The Huawei GR5 (KII‑L21/L22/L23/L05/L33) is a 5.5‑inch mid‑range phone based on the Snapdragon 616, while the GR5 2017 (BLL‑L21/L22, codename Berlin) upgrades to a Kirin 655 with a sharper dual‑camera and larger 3340 mAh battery.
Over time, owners report bootloops after failed updates, heavy lag when storage is nearly full, fast battery drain, and network problems caused by flashing the wrong regional build.
The official stock ROMs and board packages below let you move safely from EMUI 3.1 Lollipop to EMUI 4.x/5.x, restore soft‑bricked phones, and return unstable devices to a clean, factory‑correct state.
Huawei GR5 / GR5 2017 Firmware Details
| Device Names | Huawei GR5 (2015, Snapdragon 616); Huawei GR5 2017 / Berlin (Kirin 655) |
|---|---|
| Model Identifiers | GR5: KII‑L21, KII‑L22, KII‑L23, KII‑L05, KII‑L33 (dual‑SIM LTE variants). GR5 2017: BLL‑L21, BLL‑L22 (dual‑SIM Kirin 655). |
| Chipsets | GR5: Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 MSM8939v2, Adreno 405 GPU. GR5 2017: HiSilicon Kirin 655, Mali‑T830 MP2 GPU. |
| Android / EMUI Range | GR5 KII‑Lxx: Android 5.1 / EMUI 3.1 → Android 6.0.1 / EMUI 4.0 / 4.0.2. GR5 2017 BLL‑Lxx: Android 6.0 / EMUI 4.1 → Android 7.0 / EMUI 5.0.x. |
| Main User‑Reported Issues | Bootloops after failed updates, phones stuck on logo, severe lag and “memory full”, fast battery drain and slow charging, random reboots and unstable network after cross‑region flashing. |
| What These Firmwares Fix | Restore stock system and modem, repair corrupted partitions on KII‑L23/L33, upgrade MEA/APAC GR5 units to stable EMUI 4.0.2, and bring GR5 2017 BLL‑L21/L22 to mature EMUI 5.0.x builds with refreshed security and better RAM management. |
| File Types Included | Dload de>UPDATE.APP packages, HMT/board software images for KII‑L23/L33, Qualcomm QFIL 9008 package, and one BLL‑L22 OTA ZIP for in‑place upgrades. |
| Flashing Tools / Methods | Huawei SD‑card dload method for most KII‑ and BLL‑ firmwares; Huawei Smartphone Multi Download / QPST–QFIL / QFlash for KII‑L23/L33 board & 9008 packages; OTA / ADB sideload for the BLL‑L22 OTA ZIP. |
| Bootloader Status | All files are official stock; they assume a locked or relocked bootloader and restore Huawei’s original partitions and recovery for the target CUST. |
| Regions Covered | Taiwan / APAC (C636), Philippines Smart (C81), MEA & Africa (C185), Canada Rogers (C654), generic C900 board images (West Europe, Chile), Russia (C10), and Southeast Asia C636 for GR5 2017. |
Download Official Firmware for Huawei GR5 / GR5 2017
| Filename | File Size | Build Version | Android / EMUI | Flashing Type | Target Variant / Region | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KII-L22_C636B320CUSTC636D004_Firmware_Taiwan_Android 6.0.1_EMUI 4.0_05013MCS.zip | 1.58 GB | KII‑L22 C636B320 (CUSTC636D004) | Android 6.0.1 / EMUI 4.0 | Dload / SD‑card | Huawei GR5 KII‑L22, Taiwan / APAC C636 | Download C636B320 (Google Drive) |
| KII-L22_C81B130CUSTC81D003_Firmware_Philippines_Smart_Android 5.1.1_EMUI 3.1_05013TVA.zip | 1.5 GB | KII‑L22 C81B130 (CUSTC81D003) | Android 5.1.1 / EMUI 3.1 | Dload / SD‑card | GR5 KII‑L22 Smart Philippines branded C81 | Download C81B130 (Google Drive) |
| Huawei_GR5_Firmware_KII-L21_Android5.1_EMUI3.1_C185B130CUSTC185D002_Kenya_Channel-Others.zip | 1.45 GB | KII‑L21 C185B130 (CUSTC185D002) | Android 5.1 / EMUI 3.1 | Dload / SD‑card | GR5 KII‑L21 Kenya / MEA Channel‑Others C185 | Download C185B130 (Google Drive) |
| Huawei_GR5_KII-L23_C900B076_Board_Software_West_European_Chile_Android_5.1.1_EMUI_3.1_05021UMR_HMT.zip | 743 MB | KII‑L23 C900B076 (Board) | Android 5.1.1 / EMUI 3.1 (board) | Board / HMT tool | GR5 KII‑L23 West Europe & Chile deep‑unbrick | Download KII‑L23 Board (Google Drive) |
| KII-L21_C185B321CUSTC185D001_Firmware_MEA_Nonspecific_Android 6.0.1_EMUI 4.0.2_05013LEV.rar | 1.37 GB | KII‑L21 C185B321 (CUSTC185D001) | Android 6.0.1 / EMUI 4.0.2 | Dload / SD‑card | GR5 KII‑L21 Middle East & Africa multi‑country C185 | Download C185B321 (Google Drive) |
| Huawei_GR5_BLL-L21_C10B383_EMUI5.0.1_05014CYS_Dload.zip | 1.62 GB | BLL‑L21 C10B383 | Android 7.0 / EMUI 5.0.1 | Dload / SD‑card | GR5 2017 BLL‑L21 Russia C10 EMUI 5.0.1 | Download BLL‑L21 C10B383 (Google Drive) |
| BLL-L21C185B376.zip | 1.6 GB | BLL‑L21 C185B376 | Android 7.0 / EMUI 5.0.x | Dload / SD‑card | GR5 2017 BLL‑L21 MEA/NAF C185 earlier EMUI 5 build | Download C185B376 (AndroidFileHost) |
| Huawei_GR5_Firmware_KII-L05_Android 6.0.1_EMUI 4.0_C654B330_Canada_Rogers.zip | 1.63 GB | KII‑L05 C654B330 | Android 6.0.1 / EMUI 4.0 | Dload / SD‑card | GR5 KII‑L05 Canada Rogers carrier ROM | Download C654B330 (Google Drive) |
| Huawei_GR5_KII-L33_C900B076_Board_Software_Chile_Nonspecific_Android_5.1.1_EMUI_3.1_05021WXE_HMT.zip | 743 MB | KII‑L33 C900B076 (Board) | Android 5.1.1 / EMUI 3.1 (board) | Board / HMT | GR5 KII‑L33 Chile nonspecific board software | Download KII‑L33 Board (Google Drive) |
| Huawei_GR5_2017_BLL-L22_B167_C636B167_6.0_OTA.zip | 1.87 GB | BLL‑L22 C636B167 (OTA) | Android 6.0 / EMUI 4.1 | OTA / local update | GR5 2017 BLL‑L22 Southeast Asia C636 baseline Marshmallow | Download BLL‑L22 C636B167 OTA (Google Drive) |
| Huawei_GR5_KII-L33_C900B076_Chile_EMUI_3.1_05021WXE_5.1.1_QFIL.zip | 743 MB | KII‑L33 C900B076 (QFIL) | Android 5.1.1 / EMUI 3.1 | QFIL / 9008 | GR5 KII‑L33 Chile emergency Qualcomm EDL unbrick | Download KII‑L33 QFIL (Google Drive) |
| Huawei_GR5_2017_BLL-22_EMUI4.1_C636B150_Southern_East_Asia_6.0_Dload.zip | 1.89 GB | BLL‑L22 C636B150 | Android 6.0 / EMUI 4.1 | Dload / SD‑card | GR5 2017 BLL‑L22 Southern East Asia C636 factory base | Download C636B150 (Google Drive) |
| Huawei_GR5_BLL-L21_Berlin-L21_C10B383_EMUI5.0.1_05014CYS_Dload.zip | 1.62 GB | BLL‑L21 C10B383 (Berlin) | Android 7.0 / EMUI 5.0.1 | Dload / SD‑card | GR5 2017 BLL‑L21 Russia C10 EMUI 5 final | Download Berlin C10B383 (Google Drive) |
Flashing Requirements
- Windows PC or laptop with Huawei USB drivers installed, plus Qualcomm QPST/QFIL for KII‑L33 QFIL and KII‑L23/L33 board images.
- FAT32‑formatted microSD card (8–32 GB) and a good USB cable for all Dload‑based KII‑ and BLL‑ firmwares.
- Battery charged to at least 60 % to avoid shutdown and further partition damage while updating.
- Exact match between your device’s model/CUST (for example KII‑L21 C185, KII‑L22 C636, BLL‑L21 C10, BLL‑L22 C636) and the chosen firmware.
- Basic familiarity with EMUI recovery, Qualcomm EDL/9008 mode and backing up personal data before any flash.
How to Flash the Firmware
Fast overview – Huawei Dload method (most KII‑ & BLL‑ packages)
- Extract the downloaded firmware until you see a de>dload folder containing de>UPDATE.APP.
- Copy the entire de>dload folder to the root of a FAT32 microSD card and insert it into your powered‑off GR5 / GR5 2017.
- Hold Volume Up + Volume Down + Power together until the EMUI update screen appears and the percentage bar starts to move.
- Wait patiently for the installation to finish and the phone to reboot; do not remove the battery, SD card or cable during the process.
- After first boot, leave the phone idle for a few minutes so EMUI can optimize apps and stabilize performance.
Quick steps – QFIL / 9008 board repair (KII‑L33 QFIL, KII‑L23/L33 board)
- Install Qualcomm drivers and QFIL, then boot the GR5 into EDL/9008 mode (usually via key combo or test‑point).
- Load the KII‑L33 or KII‑L23 QFIL package, selecting the proper programmer and rawprogram/XML files.
- Connect the phone; verify it appears as a Qualcomm HS‑USB QDLoader 9008 port on your PC.
- Click “Download” in QFIL to write all required partitions and wait until the operation completes successfully.
- Reboot the phone; if it boots, you can later move to a newer Dload firmware such as C185B321 or C636B320.
Quick steps – OTA / local update (BLL‑L22 C636B167)
- Copy the OTA ZIP to your phone’s internal storage (or SD card) without extracting it.
- From Settings or EMUI recovery, choose “Local update” / “Apply update from SD card” and select the OTA ZIP.
- Confirm to start the update and keep the device charged and stable until it reboots.
- If the update fails, revert to a matching Dload base (such as BLL‑L22 C636B150) and retry.
- After updating, verify that VoLTE, SIMs and network bands still work correctly in your region.
For full, picture‑rich tutorials, follow the official Huawei dload guide for SD‑card updates, and the Qualcomm QFIL / QPST and OTA sideload guides for EDL and ZIP‑based flashing: Huawei devices (dload method), Qualcomm QFIL EDL guide, QPST flashing guide, and manual OTA/ADB sideload guide.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What problems can these GR5 / GR5 2017 firmwares fix?
They are mainly used to fix bootloops, devices stuck on the Huawei logo, heavy lag from corrupt system files, and network issues caused by failed or unofficial ROM flashes, by restoring clean stock EMUI builds.
How do I know which file is compatible with my phone?
Open Settings > About phone and note both the model (KII‑L21/L22/L23/L05/L33 or BLL‑L21/L22) and the CUST code (for example C185, C636, C81, C654, C10). Only choose firmware whose model and CUST match exactly.
Will flashing these ROMs erase my data?
Yes. Dload, QFIL and board/HMT flashes can perform a full wipe and sometimes re‑partition storage, so always back up internal storage and your SD card before starting any firmware operation.
Can I cross‑flash between KII‑Lxx and BLL‑Lxx models?
No. GR5 (KII‑Lxx, Snapdragon) and GR5 2017 (BLL‑Lxx, Kirin) are completely different platforms. Cross‑flashing between them, or forcing a different CUST region, risks hard‑bricking, IMEI loss and broken SIM support.
My phone still bootloops after flashing – what next?
First, confirm you used the correct model/CUST firmware and that the flash reached 100 %. If problems persist, try a matching board or QFIL package (where available), or seek hardware diagnosis for possible eMMC or power‑IC faults.
Does updating to EMUI 4 or 5 improve performance and battery?
On many GR5 units, moving from EMUI 3.1 Lollipop to the official EMUI 4.0.2 Marshmallow build improves stability, memory management and power‑saving, while EMUI 5 on GR5 2017 brings smoother multitasking and newer security patches.
