The music player is a particular highlight - so much so that it's been released as a standalone download for rooted phones that aren't running CyanogenMod. A whole host of cool tweaks and enhancements are packed in - the vast majority of which have been influenced by feedback from the 1.7 million users who have downloaded and installed this custom ROM. The team behind the ROM is committed to producing the most stable and reliable firmware for your Android device. There will be quirks with the software and you'll need to be patient in waiting for them to be rectified.Įasily one of the most popular custom Android ROMs and one of the few to receive positive recognition from handset manufacturers and network providers alike, CyanogenMod has been around since 2009 and currently supports around 60 devices. Messing with your phone's firmware instantly invalidates your warranty, so make sure you're wearing your special 'brave' trousers before installing any of the ROMs listed below.Īlso be aware that unlike Google and Samsung, the developers behind these custom systems don't have millions of quid and a workforce of thousands. It goes without saying that this level of tinkering is only for those of you who are 100 per cent confident of your hacking abilities. If you upgrade to the premium version of the app, it will even let you perform over-the-air updates for supported ROMs, just like officially sanctioned software. It allows you to back-up your existing ROM should you wish to revert back. This makes the process of installing custom ROMs much easier.
It's also worth checking out the excellent ClockworkMod ROM Manager app, which is available for free at Google Play.
We also have a guide for how to install ROMs on your phone, so be sure to familiarise yourself with it before going any further. Thankfully, we've got a guide for that too.
To install these, you'll need to have rooted your phone first. I've picked out a couple of the very best custom ROMs doing the rounds. This can result in much faster performance. In fact, one of the big benefits is that these ROMs strip out all of the extraneous rubbish - unnecessary apps and 'bloatware' - that is often bundled with branded versions of Android. They take the core Android OS and tinker with the look, feel and functionality, thus creating an original experience. It might sound scary, but it's no different from when a handset manufacturer or network operator creates their own Android skin.
Talented coders working within the Android community to bring benefits beyond the official OS. Multi-tasking, better data management and the ability to unlock yourĬustom ROMs, on the other hand, are unique versions of the operating system created by the many passionate and The latest iteration of Google's all-singing, all-dancing mobile OS, ICSīrings myriad improvements, including superior If you feel that ICS doesn't offer enough to excite you, you could try one of the raft of custom ROMs available for the S2 instead.
If you're a Samsung Galaxy S2 owner then you may have already received an update for your handset, which brings it bang up to date with Android 4.0 - also known as Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS).