How to install a ROM on Android

Do you want to change Android OS? Give your phone a new lease of life? So do you want to install a ROM? Install a third party ROM on your Android phone or tablet it can be one of the best ways to give it a new life, especially if it is a relatively old device, which has already stopped receiving system updates from its manufacturer.

However, there are many mobile device owners who they don’t dare install ROMs on their devices, either out of ignorance, because they believe it is a very difficult or more dangerous process than it actually is.

The reality is that installing a custom ROM on Android is a simpler process than it seems. In this guide we explain how to do it step by step.

How to Install Custom Rom on Android

Obviously, before proceeding with the installation of a ROM it is necessary take into account some requirements. The first is the need to download one ROM compatible with your device. To do this, we recommend that you take a look at ours list of the best custom ROMs for android, which offer versions for a large number of models of different brands.

Also, in the vast majority of cases we will need to unlock the bootloader. To do this, we recommend that you take a look at ours guide to unlock the bootloader of any android device.

You will also need to have a custom recovery installed and, for some procedures, it will be almost mandatory to have a computer at your fingertips with the ADB drivers installed. When you meet all the requirements, you can continue.

How to install Android ROM with ADB Sideload

ADB Sideload is one of the best methods to install a ROM and also one of the least used. It is fast, safe, efficient, does not take up memory on your phone …

Using TWRP Recovery has become very standardized due to its compatibility with a large number of devices of all kinds, and many have already left the command console aside, however, this is still an extremely useful and convenient tool that can get you out of it. from many troubles.

Even so, second present that you still need to have a custom recovery installed to be able to install a ROM in this way, unless your intention is to install an official factory OTA or image provided and signed by the manufacturer of the device itself.

The main advantage of a custom recovery is that you don’t need a computer to perform operations like installing a ROM, only for the first time you install it and, in some cases, not even that.

On subsequent occasions, you just need to download the ROM from the mobile itself and install it. But what if your internal memory gets corrupted? Or, if you have never changed the ROM, wouldn’t it be more convenient to install it directly from the PC, without occupying the internal memory of the device?

We will explain to you how a ROM is installed by ADB Sideload, since it is extremely simple:

1. The first thing to do is download the ROM package you want to install on your mobile phone and store it in an accessible place on your computer.
2. Now connect your device to the computer with debug USB abilitato and, via a command window, execute the instruction “adb devices” . If the serial number of the terminal is displayed, everything is correct and you can continue.
3. Turn off the phone and manually start the TWRP recovery mode, di usually holding down the power and volume buttons whilepower on, or via the command “adb reboot recovery” .
4. Navigating through the volume keys, we need to position ourselves above the option “Advanced”, then select the “ADB Sideload” option.
5. On your computer, open a command window and type the instruction “adb sideload [ARCHIVO ROM].zip_ ”**, where [ARCHIVO ROM] is the path to the downloaded update file. If everything is correct, the installation process will begin.
6. Once done, you can reboot your device or do whatever else you think is appropriate.

How to install a ROM with TWRP Recovery

If you want instead use the modified recovery already installed on your device, the process is much shorter and easier. You just have to make sure that you have a modified recovery and that you have the ROM in the internal memory of the device.

Important | In some cases, the ROM installation process itself will completely format our device’s internal memory to perform a “clean install”. However, it is also advisable format the device by yourself via the “wide data / factory reset” options in recovery. Either way, it’s better have a full backup handy in so you don’t lose any data.

1. Download the ROM: on the platform’s official website, download the corresponding ROM package for your device and store it in the internal memory of your Android phone or tablet. You may also need to download the package Google Apps.
2. Boot your device into recovery mode: To install the ROM, you will need to have a modified recovery such as TWRP, which will have been installed previously. To access this menu, the most common is having to hold the Volume Down + Power buttons for 5 seconds when the phone is off.
3. Install the ROM: in recovery, access the “Install” menu. Select the option corresponding to “Install zip from archive / sdcard”, and in the file explorer that will appear, find and select the ROM package you downloaded in the first step. Once the installation is complete, it would be time to install the Google Apps.

In this way, you have installed the new custom ROM on your device. While we have not included this in the procedure, in some cases it may be advised to perform a “Wipe” of the different partitions of the system, such as Cache or Data. However, it will depend on whether the ROM is being installed for the first time or whether it is an incremental update. For this reason, once again we recommend that you inquire on the official website of the ROM you intend to install.

Another aspect to take into consideration is that although this ROM installation guide will work on the vast majority of current devices, in some it will be necessary to resort to specific tools such as Samsung’s Odin or Xiaomi Mi Flash Tool.