Flashify App Review - A Great Tool With A Few Bugs

Back in 2014, one of my friends asked me to root his OnePlus One (OPO). Obliging to his request, I started searching for the ways to root an OPO. After going through various search results and forum threads, I was able to make out that my friend's OPO (which was then powered by Lollipop 5.1.1 based CyanogenOS 12.1) can easily be rooted using Kingroot. If you were to ask me today on how to root an Android device, I would tell you that I don't prefer to root Android devices using Kingroot because I'm a big fan of the traditional method of rooting - unlocking bootloader, installing a custom recovery and then rooting the device by flashing either Magisk or SuperSU. However back then I decided to root my friend's phone using Kingroot. Within the next few minutes, I was able to obtain root access on his device. I will repeat this again, I don't endorse the method of rooting using Kingroot; I would still advice you to root using the traditional method.

Once I obtained root access on his OPO, I thought of getting on a custom recovery on his device too. Mind you - his phone's bootloader wasn't unlocked! But I knew about this app Flashify which would allow one to flash recovery and boot images without the need of a computer. So I headed over to TWRP's website, downloaded the recovery image file for bacon (codename for OPO)

and flashed it using Flashify. Needless to say, when I booted into recovery, TWRP showed up in all its glory. So using Flashify I was able to install a custom recovery even on a locked bootloader. Having a custom recovery doesn't mean that you can install any custom ROM. Since the bootloader was still locked, I couldn't flash any custom kernel. So that meant I could only flash those ROMs which were based on the stock kernel. As mentioned before, my friend's bacon was then powered by CyanogenOS. So I could easily install CyanogenOS's sibling, CyanogenMod on my friend's OPO. Recently, I have upgraded his phone to LineageOS 14.1 and his OPO's bootloader is still locked.

I have been an avid user of Flashify. Not only does Flashify allow me to install custom kernels and recoveries without a PC, but it also lets me back up my current kernel and recovery as well. Flashify was last updated on December 12, 2015, and since this a 2017 review of the app, I am here to tell you what works in the app and what doesn't. The list of features of Flashify, as obtained from its Play Store listing, is as follows

1 - Flash boot and recovery .img without even needing to go to recovery.
2 - Flash zip files. Option to wipe cache, dalvik and data when using TWRP or Philz recovery.
3 - Download and flash CWM, Philz, TWRP, Gapps, Franco Kernel, Stock Nexus Kernel (premium), and Stock Nexus Recovery (premium).
4 - Automatic Loki Patch when needed.
5 - Full nandroid backups/restores when using TWRP or Philz recovery.
6 - Backup/Restore kernel and recovery using SDcard or cloud (Dropbox, Box (premium) or Google Drive (premium)).
7 - Automatic cloud synchronisation of backups between devices and desktops.
8 - Keep track of recently flashed items.
9 - Flash multiple files and build your flash queue.
11 - Flash from anywhere! Do you want to flash from your favorite File Explorer or Email app? No biggie, that also works together with Flashify.

In the video review above I have tested Flashify on Marshmallow 6.0.1. The purpose of the above video was not only to test what works and what doesn't, it was also meant to show users on how to use Flashify. It's a review and tutorial. I also tested Flashify on Nougat 7.1.2 and here's a list of what works and what doesn't.

What Works

Let's take a look at the good stuff first.

• Kernel, recovery backups to local storage
• Kernel, recovery backups to cloud storage (only tested with Dropbox)
• Restoring kernel and recovery backups
• Backing up on Marshmallow

What Doesn't Work

Here's the list of stuff that is broken.

• Cannot download TWRP, CWM and Philz recovery images from the app. To flash a recovery image using Flashify, you will have to manually download the recovery image file and then select the recovery image to be flashed
• Cannot download Gapps from the app
• On Nougat, I experienced issues with the flash queue and backing up

To sum up my testing, I also tested Flashify on Lollipop and I didn't run into any problems whatsoever. That being said, if you are running any newer release of Android like Marshmallow or Nougat, you are likely to run into several issues. An update to the app will likely fix the issue. Since the developer Christian Göllner hasn't updated it since more than a year, I have my doubts whether Flashify will see an update again. However, this app still remains an indispensable tool for me. I still use it frequently on my Android One handset running Marshmallow 6.0.1.

The premium version of Flashify costs around US $3.5. The upgrade will uplift the 3 flash limit of the free version, you will be able to use a dark theme, backup to cloud services like Google Drive and Box and using Google Cloud Sync you can restore your cloud backups.

You can install Flashify by either heading over to the Play Store or by installing its APK from here.

Krittin Kalra

Krittin Kalra is a 20 year old Android freak. Striving for passions, chasing down his dreams and living a life without regrets is his sole mantra. A bit moody, he also does custom ROM reviews for AndroGuider. Currently pursuing his B.Tech, he aspires to follow his heart.