What is Custom ROM? Everything you need to know
By flashing custom ROM on Android phones, you can revive your old device and gain access to a wide range of new features, if you are looking for a way to escape from the limitations of Android or to be more productive than your old phone, you can achieve all this by installing a custom ROM.
The limitations of Android, including the possibility of customizing the appearance based on personal taste and deleting default programs, and most importantly, increasing the performance of old phones that do not benefit from receiving new versions of Android, are all reasons that caused developers to create in an effort to find a powerful solution.
What is the Custom ROM?
They are modified versions of the Android operating system that offer more customization options and improved performance compared to the current operating system, except that they are customized by independent developers. Due to Android being open source, developers are free to modify and optimize the operating system based on their imagination and skills and create their own custom versions by having the Android source code.
A developer can be anyone; From a passionate and interested programmer who has spent his free time making that or a larger group like LineageOS, which with a professional team sends a special type of ROM to the Android world and after a while, it is known as the best .
They are suitable for people who want to have more control over their device’s operating system and go beyond the current Android software. To install, first you need to root your smartphone and then proceed to flash. Flash here basically means the same as loading or installing. In other words, by flashing you install a new ROM on the device and completely erase the old.
Advantages and disadvantages
For users who want to bypass the limitations of Android, custom ROMs offer several advantages. However, just knowing this is not enough, and whoever has the idea of ​​installing a custom ROM, should know what features and advantages he will get and what features he will lose in return for installing a new ROM. Let’s go through the pros and cons of custom ROM in order of preference.
Advantages
The most obvious advantage that brings to Android devices is the possibility of more control and better customization of the operating system. Many Android smartphones usually come with customized versions of the operating system and user interface and pre-installed apps. Users can get rid of these limitations by installing a custom ROM and give themselves the pleasure of using a simpler user interface with the possibility of more customization. With a wide range of customization options, custom ROMs allow users to change the launcher, themes, icon packs, and other visual elements to their liking.
The benefits of custom ROM are not only limited to changes in the appearance and user interface of the device; Because by optimizing system resources and removing bloatware and efficient algorithms, they provide a smoother and better user experience and improve the overall performance of the system. These improvements can be especially useful for owners of older devices.
Additionally, custom ROMs often provide a way to get the latest Android versions on older devices. Thus, even if the phone does not receive official updates, users can access newer features, security improvements, and user interface improvements.
Additional features and tweaks and protection from possible vulnerabilities and the ability to remove bloatware and pre-installed programs can be considered as other advantages of installing a custom ROM. All this aside, the overall advantage of using custom ROMs lies in their ability to bypass limitations and improve the performance of older devices. Fortunately, there are no restrictions on installing custom ROMs, and even on old phones, custom ROMs can be installed with little effort.
Disadvantages
Fortunately, the advantages of installing a custom ROM far outweigh its disadvantages; however, there are two important points to consider before installation:
- The installation process is much more complicated than updating the normal software of the device; Because first you need to boot the device in recovery mode and go through several steps to flash custom ROM. Improper installation of custom ROM can damage the device; Therefore, it is very important to follow. the instructions correctly while installing a custom ROM. Also, since installing a custom ROM may cause data loss, you should backup important data before starting the process.
2. Considering that rooting and installing that invalidates the device’s warranty, if the device is damaged after installation, the phone’s warranty can no longer be counted on.
Are custom ROMs safe?
Custom ROMs enhance the performance of the phone and are based on newer versions of Android and provide many visual improvements; But are they secure enough?
Before starting, it should be said that there is no certainty about the complete safety of the software and it should always be taken into account that any program may face abuse and hacking. However, if you use a reliable and well-known ROM supported by a reliable and active team, you can install the ROM with more confidence; Because the necessary checks have been done in terms of security.
Some developers of custom ROMs provide regular security updates in order to maintain security, and users can protect their device against security problems by installing security updates.
To ensure the security of custom ROMs, download only from trusted sources that the developer says. If you are a beginner, stay away from unknown and go for ROMs that have been tested and reviewed by many people. Before installing that, you should also check the required permissions and permissions. Naturally, a custom ROM that requires inappropriate access or excessive and unreasonable permissions can be a threat to the security of your device and personal information.
