Android firmware

[Lord777]

Hi, as promised, here's a selection of the best Android firmwares. With them, you will definitely improve the protection of your data, as well as speed up the smartphone itself + a bunch of useful things.

Important! We have selected the most popular and proven Android firmware for you. Before installing any firmware, check the compatibility with your device on the official website. Then we repeat everything according to the instructions of the developer. We use exclusively official sites, links below.

Replicant OS
The oldest and perhaps the most famous firmware. It is best suited for antediluvian devices that are 10 years old. If you have a modest budget and you need a lot of anonymous smartphones, we buy a couple of buckets and put a replicant. On the official forum of the site, you can find all the instructions, as well as ports for more modern devices.

Link: https://replicant.us/

Lineage OS
The most popular modern firmware. I advise you to use it, as it supports most devices. There is a full-fledged camera application and much more. A big bonus - this software significantly speeds up old devices.

Link: https://lineageos.org/

Paranoid
Another good and proven firmware. Great performance boost and many customization options for the look and feel of the GUI. An interesting feature is the unique hover mode: viewing and interacting with notifications from any screen.

Link: https://paranoidandroid.co/

SlimRoms
Top-end firmware in terms of performance. The simplest and lightest, with the same simple functionality. Unfortunately, it hasn't been updated for a long time, so the list of supported devices can be quite limited.

Link: https://slimroms.org/

Copperhead
Exclusive Pixel Firmware. The main feature of CopperheadOS is significantly advanced anti-hacking tools. It is much more difficult to hack a smartphone with such firmware. Unfortunately, the developers had a conflict a couple of years ago, so you can't put them on the latest smartphones from Google.

Link: https://copperhead.co/

 

[Lord777]

Why do I need firmware?

What is Firmware?
It's simple - it's a change in the operating system. In our case, this is the demolition of the pre-installed stock Android and the installation of new custom software, also based on Android. Here's a pinch of theory. There are custom and stock firmwares. Stock - firmware from the manufacturer, such as Android Go, Pixel Experience and MiUi. Custom - software enthusiasts, a selection of which you will find above.

Anonymity
I am sure that not for all of you anonymity will be the main reason to reflash your smartphone. Nevertheless, specifically for me, this is the coolest feature. All stock versions of Android are preinstalled with a whole bunch of Google applications, or Gapps. These applications are the real spy bugs of the good company. By default, all Gapps monitor user traffic and send it directly to the main office to tweak their sinister ad algorithms. Therefore, you need to get rid of them. For example, in Lineage OS, firmware based on AOSP (Android Open Source Project) and Linux, gapps were not cut out, but were not initially installed. It turns out to be truly pure Android. By anonymity, that's all. The fact that there are no Google applications will increase the likelihood of your personal data being confidential.

Improving performance
The second significant plus of the firmware is the increase in performance. Most of the custom firmwares are based on pure Android. This means that the developers got rid of unnecessary animations, processes and other garbage that slows down your device and makes the battery drain faster. Yes, most likely such software will not be the most pleasant in terms of aesthetics, but it will literally fly. Interestingly, some firmware improves not only performance, but also the quality of the camera and the reproduced sound. Not a bad bonus.

Additional features
The ability to centrally view and manage security and privacy settings, call recording, access to individual applications only by a separate code or fingerprint, and customization of the interface. A similar set of chips is offered by the same Lineage OS. Perfect functionality for a real liberal-minded Russian.

How do I make the firmware?
To summarize, the process of flashing a smartphone looks like this:

1. Download custom recovery, for example TWRP Manager, launch and grant superuser rights.
2. Download a compatible firmware version from the developer's official website.
3. Copy the firmware to a memory card or install from a PC via USB
4. Start the recovery - turn off the smartphone, and then hold down the power and volume down buttons for a few seconds
5. In TWRP, we set up Backup - the ability to roll back all changes and WIPE - delete all the contents of the smartphone.
6. Through the same TWRP, select the Install item and the desired firmware.

Something like this, but before such manipulations, be sure to read the official instructions from the developer.