Manually updating the T-Mobile G2

Got a T-Mobile G2 and don;t feel like waiting for the OTA?  Don't blame ya one bit, neither do I.  Good news is that T-Mobile or HTC doesn't have some sneakiness at play to prevent us from manually updating the G2, just like any other Android phone, and here's how to do it:

  1. Download the update from Google's servers here.  Make sure it's named update.zip.  Not update.zip.zip, or anything else but update.zip  Check Google to see how to view file extensions for your computer operating system if necessary.
  2. Plug your G2 into your computer, and copy the update.zip to your SD card, making sure you don't put it inside a folder.  Drop it right on the top level (root) of the card.  Have a look here if you need further instruction about transferring files.
  3. Shut off your G2, and power back on while holding volume down.  When you see the white screen, choose recovery and hit the power button.  When you see the picture of the G2 with the red triangle, hold volume up and power to see your menu.
  4. From the menu, choose Apply sdcard:update.zip, and let it do it's thing.
  5. Enjoy your OTA, without waiting for the carrier.

As always, this is the same as applying the OTA.  We're just not waiting for T-Mobile to send it to us -- instead we went and got it ourselves.  (If you've hacked into your G2 a bit, check out the instructions at MoDaCo for a safe upgrade.) Now all that's left is to hit the G2 forums and discuss what's new, and what's bugged in the OTA!

Jerry Hildenbrand
Senior Editor — Google Ecosystem

Jerry is an amateur woodworker and struggling shade tree mechanic. There's nothing he can't take apart, but many things he can't reassemble. You'll find him writing and speaking his loud opinion on Android Central and occasionally on Twitter.