How to update the EV3 firmware

How to update the firmware on the EV3 using the LEGO MINDSTORMS Education EV3 software:

EV3 update

  1. First, make sure that the EV3 is on and connected to the computer.
  2. Under Tools on the menu at the top of the screen, choose Firmware Update.
    A pop-up window will appear, showing you the current firmware on the EV3 and the version(s) available for download to the EV3.
  3. Select the firmware version you wish to use (probably the most recent one) and click Download.
  4. The EV3screen will go blank. As the firmware download progresses, the Preparing EV3 Brick and Downloading bars will chart its progress. Once the download is complete, a pop-up window will say “Firmware update successful!”
  5. Close both pop-up windows. Your EV3 firmware is now ready to use.
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Barbara Bratzel

Barbara Bratzel

Barbara teaches at the Shady Hill School in Cambridge, Massachusetts and works at the Center for Engineering and Education Outreach at Tufts University. She is the author of several LEGO robotics activity books for teachers, most recently STEM by Design.
Barbara Bratzel

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4 thoughts on “How to update the EV3 firmware

  1. During the process of updating, my brother unplugged the chord from the Lego Mindstorm ev3. The brick turned a reddish color and it says: starting, and is continuing to do nothing. Also when I tried to finish updating it doesnt detect the brick. Help!

    1. Hi,

      You can try a manual update (instructions quoted below). Hope this helps!

      If for some reason your EV3 Brick stops working during the firmware
      update process, you will need to manually update the firmware by
      doing the following (the EV3 Brick still needs a USB connection to
      your computer):

      1. Hold down the Back, Center, and Right buttons on the EV3 Brick.
      2. When the EV3 Brick restarts, release the Back button.
      3. When the screen says โ€œUpdating,โ€ release the Center and Right
      buttons and click the Download button in the Firmware Update
      tool. The firmware will be downloaded to your EV3 Brick, which
      will restart itself.

      If the manual firmware update does not make your EV3 Brick work
      the first time, repeat the manual update process.

  2. I can’t find the firmware update tool in the EV3 software. Where can I find it? Are there any pictures of it anywhere?

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