How To Uninstall Custom ROM on Android

Sometimes, you may want to switch back to the original operating system (stock ROM) that came with your Android device. This could be because you’re experiencing bugs or performance issues with the custom ROM, or you simply prefer the stock experience. This might push you to uninstall custom ROM on Android phone.

Before You Begin

• Back up your data: This is very important, as uninstalling a custom ROM will erase all your data and settings.
• Download the stock ROM firmware: This file can usually be found on the manufacturer’s website or dedicated Android firmware repositories.

Checking Device Compatibility and Necessary Preparations

Before you start with the process, check that you have taken the necessary precautions:

• Fully charged Android device
• Perfectly working PC/laptop
• USB data cable
• Android SDK Platform devices
• Custom recovery
• Custom ROM

How to Uninstall a Custom ROM on Android

Here are the steps on how to uninstall a custom ROM on Android:

1. Back up your data:

1. Connect your Android device to your computer using a USB cable.
2. Open a file manager window on your computer.
3. Copy the following folders from your Android device to your computer:

• /sdcard/
• /data/
• /mnt/sdcard/

2. Download the stock ROM firmware:

• Go to the manufacturer’s website for your Android device.
• Find the Downloads section.
• Download the stock ROM firmware file for your device model.

3. Flash the stock ROM firmware:

• Extract the downloaded stock ROM firmware file to a folder on your computer.
• Download and install Odin on your computer.
• Open Odin.
• Click the AP button and select the .tar.md5 file from the extracted stock ROM firmware file.
• Click the BL button and select the .blg file from the extracted stock ROM firmware file.
• Click the CP button and select the .cpb file from the extracted stock ROM firmware file.
• Click the CSC button and select the .csc file from the extracted stock ROM firmware file.
• Put your Android device into download mode.
• Connect your Android device to your computer using a USB cable.
• Click the Start button in Odin.

Odin will flash the stock ROM firmware onto your device. Once the flashing process is complete, your device will reboot into stock Android.

Here are some additional tips:

• Make sure that your Android device is fully charged before you begin.
• Use a high-quality USB cable to connect your Android device to your computer.
• Do not interrupt the flashing process.
• If you encounter any problems, you can search for instructions for your specific device model.

How to Install a Custom ROM on Android

Unlock the Bootloader

In order to run a custom ROM, you first need to run a custom recovery, which can be done once you have unlocked your device’s bootloader.

The bootloader decides whether to run the Android system or the recovery each time the device is switched on. Hence, the custom recovery can best be run as soon as the bootloader has been unlocked. This might be the most careful part of the process and therefore must be carried out cautiously.

The manner in which they do this is almost the same across their devices. You might first want to get an ‘unlock key’ that can be gotten at the manufacturer’s website. Search for your device key by typing inside the device name, followed by ‘unlocking bootloader’ on Google.

Start by downloading the ‘Android Debug Bridge (ADB)’ and ‘Fastboot’ software programs to your PC (we recommend the use of a PC to unlock the bootloader). Also, download the USB drivers for your device from a reliable site. This is important in order for your PC to detect your cellphone while connected to the USB cable.

• On the phone, enable both the ‘Developer option’ and ‘USB debugging mode’. This can be done by going into ‘Settings’, ‘About telephone’, and tapping on the ‘Build Number’ seven times. The ‘USB debugging’ option will show up inside the ‘Developer option’.
• Now connect the smartphone to the PC and open the folder where ‘ADB’ and ‘Fastboot’ are set up. Press Shift, right-click, and pick ‘Open command window here’.

Type the commands below:

• ‘adb reboot bootloader’
• ‘fastboot devies’
• ‘fastboot oem unlock’
• ‘fastboot reboot’

Once this is done without issues, you’ll have successfully unlocked your bootloader.

Run a Custom Recovery

Recovery is a part of the Android device and can act as a mini-working system via itself, running backups and updates, deleting users, and deleting cache. It also plays a major role: installing ROMs. However, the default recovery on most smartphones has its obstacles, and that’s where a custom recovery is useful.

There are lots of custom recovery tools to select from; however, the most famous ones are TWRP and ClockworkMod (CWM). Visit their website and download the model that is compatible with your device.

Continuing with the procedure, as soon as you have the bootloader unlocked and a custom recovery downloaded on the PC, go to the folder where the recovery file is saved. Ensure you have the proper model downloaded for your phone, and keep the smartphone connected to the PC.

• Press Shift, right-click, and click on ‘Open the Command Window here’.

Use these commands to load the custom recovery:

• ‘adb reboot bootloader’
• ‘fastboot flash healing twrp (version you’ve got saved).Img’
• ‘fastboot reboot’

You have now effectively done a custom recovery.

Flashing the Custom ROM

The preferred way to flash a ROM is to do it manually through your custom recovery. Make sure you’ve got your recovery tool setup, then switch off the cellphone and boot it into recovery. The way in which you do that differs on every phone, however, normally involves holding down a combination of the power button and the volume buttons, then following any on-screen commands.

Flash the ROM

Once the recovery tool has been launched (in this case, TWRP), you can begin flashing the ROM. Here are the steps:

Step 1: Create an Android backup. This is what you will use to restore your cellphone to its previous state or to recover from any errors. Go to Backup and pick out which partitions you need to save. You can include them all because it’s possible to select which part to restore when the time comes.

Step 2: Swipe the bar to get started, then wait several minutes for the backup procedure to complete.

Step 3: Go back to the home display screen and choose Wipe. Swipe the bar to reset your smartphone (it might not wipe your internal storage). This step is optional; however, not wiping your smartphone may also cause errors with your ROM (that is known as a dirty flash).

Step 4: Return to TWRP home screen and select Install. Navigate your way to where you stored the ROM (the zip file).

Step 5: Select the zip file, then swipe the bar to begin installing. The process might also take a couple of minutes.

Step 6: After it completes, repeat step 5 with the Google Apps zip if you need to.

Step 7: Now reboot your cell phone.

Don’t panic if it appears to freeze on the boot screen because the first boot after flashing a ROM generally takes a little longer than regular. Having taken a android backup, you should always be able to restore it to get your phone up and running quickly.

Once your cellphone has restarted, you’ll need to restore your files and apps (assuming you probably did wipe the data as mentioned above) and log in to all your services again. Most ROMs are pre-rooted, so if you used Titanium Backup, it’s going to work with no extra steps. Now you can enjoy your new software.

Troubleshooting Common Issues with Custom ROM Installation

“Status 7” error

This error is also common when installing the custom ROM on flashed devices. The error particularly says that the file that you are using is not compatible with the version of your cell. Sometimes, it shows the error even if the file is right, making the user download it again.

1. Download and unzip the ROM zip file onto your computer.

2. Browse to the ‘META-INF/com/google/android’ directory. You will find different files.

3. Rename the ‘updater-script’ file to ‘updater-script.txt‘’ and open it on Notepad or in an editor.

4. Delete the first line till the word ‘mount‘.

5. Save and rename the file back to the first.

6. Recompress all of the files and flash the custom ROM with this updated file.

Fixing the Problem of the Phone Booting into Recovery Mode

After flashing the custom ROM, it might enter recovery mode. You can try wiping the device. But there’s a much lower chance that it really works. This trouble arises in particular when the ROM you chose has inadequate space or if you have chosen an incorrect ROM. You need to re-install the firmware in such a case.

Conclusion

Installing a custom ROM can seem difficult at first; however, once you understand the steps, it will become easy to process. Custom ROMs unlock a whole new world of customization for your phone, and they are also a lot of fun to experiment with. They can even save you money in the end, as you could get OS and security updates long after your phone has stopped being officially supported.

How To Uninstall Custom ROM on Android – FAQs

1. What is a custom ROM, and why would I want to uninstall it?

A custom ROM is a modified version of the Android operating system that can be installed on your device. Custom ROMs can offer a variety of features and improvements over the stock ROM, such as increased performance, better battery life, and more customization options. However, some users may experience bugs or compatibility issues with custom ROMs, and others may simply prefer the stability and security of the stock ROM.

2. What are the risks of uninstalling a custom ROM?

The biggest risk of uninstalling a custom ROM is that you could brick your device. This means that your device could become unusable, and you may need to send it to a professional to be repaired. To avoid bricking your device, it is important to carefully follow the instructions for your specific device model.

3. How can I back up my data before uninstalling a custom ROM?

There are a few different ways to back up your data before uninstalling a custom ROM. You can use a cloud backup service, such as Google Drive or Dropbox, or you can connect your device to your computer and copy your data to a hard drive.

4. What do I need to do if I brick my device while uninstalling a custom ROM?

If you brick your device while uninstalling a custom ROM, you will need to unbrick it. There are a few different ways to unbrick a device, and the specific method will depend on your device model. You can find instructions for unbricking your device on the XDA Developers website.