Flash tool for Xperia™ devices

Here you can learn more about the flash tool for Xperia™ devices, which is a desktop application that you can use to flash Sony software on your unlocked Xperia™ device. This is useful if you’ve for example flashed a custom ROM on your device, and want to go change to a standard Sony software. This flash tool can only be used by Xperia™ devices having an unlocked boot loader. Please note that your phone still stays unlocked, and that the warranty may still be voided.

Also note that only a limited number of phone models and software versions are supported by this tool, as we are currently running it as a beta version.

Follow the instructions on the Install page below to download and install the flash tool. Flash instructions and a list of supported phones (including flash key mappings) are also found in the pages below.

How to download and install the flash tool

The flash tool for Xperia™ is actually called Emma when you install it in this Beta version, and it runs on all Windows computers. This tool is confirmed working for most markets globally*, with a few exceptions** due to distribution restrictions.

To install the flash tool, follow the steps below:

1. Download the Flash tool for Xperia devices.
2. Unzip the file you downloaded and place it somewhere on your computer.
3. In the unzipped folder, run Emma.exe. During the installation, make sure you remember the installation path:
   1. Default path in Windows 64 bit is: “C:\Program Files (x86)\Sony Mobile\Emma\”
   2. Default path in Windows 32 bit is: “C:\Program Files\Sony Mobile\Emma\”
4. Copy the Customization.ini file. You find it in the <Emma zip filename>.
5. Paste the Customization.ini file into the installation folder. The installation folder is the folder named Emma in the installation path examples on point 3.1 and 3.2 above.
6. Click Start > All programs > Sony Mobile > Emma (if you used the default installation path from step 3 above) to start the flash tool

How to use the flash tool

When you have installed the flash tool for Xperia™, you can flash standard Sony software on your unlocked Xperia™ device. Note! When you flash software onto your device, your user data and content will be erased. Make sure to properly back up all information.

This is how you flash software on your phone:

1. Computer: Open Emma from the Start menu of your computer.
2. Connect a USB cable to your computer.
3. Phone: Turn off your phone.
4. Connect your phone to the USB cable while holding the flash key (for example Volume down). The flash key varies between models. For a complete key mapping, see the supported phones page.
   

   Screenshot showing the flash tool when a phone is connected.

5. Computer: Select the software you want to flash in the Service list. The tool automatically detects the phone model and lists available software versions, which are called Services in this flash tool.
6. Click on Apply Service. The phone will now be flashed.
7. Phone: When you have flashed your device, you can disconnect your phone from the computer. The first time you start your device after you have flashed it, the boot-up might take a little longer than normal.

Supported phones & flash keys

In the beta version of the flash tool for Xperia™ devices, only a limited number of phone models and software versions are supported.

Please note that when you connect your phone to the computer to flash the phone, it must be turned off and you must hold the flash key listed below. Flash keys vary between models.

Supported phones and flash key mappings

• Xperia™ T – volume down
• Xperia™ S – volume down
• Xperia™ arc – back
• Xperia™ arc S – back

* Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cambodia, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Comoros, Congo (Democratic Republic of the), Congo (Republic of the), Costa Rica, Cote d’Ivoire, Croatia, Curacao, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France (including Guadeloupe), French Guiana, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherland Antilles, Netherlands (including Bonaire), New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Reunion, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Samoa, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa, South Korea, South Sudan, Spain, Sri Lanka, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Turks & Caicos, UAE, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican City, Venezuela, Vietnam, Western Sahara, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

** China, North Korea, Iran, Burma, Cuba, Sudan and Syria.