In short, it is the tool that we should use if we have a mobile phone with an MTxxxx processor. With SP Flash Tool we can read, write or delete any of its partitions, simply by connecting the device to a PC via USB (Windows 10, Windows XP, Linux).

In this way, we can install a new ROM , install a custom recovery , reinstall or correct possible errors, update the device firmware, etc.

Does SP Flash Tool work with Mediatek’s new Dimensity chips?

Before we begin, you may be wondering if the tool also works with the Dimensity processors that Mediatek has started manufacturing in recent years. In this sense, it must be clarified that SP Flash Tool has not been updated since 2020 .

The Dimensity chips, starting with the first MT6853 model , did not see the light of day until the third quarter of 2020 , so it is unlikely that the tool’s developers have taken these new processors into account for their application.

That does not mean that they are not compatible, but from the outset, it does not seem highly recommended to use SP Flash Tool with mobile phones equipped with a Mediatek Dimensity. Therefore, we could say that it is a tool to be used mainly on old mobile phones that we want to restore .

Prerequisites: things to keep in mind before starting flashing

In order to use SP Flash Tool we must perform certain prior actions so that the application works correctly and prevent the loss of information in case things do not go as we expect:

• Install the Mediatek USB VCOM preloader drivers so that the PC recognizes the Android terminal.

• Back up all important data. You can see a couple of pretty interesting tutorials HERE and HERE .

Basic usage tutorial for SP Flash Tool

Once we have the drivers correctly installed and all the data safe, we can begin to “get our hands on” the flashing program.

Tools and utilities

SP Flash Tool is a fairly intuitive tool. The application is divided into 5 tabs, each with a very specific and defined purpose.

• Welcome : This is the welcome tab. Here we will find indications of how the application and each of its sections works. Very interesting if it is the first time we launch the program and we want to obtain some more information.

• Format : From here we can format the NAND flash memory of the smartphone. Allows you to do automatic formatting (including or excluding the bootloader) or manual.

Download : This is the most used tab. From here we can flash the different partitions of our Android phone to install ROMs, recoveries, etc

• Readback : In this tab we can read certain blocks and regions of the phone’s memory.
• Memory Test : Function that allows us to test the RAM and NAND flash memory of the device.

For more detailed and developed information on each and every tab, there is nothing better than taking a long look at the “ Welcome ” tab of the application.

For most users, the juiciest section is “Download”. Place from which we will perform the most powerful action of all: flashing the terminal.

How to flash a terminal from the “Download” tab

When we talk about flashing, we mean overwriting one or more modules of the device with new modules previously selected by us.

For practical purposes, this can mean anything from replacing the recovery (with a custom one) to installing a completely new image of the operating system.

The “Download” tab, the place from which we flash, has the following options.

• Download : It is the button that activates the flashing process. We will only press it when we have the rest of the sections configured.
• Download Agent : The download agent is responsible for detecting the terminal’s flash memory and downloading the selected image to the device. By default, it usually comes preloaded with the bin agent . Unless we have problems, it is not necessary to change it.
• Scatter-loading File : The Scatter file is a text file that is used to let the application know which Mediatek chip it is working with. For example, if our phone has an MT6757 processor, we will have to select the MT6757_Android_scatter.txt scatter.

Without the correct scatter, SP Flash Tool does not know where in the phone’s memory the boot, recovery, etc. begins. Therefore, it goes without saying that it is a completely essential and necessary file.

This file does not come with the program, so we will have to look for a copy that fits our mobile or tablet on the Internet.

• Image loading (IMG) : If we have loaded the scatter correctly, we will see how the address table is loaded with the different modules of the terminal. If we want to replace any of these modules (or all of them), we will only have to click on the corresponding “ Location ” cell and select the image that we are going to overwrite.

For example, if we want to replace the device’s stock recovery with a custom one, this is where we will have to specify its location. They are normally files in “.img” format.

Follow the correct order of actions so that everything goes smoothly

In short, the steps to follow are:

• Select the MTK_AllInOne_DA.bin agent .
• Select the Scatter corresponding to our Mediatek chip.
• Select in “Location” from the address table all the modules that we want to flash.
• Press the “ Download ” button.

Once the “ Download ” button is pressed, we will connect the phone to the PC using a USB cable. It is important that the phone is turned off , and if possible, with the battery charged. As soon as the PC recognizes the device, the flashing process will begin.

If everything has gone correctly, once the flashing is finished, a window will be displayed with the message “ Download OK ”.

Known bugs

The most common error when working with SP Flash Tool is that the system does not recognize the phone . This is because we have not installed the drivers correctly. From your own experience, I recommend that you review this point very well, since it is the one that usually causes the most problems.

A good way to solve any driver problem is to install the USBDeview application (download below). A free tool with which we can see all the drivers installed on a PC and uninstall them one by one easily. In case of error, it is advisable to uninstall all Mediatek drivers and reinstall them .

To identify the rest of the flashing errors, it is best to take a look at the list of known errors , within the SP Flash Tool itself, in the “ Welcome -> FAQ ” tab. Here we will find almost a hundred typified errors with their corresponding solutions.

SP Flash Tool Download

If you are interested in using SP Flash Tool you can download the tool, in addition to the USBDeview program, from the Downloads section of the blog.

In short, this is all we need to understand the basic operation of SP Flash Tool. The tool par excellence for flashing Android smartphones and tablets with Mediatek chips