How To Flash Custom ROMs

Custom ROMs are one of the best things about Android! If you’re ready to ditch your stock ROM and reap the many benefits of loading a custom ROM such as improved battery, better performance, and updates to the latest Android versions, then follow this guide. Backup your data before you proceed!

Prerequisites:

Step 1: Download a ROM that is compatible with your device

Find a ROM for your device. Make sure you download the right one for your device. Many phones have several variants. The Sony Z Ultra has more versions than I have friends, and both of them require different ROMs based on the carrier it comes on. So make sure you are getting the correct ROM, by verifying that it’s compatible with your phone model. Google your devices name and version with the name of rom and see the list of choices.

Once you have found the ROM you want, download the .ZIP file, which is going to be 500mb up to 1.5Gb. Do not extract it! Then find the corresponding GApps. If you are installing a ROM running on 4.4.2, you’ll want a GApps package for 4.4.2. Save your ROM and GApps to your SD card, internal storage, or flash drive.

Step 2: Boot into Recovery

To boot into recovery use your recovery combo buttons. If you don’t know which buttons to press, to access recovery, i recommend googling your device specific instructions. On most devices it is Hold Vol Down + Power for 5 seconds. Once you are in recovery, you should see something like this…

Step 3: Flash ROM

Now go ahead and select “Install”…
Head over to where you saved the files
Once you have selected your ROM file. Proceed to flash the zip… Tap add more Zips and and the Gapps zip, then swipe to confirm.

Step 4: Clear Cache

After the install is complete, back out and clear your cache…

While this is the most common way to flash a ROM, there are many different ways specific to each device. Leave a comment down in the section below if you were seuccesful.

Image Credit: Dev-Lab