What Is an Android ROM?
Have you ever noticed that Android on a Samsung phone is different than an LG or Motorola one?
Phone manufacturers do it all the time, but so do independent developers.
Android ROMs on smartphone.Masakaze Kawakami / Unsplash
Android ROMs are just custom versions of Android made by independent developers.
Sometimes, these indie developers are just a single person, repackaging the Android code from Google.
More often, though, they’re entire development projects or even non-profit foundations.
They create ROMs to add features and customization options to Android.
Custom ROMs also support devices that may not be supported by their manufacturers anymore.
Usually, ROMs give you more control over your phone.
Pixel Experience
Super clean interface.
Feels like a Pixel unit.
New features from Google.
Not much room for customization.
Well, the Pixel Experience ROM has you covered.
Pixel Experience is essentially stock Android, at its core.
Then, they add in all the extras that come exclusive to Pixel devices on top of that.
The result is something that looks and feels a lot like a Google Pixel phone, on your gadget.
The main downside of the Pixel Experience ROM is its limited support.
There arent many phones that they cover officially.
Resurrection Remix
Excellent customization.
Long running ROM with a great reputation.
Might be overwhelming for some.
When youre looking for customization, theres nothing better than Resurrection Remix.
This ROM is build from the ground up with customization in mind.
Nearly every aspect of your devices interface can be tweaked and modified to your style.
Resurrection Remix supports a wide range of devices and focuses on stability.
They dont over extend themselves or leave supported devices without updates for long.
it’s possible for you to always expect a complete and polished experience.
LineageOS
Very stable.
Somewhat slow release cycle.
A list like this wouldnt be complete without mentioning LineageOS.
Its easily the largest custom ROM project in the world today, and it has a massive following.
In fact, its also the ROM most other developers use as the basis of their own creations.
LineageOS is known to be stable, and it runs across a wide range of devices.
OmniROM
Simple and stable.
Seems a little plain.
OmniROM takes an interesting middle ground approach thats made it more and more popular over the years.
OmniROM is built for stability, functionality, and simplicity.
The interface is clean and free from a lot of the clutter you find on manufacturer Android builds.
At the same time, OmniROM provides the customization options common from custom ROMs.
OmniROM does support a decent range of devices, but their support really could be better.
BlissRoms
Excellent interface.
Fast updates to new Android versions.
Performance and security improvements built in.
Doesnt have a long history.
More limited equipment support.
BlissRoms is a non-profit project that follows in the footsteps of LineageOS.
It has a unique icon theme and a focus on clean design.
In addition to design, BlissRoms also aims to improve both performance and security over standard Android releases.
