How to install a custom ROM on Android – Easy Steps

Of all the ways you can customize an Android smartphone, installing a custom ROM is by far the most important. It can upgrade an old device, let you focus on privacy and security, or just give your phone a whole new look. It’s a pretty hands-off process, but it’s also pretty easy as long as you follow the instructions, so let’s see how to install a custom ROM.

Why install a custom ROM?

The ability to use custom ROMs is one of the great joys of Android. A custom ROM contains a completely new version of the Android operating system. Being able to install, or flash as it’s called, a ROM offers huge advantages.

• If your phone no longer receives updates from the manufacturer, you can use a ROM to get the latest version of Android.
• For phones with heavily custom software, you can install a ROM that gives you something closer to the “stock” Android experience.
• If you like the features of other manufacturers’ devices, you can often find ROMs that port them to yours.
• If your phone is slow or low on battery, you can find ROMs that are optimized for speed or power consumption.
• You can also get ungoogled ROMs that put more emphasis on protecting your privacy.

Before you start

You need to do a bit of preparation before you can get started. For the purposes of this guide, we’re going to assume you already have all of these things in place.

• You need a custom recovery. It is a small piece of software used to create a backup and flash a ROM. In this guide, we will be using TWRP. Often a custom recovery will be installed upon rooting.
• You need an unlocked bootloader. Most phones come with a locked bootloader and you need to unlock it before you can overwrite system files.
• Enable USB debugging. You can find the option to enable USB debugging in the settings panel. developer options on your smartphone.
• disable security. It’s a good idea to disable security settings before flashing a ROM, especially if you’re using a fingerprint scanner.
• Make a backup of your data. We’ll create a full backup during the upgrade process, but it’s also a good idea to back up your data using the app. Titanium backup. This requires root.
• Charge your phone or plug it in. You really don’t want your phone to run out of power in the middle of a ROM update.

You can also prepare by reviewing these common issues to be aware of when installing a custom ROM.

Download custom ROM

You also need a custom ROM, here it is important that you make sure you have one that is compatible with the exact model of your smartphone.

Obviously you’re not going to do anything as stupid as trying to flash a Motorola ROM on a Samsung phone, but if you have the US version of a Samsung smartphone, it might be quite easy to download a ROM designed for the international version of the same device by error. Actually, these could be classified as different phones. Make sure you get the right one!

The ROM will be downloaded as a .zip file. Save it somewhere in your phone’s internal storage. With most ROMs, you may also need to download Google Apps (GApps) in a separate zip file. You will normally get links to these from where you download your ROM.

How to flash a custom ROM

The best way to flash a ROM is to do it manually through your custom recovery. Although some Play Store apps automate the process, the best ones have long since been discontinued, while others are of varying quality.

Manual focus gives you full control over the process, and if something goes wrong, it will be much easier for you to jailbreak your phone if you understand what you’re doing.

boot into recovery

So, let’s get started. Make sure TWRP is installed, then power off the phone and boot it into recovery. How to do this differs from phone to phone, but typically involves holding down a combination of the power button and volume buttons, then following the on-screen instructions.

flashes to rom

Once TWRP boots, you are ready to start flashing the ROM. Here are the steps:

1. Create a Nandroid backup. This is what you will use to restore your phone to its previous state or to recover from any issues. To go Back and select the partitions you want to save. You can include them all, since it is possible to select which parts to restore when the time comes.

2. Slide the bar to start, then wait several minutes for the backup process to complete.

3. Return to the home screen and select Erase. Slide the bar to reboot your smartphone (this will not wipe your internal storage). This step is optional, but not erasing your smartphone can cause errors with your ROM (this is called a dirty flash). You don’t have to erase if you update to a newer version of the same ROM.

4. Go back to the TWRP home screen and select install. Navigate to where you saved the ROM (the zip file).

5. Touch the zip file to select it, then slide the bar to start the installation. The process may take a few minutes.

6. When you’re done, repeat step five with the GApps zip if necessary.

7. Now restart your smartphone.

Don’t panic if it seems to get stuck on the boot screen, as the first boot after flashing a ROM usually takes a bit longer than usual.

After taking a Nandroid backup, you should always be able to restore it to get your phone up and running quickly.

Once your phone has rebooted, you’ll need to restore your data and apps (assuming you’ve cleared the data as shown above) and reconnect to all your services. it will work without any extra steps. Now you are ready to enjoy your new software.

Choose a ROM to start

All you need now is to find a decent ROM to try out. Lineage OS is the most popular and has official and unofficial versions for most devices. With its stock Android look and feel, it’s the best place to start for most people.

Otherwise, we recommend browsing the XDA forums for your specific device to find a good custom ROM. As long as you have a recent Nandroid backup handy, it’s okay to try multiple ROMs until you find the one that’s right for you.

Install a custom ROM

Installing a custom ROM might seem daunting at first, but once you understand the steps involved, it becomes second nature. Custom ROMs unlock your TV phone to a whole new world of customization, and they’re fun to play, too.

They could even save you money in the long run, since you can get operating system and security updates long after your phone is gone.

In this guide, you have learned how to install a custom ROM on your Android device. If you have any questions or suggestions, let us know in the comments. Also check this guide if you want to learn how to customize your home screen on android.