Nook Color updated to Version 1.2, gets Froyo, apps, e-mail and more

By Phil Nickinson
last updated

Barnes & Noble's uber-popular Nook Color e-reader (which also doubles as a better-than-average Android tablet) is getting its official upgrade to version 1.2.0 this week. It's pushing out over the air, or you can install it manually. Here's what's new:

  • Access to shop a broad collection of popular NOOK Apps™ to enjoy great games, stay up to date on news and weather, and more
  • Full-featured free email to check and send web-based email (i.e., Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail, AOL) all from one in-box
  • NOOK Color’s update to Android OS 2.2/Froyo offers system improvements, browser performance and a more complete Web experience giving customers access to enjoy even more video, interactive and animated content. NOOK Color now includes support for Adobe® Flash® Player
  • NOOK Kids™ exciting new Read and Play titles that bring animation, activities and stories together
  • NOOK Books Enhanced offer in-page video and audio in a growing number of titles
  • Enhancements to magazine navigation making it easier to enjoy even more of the growing selection of magazines in NOOK Newsstand
  • NOOK Friends™ (beta) to see your friends’ reading activities, swap books with LendMe™, share recommendations and discover new titles

So the big things here? Froyo, of course, and apps. But don't mistake this update for bringing Android Market access. You'll be downloading apps from Barnes & Noble. Market access is still going to require some hackery, which we're more than happy to show you in the Android Central Forums.

So look for the update to push out this week. Or if you want to install it manually (we just did), instructions are after the break. [Barnes & Noble (opens in new tab)] Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

How to install the Nook color v1.2.0 update

  1. Download the update here. Save it to your computer.
  2. Plug the Nook Color into your computer. (Make sure it has at least 20 percent battery.)
  3. Copy the file you downloaded to the root directory of the Nook Color, which should now appear in your file explorer. (See picture below.)
  4. Sit back, and the Nook Color will initiate the update. It takes just a couple minutes, and it'll delete the file when it's done.

36 Comments
  • CyanogenMod7 for me still :) This is good news though.
  • Yes, already running CM7, but would like to see Honeycomb eventually.
  • Second!!
  • +1 Does the update break root access?
    What about apps currently installed? Does it reformat the device, or will all my current apps (including launcher) remain?
  • Does the install break root access that was gained using Nooter?
  • Just updated - wi-fi is still garbage. My only wish is that the amazing devs can use this update to further improve their ROMS.
  • So should I unroot, install the update then root again?
    Since this is mainly my wife's device, I want to make sure it acts "normal" for her.
  • Check title, not udpate, but update. Just saying ;)
  • Fixed. And making coffee now. :p
  • I moved the zip file to the nook but it did nothing. Is there anything else that has to be done?
  • never mind it did it!
  • I just installed the v1.2 update and Nookie Froyo still runs fine from the SD. Edit: I'm having trouble getting Nookie on the SD to get a wifi connection after the v1.2 update. I'll report back when I know more. Edit #2: Looks like my wifi router had a hiccup that happened to coincide with the update. A router reboot and all is well.
  • Just tell me that it doesn't mess with booting from SD and I'll be happy to update and take it for a spin.
  • THIS, won't update until I know I can still boot from SD.
  • I've been waiting for this since the day I got my Nook and saw the rumors of this update! Woohoo!
  • For $250, this thing is awesome! I think I need one ... :)
  • Just updated. No problems. No effect on CM7 SD. Best of both worlds, Stock e-reader when I want it. Gingerbread tablet daily use.
  • Boot from SD is a hardwired pin connection, so no worries about a Software update disabling it. This will make the wife very happy. Might even set up dual boot now on my cm7 NC.
  • My steps differed a little from the ones listed above. After step 3, my step 4 was to disconnect my Nook Color from the USB cable connecting it to the computer. Then, I powered it off, and powered it back on. At that point, it found the update and installed it. The only problem I seem to be having is, despite a solid wireless connection, I can't seem to connect to the store, and the Refresh button on the Apps screen won't stop spinning. I suspect they may be getting hammered, so I'll try later. EDIT: A reboot fixed the Refresh spin problem. It's all shiny now. Hooray! I will say that some of the apps in the B&N store seem to be a little expensive compared to their Android Market counterparts. Astraware Sudoku, for example, is $1.97 in the Market, but $4.99 (at the time of this writing) in the B&N app store. Why the price hike, I wonder?
  • Nice update. A whole 139 apps. I'm hoping that will grow and they'll have a better way to organize them in the near future. All just lumped together. When there's only 139, that's not all that awful, but if they start releasing more things, that's gonna get tough to slog through real fast.
  • Both me and my wife are running CM7 Gingerbread. Why go backwards?
  • Unlike CM7 the stock OS kernel can actually sleep.
  • Hi all, just tried to do the update on a previously rooted NC (i think with CM7 on device, NOT SD). Looks like nothing happens??? There was a slight pause after unmounting the NC from my PC, but then it just went back to its normal screen and functions. Yet, when I hook the NC back to my computer, the Update Zip file has been deleted as if the update happened. Anyone have any suggestions/comments? I want to have the B&N update on my NC, with the rooted CM7. Maybe this isn't possible .... Thanks.
  • Just download 1.2 works great. Had problem downloading Angry Bird it would not install. I removed SD card from my nook color. Installed angry Brid. Re-installed SD card every thing works great.
  • You can tell the speed difference between eclair and froyo. Can't wait till autonooter is updated. Sticking with stock, CM7 is good but stock seems to be smoother.
  • I had ver 1.1 and it was rooted with Froyo, I un-rooted back to stock and I've installed 1.2 update, can I root it now and how do I do it Thanks in advance Mark
  • I dl'ed the .zip file to my nook but update hasn't started. Let it sit for over 1 hr and rebooted twice. Nothing...any ideas?
  • Mine didn't want to update either until I unplugged it from the PC. Then it updated within 5 minutes.
  • Shouldn't it read NOW appear in your file explorer. It says NOT up there. Just updated manually... didn't want to wait.
    ^_^
    Oh yeah you also need to add one more step. Safe disconnect Nook from computer, and then zoom goes in no time.
  • This won't break SD Booting as the setup for SD Booting is hardwired into the system. As for this update effecting ROMs booted from SD it'd have no effect as this is a BN update and doesn't actually touch other ROMs.
  • Can anyone confirm that this gives the page turning graphics in the Nook reader app? WCM
  • All I can say is "YUCK!" 15 minutes of new Stock 1.2 and I am back to CM7 for a much richer Android experience.
  • I had rooted my NookColor. The root had added Android Marketplace and I had it set up with a lot of great free downloads. I had to reset the device to stock settings to update to version 1.2. After the version 1.2 install, I have a Nook Color that won't download and install from Amazon Apps or from Marketplace. It is essentially a paperweight again. It went from a serious Internet capable device to a basic an e-reader. Din't download this update until there is a root setup for it. Fortunately, I had migrated to a Viewsonic G tablet -- for which I installed a ROM that gave me access to Marketplace, so I can live without the Nook.
  • Nemith created a flashable 1.2 ROM that will not overwrite CWR: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1050520 Be sure to backup your current ROOTED ROM! While I did have issues accessing CWR after flashing 1.2, I was able to boot into CWR from a Micro SD Card and have the ability to restore my backup of CM7 or flash another ROM.
  • In order to update my rooted Nook, I had to restore the device to the Nook defaults. After the 1.2 update, I had a Nook that really wasn't significantly better or different than the original Nook settings. Gone were access to appbrain, marketplace, amazonapps. Gone were the Dolphin browser and many apps I used to enjoy, such as the Kindle app for books purchased at Amazon. No longer was my Nook a 7" tablet. So I installed the Cynaogen7 ROM and got my tablet back after reinstalling the apps I had come to enjoy (none of which were available for free at B&N. I saw nothing in the 1.2 upgrade that added to my experience.
  • Help help I never knows something so simple could become so difficult. I downloaded the update put it in the folder like in the instructions,And nothing happened so i unrooted it And I still can't get it to install tried to open the file but I keep getting a message saying valid file and this is from two different downloads.When the nook is not connected to the computer the file does not show up. Would really appreciate some help or am I just wasting my time....Thanks