Google finally released the Android 4.2.2 OTA (over the air) update for the Nexus 4 (and other Nexus devices) last week, an update that had been long awaited after Android 4.2.1 turned out to be a pretty small (or even disappointing) update.

Android 4.2.2 brings along improvements in performance and smoothness, fixes Bluetooth for those that were having issues with it, adds a countdown the timer to the notification for whenever you download an app from the Play Store, and also includes some cosmetic changes in the Clock, Contacts, Settings and other default apps.

If you’ve still not received the update on your Nexus 4, don’t sweat, as the OTA update is available for downloading and installing manually. The guide below has all the instructions to help you do that, with clear and detailed steps that will let you get Android 4.2.2 up and running on your Nexus 4 in less than an hour.

So let’s begin with the installation procedure. First, a few prerequisites.

Prerequisites

  1. Your phone must be running a totally stock version of Android, unrooted and unchanged in any way. Having a custom recovery installed is okay, but the update will fail to install if you’ve rooted or made other changes to the system.
  2. The update needs your phone to be on build number JPO04D. Check the build number in Settings » About phone. If it’s not JOP04D, then the update will fail to install.

How to Install Android 4.2.2 OTA Update on Nexus 4

  1. First, make sure you have the drivers installed for the tablet on the computer. Install the Android SDK from → here to install the drivers if you don’t already have them installed.
  2. Download the OTA update file.
    Download Link | Alternate Link | Filename: de8b8d101614.signed-occam-JDQ39-from-JOP40D.de8b8d10.zip
  3. Download Fastboot, which includes the adb files needed for flashing the update.
    Download Fastboot | Filename: Fastboot.zip
  4. Extract the Fastboot.zip file on your computer to get a folder named Fastboot with four files inside it. To keep things easy, extract the Fastboot folder to drive C.
  5. Then, copy the update file downloaded in step 2 to this “Fastboot” folder you just obtained. You’ll then have five files inside Fastboot.
  6. Turn off the phone, then boot it into stock recovery. To do so, first boot into the bootloader mode by holding down the Vol Down + Power buttons together till the screen turns on. Then, using the volume buttons, scroll till you see the “Start” text change to “Recovery mode”, then select it using the power button to boot into stock recovery.
  7. You will then see an Android with a red exclamation point. Now hold down the Power button then press the Volume Up key to see the recovery menu.
  8. Select the apply update from adb option in recovery, by scrolling to it using the volume buttons and selecting it with the power button.
  9. Connect the phone to the computer. Wait for the drivers to finish installing if this is the first time you’ve connected the phone after installing the drivers.
  10. On the computer, click on Start menu » All Programs » Accessories, right-click on Command Prompt and click on Run as administrator. If you are using Windows 8, this can be done by right-clicking on the extreme bottom left corner of the taskbar, then selecting “Command Prompt (admin)”.
  11. Now, perform the following steps in the command prompt to flash the Android 4.2.2 update:
    1. Navigate to the Fastboot folder which you obtained in step 6. For example, if the Fastboot folder is in drive C on your computer, enter cd C:Fastboot in command prompt (and press Enter) to navigate to the folder.
    2. Then, enter adb devices. If your Nexus 4 has been detected properly, you will see a device ID show up in command prompt. If nothing comes up, make sure you have installed the drivers (step 1).
    3. Finally, to flash the update, enter the following command:
      adb sideload *name of file* (where *name of file* is to be replaced by the update file’s name, like 472aafeb9fe3.signed-takju-JDQ39-from-JOP40D.472aafeb.zip)
    4. After you enter the above command, you will see the “sending: sideload” message in the command prompt, and once it reaches 100%, the update will start installing on your phone.
  12. After the update finishes installing, select reboot system now on the phone to reboot it and boot up into Android 4.2.2.

Your Nexus 4 is now running the latest version of Android. If you run into any issues, don’t forget to leave a comment below so that we can help you out. Enjoy!