Every Android device runs on a specific CPU — MediaTek, Qualcomm, Samsung Exynos, or Unisoc. Each CPU has its own flash tool. This guide shows you how to identify your device's chip and use the right tool correctly, without any changes or modifications.
Every Android phone or tablet is built around a processor chip — also called a CPU or chipset. The most common chipset brands in Android devices are MediaTek (MTK), Qualcomm (Snapdragon), Samsung (Exynos), and Unisoc (formerly Spreadtrum). Each of these chipset makers designed their own way of handling low-level communication during firmware flashing. Because of this, each chipset requires its own dedicated flash tool.
A CPU based flash tool is simply a flashing program that was built to work with one specific chipset family. It communicates with the device using that chipset's own protocol — the set of rules the chip uses to receive data and write it to storage. Using the wrong tool for the wrong chipset will not work. The device either won't be detected, or the connection will fail before any flashing begins.
The good news is that you do not need to modify these tools in any way. They are designed to work as released, with no configuration changes needed beyond loading the correct firmware file and installing the right USB driver. This guide explains the process for each major chipset family.
Before you can pick the right flash tool, you need to know your device's chipset. Here are three reliable ways to check.
The fastest way to find your chipset is to search for your device model on a specs website. Search for your phone's model number — for example "Samsung Galaxy A15 specs" or "Redmi 13C chipset" — and look for the "Chipset" or "Processor" row in the specifications table. This will show you the exact chip, such as "MediaTek Helio G85" or "Qualcomm Snapdragon 680".
Once you see the chipset brand, the tool choice is straightforward: MediaTek means SP Flash Tool, Qualcomm means QPST, Samsung Exynos means Odin, and Unisoc/Spreadtrum means SPD Flash Tool. The model number after the brand name does not change which tool you use — the brand is all that matters for tool selection.
If the phone is powered on and working, install a free device info app such as CPU-Z or AIDA64 from the Play Store. These apps read the chipset information directly from the device hardware and display it clearly. Open the app, go to the "Device" or "System" tab, and look for the SOC or Processor field. The result will show the chipset brand and model name.
This method is more reliable than searching online because it reads the actual hardware, not a database entry. Some devices are sold in different regions with different chipsets under the same model name, so checking the hardware directly removes any ambiguity.
If you already have the firmware package for your device, you can identify the chipset from the file contents. A MediaTek firmware package always includes a file called a scatter file — usually named something like MT6765_Android_scatter.txt. A Qualcomm package includes a programmer file with a .elf or .mbn extension. A Samsung firmware comes as multiple files in .tar.md5 format. A Unisoc/SPD firmware typically has a .pac file.
These file types are specific to each chipset platform and immediately confirm which tool to use, even if you are not sure of the device model. You cannot accidentally use the wrong firmware file format with the wrong tool — the tool simply won't load a file type it does not recognise.
Once you know your chipset, use the tool below. Each tool works out of the box — no settings need to be modified for standard firmware flashing.
SP Flash Tool is the correct choice for any Android device running a MediaTek chipset. This covers a very wide range of phones and tablets, including most budget and mid-range models from brands like Tecno, Infinix, Itel, many Xiaomi Redmi models, Nokia, Realme, and hundreds of other manufacturers. MediaTek is the most common chipset brand in the world by volume, which is why SP Flash Tool sees more downloads than any other flash tool.
To use SP Flash Tool without changes, you only need three things: the firmware package that contains a scatter file for your specific device, the MTK USB driver installed on your Windows PC, and a USB cable. Open SP Flash Tool, click the "Scatter-loading" button, browse to the scatter text file inside your firmware folder, and the tool will automatically load all partitions from that package. Do not change any settings. Select "Download Only" from the top menu and click the Download button. Then connect your phone to the PC with the USB cable while it is powered off. The tool will detect it automatically and begin flashing.
You do not need to put a MediaTek device into any special mode manually — SP Flash Tool triggers the connection itself when you plug the powered-off device in after clicking Download. The full download and driver installation guide is on the SP Flash Tool page. The required driver is available on the MTK USB driver page.
📺 Video Guide: How to Use SP Flash Tool (MediaTek)
QPST (Qualcomm Product Support Tools) is the official flash suite for all devices built on Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets. Inside the QPST package, the main flashing tool is called QFIL — Qualcomm Flash Image Loader. Devices from brands like Xiaomi, OnePlus, Oppo, Vivo, Motorola (on Snapdragon models), Sony, and many others use this tool for firmware recovery and flashing.
Qualcomm devices are flashed through EDL mode, also called 9008 mode. This is a low-level hardware state that does not require the operating system to be running — making it the only option when a device is completely bricked. To enter EDL mode, the exact button combination varies by brand, but most devices use a volume down press during boot, or a dedicated test point on the board. Once in EDL mode, Windows will detect the device as a Qualcomm HS-USB QDLoader 9008 port — this confirms the connection is ready.
Open QFIL, select "Flat Build" or "Firehose" as the configuration depending on your firmware package, then load the programmer file (.elf or .mbn) and the rawprogram XML files from your firmware folder. Click Download to start the flash. No settings adjustments are needed for standard firmware restoration. Instructions and the download are on the QPST Flash Tool page. Install the Qualcomm USB driver before connecting.
📺 Video Guide: How to Install Qualcomm USB Driver on Windows
Odin is used exclusively with Samsung Android devices. Samsung uses both Exynos (their own in-house chip) and Qualcomm Snapdragon chips depending on region, but regardless of chipset, Samsung firmware is always flashed using Odin. The tool works with the same Samsung firmware format on both chip variants — the firmware comes as a set of .tar.md5 files which Odin loads into its BL, AP, CP, and CSC slots.
Samsung devices are flashed through Download Mode. On most Galaxy phones, you enter Download Mode by powering off the device and then holding Volume Down + Volume Up (or the specific button combination for your model) while connecting the USB cable to a PC. When Download Mode is active, Odin will show the device's COM port number turning blue or green in the ID:COM box — this confirms it is ready. Load the firmware files into the matching slots, leave all default settings as they are, and click Start.
Odin works the same way across the entire Samsung Galaxy range — from the budget Galaxy A series to flagship Galaxy S models and Galaxy Tab tablets — because all Samsung firmware uses the same file format. There is no need to change any options in Odin for a standard stock firmware restoration. Get Odin and the usage guide on the Odin Flash Tool page. You will also need the Samsung USB driver installed on Windows.
📺 Video Guide: How to Use Odin Flash Tool (Samsung)
SPD Flash Tool — also called Research Download Tool or Spreadtrum Flash Tool — is used for Android devices built on Unisoc (formerly Spreadtrum) chipsets. Unisoc chips are common in very affordable Android phones from brands like Tecno, itel, Lava, Symphony, and a range of local brands sold in African, South Asian, and Southeast Asian markets. The chipset names often start with "SC" followed by a number, such as SC9863A or SC7731E.
Unisoc firmware is packaged as a single .pac file, which is different from every other chipset platform. This .pac file contains all partitions packed together. To flash it, open SPD Flash Tool, click the Load Packet button, browse to your .pac firmware file, and load it. Connect the device to the PC while it is powered off and the tool will detect it and begin the process automatically. No changes to the tool's settings are needed for standard use.
The Unisoc USB driver must be installed before the PC can recognise the device. If the device is not detected, this is almost always the reason. The driver and download link for SPD Flash Tool are available on the SPD Flash Tool page.
📺 Video Guide: How to Use SPD Flash Tool (Unisoc / Spreadtrum)
These steps apply to every CPU based tool. Skipping any of them is the most common reason flashing goes wrong.
A flat battery mid-flash will corrupt the firmware write and can leave the device in a state where it won't boot. Always charge first. Some tools will warn you and refuse to continue if battery is too low.
Flashing stock firmware will wipe everything on the device — contacts, photos, apps, and messages. Back up to cloud storage or transfer files to a PC before you begin. There is no recovery once the flash starts.
Without the correct USB driver, the flash tool will not detect the device at all. Each chipset has its own driver — MTK, Qualcomm, Samsung, and Unisoc all have separate ones available on FlashTool.org.
Firmware is model-specific. Using a firmware built for a different model — even one that looks similar — can permanently damage the device. Always confirm the model number matches the firmware file exactly before loading it.
Some flash tools and drivers are incorrectly flagged by antivirus software. If the tool won't install or the driver is blocked, disable your antivirus before installation and re-enable it after the driver is confirmed working.
USB hubs and extension cables can cause unstable connections during flashing. Always connect directly to a rear USB port on a desktop or a USB port built into the laptop. A lost connection mid-flash can brick the device.
* If you are downloading firmware files before flashing, also make sure your internet connection is stable — you can Check ISP Speed to confirm your download speeds are consistent before starting a large firmware download.
All supported chipsets and their matching tools on FlashTool.org.
The reason each chipset brand needs its own flash tool comes down to how data is transferred to the device at a hardware level. MediaTek uses a protocol called BROM (Boot ROM) mode, where the chip exposes a USB interface before any OS code runs. SP Flash Tool speaks this protocol natively. Qualcomm uses a different low-level protocol called Sahara or Firehose, which requires a programmer file to initialise the connection before any data can be written. QPST and QFIL implement this protocol. Samsung devices use a completely different interface designed by Samsung, which Odin uses through the device's Download Mode. Unisoc uses its own interface, handled by SPD Flash Tool.
Because these protocols are incompatible with each other, there is no single universal flash tool that works across all chipsets. Software that claims to work with all chipset types typically wraps each chipset's own protocol in a single interface — it is still calling the same underlying method, just through a different front end. For reliable, no-modification flashing, using the dedicated tool for each chipset gives you the most stable and well-tested results.
This page covers the standard use case: restoring stock firmware to a device without any modifications or custom configurations. If you are working on more advanced operations such as root access, custom recovery installation, or bootloader unlocking, the process is more involved and each tool has additional documentation for those workflows. For all downloads, drivers, and guides, visit the Android section of FlashTool.org or browse the full flash tools directory.