Can I Use My Android Phone As A Flash Drive

When you bought your phone information technology was cutting edge, had the latest version of Android, and made your heart sing. A year or ii later on, it doesn't become new updates, and the performance is a little sluggish. You tin can breathe new life into your phone–non to mention add a ton of useful features–by flashing it with a new custom ROM.

Why Would I Desire to Do This?

There are many reasons someone might wish to install (or "flash") a new ROM to their phone. Yous'll get new features and customizations, you'll get rid of all the bloatware that came pre-installed on your phone, and you can get stock Android instead of your manufacturer'south lame custom UI (I'm talking to y'all, Samsung). But nearly of all, you can upgrade to the virtually current and optimized version of Android, fifty-fifty if your phone has been all but abandoned by the manufacturer.

The sad reality is that most manufacturers and carriers rapidly forget about old devices, and terminate rolling out updates for them. Now while we understand the economics of the situation–it'due south non profitable to pay the hardware company to create new updates and to support legacy phones–we still call back information technology's a shame that perfectly good phones are so quickly relegated to the support junk bin.

Have, for example, the Samsung Milky way S III. When it was released in 2012, information technology was an incredibly popular (and powerful) phone. But Android 4.3 Jelly Bean was the last update it ever got–and it got it 6 months after Jelly Bean was released by Google. Sure, engineering marched on, and it's far from cutting edge, but it's still a capable little device. Phone modders and customizers have made it possible for this three year old device to get the latest version of Android–Marshmallow–through custom ROMs like CyanogenMod. And, cheers to operation increases in subsequently versions of Android, people are reporting that information technology runs better than ever.

RELATED: Does Rooting or Unlocking Void Your Android Phone's Warranty?

So if you accept a phone that the manufacturer no longer loves, simply that you still love, flashing a new ROM to your telephone is a great manner to go on information technology feeling new and snappy.

Notation: Any time y'all monkey around with the internals of your phone, tablet, or other device in a mode the manufacturer and/or supplying carrier did not intend for you to, you technically void your warranty–at least sure parts of it–and you risk permanently bricking your device. That said, we've been rooting, jailbreaking, unlocking, reflashing, and other wise modding phones, tablets, consoles, and other walled off electronics for years without so much as a single hiccup, let alone a bricked device. Read the instructions carefully and y'all'll be fine.

What You'll Demand

Y'all tin't just accept a brand new phone and start flashing ROMs. Y'all'll need to first unlock bootloader and install a custom recovery environment like TWRP. So if you haven't done either of those nevertheless, you'll need to follow those guides first, and so come back here.

RELATED: How to Unlock Your Android Telephone'south Bootloader, the Official Style

Second, you'll demand a ROM to wink. There are countless dissimilar ROMs out there from many independent developers and tweakers. Some are very pop–like CyanogenMod–and are bachelor for many devices. Others may be created by more than contained developers for one or ii phones. To find out what kinds of ROMs are available for your device, caput over to XDA Developers and scan the forum for your specific phone model.

Keep in mind that you'll want to stick to your phone's exact model–carrier and all. It helps to larn the model number and "codename" for your device, which will help separate it from the others. For example, the GSM Galaxy Nexus (GT-i9250) was known as "maguro", while the Verizon version (SCH-i515) was known equally "toro". Verizon Galaxy Nexus users need to flash ROMs built for their phone, and can't flash ROMs built for the GSM AT&T version.

Other phones may utilize the aforementioned model across carriers, and so it may not matter. Simply be sure to do your enquiry and download a ROM that is compatible with your exact device.

For this guide, we'll be flashing CyanogenMod 12.1 to our 2013 Moto X, which comes in the form of a flashable ZIP file. Then, we're going to download the latest stable version for our telephone from CyanogenMod'southward download page. (Yous tin can see a list of devices in the left sidebar, which volition take you lot to their bachelor downloads). If you lot want a newer version of Android than the stable releases accept to offering, you tin can click "nightly" in the left sidebar for less stable, but more than bleeding-edge versions.

No affair what ROM y'all choose, you'll probably also need the "Google Apps" Zilch file, which bundles Google's proprietary apps like the Play Store, Gmail, and Maps, since those can't exist arranged with ROMs. You tin grab them from OpenGApps.org. Brand certain to download the right version for your telephone's processor and version of Android (if yous aren't certain what kind of processor your phone uses, yous can Google it). In our case, we demand Google Apps for Android Lollipop five.1 (since that's what CyanogenMod 12.1 is based off of) for an ARM processor (since that'southward what the 2013 Moto X uses).

Alright, you with me then far? Y'all have an unlocked phone, with TWRP installed, and both your ROM and Google Apps Zilch files? Bang-up, permit'due south go started.

How to Flash a ROM with TWRP Recovery

In order to flash our ROM, we need to put these two .zip files on our telephone. Plug in your telephone with a USB cable and drag the Nix files to the phone's internal storage or SD bill of fare.

We're going to wipe nearly of the data on your phone. It should go on your internal storage intact (where your photos, music, and other files are stored), but you lot volition lose nearly of your app settings and other data. If you want to save whatever of that data, use those apps' backup or export functions now. It's probably a skilful idea to back up your internal storage likewise, but in case.

Then, turn off your phone and kicking into TWRP recovery. Doing this is a fleck different on every phone–for example, y'all may take to concord the Power and Volume Down buttons simultaneously, then use the volume keys to kick "Recovery Manner". Google instructions for your specific model to encounter how it's done.

One time you've washed and then, you'll exist greeted with the familiar TWRP dwelling screen.

Note: You should probably make a backup in TWRP before continuing with this process.

From the home screen, tap the Wipe button and swipe the bar at the lesser to practise a factory reset. Y'all should ever do a factory reset before flashing a new ROM. If you're just upgrading your existing ROM, you lot may non have to, just if you ever experience issues subsequently flashing, a mill reset may help.

Adjacent, become back to the TWRP home screen and click the Install button.

The post-obit screen volition appear. Gyre down and navigate to your ROM'southward .cypher file you lot transferred earlier.

Tap the .zip file and you'll see this screen. Swipe to confirm the wink.

It may take a few minutes to flash the ROM, then requite it time.

When that finishes, it's time to wink the second .naught file. Go back to the domicile screen and tap the Install button. This time, pick your Google Apps .nil file, and repeat the procedure. This may take a while as well, so be patient.

When it'south done, tap the "Wipe enshroud/Dalvik" button that appears and swipe to confirm.

Once the cache has been wiped, tap the "Reboot System" push button to boot back into Android.

RELATED: How to Root Your Android Phone with SuperSU and TWRP

If TWRP asks if you want to install SuperSU now, choose "Do Not Install". Some ROMs, similar CyanogenMod, volition already have root access bachelor in the settings, and for any that don't come rooted, it's probably best to wink SuperSU yourself.

Information technology may take a while to reboot your phone the first time–recall, this is your first time booting a new operating system, so it has to go everything fix for you. Requite it time. If annihilation goes incorrect or the phone won't kick after a significant amount of time, reboot back into TWRP and restore from your backup, or endeavour flashing again. Brand sure y'all downloaded the correct ROM files, as well.

RELATED: Forget Flashing ROMs: Utilise the Xposed Framework to Tweak Your Android

That's all there is to information technology! Play around with your new ROM, and if you honey it, continue information technology. If you desire more… then striking up the various modernistic communities and forums like XDA Developers to run across what else is out there. You lot might even effort sticking with stock Android and using the Xposed Framework to add features one-by-1–essentially creating your own "ROM". The world is your oyster, so go out and enjoy it.

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