# Install a .zip file with Recovery > **Android 16 Lineout.** These steps and photos were taken on **Bass: Lineout** (Lineage **23.2** / Android **16**). Sometimes you get a **.zip file**: an update, a fix, or an add-on (Google apps, for example). You can't open it like a photo or a document. It has to be installed from **Recovery**, a small repair menu that starts *instead of* Android. It takes about 5 minutes. Installing a .zip this way does **not** erase your apps or files (unless the instructions that came with the file say so). Go slowly and do one step at a time. Every step has a photo of what the screen should look like, so you can check you're in the right place before you press anything. ## Before you start You need: - **The .zip file** (for example `MindTheGapps-16.0.0-x86_64.zip`). Write its name down: you'll look for it later. - **A keyboard.** A USB keyboard, or the one built into your laptop. A Bluetooth keyboard will not work here. - **Power.** Plug in the charger if your device has a battery. Put the .zip file in one of these two places: - **On the device itself (easiest).** Download it with the web browser on the device. It goes into the **Download** folder. - **On a USB stick.** Copy it onto a USB stick with another computer, then plug the stick into the device **before** you start. ## The only keys you need | Key | What it does | |---|---| | **Down arrow** / **Up arrow** | Moves the highlight (the purple or light bar) down or up | | **Enter** | Chooses the highlighted line | | **Backspace** or **Esc** | Goes back one screen | Nothing happens until you press **Enter**. If you highlight the wrong line, just move again. > **Don't worry about the "ERROR:" lines.** In Recovery, the bottom of the screen is always full > of white lines starting with **ERROR:**. That's normal, even when everything works. Ignore them. > The only lines that matter are the ones this guide tells you to look for. ## Step 1: Open the start menu 1. Restart the device the normal way (hold the power button, then **Restart**). 2. Watch the screen. Before Android starts, a **light blue screen with a short list** appears. This is the start menu. 3. As soon as you see it, press **Down arrow** once, so it doesn't start Android on its own. 4. Move the highlight to **Recovery modes for BlissOS** and press **Enter**. ![The start menu, with "Recovery modes for BlissOS" highlighted](images/recovery/01-grub-menu.jpg) Your list may have other lines too (like the two "Mac OS X" lines in this photo). That's fine. > **Android started instead?** You missed the menu. That's very common. Restart again, and this > time start tapping the **Down arrow** key as soon as the screen goes dark. ## Step 2: Choose "Recovery Mode" A second, shorter list opens. Keep the highlight on the **first** line, **BlissOS - Recovery Mode**, and press **Enter**. (Not the one that ends in "Debug".) ![The second list, with "BlissOS - Recovery Mode" highlighted](images/recovery/02-grub-recovery-modes.jpg) ## Step 3: Choose "Apply update" After a few seconds, the dark **Recovery** screen opens, with the Recovery logo at the top. Move the highlight to **Apply update** and press **Enter**. ![The Recovery menu, with "Apply update" highlighted](images/recovery/03-recovery-main-menu.jpg) > **Stay away from "Factory reset".** It erases everything on the device. You never need it to > install a .zip. ## Step 4: Choose where the file is The next screen asks where your .zip file is: - If you downloaded the file **on the device**, choose **Choose from internal storage (/sdcard)**. ![Choosing internal storage](images/recovery/04-apply-update-internal.jpg) - If the file is on a **USB stick**, choose **Choose from usb**. ![Choosing the USB stick](images/recovery/05-apply-update-usb.jpg) Don't choose **Apply from ADB**. That one is for developers. > **No "internal storage" line, or no "usb" line?** Some devices don't show internal storage > here: put the .zip on a USB stick instead. If "Choose from usb" isn't there, unplug the stick, > plug it back in, press **Backspace**, and choose **Apply update** again. ## Step 5: Open the folder your file is in Now you see a list of folders. The line at the top under **Choose a package to install:** tells you which folder you're in. ![Folders on a USB stick, with "flashable_zips/" highlighted](images/recovery/06-usb-folders.jpg) How to read this list: - A name that **ends with `/`** is a **folder**. Highlight it and press **Enter** to open it. - **`../`** at the very top means **go back** to the folder before. - Only **.zip files** and folders are shown. Open the folder your file is in. For files you downloaded on the device, that's **`Download/`**. ## Step 6: Choose your file Inside the right folder, your **.zip** file is listed (files come before folders). Highlight **your file**, the name you wrote down, and press **Enter**. ![A list of .zip files, with one highlighted](images/recovery/07-choose-zip.jpg) The names can be long and look alike. Check the end of the name carefully before you press **Enter**. ## Step 7: Answer "Yes" Recovery may now ask: **Signature verification failed** **Install anyway?** This is **normal** for add-ons and fixes. It only means the file doesn't carry the special signature Recovery looks for. (Some update files do carry it: then you won't see this question, and the install just starts.) ![The "Install anyway?" question, with "Yes" highlighted](images/recovery/08-install-anyway-yes.jpg) > **The highlight starts on "No".** Press **Down arrow** once so **Yes** is highlighted (like in the > photo), then press **Enter**. If you press **Enter** right away, you've chosen **No** and nothing > is installed: just go back to Step 3. Only answer **Yes** for files you got from us or from someone you trust. ## Step 8: Wait for "status 0" Lines of text appear while the file installs. **Don't turn the device off.** This usually takes a minute or two. It's finished when the menu from Step 3 comes back. Look in the text for these two things: - **Done!** - **Install completed with status 0.** ![A finished install: "Done!" and "Install completed with status 0."](images/recovery/10-install-done.jpg) **Status 0 means it worked.** (Remember: ignore the **ERROR:** lines under it.) ## Step 9: Restart into Android The highlight is already on **Reboot system now** (the first line). Press **Enter**. Android starts again. The first start after an install can take a little longer than usual. That's normal. **You're done.** ## If something goes wrong If the text says **Install completed with status 1** (or any number that isn't 0) and **Installation aborted.**, the file didn't install: ![A failed install: "Install completed with status 1." and "Installation aborted."](images/recovery/09-install-aborted.jpg) Usually nothing was changed. The file may not be meant for this device or this Android version, or the download may be broken. Choose **Reboot system now**, download the file again, and try once more. If it fails again, ask us for help and tell us the file's name. | What happened | What to do | |---|---| | Android started instead of the start menu | Restart and start tapping **Down arrow** as soon as the screen goes dark (Step 1). | | The keys don't do anything | Use a wired USB keyboard, or the laptop's own keyboard. Try another USB port. | | I can't find my file | Check you chose the right place in Step 4, and open the right folder in Step 5 (**`Download/`** for files downloaded on the device). The name must end with **.zip**. | | There's no "internal storage" choice | Copy the .zip to a USB stick and choose **Choose from usb** in Step 4. | | I pressed Enter on "Install anyway?" and nothing happened | **No** was highlighted. Go back to Step 3 and choose **Yes** this time. | | The screen is full of **ERROR:** lines | That's normal in Recovery. Only "status 0" or "status 1" matters. | | The text stopped moving for a long time | Wait at least 10 minutes before you do anything. Installing can pause for a while. | ## The short version (for next time) Restart → **Recovery modes for BlissOS** → **BlissOS - Recovery Mode** → **Apply update** → **internal storage** or **usb** → open the folder → your **.zip** → **Enter** → **Down arrow** to **Yes** → **Enter** → wait for **status 0** → **Reboot system now**.