Custom ROMs On Android Devices
Custom ROMs On Android Devices
Volume 8, Issue 7, July – 2023 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165
Custom ROMs on Android Devices
Mudit Mayank Jha
Delhi Public School Ghaziabad Vasundhara
Abstract:- The growing use of android mobile phones II. FEATURES OF CUSTOM ROMS
has led to the development of new Customised firmware
or operating systems called Custom ROMs. These offer Custom ROMs can come with a ton of features. Some
more functionality and powerful features. They are of these are discussed below.
developed by individual developers or a community of
developers and not by the manufacturer of mobile Personalisation
devices themselves. The entire look of the android system becomes
customizable. The notification bar, quick settings, home
Since the introduction of android, developers have screen, app drawer, etc can be redesigned.
identified the downsides of android and important
features that are not available to android users by Performance
default. This eventually led to the development of Custom ROMs are highly optimized and some are even
Customized firmware that replaced the factory-installed cleaner than Google’s own phones. These deliver a
firmware on android device to unlock powerful features. smoother android experience and provide a significant
performance boost.
This research focuses on the Installation process of
Custom ROMs along with their advantages and Root Access
disadvantages. Most of the data for this research is taken When using a Custom ROM, gaining root access is
from XDA Developers, Bing, Geek Developers and significantly simpler. You get more privileges if you get root
Reddit. access for your smartphone. With root access, you can run
specialized applications that require administrator level
I. INTRODUCTION rights, change and replace system applications and settings,
and do other actions that are typically unavailable to
A majority of mobile users are using Android instead Android users.
of IOS. According to a report by Petroc Taylor published on
May 31, 2023, with 71.4% of the global mobile operating Uninstall Bloatware
system market, Android is the market leader. A majority of Android devices usually come packed with bloatware.
these android users are using Stock ROMs. These are These clutter the system and waste disk space. These useless
operating systems based on android, that come pre-installed apps can easily be eliminated with a Custom ROM.
by the manufacturer.
Faster OTA updates
Since Android is an open-source software, Stock Most phones will get OTA updates for no more than 2
ROMs can be customised and modified. These are then years. As a result, customers are stuck with outdated
called Custom ROMs. These can be used to replace the versions of Android, where they are more susceptible to
Stock Rom and help unlock the full potential of the device security flaws and are progressively unable to operate the
and provide powerful features. The process of installing a most recent apps. Custom ROMs on the other hand, get
Custom ROM is similar to installing Windows or Linux on OTA updates for several more years.
laptops. Some popular Custom ROMs include – Cyanogen
Mod, LineageOS, Pixel Experience and AOKP. CPU Overclocking and Underclocking
The processors of smartphones are clocked to a
This Research provides an insight on Custom ROMs minimum and maximum speed. They can be overclocked
and how they can be installed on android devices. I have over their maximum speed to boost performance and
focused on the features and advantages of using a Custom underclocked below their minimum speed to decrease
ROM along with the installation process. Finally, I conclude performance and thereby, increase battery life.
with the limitations and drawbacks of Custom ROMs.
IJISRT23JUL342 www.ijisrt.com 1893
Volume 8, Issue 7, July – 2023 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165
III. INSTALLATION PROCESS V. CONCLUSION
Prerequisites – Stock ROMs can be customized and altered since
An android device Android is an open-source operating system. Then, they are
A laptop with ADB and fastboot drivers installed. referred to as Custom ROMs. These can be installing in
A working USB cable for the target device. place of the Stock Rom to enable the device to reach its
maximum potential and offer powerful features.
An Unlocked bootloader – The method for unlocking the
bootloader differs from carrier to carrier. Specific guides These may also come with some drawbacks. It all
for each device can be found on XDA forums. depends on the usage and manufacturer of the specific
Unlocking the bootloader makes it possible to make device. Brands like Xiaomi, Oneplus, Realme and Google
advanced changes including installation of customized are more compatible with most custom ROMs. A wide
firmware. variety of Custom ROMs are available for these devices and
Custom Recovery – TWRP Custom Recovery is the best they also come with less bugs.
option. Again, a detailed installation guide is available
on XDA forums for specific devices. On the other hand, popular brands like Samsung are
Custom ROM zip file – Custom ROMs are device less compatible with custom ROMs. There are limited
specific. XDA Forums have a list of available custom Custom ROMs available for these devices and there are
ROMs for all devices. several technical difficulties during their installation on
these devices.
Steps for Installation – The most popular Custom ROMs include – Cyanogen Mod,
LineageOS, Pixel Experience and AOKP.
Back up data – This is the very first step as installing a
new custom ROM would erase all data of the device. It REFERENCES
is necessary to back up the data of the device. Google
[1]. https://forum.xda-developers.com/
drive backup is recommended.
[2]. https://www.xda-developers.com/
Booting into custom recovery – Again, there are device
[3]. https://www.bing.com/
specific guides available on XDA Forums. Once booted
[4]. https://researchmethod.net/
into TWRP recovery, files can be installed. This is also
[5]. https://www.reddit.com/
called flashing.
[6]. https://www.howtogeek.com/
Clear data – Stock ROM has to removed first in order to
[7]. https://www.makeuseof.com/
install the custom ROM. On TWRP recovery - Boot, [8]. https://www.androidcentral.com/root
system image, data, modem and EFS have to be wiped.
[9]. https://www.androidauthority.com/
Installing the Custom ROM – First the custom Rom zip
file has to be transferred to the mobile from the laptop
using a USB cable. Then, the install button on TWRP is
to be used for browsing the files and installing the
custom ROM.
Reboot – On rebooting the device, it should boot into the
newly installed custom ROM.
IV. LIMITATIONS AND DRAWBACKS OF
CUSTOM ROMS
Device Bricking – Installing a custom ROM requires a
certain level of technological understanding. Errors
during Installation may lead to a bricked device which
won’t boot properly.
Compatibility Issues – Some devices may not support
certain custom ROMs.
Bugs – Some Custom ROMs may come with various
issues or bugs.
Security issues – Installing a Custom ROM may
compromise with android security.
Warranty Voids – Installing a Custom ROM voids the
warranty of the android device.
No updates from original manufacturer – A device
running a Custom ROM will stop receiving updates from
its original manufacturer.
