Not so long ago, most Android enthusiasts would root their phone and flash a custom ROM. It was the norm, even on brand-new devices.

But this has changed. Rooting is less important than it once was, so what about custom ROMs? If you're rocking a Pixel or OnePlus device, will you really benefit from flashing a new ROM? Let's take a look.

Why Do People Use ROMs, Anyway?

It's fair to say that the golden age of custom ROMs has passed. Android phones are better than they've ever been, even at the budget end of the market.

But they still do serve a purpose. Here are the main reasons why you should consider installing a custom ROM.

Security and Operating System Updates

Not all manufacturers are great at updating their phones. If you have a flagship device (or a decent mid-ranger) from a major manufacturer, you can expect two major Android updates, plus security patches for two to three years. With anything cheaper, don't count on it.

Not having Android updates is frustrating. You miss out on new features and performance enhancements. However, not getting security updates is a bigger concern.

If your phone has been abandoned by the manufacturer, installing a custom ROM is your only option for keeping it up to date. ROMs like Paranoid Android and Lineage have wide device support, get frequent updates, and will patch the worst of your system's bugs.

lineage os custom rom

Privacy and Security

There are huge privacy and security issues with our phones. These range from Huawei's complicated relationship with the US government to how we all hand over vast amounts of personal data to Google and other entities every day.

But are custom ROMs safe?

They can help address your security and privacy concerns. ROMs are—or should be—open source. The code is available for anyone to scrutinize. Even if you don't have the skills to analyze it yourself, you can be sure someone will and bring up any concerns.

copperheadOS android

Lineage OS has numerous privacy controls built in, including a Privacy Guard that restricts how apps can use your data. Plus, you can use it without Google apps if you prefer.

For even more robust protections, take a look at Copperhead OS. This security-centric ROM is available primarily for Google's own phones.

Related: How to Use Android Without Google

They Extend the Life of Cheaper or Older Phones

The other possible benefit to a custom ROM is that it can save you money. A ROM enables you to upgrade an old Android phone instead of buying a new one.

These are the types of phones that rarely get updated, and are often not as well-optimized as their higher-end brethren. There's nothing you can do about slow hardware. But a leaner, less-bloated ROM should give you a performance boost. You can often find new firmware designed for longer battery life, too.

Why You Shouldn't Use Custom ROMs

The existence of custom ROMs owes itself to the fairly messy nature of Android for its first few years. It lacked the polish or performance of iOS, and the custom firmware versions each manufacturer built were slow and bloated.

But this scenario have changed. The iPhone is no longer the standard-bearer for smartphones, and although every phone's software is still different, they're now much more tastefully designed. So are custom ROMs even relevant now? Here are some reasons to avoid them.

The Camera Might Get Worse

The camera is one of the biggest draws for any phone, and as their complexity increases, it's also one of the hardest aspects to implement in a custom ROM.

Many phone cameras now have multi-lens setups, fancy HDR effects, and high framerate 8K video. These all need special tools to drive them, which are part of the phone's firmware. There's no app that you can simply lift and install on another device to replicate the functionality. Nor can you replace it all with third-party camera apps.

samsung s20 108MP camera

Replace the original firmware by installing a custom ROM, and there's a good chance you'll downgrade your camera in the process.

Oh, and if you choose the wrong custom ROM, you could potentially lose other features too—like quick charging support or Android Pay.

Stability and Reliability

In the early days of Android, phones were often slow. They'd grind to a halt if you went more than a couple of days without rebooting, and they tended to crash more frequently than you'd like.

This no longer holds true. While some manufacturers still have better reputations than others when it comes to speed and bloat, you can generally now be confident that most phones will be smooth, stable, and have decent battery life.

ROMs come with no guarantees. The official builds of the most popular ones, like Lineage or Resurrection Remix, get updated often. You can hope for a regular supply of refinements and bug fixes for these. But for unofficial builds, or for lesser-known ROMs on devices that aren't as popular, your experiences may be a lot less positive.

resurrection remix rom

Stock Android Is No Longer the Best

One of the biggest draws of custom ROMs used to be that you could get stock Android on any device. You could replace the bloated software from Samsung, Huawei, or HTC with a ROM based on the open source version of Android.

Throw in the suite of Google apps, and you'd have something akin to a pure Android device. This is the principle around which Google's Nexus phones were built.

But stock Android is no longer the best version of Android.

Even Google admits this. The best parts of the company's Pixel phones aren't pure Android. The camera app, Google Assistant, and the fast, streamlined launcher are all proprietary software. They're developed and owned by Google. In fact, on the product pages for the Pixel phones, Android barely even gets a mention.

It's true that stock Android is still fast, but it's now very much a barebones system.

ROMs Are Just Not Needed

The main reason why custom ROMs even existed in the first place was to fill in some of the gaps in the Android operating system. There were so many features missing in Android for so long that the only way to get them was by flashing a new firmware.

Among other utilities, ROMs would give you:

  • Control over app permissions
  • Better power management
  • Improved RAM management
  • More control over notifications
  • Multiple user accounts
  • The ability to reply to messages from the notification shade
  • Support for installing apps on an SD card

All of these are now part of Android and are available on virtually every modern device. Even the old complaint about bloatware has been mostly fixed—you can just disable any built-in apps that you don't need.

Plus, if you're tempted by a ROM just to try something new, why not try a launcher app instead? They're easier and safer to install, and you can test as many as you like.

This also lets you avoid some of the common issues you could face when installing a custom ROM.

So Do You Still Need Custom ROMs?

The case against custom ROMs is growing. Android has no obvious missing features, stock firmware is better than ever, and a ROM might not even be able to get the most out of your phone's hardware.

The answer seems straightforward. If your phone is older or super cheap, has bad stock firmware, or has been abandoned by the manufacturer, then it may be worth trying a custom ROM.

But for everyone else—whether you're using a flagship, quality mid-ranger, or even a budget phone in some cases, or are just happy with what you've got—there's almost no benefit to using a custom ROM.

And don't worry if you've already installed a ROM; it's easy to get back to stock.