HTC One (M7) owners must be knowing that the company has permanently discontinued software service support to the 2013 flagship smartphone.
They need not get disheartened, because there is a slew of custom ROMs available on the Internet.
PixelDroid is one such firmware which can bring the latest features to the HTC One (M7). According to Team Android, PixelDroid custom ROM is stable with no hint of bugs and is based on the latest AOSP (Android Open Source Project) v5.1.1 Lollipop. It also boasts of Dirty Unicorn firmware features.
Prerequisites (Things to remember before installing the CyanogenMod CM12 Nightly):
- The new PixelDroid Android 5.1.1 Lollipop custom firmware has to be installed on the HTC One M7 model only ; if tried on other devices, it might get bricked [To check your device model: Go to Settings >> About phone >> model number].
- Make sure the device is rooted before going forward for custom ROM installation.
- Installation of custom ROM requires clearing of memory in the smartphone, so make sure to back all the data by installing Clockwork Mod (CWM) Recovery/ TWRP in the smartphone.
- Make sure you have installed USB drivers on the PC, or else your smartphone (HTC One M7) will not be recognized by the computer.
- Make sure your device has more than 80 percent battery, or else there is a chance of the smartphone getting temporarily bricked if the installation process is interrupted mid-way.
[Disclaimer: This procedure is very technical and should be performed by a person with sound knowledge of rooting (or manual software installation) Android devices. If the step-by-step installation process is not followed properly, there are chances of the smartphone getting bricked or being permanently irreparable. International Business Times, India Edition cannot be held responsible for any damage or claims from readers if the procedure does not yield the required results or if the smartphone is bricked. Hence, users are advised to proceed with caution.]
Tutorial: Step-by-step installation guide for PixelDroid Android 5.1.1 Lollipop Custom ROM on HTC One M7 (GSM) model:
Step 1: Download PixelDroid Android 5.1.1 Lollipop custom ROM (HERE) and Google Apps (HERE) on to your PC.
Step 2: Connect HTC One M7 to PC via USB cord.
[Before connecting your phone to the computer, be sure that you have installed USB driver software, if not, click HERE to download the firmware].
Step 3: Place Android 5.1.1 Lollipop zip file and Google Apps files into the phone's SD card memory. [Users are advised to paste the .zip file in SD card root, not in any other folder.]
[Before installing the custom software, the user should make sure that the device has been rooted and ClockworkMod Recovery tool installed.]
Step 4: Place boot.img file in to the android-sdk-windowsplatform-tools directory.
Step 5: Turn off the device and disconnect from the PC.
Step 6: Perform the regular Bootloader mode sortie by press-holding 'Volume (Down)' and 'Power' buttons.
Step 7: After entering the Bootloader mode (on the phone), go to android-sdk-windowsplatform-tools directory (on the PC), open Command prompt, type 'fastboot flash boot boot.img' and press 'enter'. (to enter Command prompt: Shift + right-click >> open Command Prompt)
Step 8: Type 'fastboot reboot' and press 'enter'. Now follow the instructions displayed on the screen. Select BOOTLOADER option to enter Recovery Mode.
Step 9: Clear the phone memory by choosing 'wipe data/factory reset'
[Use Volume keys to navigate and power button to select options, while operating under Recovery Mode]
Step 10: Clear the cache memory by selecting 'wipe cache partition'.
Step 11: Go back to ClockworkMod recovery, select 'advanced' and tap 'wipe dalvik cache'
[This step is optional, but many recommend it so that the user doesn't face boot loops or any other errors in the middle of custom ROM installation].
Step 12: Come back to the main recovery screen and then tap 'install zip from SD card'
Step 13: Tap 'choose zip from sdcard' and go to Android 5.1.1 Lollipop ROM .zip file in SD card and enter the installation process. Repeat the same procedure for Google Apps
[Use Volume keys to navigate and power button to select options]
Step 14: Once the installation is done, navigate to '+++++Go Back+++++' and re-start the device by opting for 'reboot system now' seen in the recovery menu.
Your device (HTC One M7) will now take a few minutes (only for the first time) to complete the booting process.
Head to Settings >> select 'About phone' to confirm the installation of PixelDroid Android 5.1.1 Lollipop custom ROM.
[Credits: Team Android]
