Heimdall is a cross-platform open-source tool suite used to flash firmware (aka ROMs) onto Samsung mobile devices. Heimdall connects to a mobile device over USB and interacts with low-level software running on the device, known as Loke. Loke and Heimdall communicate via the custom Samsung-developed protocol typically referred to as the 'Odin 3 protocol'. USB communication in Heimdall is handled by the popular open-source USB library, libusb.
Publisher’s description
What is Heimdall?
Heimdall by Benjamin Dobell is open-source Windows software in the drivers & hardware category. It is written in C++.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides Portable installers for 32-bit Windows. It runs without installation (portable).
Popularity and file types
The source code on GitHub (Benjamin-Dobell/Heimdall) has 3,125 stars. Similar programs include Barrier, Dell Command | Update and Dokan Library.
Project description on GitHub: “Heimdall is a cross-platform open-source tool suite used to flash firmware (aka ROMs) onto Samsung Galaxy devices.”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Portable: runs without installation
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- 32-bit only
- No update for more than a year
- The official download link did not answer at the last check
In short: Heimdall is an open-source drivers & hardware tool for 32-bit PCs. Updates have slowed down.
Is Heimdall safe to download?
- The file is served by bitbucket.org; check that it is the publisher’s official mirror
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
5A117709470CA5B54B53142FEE0B29708AB84174EEE226FE90B1184A5787173A· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link did not answer when we last checked it (October 22, 2026)
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Recent versions
All 1 versions ›| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.4.0Latest | May 12, 2013 | — | 32-bit ZIP |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id BenjaminDobell.Heimdall -eRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Information
- Publisher
- Benjamin Dobell
- Category
- Drivers & hardware
- Licence
- MIT
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/Benjamin-Dobell/Heimdall
- Written in
- C++
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 32-bit
- Installer
- Portable
- Version
- 1.4.0
- Released
- May 12, 2013
- Added to the catalogue
- August 12, 2026
- Versions listed
- 1
- GitHub stars
- 3,125
- GitHub forks
- 647
- Website
- glassechidna.com.au
- winget ID
- BenjaminDobell.Heimdall
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Heimdall free?
Yes. Heimdall is open-source software under the MIT licence.
Is Heimdall safe to download?
The download comes from bitbucket.org; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install Heimdall with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Does Heimdall run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 32-bit version through emulation.
Can I use Heimdall without administrator rights?
Yes, it is portable: unpack and run it.
What are alternatives to Heimdall?
Barrier, Dell Command | Update, Dokan Library, Display Driver Uninstaller and g-helper. The alternatives page compares them.
