How To Install A New Android Os On A Phone

How to Install a Custom ROM on your Android Phone to requite it a fresh new expect!

Every smartphone comes with a default ROM or UI pre-installed. It can be AOSP-based with not a lot of added features, more commonly referred to every bit Stock Android, or information technology tin can be a custom skin from a particular brand. Samsung phones, for example, use a custom UX based on Android called OneUI. Xiaomi phones use MIUI, Oppo uses ColorOS, OnePlus uses OxygenOS, etc. Every UI looks unlike and has a different prepare of features.

While some may like a certain UI or peel, others may not. Some users prefer a feature-rich interface with the ability to install themes and change system elements while some may desire a clean, unproblematic experience with no frills. This is where installing a custom Android ROM comes into the picture.

A custom ROM essentially replaces the stock ROM or skin on your telephone with the one you choose to install. For example, if you lot have a Xiaomi or Redmi phone running on MIUI but you don't like the interface, you lot can install a custom ROM that volition alter the UI to stock Android or something else y'all similar.

In that location are multiple benefits to installing a custom Android ROM. If the UI y'all're currently using has a lot of ads or bloatware, you can install a custom ROM to go rid of them. If your telephone's OEM has stopped updating your device and you lot're stuck on an older Android version, you can use a custom ROM based on a newer version of Android. If yous like a dissimilar OEM's UI and want to try it on your telephone, you tin install a custom ROM.

Now that you know what a custom ROM can do, let'due south tell you how you tin install it on your Android phone. Note that there's no universal custom ROM, although Project Treble somewhat materialized information technology by introducing the concept of the Generic Organisation Image (GSI). While it is possible to install a GSI sprinkled with all the goodies from your favorite custom ROM, keep in mind that information technology may not offer you the same level of stability and performance that you can get from a fine-tuned dedicated custom ROM for your device. And so with all of this beingness said, you'll have to install a ROM that's specifically made for your telephone. Failing to do so may outcome in bricking your phone. You lot'll then have to observe means to recover it or accept it to the service center.

Notation: Installing a custom ROM tin void the warranty on some devices since it involves unlocking the bootloader. Keep with caution as y'all can cause temporary/permanent harm to your device if yous don't follow all the steps correctly.

Sometimes, installation instructions can accept some variations depending on your device. These are generic instructions. Please double-cheque with your device forums for variations.

Pre-requisites to Install a Custom ROM

There are certain things yous need before you can outset installing a custom Android ROM on your phone. Let's go over all of them so your device is fix for the installation process.

An Android device.
An unlocked bootloader (if you don't know how to unlock the bootloader of your phone, head over to the XDA Forums and search for your device proper noun followed by "unlock bootloader" and you lot'll find a guide. The procedure is different for every phone so brand sure you follow the i specifically meant for your device.)
A custom recovery: TWRP is a good option, yous tin follow our detailed guide to install TWRP on your telephone. However, some custom ROMs take specific recommendations on the recovery y'all need to use, then please follow that if such instructions are nowadays.
A custom ROM nil file that you desire to install (once again, caput over to the XDA Forums and search for your device, get through all the available ROMs, and cull the ane y'all desire to install.)
- Please note again that custom ROM installation instructions can and practice vary by device and ROM. If your ROM of pick comes with its own instructions, please follow them instead of this guide. This guide is a full general list of instructions and does not accept into business relationship any special device instructions.
GApps or Google Apps.
A little fleck of patience.

How to Install a Custom ROM

Now you have everything ready to install a custom ROM, we can begin the process.

Pace 0: Back up your data

There'south one more thing you need to do before starting the installation though, and that's to brand a fill-in of all your data. We take a detailed guide to assistance you back up every aspect of your phone'south data so make certain you do that so information technology'southward easy to restore your information once you install a new ROM.

Pace 1: Downloading the correct ROM

As we mentioned before, the all-time manner to do this is to caput over to the XDA Forums for your device and await for a ROM that best suits your needs. Custom ROMs are device-specific so download a ROM that's fabricated specifically for your device. Also, there can be multiple variants of the same device based on carrier, region, etc. then go along this in mind too. Locate the appropriate custom ROM for your exact device. If you're not sure, enquire well-nigh compatibility in the XDA Forums.

Once you've constitute the ROM you want to install, download the nil file either on your figurer or on your phone. Note that you lot will demand to data wipe your telephone in some of the later on steps, so information technology is appropriate to do the file transfer subsequently on, after the data wipe — simply ensure that your phone tin connect to your calculator and can receive files, just to be articulate that your device drivers are in place. After, you will demand to copy the ROM file to the root of your phone's internal storage. Don't excerpt the zip file.

Pace ii: Downloading GApps or Google Apps

Custom ROMs do not come with Google'southward apps and services pre-installed (with the exception of a few). And then if you desire to exist able to sign in with your Google business relationship and use Google'due south services like Sync, Play Shop, Gmail, Drive, etc., you'll demand to install a separate GApps package. There are multiple variants of GApps you can install. Y'all tin refer to our guide on finding the right Gapps package for you and download one that'due south advisable for yous. This will also be in the course of a zip file. Download and transfer it to your phone's internal storage. You can too install them right from your PC/Mac if yous opt for the adb sideload method.

Note: Some custom ROMs like Pixel Feel come up with GApps pre-installed. In such cases, you don't have to flash the GApps file separately.

Pace iii: Booting into TWRP

In one case you've copied the ROM and GApps files to your phone's internal retention, it's time to boot into TWRP to wink the files. If yous're not familiar with booting into recovery mode on your phone, we have a guide telling you how to boot into recovery on your phone and then you can follow that to boot into TWRP. One time you're in TWRP, there are a few things y'all need to practise before installing the ROM which nosotros'll go over in the side by side footstep.

Step four: Installing the Custom ROM

Once you're in TWRP, it's a expert idea to accept a nandroid fill-in of your unabridged system before proceeding farther. This tin can exist useful in example you end up with a failed installation. You lot'll be able to boot into TWRP and restore the backup to go back to the previous state of your device.

To exercise this, select the Backup pick in TWRP and select Boot, Organisation Image, Data, Modem, and EFS, so Swipe to backup. Wait till it's washed.

This step will wipe your entire telephone: Go back to the main menu of TWRP and select Wipe. Then, Swipe to Factory Reset. Select the Format Information option and type in 'yes' and select the tick mark to format your phone. Annotation that formatting the /data sectionalization will need you to reboot once so that TWRP tin properly identify the newly created file organisation.

Moreover, since the internal retentiveness of the device is wiped during formatting, you must re-create the ROM and GApps files once again to your phone's storage.
- Yous tin can do this from inside TWRP itself. Head over to the Mount section and select the Enable MTP option.
- At present, connect your phone to your PC and information technology should be detected as a storage device. Transfer the ROM and gapps files.

Once done, become back to the main menu on TWRP and select Install. Browse to the location where y'all saved the ROM and GApps files. Beginning, select the ROM and Swipe to Install it.
- Head back to the previous carte and select the GApps file. Install that likewise. Once the installation is complete, select Reboot to System.
- If your installation does not boot with this sequence of steps, you may need to flash/install the ROM, reboot dorsum into recovery, and so wink the GApps file. This additional reboot is needed in some cases.

You now have a custom Android ROM installed on your phone! Wait for your phone to boot up. It may take a while for the initial boot process so don't panic, your phone will boot into the setup process.

That's how you can install a custom Android ROM on your telephone. It's a fairly unproblematic process and with a little fleck of time and patience, you lot can enjoy a fresh new ROM on your phone with added features, customization, theming, and more than. If you installed a custom ROM and you don't similar it or it has issues, just download a new ROM and repeat the installation process.