ScreenTune Recovery Options, Least Disruptive First
Recovery runs from least to most disruptive: REMOVE from the ScreenTune USB, support-assisted recovery, a full firmware reflash, then mail-in or in-person service. Start at the step that matches the symptom in the decision table.
Match the symptom to a recovery step
Section titled “Match the symptom to a recovery step”| Symptom | Recovery |
|---|---|
| A selected ScreenTune change is missing or misbehaving | REPAIR with the ScreenTune USB |
| You no longer want ScreenTune | REMOVE |
| Restarts or a black screen after a ScreenTune action | Boot loop after installing. Contact support before any factory reset or reflash. |
| SCREENTUNE INSTALL ERROR after INSTALL, UPDATE, REPAIR, or REMOVE | An action failed: send support the zipped USB and wait for a reply |
| REMOVE finished, but ScreenTune behavior remains | Support-assisted recovery |
| Dealer visit or sale | Selling the car or visiting a dealer |
| Used car with unknown modification history | Full firmware reflash |
| You want guaranteed factory software | Full firmware reflash |
| Restarts with no recent ScreenTune action | Mazda Connect keeps rebooting |
| The unit will not read a USB drive at all | Mail-in or in-person recovery service |
Record the current state first
Section titled “Record the current state first”Before any recovery step, photograph Settings → System → About, the Applications list, and whether CarPlay or Android Auto works. Compare with the photos from before your first install.
Keep the power stable. Keep the engine running, or connect a battery maintainer if the vehicle is off. If power was lost during a ScreenTune action, see power lost during the action.
1. REMOVE with the ScreenTune USB
Section titled “1. REMOVE with the ScreenTune USB”Best for: a ScreenTune install you want gone, or a dealer visit when ScreenTune is the only modification the CMU has had.
REMOVE restores the first-install baseline, deletes what ScreenTune added, and leaves the firmware version unchanged. The unit must boot far enough to show the ScreenTune prompt. The baseline is factory only if the car was stock at the first install; only a full firmware reflash guarantees factory software. Steps and checks are in Remove ScreenTune.
2. Support-assisted recovery
Section titled “2. Support-assisted recovery”Best for: a boot loop after a ScreenTune action, a failed REMOVE, an interrupted install, or any state you cannot explain.
Send support the items in get help, including the contents of the
ScreenTune USB as a ZIP. The USB holds screentune.log and a system snapshot from each run,
which usually shows support which step applies.
Ask before you reflash. A reflash erases the CMU’s own logs and the changed files support would otherwise inspect.
3. Full firmware reflash
Section titled “3. Full firmware reflash”Best for: unknown prior modifications, dealer preparation when the history is unknown, returning to guaranteed factory software, or when support recommends it.
A full reflash writes a correct-region Mazda firmware .up package over the operating
system:
- Overwrites the entire root filesystem and returns the software to factory state
- Removes every modification, including ScreenTune, legacy MZD-AIO tweaks, and manual edits
- Clears Bluetooth pairings and audio presets
- Needs about an hour with the car
Miatafy does not ship Mazda firmware. You supply the .up image from a dealer or Mazda
update channel, your own backup, or another lawful source. See
firmware recovery for requirements and the
firmware update procedure for the steps.
A reflash needs a working USB update path. A boot-level or failsafe-level fault can leave the unit unable to read the USB at all, which no firmware file fixes.
To use ScreenTune again after a reflash, contact support before you reuse the USB. See after a firmware update.
4. Mail-in or in-person recovery service
Section titled “4. Mail-in or in-person recovery service”Best for: a unit that never reaches the USB update path, or anything the steps above did not resolve.
If REMOVE and a USB reflash both fall short, or the unit will not read a USB drive, the fault is below the USB update layer. Miatafy offers mail-in and in-person recovery service for this case. Contact support to arrange it before taking the CMU to a dealer.
Legacy MZD-AIO tweaks need their own removal
Section titled “Legacy MZD-AIO tweaks need their own removal”REMOVE does not undo MZD-AIO changes that were on the CMU before ScreenTune. It leaves
MZD-AIO’s opera.ini and fps.js alone. To clear them:
- Run the MZD-AIO uninstaller if you still have it, or
- Do a full firmware reflash.
If the history is unknown, reflash to get a known baseline. See ScreenTune vs MZD-AIO.
A factory reset is not a reinstall
Section titled “A factory reset is not a reinstall”Settings → System → Factory Reset clears user data such as Bluetooth pairings, presets, and favorites. It does not touch system files, so it does not remove ScreenTune, MZD-AIO, or any other modification, and it does not repair a broken install. A firmware reflash is the step that rewrites the system.
FORScan changes live in other modules
Section titled “FORScan changes live in other modules”A firmware reflash does not reset FORScan changes. Those live in the vehicle’s body and cluster control modules, not the CMU.