
Download this video for viewing in HD on your smartphone or computer.
Click Here to Download High-Quality HD video to your Smartphone or Computer.
This video was brought to you by AndroidRoot.org. Click Here to See at AndroidRoot.org
For those of you who want to install a custom ROM on your Galaxy S4, here’s how to do it using CWM recovery. (TWRP method is nearly identical just different looking menus but I will have tutorial on that too)
Before we begin, you will need a rooted Galaxy S4 with CWM recovery installed. If you used CWM root method, you have CWM recovery already, if not, install CWM recovery first by following Steps 1 thru 6 here.
Also, you can use Titanium Backup app to backup all of your apps before installing a new custom ROM so you can easily restore your apps. For SMS texts, use an SMS text backup app (many available on Play Store) so you can restore them easily after installing a new ROM.
For contacts, I highly suggest using a GMail account as your contacts will be restored automatically after installing a new ROM when you sign into Google. If you don’t have a GMail account, just make a dummy account just for your contacts!
Before installing a new ROM, make sure you have at least ONE ROM backup, which will easily restore your phone back within minutes.
Step 1. Download appropriate ROM file for your Galaxy S4.
IMPORTANT: MAKE SURE YOU’VE DOWNLOADED A COMPATIBLE ROM FOR YOUR GALAXY S4 OTHERWISE YOU CAN BRICK YOUR PHONE!!! E.g. If you install GT-i9505 ROM on AT&T Galaxy S4 SGH-i337, you will BRICK YOUR PHONE! I’ve had many people who DON’T FOLLOW DIRECTIONS who’ve bricked their $700 phone, please do not end up being one of these people. Double-check the ROM and triple-check that the ROM you downloaded is COMPATIBLE with your Galaxy S4!!!
Also, if you are downloading AOSP ROM (What is AOSP?), you might need to also download Google Apps (Gapps) and install that too.
You can download these ROM files straight to your Galaxy S4 or download on your computer and copy it to your phone. DO NOT UNZIP the files, they should be in “zip” format, exactly the way you downloaded them. Mac computers will automatically unzip these files but copy the actual ZIP file to your phone.
Step 2. Once you have your ROM files copied/downloaded to your Galaxy S4, power off your phone then hold down Volume Up, Center Home, and Power buttons together.
Step 3. When you see a little blue letters “Recovery booting…” at top, let go of all the buttons.
Step 4. Once in CWM recovery, choose “Wipe data/factory reset”. This will erase your apps and app data but it will not erase the contents of your internal storage and SD card.
You may be able to skip this step depending on the ROM but for clean install, I do recommend doing wipe data/factory reset.
E.g. If installing AOSP ROM while you have TouchWiz ROM running, you will need to do this step.
However, if installing TouchWiz ROM while you have TouchWiz ROM running, you can try skipping this step. Just make a backup ROM before installing so if you have problems, you can always go back.
If you are updating the same ROM, you can most likely skip this step also such as installing newest AOKP ROM while you are running older version of AOKP.
Step 5. Next, choose “Install zip from sdcard”.
Step 6. You can choose either “choose zip from sdcard” if you have your ROM files in your internal storage OR “choose zip from external sdcard” if you have your ROM files on your microSD card.
Step 7. Browse your storage and find the ROM zip file and select it.
Step 8. Installing ROM should take around 2-5 minutes depending on the ROM you are installing.
Step 9. (Optional) If the ROM you are installing requires Google Apps (Gapps), go ahead and install that too by repeating Steps 5 thru 7.
Step 10. (Optional) If having trouble installing a ROM (end up in a bootloop), try a fresh install and do this Step. You can usually skip step though. Wipe your temporary files by choosing “Wipe cache partition”.
Go to “Advanced” menu and also wipe dalvik cache.
Step 11. Reboot your Galaxy S4 and if you see welcome screen, you should be on your new, custom ROM! Congrats if this is your first time installing a custom ROM!
FAQ
Q: I’ve tried installing new ROM a dozen times but it will not boot! How do I get my phone working again quickly?
A: There’s three solutions to this.
First, if you made a backup ROM (like I told you to), you can easily restore your backup ROM within minutes using CWM recovery.
However, if you didn’t make a backup ROM, you can unroot completely back to stock using ODIN and stock firmware.
Also, you can try installing another ROM, it could be a problem with the ROM you are trying to install. If you cannot connect your phone as a USB drive then use a microSD card to copy your ROM files.
Q: How can I thank you for your tutorial?
A: I don’t take donations but if you could PLEASE subscribe to my Zedomax YouTube channel, that would help me greatly and thank you!
Questions? Leave your questions in the comment box!
What is a Custom ROM?
A custom ROM is a custom, modified operating system that you can install on your Android device. Basically it's like installing Windows OS on a Macbook. By installing a custom ROM, you can bypass stock factory settings like locked hotspot tether, install new Android versions early, or even convert your phone into another OS.
With a custom ROM, you can really maximize the capabilities of your smartphone by adding custom features that have been developed by open source developers.
How to Install Custom ROMs
First, you will need to root your device, if it is not rooted yet, follow our root tutorial and root your phone.
Once rooted, you should have TWRP installed on your phone. Installation of a custom ROM is easy if you learn the basic of it. If you don't know how to install custom ROMs using TWRP recovery, see our tutorial on How to Install Custom ROM using TWRP!
Can’t seem to find an answer to my question, so I’ll just ask you instead. Will FoxHound 2.5 work on my Galaxy s4 gt-i9505? I backed up my ROM using TWRP.
You mean FoxHound from Galaxy S3 GT-i9300? No, you will brick your phone, please don’t try!
Haha no I won’t, that’s why I asked you. I’m new to Samsung and android, and don’t really know much about it. Can you recommend a ROM for me?
I would suggest waiting at least 1 week until everything settles down. Right now everyone is still developing new ROMs so best if you wait a bit especially if this is your first time. But CM10.1 is solid for Tmo/Canadian variants and WanamLite is good on GT-i9500.
Hi
Do you think foxhound come for i9505?
is there a way to put custom roms on at&t phones with mf firmware
Ugh, everyone says there is a Canadian cyanogenmod 10.1 for Canadian s4’s but no where can I find the files for my I337. Aren’t all Canadian S4’s modeled I337?
Hi Max,
After installing CM 10.1 on my GT-I9505 (XXUAMDE) wi-fi no longer works. I’ve tried CWM and TWRP recoveries (even though I’m not sure if this would influence it) and I’m seeing the same behaviour with the AOKP ROM. I’ve not been able to find much on the xda-developers forum and was curious if you knew of a fix or where and how I should construct my search.
Really appreciate all you’re doing for the Android community! You’ve been a huge help in my learning.
Cheers,
Don
hi just wondering i keep getting errors when trying to flash im useing twrp for i9505 and it cant mount the system and some other things how would i fix it
sorry but when i tryed to install the zip file ,, i can’t find the install option on recovery mode … what can i do with tat ?
Hi max, is there a recovery for the i9505 MDM, I can’t find one. Using the normal ones run me into problems such as E://unable to mount system etc…
I do have root.
I have same problem with system
I fixed the problem. Do the following before installing the rom, it may not work first time so repeat 5 or 6 times.
Boot into recovery > Wipe > Advanced wipe > Check [Dalvik Cache, System, Data, Cache] > Head to mount > Mount system > Flash rom
May not work first time, but try 5 or 6 times.
No need to do the procedure 5-6 times to try to flash the ROM from the external card. Just copy the ROM to the internal memory. Delete it once you have flashed the ROM.
Thanx muqy it worked for me.
You can download these ROM files straight to your Galaxy S4 or download on your computer and copy it to your phone. DO NOT UNZIP the files, they should be in “zip” format, exactly the way you downloaded them. Mac computers will automatically unzip these files but copy the actual ZIP file to your phone.
I`m sorry friends, but I have a conceptual question: how can I start the installation if the Volume Up, Center Home, and Power buttons doesn`t enable the CWM recovery, since bootloader is locked? I have a AT&T model, wich bootloader is locked, as we know.
Where I can get a s4 custom rom, like the samsung original?
Now, Max please: when you finished the process, you saw the 16 gbs?? Thank you! Appreciated,
Cristiano, Rio, Brasil
para instalar essa rom precisa ter um celular com root!?
hey does wannalite come with kernel or do i have to use the at&t method to intall the kernel. i have s4 at&t
You do need to install AT&T kernel such as KTweaker for WanamLite.
How can I flash I9505 stock rom onto m919 using odin?
Thanks
I would like to know if task650 would be okay to install on canadian i337m teus s4? I have also seen clean rom but they said I require a kernel to my phone to use…suggestions?
Hey so I flashed the t-mobile aws band qcn file on my sgh-i337 without being rooted. I could access recovery and tried witusing odin and kies with still the same results. Any help would be greatly appreciated
hey i have downloaded wanamlite for my s4 gti9500 from your website but it wont install…:(
please help.
I don’t know what is going on with CWM recovery but it keeps telling me it can’t mount my SD card. I’ve tried using 2 different sd cards already. And I’m about to smash this damn pile of junk, then claim insurance on it.
I held the buttons as above and all it says its downloading something do not turn off i cant get to the options to select a rom
Thank you so much for this thread, I was going to cry. I thought Ihad stuffed my phone forever! ;(
I have an unlocked AT&T SGH-i337 which I’m using on TMobile. I rooted the phone using Motochopper per the tutorial and everything works great. Now I’m looking at custom ROMs but am a little confused. Going through the FAQ you say
“Compatibility Notes on S4 Models
You can install any GT-i9505 or T-Mobile SGH-M919 ROMs on your AT&T Galaxy S4.”
but in the “How to Install Custom ROM” you warn
“Step 1. Download appropriate ROM file for your Galaxy S4.
IMPORTANT: MAKE SURE YOU’VE DOWNLOADED A COMPATIBLE ROM FOR YOUR GALAXY S4 OTHERWISE YOU CAN BRICK YOUR PHONE!!! E.g. If you install GT-i9505 ROM on AT&T Galaxy S4 SGH-i337, you will BRICK YOUR PHONE! ”
Can you help with my confusion?
Hi!
Max,
I have a Question, i just installed BobCatRom on my Galaxy S4 i9505 but i wont boot.
I am stuck on boot animation so what i want to ask is if there’s any way i can boot image like the HTC method so i want to know if there is for Samsung Galaxy S4.
can this rom as a zip file be flashed through adb sideload?
“Failed to Verify whole-file signature” showed
pls help me out
I tried volume up + home button + power up button to get into the recovery mode, but somehow my screen is just completely different from yours. It says Android System Recovery 3e on the top follows with the option to reboot system and to apply updates. Can I still install ROM with this kind of recovery mode, and how?
You need to install CWM recovery, which S4 model do you have?
I just installed Ozcan Rom on my GT-I9500, it has failed to go pass the welcoming screen….am stuck in a boot loop, tried format/system and the reinstall several times but no LUCK…is there anyway i can fix it???
I want to install a custom rom on my Galaxy S4 (1337M) but had a question before I go through the process
I had the phone unlocked and reprogrammed when I switched from Rogers Wireless to Wind Mobile
will the custom rom alter those changes or will they still be the same
my internal storage after installing ozcan, reduced.
how to get internal storage .
how I instal a costem rom I am using trwp recovery plz help.
Hi,
I am currently having I9500 with Lollipop5.0.1 update. I want to install new ROM. How i need to do it? Can you please help me.?
Regards
Arun
If you got the answer please help me. Thanks.
I need to install MIUI rom into my Galaxy s4 running on lollipop 5.0.1 samsung version. I tried to install MIUI official rom. It showed sign in verification error in whole-file. Please help me. Thanks in advance.
I WAS GOING TO FLASH LIQUIDSMOOTH ROM 4.4.4. IM ROOTED VIA ODIN.. BUT ON YOUR LINK TO DOWNLOAD ZIP. I DONT SEE L720T FROM SPRINT JUST L720. S4. I SURE WISH I WAS AS SMART AS YOU.
Hi
Thanks for the tutorial!
I have downloaded the Triforce 5.4 for Sprint SPH-L720, but when I unzip the file with my mac I don’t get a md5, I get a folder…And my TWRP recovery won’t flash the .zip file (I didn’t try with the whole folder…).
it says checking for MD5>no MD5 file found
verifying zip signature>zip signature verification failed
error
(i checked verify zip signature, I feel it might work if i uncheck that, but maybe that’s not a good idea…I downloaded the rom following links indicated in this post)
I also tried with the triforce 3.0, same problem
Hi, thanks for the good videos.
I have rooted my GT-I9505, which is currently on Lollipop 5.1. I have downloaded CWM from the Play Store and everything is updated within the app. I have also placed the zip for Cyanogen 12.1 along with the GApps zip on the external SD card. When I reboot into Recovery, I get into the “standard” Samsung recovery mode, instead of CWM. This also happens when I go into the ROM Manager app and tell it to reboot into recovery. I think this is the crucial thing going wrong when trying to flash Cyanogen 12.1.
Does anyone know how I can get CWM to work? Is it because the phone is already upgraded to Lollipop 5.1?
Any help is much appreciated.
Please, on my galaxy s4 mini hardware model is GT-I9195 but the OS stock inside is SGH-I257 AT&T. can I update the phone using GT-I9195 android 4.4.2 kitkat ROM? Please help me
is the process thru twrp recovery will be the same as this? cause this is thru cwm recovery. any reply will be appreciated thanks!
I have Samsung Galaxy duos gt-i9082 verision 4.2.2.
The phone did not bring network signal. Hence I can’t call mor browse. What can I do?