Because the topic is long and needs focus, we will provide you the introductions and use them in the explanation. You know why you might need an alternative system for Android on your phone, as the manufacturer stopped issuing any official or security updates long ago, so your phone will be hungry for a new system that carries all the necessary security and privacy benefits to keep pace with new challenges and threats. In fact, there are many advantages and benefits in installing a new system on Android phones, but as we just mentioned, you only need a practical explanation, so let us provide the talk for that.
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| Your comprehensive guide to installing LineageOS on your Android phone |
Routine warning before flashing custom ROMs for phone: The process of flashing the ROM is at your own risk. Even if you follow the explanation on this topic, any of us are vulnerable to failure due to many reasons, and therefore, your phone may be exposed to errors that may sometimes reach to breakdown and stop working altogether. Therefore, it is a process similar to overclocking operations, as it causes the phone to fall out of warranty, and may cause the phone to malfunction and be unable to use it again except with the help of technicians specialized in the maintenance of the phones of the manufacturer of your phone.
If you want to start right away, skip to the "What are we headed for?" There is no single system as an alternative to the Android system, but rather many different systems provided by some teams or development companies for Android phones, and some systems are developed by only one programmer, and like the Android system, each has advantages and disadvantages, and you may discover that there are 10 supported systems for the release Your phone, or you discover that there is no other alternative system for Android for your phone. So it always depends on your phone and what is your luck regarding this matter.
Why did we decide to explain how to flash ROMs for Android phones with LineageOS?
LineageOS is one of the best Android alternatives, the most popular and is used and supports many old Android phones. In a very large percentage, you will discover that your phone that you bought two to three years ago and long before that is supported by LineageOS. But if it appears to you that it is not supported, then this means that either your phone is very old more than a decade ago, or because your phone was in the category of budget phones that are not commonly used. Then you may have better luck looking for a custom ROM as an alternative to LineageOS. However, you can check whether LineageOS supports your phone or not through the official support page. And if it turns out that your phone is supported then you must ensure that it is the exact same codename corresponding to your phone with Codename.
LineageOS is old enough and has achieved widespread fame and is famous for its stability and great features in support of Google applications and services and the ability to download Google Play Store applications, in a very short way: it is the twin brother of the Android system that is similar to it in everything. Previously known as CyanogenMod, it has great additional features that make your phone more powerful, more secure, ready to install new updates, and is customizable better than the Android system itself (or at least better than the Android version you are on now). This means that you will breathe new life into your long-forgotten phone.
If you have previous attempts in Flashing Custom ROMs, then you know how difficult this matter is, or, more correctly, how complex it is, it is not just about connecting a phone to a computer, but rather a little more, you need time and focus to be able to implement it properly. Many steps are very easy, but there are some complex steps that require wisdom, focus and implementation of exactly what is in the directory for your phone, and on our part, we will try to simplify the matter as much as possible. If you don't succeed today, perhaps give yourself a time period to rest and prepare for the experiment the next day, and make sure that you will succeed in the end.
Also, it should be noted that there is a chance of running into errors, so you do not need to worry if your phone breaks down from you. In fact, you can take a lot off your responsibility if you have a friend or knowledge of a technician who specializes in unlocking the Bootloader for Android phones. This is the most complicated step, and why is it complicated? Because the phone company wanted it as well, and because it differs from one phone to another, there is no single way, but if you follow this guide, you will be able to do it easily.
What are we heading to now?
Long topic and explanation, so one cup of coffee will not suffice, be prepared and choose the right time to start the process of updating the phone. First, there are some basics and protocols that you should know about the flash ROM process for phones, and there are some terms that we will use during the explanation, so you should know what these terms are and what they symbolize, so let's start together:
ROM: This term is an acronym for Read-Only Memory, which we know as reading memory. This is where the phone's basic operating system resides. We often refer to post-manufacturing operating systems such as / e / OS or LieneageOS as ROM, because they are versions of the operating system intended for the "Android" parent system.
Flashing: When you replace an operating system or part of basic programming with a different programming system, this process is known as Flashing or flashing software, and what we are heading to now is flashing Android phones.
Bootloader: When booting up any phone, the first thing that gets loaded is the bootloader / unlocker or Bootloader, which is responsible for starting all other processes. You can compare it to the BIOS. All Android phones come with a locked Bootloader so as not to be tampered with, fortunately, this lock can be unlocked to allow us to upgrade the base operating system and replace it with a different system.
Custom Recovery: Once the bootloader responsible for startup is loaded, the Android recovery program comes into play. In all cases for a custom ROM to startup, you will also need a custom recovery, which varies from phone to phone.
Wipe: Wipe means deleting all or most of the operating system drivers and management software itself, meaning that this process wipes out your private data as well. When you perform this process, you will notice after turning on the phone that it has stopped in the recovery mode.
Package: LineageOS, Google Apps and Services, and Custom Recovery are downloaded to your phone in a bundled package that we named "Package". Often it downloads as a .ZIP file format or as a zip file so you can think of the package as a zip file.
ADB: Short for Android Debug Bridge, this tool is intended for connecting a PC to an Android smartphone. This means that you will need ADB on your personal computer (we'll explain it in the tutorial).
Fastboot: This tool is a diagnostic tool attached to most Android installations, and it allows for different flashing or flashing ROMs. You can access Fastboot tool through ADB. Some phone manufacturers like Samsung or HTC use the term Download Mood instead of Fastboot but the functionality is the same.
Brick: If an error occurs during the flashing ROM process, this means that the phone stops working. If you discover that the phone does not open in the first place, then this means that the phone has become like a piece of bricks and hence the term "brick" which means that it is no longer there No real benefit from his presence. This problem only occurs when messing with the settings in a wrong way and not following the recommended explanatory steps, but in the end it can be fixed by a specialist or technician expert in the specific type of phone.
Requirements
During the flash ROM process, there is a set of steps that should be followed properly, how to complete these steps and the necessary tools may differ from one phone to another. But in general the basic steps are the same. These are the main requirements:
- Android smartphone or tablet powered by LineageOS
- USB cable
- Desktop computer or laptop running Windows, Mac OS, or Linux
- Internet connection is stable
- Time (it may take 1-2 hours, so be prepared)
These are the basic steps that we will follow in the flash-ROM process:
- Install necessary computer software, most likely just ADB
- A phone ready for backup and standby
- Download the Package which includes Custom ROM + Custom Recovery + GApps.
- Unlock Bootlaoder
- Flashing Custom Recovery
- Flash Custom ROM
- Flash Custom Apps
- Restart the phone and start customizing
You will notice that each step is followed by exactly the step you build on. First, install the ADB program because it is responsible for unlocking the bootloader, then you open the bootloader lock because it is responsible for accessing the recovery mode, then you will have to change the recovery because it is responsible for flashing or flashing the custom ROM, which we mean by LineageOS. After that, it starts the flash rom process until the end It's simple and very easy if you follow the steps in order.
It should be noted that the bootloader unlock process causes wipe or erase all device data, so it is necessary to follow the second step to back up your important files before you initiate any changes to your phone. If you make a mistake in anything after unlocking the Bootloader, you will not be able to restore your phone to its previous condition, instead it will be reset to factory settings as it was when you first bought it.
Another note that we do not know how important it is to you: unlocking the Bootloader cancels out the factory warranty, meaning that even if you try to lock it a second time, the agent or manufacturer will know that you opened the Bootloader and he will have the right to refuse to maintain anything inside it.
The first step: install the necessary software
You will need to connect to a desktop computer or laptop with a Windows operating system, Linux, Mac OS, or even Chrome (it is better for Windows because we will use it in the explanation). Flashing custom ROM does not require many hardware resources, so you do not have to worry about the hardware components on your computer.
The program you need is ADB, you can visit this page and follow the clear instructions on how to download and install ADB on the operating system you use in your computer, the steps are very clear and it will not take much, and the instructions for each operating system are simple and clear. Once you have downloaded ADB on your computer, you will be able to access it through the Command Prompt window on Windows CMD or through the Terminal window on Mac and Linux.
Second step: download the bundled packages
After you first confirm that your phone is supported by LineageOS through the official support page - (and make sure that the Code Name matches your phone), you will go to the LineageOS Wiki and search there for the phone that you plan to flash. After you open your phone page, in the middle you will find a link titled Get The Builds Here. If you find this difficult, just head to this page. On the left of the page you'll find the names of manufacturers and phones that are supported by LineageOS. Click on the name of the manufacturer, then find the exact model of your phone, then click on its name. Now you may find on the right a different set of LineageOS versions compatible with your phone, while you can download any version, but it is always better to choose the latest version, and if all packages are the same version, for example "16" then choose the version with the latest date, You will often find it at the front of the page.
After downloading LineageOS, now that you have what we can call a custom ROM on your computer, you can leave LineageOS now. As we mentioned in the basic steps a while ago, in the second step we will need a complete package, now we have a Custom ROM, but GoogleApps and Recovery Package are left in front of us.
There are two types of Recovery Package, the first one is TWRP Recovery and the second is CWM Recovery. For this tutorial we'll use the TWRP Recovery Package tool, which is short for TeamWin Recovery Project. Now find the TWRP tool exactly compatible with your phone from this page. It should be noted that there are very many types of phone versions that come under a standard model, and you have to find the TWRP version that is "exactly" compatible with the version of your phone. Follow the instructions on the page to download the latest version of TWRP Recovery. Note: You will notice in the middle of the page that it gives you an option. If your phone is rooted, you can download the TWRP App from the Google Play Store and download the Recovery compatible with your phone from within the application. If your phone is not rooted, you will find links to TWRP Recovery on American and European servers as well. Choose any of the servers and just remember that you need the img file. And not any other format like tar. Md5 or.
You will also need the Google Apps bundle, if you do not install it, there will be no Google products and services on your phone, including the Google Play Store. Note: This step may not be delayed for a later time, unless you do not need Google apps on your phone. Now go to this page, or this page, any of the previous pages provide you with a version of GoogleApps. The first page is easier because it makes you easily choose the type of platform or architecture for your phone, and your Android version, after which you can download Super, Stock, or Full. Again: Check the architecture used in your phone, is it ARM, ARM64, X86, or X86-64, and what is the Android version of your phone. If you encounter difficulty or cannot remember your phone's architecture details, head back to this page. And choose your phone specifically and open its page, and on the right of the page, look in the Architecture specifications to know the architecture used in the architecture of your operating system.
Accordingly, you have a Custom ROM, which is the LineageOS system compatible with your phone, and you have the ADB program responsible for TWRP recovery that is compatible with your phone, and you have a Google apps package that is compatible with your phone. Once you have the three things ready, move them inside the folder folder you installed ADB inside. Then rename the three files to simple names, for example, you may notice that the TWRP file is very large and contains many version numbers, other than this long name to TWRP.img, this naming is very important because it will help you access these files easily from within Command Prompt Window A, Powershell. Rename the three files so they are like this:
- TWRP file xxx -xxxxx-xxxxx.img to TWRP.img
- Lineage -xx-xxxxxxx-nightly.xxxxx.zip file to LINEAGE.zip
- Open-gapps -xxxxx-xxxxxxx-xxxx.zip file to GAPPS.zip
And don't forget to move the files to the ADB folder which is usually in Userprofile / adb-fastboot / platform-tools.
Now you have everything organized and ready to go to the next step
For a second ticket: Every phone has a code name "Codename" which is recognized by System and Recovery Packages. This is the code name or it is on the LineageOS supported phones page, so go back and make sure one more time that you have already managed to download the LineageOS package that matches the code name of your phone, if you are sure, go to the next step.
Third step: make a backup copy of your important files
There are several methods that allow you to back up all of your files. There are free and paid programs on the Google Play Store, and there are free and paid programs for personal computers. There is no single method or denomination to back up your files, so you can depend on which denomination you prefer. The best way is to rely on the Helium app. Once you connect your phone to the Helium account on your computer, you will be able to back up something on your phone "almost everything" and save it to your computer without needing to root the phone. If you experience difficulty saving your data correctly,
After completing the backup procedure, you will need to do two things on your phone before proceeding to the next step: Enable USB Debugging and OEM Unlock. These options are hidden in the developer option settings. To get the developer options, you will need to go to the Settings page, then click on About Phone, then click on the Build Number seven times in a row, so that a second or two seconds separate each time, just keep clicking on Build Number until it appears You receive a message that the Developer Options have been enabled or activated, or the message may be in the form (You are now a developer). After activating the developer options, look for it in the settings window, after you reach the developer options, you will need to activate both USB Debugging and OEM Unlocking. If you do not find OEM Unlock then do not worry, just be careful to activate the USB Debugging option. This is in order to allow the installation process to flash a flash ROM from computer to phone.
Once you activate the previous options from developer mode with Enable work for both, connect the phone to the computer via the phone's original USB cable (if you don't have the original cable, the cable used must be of good quality), you will see a notification on your phone asking if you trust it. Computer. Confirm to agree to the command and then exit from the settings. You may notice that the computer is recognizing your phone and is trying to install or activate some processes which is normal. If your phone is not recognized, you will have to download the USB drivers for your phone from the official page of your phone manufacturer.
Fourth step: unlock the bootloader
Specifically, the steps to unlock the Bootloader differ from one company to another company and from one phone to another. Some companies make this process very easy, while others make it nearly impossible. Thus, it depends entirely on your phone. If you want our personal opinion, it is better to search on the Internet first about whether unlocking the Bootloader for your phone is permissible, simple, or nearly impossible (Youtube is the best reference for that - you might be looking on YouTube with this phrase how to open bootloader for Galaxy S6 - but you write at the end of the phrase) Your exact phone name). If it becomes clear to you that there are several users who have managed this, that means that you are able to as well.
However, you will need to go again to the LineageOS installation guide page, search for your phone again and open its page. In the instructions, you can see how to open the Bootloader on your phone. See the previous image (this is for Xperia - find the method that works for your phone and follow the instructions on the page to unlock it). If it turns out that there is no Unlocking Bootloader method for your phone, that means you will proceed directly to Step 5. As for the phones that accept unlock, unfortunately there is no single way for us to guide you. But most of these steps will be some commands that you will type in the Command Prompt window in order to open the Bootloader of the phone.
For example, in the Command Prompt window, you will type an ADB command that is responsible for verifying that the phone is properly connected to the computer. Then ADB command to restart the phone with fastbbot mode. Then there will be a fastboot command to verify that the phone is connected and in fast download mode. Then a final Fastboot command to unlock the bootloader. The commands differ in the way they are written from one phone to another. Therefore, we cannot put a unified guide on unlocking the Bootloader for any phone because there is no single method, but rather hundreds of different methods depending on each model. In the end, however, you will be able to unlock yourself.
To try to make it a little easier: head to the folder where you installed the ADB program, and make sure the phone is connected to the computer. You will need to open the Command Prompt window or the Powershell window for this folder, then type the adb devices command, then look at your phone, you may find a notification message asking you to grant permission to allow ADB, accept the message Always allow and then click OK. If you see an unathorized message in the Powershell window, try again to get your phone recognized.
It is assumed that your device is recognized in the form of symbols or numbers in front of the device command, as shown in the previous image. This is your phone and it has been contacted, and now type the following command: “adb reboot bootloader”, it is assumed that this command will restart the phone itself to enter the bootloader, once it finishes the restart phase, type the following command in the command prompt window: “fastboot oem unlock ". Now you will need to look at your phone, and rely on the volume increase and decrease keys on both sides of the phone, click on the volume increase in order to select the "Yes" command, then click on the power key to confirm. This way, the Bootloader lock should be unlocked.
Unfortunately, the previous steps may not work for you, because we mentioned to you that there is no single method, so after writing the adb devices command, you should follow the instructions on the LineageOS website on your phone's official page to complete the bootloader unlock. If you encounter difficulty and do not know what to do, try to contact a specialist or technician in the phones of the manufacturer of your phone and ask him about how to open the Bootloader for your phone. But if you try yourself to implement the method carefully and focus. You will succeed in unlocking. And everything that's left becomes very easy.
After completing and successfully implementing the previous commands and successfully unlocking the Boadloader lock, you will notice the phone restarts on its own in order to enable the Android system settings in the phone, just like the Factory Reset stage for any phone. You should then go to Settings again, and make sure that USB Debugging is enabled and enabled by doing the Enable USB Debugging command.
Step five: flash Custom Recovery
Now that you have Bootloader unlocked your phone, you can actually start flashing and install new software on the phone's memory. In the second step, you should have managed to download the exact correct TWRP recovery for your phone, right? If you haven't, then head over to this page, then start downloading the appropriate TWRP for your specific phone model and model. As we mentioned at the beginning, what you need is the TWRP file in img format. And not any other format. We recommend that you consider downloading the version that is "exactly" compatible with your phone because downloading a different Custom Recovery can cause a "phone malfunction" to brick. And always remember that Youtube is your best friend, it is possible to find on it many explanations explaining how to unlock the bootloader for a phone similar to your phone specifically, and you will find explanations for completing the custom recovery flash process.
Now, on Windows, as you open the Command Prompt window, type the adb devices command. This is exactly the same as before, it tries to ensure that the phone is properly connected to the computer. Next, type adb reboot bootloader and this is the command to get you into fastboot mode. Next, type fastboot devices, this command is an added check that your phone is connected and in download or fast format mode.
Now enter this command in Command Prompt window: fastboot flash recovery TWRP.img. As we mentioned in the introduction, it is better to name the TWRP file as TWRP.img instead of the many numbers. And now it is assumed that you will get a close result in the form of the results in the following image:
Now that the custom recovery has been flashed, you will need to restart the phone and enter the recovery boot mode, and always accessing the recovery mode is a simple trick that varies from one phone to another, but it is shown on the official page of your phone on the LineageOS website. Which is always in the form of clicking and holding some of the main phone keys, the following picture is an example:
For example, while the phone is turned off, you press and hold the phone's power key and press the volume down or volume up key until you enter Recovery mode. You will find it explained on the official page of your phone very simply.
Since you were able in the previous steps to flash TWRP Recovery and after clicking on the correct keys on the phone to enter the recovery mode, you will get a screen similar to the following image:
This screen gives you a notification that you are using TWRP's recovery mode, which allows you to change or manipulate the program on your phone. Now, you need to click and drag the Swipe to allow modifications button which allows you to flash the custom ROM which is LineageOS.
After swiping the Swipe to allow modifications button, you are already ready to flash LineageOS on your phone. Here you can rely on the volume up or volume down button on the side of the phone to navigate inside the TWRP Recovery interface, while clicking on the Power button confirms the approval to execute the commands.
Step 6: Install LineageOS
You are now ready to flash ROMs your phone with the new system. You should have managed to download the correct LineageOS version for your phone in Step 2. Which we previously referred to as a simple and abbreviated name such as LINEAGE.zip and moved it to the same path as the folder in which the ADB program is installed. But for this step, we don't want the LINEAGE.zip file to be on the computer, we need it to be on the phone itself. The only solution to transfer this huge file to the phone will be through ADB as well. But we must first make sure that there are no remnants of the old system on the phone memory in order for the system to be installed correctly.
Therefore, from the main screen of the TWRP recovery mode, click on the command Wipe, and then click on the Format Data command. In this case, you will receive a message from the recovery mode, indicating that you are about to erase all data from your phone. It's no longer a problem, because you already made a backup of all your necessary files in Step 3, right?
Now, TWRP Recovery will give you instructions that you should follow to erase the data, it will tell you to type Yes to complete the erasing process, or click on the Back button to undo the erasing process. After you type Yes and click on the check mark button to complete the erasing process, the data removal process will begin, after which you will receive a Successful message indicating the success of the operation.
Go back one time to be on the Wipe main screen again, then click on Advanced Wipe, and you will see a menu containing several options that allow you to activate them in the deletion process. What you need in this window is to activate only three commands which are Dalvik / ART Cashe, System and Cashe. Leave the rest of the other options as they are in the list without activating. After that, swipe your finger on the Swipe to wipe button from left to right, and you will notice that the wiping process begins as in the following image:
Now that you have finished wiping out all of the old, you are ready for the new custom ROM. But first you will need to transfer the system file to the phone itself, so connect the phone to the computer using a USB cable. Open a Command Prompt window and type the command adb push LINEAGE.zip / sdcard / and then hit the Enter key. This is how ADB will take care of transferring files from computer to phone memory.
Sometimes it is a little impatient, and sometimes you will not see the status bar that shows you the course of the transfer process, but you have to be patient for several minutes. Give the phone at least 5 to 10 minutes, do not click on any other button and do not try to tamper with anything, just wait until You will see a 1 file pushed notification message as shown in the previous image.
Note: If you are unable to complete the file transfer process from the computer to the phone, then this means that the ADB program is not able to recognize the location of the LINEAGE.zip file, which means that you did not add it in the correct path inside the ADB installation folder as we explained earlier in the second step when moving Rename and package files. See Step Two to see for yourself
With the LINEAGE.zip system file in your phone's memory, go back to the TWRP Custom Recovery main interface. Then click on Install. You will then see a list of different files, including the LINEAGE.zip package. Click on this folder and you will notice an interface with three options. What you need to do at this point is to swipe to confirm flash. The process of flashing the new system will begin, and once it is finished you will see a message stating that the process was completed successfully.
After completing, you will find a new window with two different options: Wipe Cashe / dalvik and the other, Reboot System. Never click on either of them. Alternatively click on the Home Screen button. Now, you are done flashing LineageOS on your phone, and you only have one last step left.
Seventh Step: Install the GAPPS package
It is very near to the end, you just need to install the basic Google applications package in order to enjoy the Google services on LineageOS system just like the Android system. You will need to transfer the application package file again to the phone first. Now, the natural step is to open the command prompt window, and again check the confirmation of the phone's connection to the computer as we explained in the fifth step, then type this command in the command prompt window: adb push GAPPS.zip / sdcard /.
Of course, you will discover that the package of Google applications and services is very large compared to the package of LineageOS system, and this means that the process of transferring the application package file will require a long period of time. Be patient with her until the end. Once done, you can now remove the phone from the USB cable. From the interface of TWRP recovery mode, click on Install, then search for the location of the GAPPS.zip file on the phone, once you get it, click on the name of the GAPPS.zip package and then swipe the cursor from left to right Swipe to confirm flash. The application will start flashing. Once done, tap on Wipe Cashe / dalvik and wait a few moments, then tap Reboot System. Thus, you have finished installing LineageOS and the Google services on your phone, and are ready to customize its main settings.
Finally
In the end, the process of flashing any system on any phone is very easy, but the whole difficulty lies in unlocking the Bootloader, especially since there are very difficult phones that may be difficult and nearly impossible to unlock. But fortunately, if you are having difficulty opening the lock, you can rely on the explanations of Youtube, and if you do not find explanations for your phone, you can open the lock in any store that specializes in phone maintenance, and you will not need to carry out the process again. It is only one time, after which you can install any other Custom ROM. In fact, there are many Android alternative systems out there, but the most famous, stable and supportive of various phones is LineageOS.
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