On an Android device, how to install a custom ROM

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 Installing a custom ROM is by far the most comprehensive approach to customise an Android phone. It might modernise an outdated smartphone, let you concentrate on privacy and security, or simply give your phone a completely another design.

While it is a somewhat hands-on operation, if you follow the directions, it is also fairly simple. So let's examine the process for installing a custom ROM.

Why Would I Put in a Custom ROM?

One of the best things about Android is the flexibility to utilise custom ROMs. An entirely new version of the Android operating system is contained in a custom ROM. The ability to install, or flash, a ROM has many advantages.

You can use a ROM to install the most recent version of Android on your phone if the manufacturer is no longer providing updates for it.

You can install a ROM on phones with significantly customised operating systems to get a more "stock" Android-like experience.

You can frequently find ROMs that transfer features from devices made by other manufacturers to yours if you like them.

It's possible to get ROMs that are optimised for speed or power consumption if your phone is sluggish or has a short battery life.

De-Googled ROMs are also available, which place a higher priority on maintaining your privacy.

Prior to starting

Before you begin, you need to do a little amount of preparation. We're going to assume for the purposes of this guide that you already have everything set up.

You require a unique recovery. This tiny piece of software is used to flash a ROM and create backups. TWRP will be used in this guide. When you root, a custom recovery is frequently deployed.

An unlocked bootloader is required. The majority of phones come with a locked bootloader, which must be unlocked in order to change the system files. If you haven't previously, we offer a guide on how to unlock the bootloader.

activating USB Debugging On your phone, the Developer settings window is where you may enable USB debugging.

Turn off security. Before flashing a ROM, it's a good idea to turn off your security settings, especially if you utilise a fingerprint scanner.

Make a data backup. Although a full backup will be made during the flashing procedure, the app Titanium Backup makes it simple to back up only your data. This calls for root.

Plug your phone in or charge it. Really, you don't want your phone to lose power in the middle of flashing a ROM.

Check out these typical problems to be aware of before installing a custom ROM to further prepare.

Get a Custom ROM.

Also required is a modified ROM. Here, it's crucial to make sure you choose one that is compatible with the precise model of your phone.

Obviously, you won't try to flash a Motorola ROM onto a Samsung phone, but if you have the US version of a Samsung phone, it could be very simple for you to unintentionally download a ROM intended for the international version of the same device. These could be considered to be different types of phones. Be sure to choose the appropriate one!

The download for the ROM will be a.zip file. On your phone's internal storage, save it anywhere. You may also need to download the Google apps (GApps) in a separate zip file with the majority of ROMs; you'll typically find links to these wherever you download your ROM.

ROM Flashing Procedures

Flashing ROMs manually with your custom recovery is the preferable method. While there are a few apps in the Play Store that can automate the process, the better ones have long since been dropped, and the others are of varied degrees of quality.

The manual method provides you complete control over the procedure, and if something goes wrong, knowing what you're doing will make it much simpler to fix your phone.

Into Recovery Mode

Therefore, let's begin. Before turning off your phone and entering recovery, make sure TWRP is installed. Each phone has a different method for doing this, but generally speaking, you hold down the power and volume keys together while doing so, then you follow any on-screen instructions.

Fire up the ROM

You can begin flashing the ROM as soon as TWRP has launched. the following steps:

Make a backup of your Nandroid. You can use this to fix any issues or to return your phone to its original state. Select the partitions you wish to save by going to Backup. As you may choose which components to restore when the moment is right, you can include them all.

Start by swiping the bar, then wait for the backup procedure to finish for a while.

Select Wipe on the home screen after returning there. To reset your phone, swipe the bar (internal storage will not be erased). Wiping your phone is optional, however failing to do so could result in ROM problems (this is called a dirty flash). Only if you're updating to a newer version of the same ROM should you avoid wiping.

Select Install when you are back to the TWRP home screen. Find the ROM's storage location by navigating there (the zip file).

To choose a zip file, tap it. To start installing, slide the bar. The procedure could take a short while.

If necessary, repeat step five with the GApps zip when it has finished.

Restart your phone now.

The first boot after flashing a ROM typically takes a little bit longer than usual, so don't be alarmed if it seems to get stuck on the boot screen.

If it eventually becomes clear that Android won't boot, check out our troubleshooting section for potential fixes. You should always be able to restore a Nandroid backup to quickly get your phone back up and running.

Once your phone has restarted, you'll need to connect back into all of your services and restore your data and apps (assuming you followed the above instructions to delete the data). Since most ROMs are already rooted, Titanium Backup will function without any additional procedures if you utilised it. You can now start enjoying your new software.

Choose a ROM to Start With

Now all you need to do is locate a reliable ROM to test. The most widely used operating system, LineageOS, provides both official and unofficial builds for the most gadgets. It's the ideal place to start for most folks because of its pure Android appearance.

If not, we advise looking through the XDA forums for your particular device to locate a solid custom ROM. Testing many ROMs until you find the one that works for you is harmless as long as you always have a recent Nandroid backup on hand.

Flash an alternate ROM

Although installing a custom ROM can initially seem difficult, if you know how to do it, it becomes second nature. Custom ROMs let you completely customise your phone, and they're entertaining to experiment with.

Given that you can continue to receive OS and security upgrades long after your phone has stopped receiving official support, they can even end up saving you money in the long term. If you need more justification to install a custom ROM on your Android handset, read on. Examine this list.