One of the coolest things about Android is the ability to install custom ROMs on your device, replacing your default version of Android with a third-party take. These custom ROMs are traditionally made by groups of enthusiasts and offered a host of cool features.
We don’t seem to hear a lot about custom ROMs these days, although offerings like CopperheadOS, LineageOS, Paranoid Android, and Pixel Experience are still alive and kicking. So do you still use custom ROMs on your Android devices? Let us know below.
There are plenty of reasons to use a custom Android ROM, with the biggest reason being that you can update your device to a newer Android version if the device manufacturer abandoned it. This was a major issue in the early days of Android where even one OS update wasn’t guaranteed, and it’s still a notable challenge today. Many custom ROMs also offer a few features not available in stock Android and/or official Android skins.
We’ve also seen some ROMs offer a privacy or security focus, giving additional features in this regard or even stripping out Google integration. The /e/ OS distribution is one example of the latter.
We can think of a couple of reasons to steer clear of custom ROMs though, with the installation process being the biggest hurdle. Installing a ROM on your phone or tablet isn’t a trivial matter for the average consumer.
These ROMs don’t have official support either, so it’s not unheard of to see hardware issues, software problems, and a lack of polish on some distributions. Some apps (e.g. banking clients) also have issues with custom ROMs, although this can be overcome with workarounds.
In any event, do let us know whether you use custom ROMs via our poll above. And submit a comment below if you’ve got more to share on the topic.
