Your phone comes with an operating system installed. In most cases, this is Android, but you might not have the most recent version on your phone or tablet.
While you can blame your wireless carrier or device manufacturer for this, you don't have to wait for an update. Instead, you can flash a custom ROM running the latest Android version. It's like installing a new operating system on your PC, but simpler.
Various custom ROMs are available for Android. Let's take a look at some of the best and where you can find them.
Wait, What Is "Flashing a Custom ROM?"
New to custom ROMs? Think flashing is an arrestable offence? Keep reading.
Flashing, in software terms, is the act of updating firmware on a device. For your phone or tablet, this means writing a new version of Android to the device. Specialist software is required to do this, a custom recovery utility that must also be installed your phone. For this to work, the Android hardware must have an unlockable bootloader, and be rooted.
Some devices cannot be easily unlocked, so it is worth researching your device before proceeding.
Finding a custom ROM suitable for your phone also requires you to know its manufacturer codename, which you can find by googling "manufacturer codename for…" followed by the device name, or simply looking it up on Wikipedia or GSM Arena.
If you've ever installed Windows (or Linux) from a USB stick, you'll be able to flash ROMs on your phone. It really is quite straightforward once you get used to the recovery software.
Ready to flash? Here are five Android ROMs you can download for your device.
1. LineageOS
The early days of Android hacking were dominated by CyanogenMod ROMs, a project which eventually folded. In its place came LineageOS, a fork built on the same principles of security, stability, and customizability.
LineageOS ships with a tool called Privacy Guard to help control what apps can access. Customization tools and open-source apps help to maximize productivity in LineageOS, with ROMs available for phones and tablets. Devices from over 20 manufacturers are supported, including LG, Asus, Sony, and Samsung.
Note that LineageOS versions are out of sync with Android and AOSP. So, LineageOS 17 is equivalent to Android 10.
2. Resurrection Remix
An Android ROM that pushes customizability, Resurrection Remix promises to be stable, fast, and secure. It offers over the air (OTA) updates and is optimized to be more friendly on your phone's battery.
Resurrection Remix supports 85 devices for Android 10, with an archive of older releases for legacy hardware. In short, you're almost certainly going to find a version of Resurrection Remix that runs on your Android phone or tablet.
Want to learn more? Check Resurrection Remix's source code at GitHub.
3. crDROID
The unusually named crDROID is one of the most popular Android ROMs available. While others in this list are based on AOSP, crDROID is based on LineageOS. However, various customizations are added to the base OS to differentiate crDROID enough.
Four versions are available; crDROID 4, 5, 6, and 7, are equivalent to Android 8, 9, 10, and 11. Older versions are discontinued; you can install crDROID 6 on 88 devices from 16 manufacturers, and crDROID 7 on 31 devices.
crDROID is an incredibly tweakable and customizable Android ROM, with Settings menus to tweak button actions, UI navigation elements, status bar, and more.
You can find the source for crDROID on GitHub.
4. OmniROM
OmniROM is a solid, fast, stable ROM that comes with various tweak packages pre-baked. Like LineageOS, OmniROM is a fork of CyanogenMod, and is a ROM with a focus on privacy.
Choosing OmniROM results in a de-Googled Android experience, although various Google Apps (gApps) packages can be installed. These let you opt for a minimal or complete Google experience on your own terms.
The official device list for older versions of OmniROM is long, with 11 devices under current development. Among these are the ASUS ROG Phone 3, OnePlus 7 Pro, and Zenfone 6.
5. Pixel Experience
Supporting phones from 10 manufacturers, Pixel Experience aims to deliver a Pixel-like experience to non-Pixel handsets.
Based on AOSP, the ROM packs all the Pixel features (launcher, wallpapers, icons, fonts, and boot animation) along with maximum security. Code can be reviewed on GitHub, and the development team accepts donations via PayPal.
Pixel Experience is available with the current and previous versions of Android. At the time of writing there is also a "plus" edition limited to certain devices. This boasts extra features like a new default camera and hidden screen recorder.
Flashing Pixel Experience will ultimately give you the feeling that you're using a Google Pixel handset without paying for one.
Where Is the Best Place to Find Custom ROMs?
While most ROMs are released across several different models, a lot of work goes into them to ensure compatibility.
Consequently, this requires a group of developers to contribute to each project. Very little money is involved beside ads clicked on the websites, and donations made in the XDA-Developers forums.
This is the place to find ROMs dedicated to your device, which will typically have a dedicated page. Check the features and screenshots before downloading a ROM---and enjoy your new Android experience!
Make Android Feel Like New With a Custom ROM
We've looked at five top Android ROMs, but many more are available. You'll probably need to try more than one to find the best one for you. Take the time to check videos, full feature lists, and screenshots to help you choose. You should also consult the corresponding XDA-Developers thread for your phone and your chosen ROM.
Custom ROMs are feature packed, configurable, and can breathe new life into a stale Android device. And if you want to upgrade Android faster than your device manufacturer's updates roadmap, a custom ROM is ideal. Need more reasons why you should use a custom Android ROM?