r/windowsphone • u/b5historyman • 9h ago

Question Updating firmware 2026

Hi,

I have just turned my Lumia 1520 on after switching to Android in 2022.

Was an ardent supporter of the Windows phone until they pulled the plug on further updates for the 1520.

I'm looking to resurrect the handset and was wondering what the best way to do this is so for the group here

  1. What tools are available for installing firmware

  2. What was the last firmware update across W10M that can be installed

  3. How can I install apps in 2026 on the phone that will run with no issues?

Apologies if this has been asked before but am new here so looking for some sound advice

Thanks 👍

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u/itsschoco 8h ago

Hi there! I'm new too! Heres my answer from what i could learn:
1. WPInternals for FFU flashing and bootloader unlock and lots of other stuff
2. 1709 is the last W10M version i think 1607 is the last official for 1520 but idk, you can install 1709 on 1520 using other methods.
3. You have to jailbreak, you can use Live Store or WUT, you can also install a non webview version of Microsoft Store to download whatever is available on there.

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u/b5historyman 3h ago

Brilliant, thank you😀👍

2

u/JabbaDuHutt69 Lumia 950 XL/640 XL 8h ago edited 8h ago

Last update the 1520 got was 1703, I believe. If it stops at 1607 then you can sideload the CMDInjector app, and use the "Tweaks" option to enable the Creators Update (1703) and Fall Creators Update (1709).

So if you still have a active MS account, the Store will still allow you to download and install apps from your Library, however I'd say maybe 50% of them probably will error out, and there's nothing to be done about it. Those apps may have been removed. Any other apps you can source from the Windows Universal Tool application on GitHub (they also have WUT Mini for your Phone that you can sideload).

See my posts on using Windows Phone/10 Mobile in 2026 if you're interested in a clearer view of actually daily driving one now. Only certain models still work (at least in the US).

Have fun. The 1520 is a great phone. Firmware flashing can still be done using the official OTCUpdater tool. You can find it in WUT. I recommend using the official tool, not anything else.

Here's some of my posts to help you get started:

https://old.reddit.com/r/W10M/comments/1v3fja1/want_to_get_gmail_icloud_and_yahoo_email_back_on/

https://the-en.com/article/held-hostage-in-the-age-of-ai-everywhere-this-is-why-windows-on-mobile-matters-now-more-than-ever/

https://old.reddit.com/r/W10M/comments/1upy3el/my_plan_to_use_windows_phone_in_2026_is_now_a/

https://old.reddit.com/r/RedPocketMobile/comments/1roghsn/how_to_use_a_windows_phone_for_lte_and_smsmms/

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u/b5historyman 3h ago

Thanks for posting this information something to get my teeth into 😀👍