAYS delete the Google account on Android before you factory-reset any Android. This should be really a big fat red flashing warning in the instructions of this guide and most other guides (most guides fail to mention this).
Trap 2: KG State = Prenormal
Another pain point in Samsung phones is KG State = Prenormal. This is another internal status that IIRC may get turned on when you factory-reset the phone (I don’t remember the exact conditions). In this state, the device refuses to let you flash custom OSes like /e/OS. Thankfully, it seems much easier to fix than FRP. This guide helps: https://xdaforums.com/t/how-to-get-rid-kg-state-prenormal-in-any-samsung-phones-latest.4766265/
Trap 3: Can’t enter Download Mode without connected USB cable
The key combination to enter Download Mode does not always work in newer Samsung devices (like this one). They just boot straight into the main OS. This is because Samsung now only allows to enter Download Mode with a connected USB cable BEFORE turning on the device.
Solution: To enter Download Mode, connect your device with USB before turning it on. See also: https://www.askvg.com/fix-cant-boot-samsung-phone-in-recover-mode-showing-pdp-error/
Alternative steps, part 1: Wi-Fi requirement?
The pre-install instructions told me I must connect my device to Wi-Fi. But I managed to proceed those steps without Wi-Fi. OK, technically, I still needed Wi-Fi, but for a different reason, namely to defeat KG State = Prenormal.
Alternative steps, part 2: Installing recovery.img on Linux with Heimdall instead of Odin3
The guide has a red scary warning that you ABSOLUTELY 100% MUST use Odin3 and (for some reason) a Windows 10 build or else you can’t continue!!1!
This is sad for any Linux users.
I have good news: You absolutely do NOT need Windows 10 nor Odin3 to install /e/OS. I managed to perform all flashing operations on only GNU/Linux with Heimdall. Heimdall is a free software replacement for Odin3. https://github.com/Benjamin-Dobell/Heimdall
However, this software works differently, so absolutely read the whole manual of Heimdall before you touch it.
Here is how I flashed it with Heimdall v2.2.2 (WARNING: Do not rely blindly on these steps, I am still a Android/Samsung/Heimdall n00b, this is just a proof-of-concept to show that it worked):
My unverified steps to flash recovery via Heimdall
This is the method I discovered to flash recovery on Linux, WITHOUT Odin3 or Windows 10.
[WARNING: These instructions have not been throughly tested. By following these instructions, you are entering DANGER ZONE and could brick your device. Please wait until an actual pro verified this.]
- Unzip the recovery Zip file. You will only need
vbmeta.imglater - Enable Developer Mode on your mobile device
- Connect device via USB to computer
- Enter Download Mode on your mobile device
- Press whatever button(s) you must press according to the device’s on-screen instructions to actually activate Download Mode
- Read the download mode screen. If the download mode screen shows something like “FRP Lock: ON”, “OEM Lock: ON” or “KG State: Prenormal”, you can’t proceed; the device will prevent you from installing custom firmware. Read other guides on how to fix those.
- Start Heimdall Frontend (on the console, this is
heimdall-frontend) - On Utilities tab, click “Detect” at “Detect device" and check if your device was detected (if not: check what went wrong)
- Download the PIT file. Click on “Save As…” and select a location
- Go to the the “Flash” tab
- Click “Browse” at “PIT” and select the previous PIT file
- At “Partitions (Files)”, click “Add”
- Select “VBMETA” at Partition Name
- Click “Browse” at “Partition Details” and select
vbmeta.imgfrom step 0 - [DANGER ZONE] At “Session”, click “Start” to begin flashing. Be prepared for step 16
- Check if the Status message shows success (I don’t remember the exact output)
- Now you must be quick: Once the screen goes dark, immediately press the buttons to enter the Recovery Mode. If you fail this step, Samsung will override your flashed recovery, and you have to start all over
If you succeeded, the screen should now show the /e/OS logo and the word “Recovery”. (or something like that, I don’t remember 100%)
These instructions should be independently verified. I am not sure if it’s important to check the “Session” checkboxes in the Flash tab (and which ones), for example.
There is probably a more reliable possible guide by using console commands instead (because heimdall is primarily a console program), but I did not bother to check. I leave that as an excercise for the reader. 
Suggestions on improving the guide
- In the “Requirements” section add: "Delete any Google account that may still be registered on your Android device (in the settings). This is to avoid triggering FRP when you factory-reset, which may be very painful to fix later”
- In the section “Steps to install /e/OS from recovery”, add as first step the same text (better safe than sorry)
- In the section “Install /e/OS”, add a section that covers the possibility that KG State = Prenormal has been triggered, preventing the flashing of custom firmware (sorry, can’t give exact instructions here)
- Add alternative instructions to flash firmware with Heimdall instead of Odin3 (should be vetted by pros first)
- Add the following text after any step that enters (and activates) Download Mode: “Read the download mode screen. If the download mode screen shows something like “FRP Lock: ON”, “OEM Lock: ON” or “KG State: Prenormal”, you can’t proceed; the device will prevent you from installing custom firmware. Read other guides on how to fix those.”
- Nice-to-have: Add screenshot that shows how the “correct” /e/OS recovery mode looks like (so users know if their flashing succeeded because the last step is easy to screw up due to a small time window)