This is why we still use Android custom ROMs in 2024.

Custom ROMs used to be of Although important to Android enthusiasts, the debate surrounding it has waned in recent years. With better software updates, more sophisticated UIs, and more powerful hardware, that need has diminished. However, the community never completely died out, and as of 2024, you can still find many Android smartphones and tablets with official LineageOS builds. So why are so many people hooked on modified operating systems when almost everyone else is moving to them? I installed a custom ROM on two Android devices.

Why install a custom ROM in 2024?

The number one reason to install a custom ROM has remained the same for over a decade. Aftermarket OSes can extend the lifespan of older Android devices long abandoned by manufacturers. Take the LG V40 or OnePlus 7 Pro, for example. Officially, both phones will no longer receive updates or security patches for new Android versions. However, the enthusiast community continues to keep such devices alive with official LineageOS builds up to Android 14. Some popular phones, such as the Galaxy S5, continue to receive updates.

Perhaps the second biggest reason to consider installing a custom ROM is performance and responsiveness. Even once-workhorse chips can crack under the strain of modern Android skins and apps. Finally, even if you own a relatively new device like the Pixel 9, you may want to consider an alternative OS without Google services to maintain privacy or improve battery life. .

But that’s just a theory. How useful are custom ROMs in the real world?

My test subjects were a Poco X3, which I use as a secondary phone, and a Xiaomi Pad 6, which I use for web browsing and media consumption.

Poco X3 was a popular budget smartphone when it was launched four years ago at the end of 2020. The last security update was applied in September 2023 and never went beyond Android 12. However, with a little searching, you can find some smartphones. The Android 14-based custom ROM still receives weekly updates (pictured above).

On the other hand, my Xiaomi Pad 6 regularly receives official security patches, but it may not see Android 15. The tablet also uses the Snapdragon 870, a flagship tier chip from several generations ago, and I noticed some stuttering while multitasking. Stock ROM. Xiaomi’s custom skins also don’t support multiple user profiles, so I decided to take matters into my own hands and installed CrDroid, a custom ROM focused on customization.

In both cases the overall experience was night and day. My phone and tablet felt noticeably faster and smoother, with apps opening and closing almost instantly. In fact, I could hardly tell any difference in multitasking between my Pixel 8 and Xiaomi Pad 6. This is despite the fact that the Xiaomi Pad 6 is a much older chip. When I opened the app drawer, I found that both custom ROMs came with less than 10 apps preinstalled. This is a big difference from the dozens in a standard installation.

LineageOS has a reputation for being similar to stock Android, and I’d say it’s actually closer to stock. Since Google hasn’t given AOSP as much attention as Pixel UI, LineageOS developers have taken the liberty of adding modern web browsers, gallery, camera, and calendar apps.

Similarly, you’ll find plenty of quality-of-life features that most stock ROMs don’t yet have. For example, on Pixel 8, double-tap the status bar to instantly turn off the display, prevent apps from accessing the internet, press and hold the volume key to switch between music tracks, or turn on a persistent network traffic monitor. I wish I could add more. in the status bar.

LineageOS is just the tip of the iceberg, though, as CrDroid has dozens of features, from custom volume increments to status bar icon customization. The following screenshot of CrDroid’s settings menu will give you an overview. And, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, the overall experience has become so much smoother that I no longer have the itch to run out of my tablet and buy a new one.

We also discovered a rich set of Magisk modules that offer even more functionality. Magisk modules are small apps for rooted Android devices that add system-level functionality. For example, after installing the Pixelify module, I immediately gained access to Gboard’s Assistant dictation and Google’s Now Playing feature on Poco X3. With some effort, you can use this module to perform most Pixel-only features on any device, such as call screening in unsupported countries.

Overall, custom ROMs deliver on the promise of keeping your phone up to date with some extra features, if you’re willing to tinker with them. So what’s the problem?

If you’ve ever tried rooting your Android smartphone, you might know that Google has started fighting back against custom ROMs under the guise of security. The biggest hurdle is Play Integrity, a service provided by Google. The service allows apps to verify whether they are running on a “genuine Android device” without “any tampered version of the app or an untrusted environment.”

Simply put, the Play Integrity API raises a red flag if your Android device has an unlocked bootloader or root access. Unfortunately, any OS that does not pass Google’s GMS certification will also be disqualified. This is frustrating because custom ROMs are inherently insecure, but that’s how Google treats them. As you might expect, many banking apps require Play Integrity, but others, such as McDonald’s, inexplicably refuse to work with uncertified ROMs.

Currently, you can technically bypass Play Integrity by rooting and installing a cocktail of bona fide Magisk modules that disguise your device’s identifiers. I tried this approach and the popular Play Integrity Fix module actually worked. Apps can no longer detect that you are running a custom ROM, let alone one with root access. Google Wallet also works and you can now use your phone’s NFC for contactless payments.

However, my luck reversed within days. When I sat down to write this article, I discovered that my device was no longer passing Play Integrity checks. Confused, I opened the Magisk subreddit and found a thread claiming that Google had banned most fingerprints used in the Play Integrity Fix module to avoid root detection. This module currently relies on a small number of leaked fingerprints, most of which were found to originate from official beta versions of Pixel ROMs. Google can revoke these fingerprints at any time, so the community should look for fingerprints that aren’t banned.

As you can probably tell, if you’re using your mobile phone for banking, RCS, contactless payments, or any of the myriad other transactions that require “integrity” checks, it’s a cat-and-mouse game. However, it is an unreliable solution. However, not all custom ROMs suffer from this issue. GrapheneOS passes BasicIntegrity checks, which is sufficient for most apps, including banking apps. Last year, I wrote about my hands-on experience installing and using GrapheneOS on the Pixel 6, and it’s only gotten better in recent months. Most banking apps should work fine because it meets the basic security requirements of the Play Integrity API.

The good news is that aside from apps that rely blindly on Play Integrity, I can’t say I encountered any usability issues with the ROMs I tested. I didn’t notice any crashes or random restarts, all alarms worked on time, and battery life was stable. Custom ROMs were once considered the wild west of Android, but they have matured considerably over the years.

Aside from GrapheneOS, which is only supported on new Pixel devices anyway, is it advisable to install a custom ROM in 2024? The answer lies in the dependence on Play Integrity linked apps, and the sudden depends on your tolerance for significant changes.

Personally, I can’t justify running a generic custom ROM like LineageOS on a smartphone I drive every day. Although my overall experience was better than most stock ROMs I’ve used recently, the workaround for Play Integrity is far too unreliable. You don’t want to wake up to an app that refuses to work on your fully functional phone. However, if you are a select group of users with a supported device, technical know-how, and the patience to deal with potential issues, you will still be able to install a custom ROM on your primary phone in 2024. We recommend that you do so.

That said, if you have a second Android device, such as a tablet, I think it’s worth looking into a custom ROM. Heavy skins like Samsung’s One UI and Amazon’s Fire OS can have severe behavior, especially on older devices. That being said, both manufacturers have made it difficult to install custom ROMs on modern devices. Xiaomi’s Pad series and Google’s Pixel Tablet are the only current-generation Android tablets with strong community software support.

Needless to say, I will continue to use custom ROMs on my tablet. Responsiveness and the ability to switch between multiple users are far more important than compatibility with a small number of apps, especially on shared devices.

Additionally, if you only care about the security and privacy-enhancing aspects of an alternative operating system, you can confidently consider GrapheneOS.

GrapheneOS focuses on adopting and building on additional features, rather than circumventing security features such as Secure Boot. For example, you can effectively sandbox and isolate Play Services to prevent Google from collecting large amounts of data from your phone.

The future of other custom ROMs is uncertain. It’s a bit ironic that a company that was once proud of Android’s diversity now actively discourages the very communities it admires most. But unless there are competitors on the horizon, this is simply a matter of living with the status quo. The only silver lining is that advances in processing hardware mean that even cheap Android smartphones are now fully usable, whether or not you have a custom ROM installed.