How To Install Android One On Any Phone

How to Install a Custom ROM on your Android Telephone to give it a fresh new look!

Every smartphone comes with a default ROM or UI pre-installed. Information technology can be AOSP-based with not a lot of added features, more commonly referred to as Stock Android, or it can be a custom skin from a particular make. 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 different and has a different set up of features.

While some may similar a certain UI or pare, others may non. Some users adopt a feature-rich interface with the ability to install themes and modify system elements while some may want a clean, simple 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 pare on your phone with the one you choose to install. For example, if you have a Xiaomi or Redmi phone running on MIUI merely yous don't like the interface, y'all can install a custom ROM that volition alter the UI to stock Android or something else you like.

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

At present that y'all know what a custom ROM can do, let'southward tell you how you can install it on your Android phone. Note that in that location's no universal custom ROM, although Project Treble somewhat materialized it by introducing the concept of the Generic Organization Image (GSI). While information technology is possible to install a GSI sprinkled with all the goodies from your favorite custom ROM, continue in mind that it may non offering yous the same level of stability and performance that you tin can get from a fine-tuned dedicated custom ROM for your device. So with all of this being said, you'll have to install a ROM that'due south specifically made for your phone. Failing to do so may effect in bricking your phone. You'll then have to find ways to recover it or have it to the service heart.

Note: Installing a custom ROM can void the warranty on some devices since it involves unlocking the bootloader. Proceed with circumspection every bit you tin can cause temporary/permanent harm to your device if you don't follow all the steps correctly.

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

Pre-requisites to Install a Custom ROM

There are certain things yous need before yous tin beginning installing a custom Android ROM on your telephone. Let'south go over all of them then your device is ready 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 name followed by "unlock bootloader" and you'll notice a guide. The process is different for every phone and so make certain you lot follow the ane specifically meant for your device.)
A custom recovery: TWRP is a good option, y'all can follow our detailed guide to install TWRP on your phone. However, some custom ROMs accept specific recommendations on the recovery you need to apply, then please follow that if such instructions are present.
A custom ROM zip file that yous want to install (again, head over to the XDA Forums and search for your device, get through all the bachelor ROMs, and cull the one yous want to install.)
- Please note once again that custom ROM installation instructions can and practice vary past device and ROM. If your ROM of choice comes with its own instructions, please follow them instead of this guide. This guide is a general listing of instructions and does not have into account any special device instructions.
GApps or Google Apps.
A fiddling chip of patience.

How to Install a Custom ROM

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

Step 0: Support your information

At that place'due south one more than thing you need to practice before starting the installation though, and that's to brand a backup of all your data. Nosotros have a detailed guide to aid you lot dorsum up every aspect of your phone's information and so make certain you practice that then it's like shooting fish in a barrel to restore your information one time you install a new ROM.

Step ane: Downloading the right ROM

As we mentioned earlier, the all-time way to do this is to caput over to the XDA Forums for your device and look for a ROM that best suits your needs. Custom ROMs are device-specific and so download a ROM that's fabricated specifically for your device. Also, there can exist multiple variants of the same device based on carrier, region, etc. so keep this in heed too. Locate the appropriate custom ROM for your exact device. If yous're not sure, ask about compatibility in the XDA Forums.

Once y'all've plant the ROM you lot want to install, download the zip file either on your calculator or on your telephone. Note that you will need to data wipe your phone in some of the later on steps, and so it is advisable to do the file transfer afterward on, afterward the data wipe — but ensure that your phone can connect to your computer and tin can receive files, only to exist clear that your device drivers are in place. After on, you volition demand to copy the ROM file to the root of your phone'due south internal storage. Don't extract the zilch file.

Stride 2: Downloading GApps or Google Apps

Custom ROMs do not come up with Google's apps and services pre-installed (with the exception of a few). And then if y'all desire to be able to sign in with your Google account and use Google's services similar Sync, Play Store, Gmail, Bulldoze, etc., you'll demand to install a separate GApps parcel. There are multiple variants of GApps yous can install. You can refer to our guide on finding the right Gapps package for y'all and download ane that's appropriate for you. This volition besides be in the form of a nothing file. Download and transfer information technology to your phone's internal storage. You lot can also install them right from your PC/Mac if y'all opt for the adb sideload method.

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

Step 3: Booting into TWRP

Once you've copied the ROM and GApps files to your phone's internal retentivity, it's time to boot into TWRP to flash the files. If yous're non familiar with booting into recovery mode on your phone, we take a guide telling you how to kicking into recovery on your phone so yous can follow that to kicking into TWRP. Once y'all're in TWRP, there are a few things you lot need to practise before installing the ROM which we'll become over in the next footstep.

Footstep iv: Installing the Custom ROM

Once you're in TWRP, it's a proficient idea to have a nandroid backup of your entire system before proceeding further. This can be useful in case y'all end up with a failed installation. You lot'll be able to boot into TWRP and restore the backup to get back to the previous country of your device.

To practise this, select the Fill-in option in TWRP and select Boot, System Paradigm, Data, Modem, and EFS, and so Swipe to fill-in. Await till it's done.

This pace will wipe your entire phone: Go dorsum to the chief carte du jour of TWRP and select Wipe. Then, Swipe to Manufacturing plant Reset. Select the Format Data choice and blazon in 'yeah' and select the tick mark to format your phone. Notation that formatting the /information partition will demand yous to reboot once so that TWRP can properly identify the newly created file system.

Moreover, since the internal memory of the device is wiped during formatting, yous must copy the ROM and GApps files in one case once again to your phone's storage.
- Y'all can do this from within TWRP itself. Head over to the Mount section and select the Enable MTP option.
- Now, connect your phone to your PC and it should be detected equally a storage device. Transfer the ROM and gapps files.

In one case done, get dorsum to the master carte du jour on TWRP and select Install. Browse to the location where you saved the ROM and GApps files. First, select the ROM and Swipe to Install it.
- Head back to the previous menu and select the GApps file. Install that as well. 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 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 kick upwards. It may take a while for the initial kicking procedure and so don't panic, your phone will boot into the setup procedure.

That's how y'all can install a custom Android ROM on your phone. It'south a fairly simple process and with a piddling bit of fourth dimension and patience, you can enjoy a fresh new ROM on your telephone with added features, customization, theming, and more than. If you installed a custom ROM and you don't like it or it has issues, just download a new ROM and echo the installation process.