How to manually install Android 5.1 on your Moto G (Official)

Motorola recently sent an over the air (OTA) update of Android 5.1 to specific regions of the world for the first generation Moto Gs. Here in India we are yet to receive this OTA, however I still managed to get it manually updated to the latest operation system available till date. Here's how to get your Moto G updated as well.

Overview

In my previous article on the Moto G, I wrote on 'How to manually update your Moto G to Android 5.0.2'. In this article, we'll be talking about the latest firmware available till date for this 2 year old handset - Lollipop 5.1

Motorola should be sending OTA updates in batches to all the countries this device is available in. However, if you are as impatient as I am and can't wait for an OTA update from Motorola, please follow this tutorial to install the official version of Lollipop 5.1 for your Moto G.

The reason I say 'Official' is because the file that we are going to use in this upgrade is an OTA file that was sent by Motorola to a Moto G user and was successfully grabbed by one of the developers at XDA. With the help of this file, I successfully flashed it on my Moto G (XT1033) and have been using it without any issues.

Important Information

• This procedure currently only works for the dual-sim (XT1033) Moto G.
• Your Moto G needs to be running a stock firmware (KitKat/Lollipop)
• It doesn't matter if your Moto G is rooted and/or has its bootloader unlocked.

Pre-Requisites

• Backup all important information on your phone. Although this OTA update will not erase any data, its always advisable to backup important data.
• The battery level should be more than 25%. (I suggest charging over 90%)

Procedure

• Download the Lollipop update zip file from the link mentioned below and save it onto the internal memory of your Moto G. Do not save it deep into any folder, paste it in the first directory. 
• Name of the file should be:

          Blur_Version.221.21.56.falcon_umtsds.AsiaRetail.en.03.zip

• On your Moto G running KitKat or Lollipop 5.0.2, head onto Settings > About Phone > and select 'System Updates'
• Your Moto G would now give you an update available page. 
• Hit Yes and continue the installation process.

This update will install Android Lollipop 5.1 on your Moto G and may take a while to finish so please be patient. After the installation completes, your device would boot into the new Lollipop firmware. Complete the initial installation and enjoy using the latest Lollipop firmware on your Moto G!

Download link: https://goo.gl/9Zj5RB

Also Read: Easiest way to Root your Moto G

I hope this article was useful to you. Please let me know in the comments section below if you have any questions and I will try my best to answer them as soon as possible. Please feel free to connect to me via the social media circles mentioned below for regular updates on my blog: