HTC One M9 is a beast of a device with all-metal body and top of the line specifications. It boasts a 5 inch full HD display powered by a 1.5 GHz octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor and 3 gigs of RAM. It comes pre-installed with Android Lollipop 5.02 and recently received an update to Lollipop 5.1 and has been promised an update to upcoming Android Marshmallow. But if are more of an Android enthusiast or power user, you would like to enjoy a custom ROM on your device.
If you are not familiar with the term Custom ROMs, let me clear things for you. Custom ROMs are modified versions of the Android operating system based on the source code released by Google and/or device manufactures.
They tend to provide better user experience than most of the stock ROMs. They also provide far more customization options for your device and are more battery friendly. Custom ROMs have been around since the release of Android by Google, as Android is a open source platform developers have been messing with the Google’s source code since then.
WARNING: Any damage to your phone, loss of data or any other problems faced by you while installing Custom ROMs on your device are your responsibility. Developer or the author of the article should not be held responsible.
With that being said do backup all your data while installing a custom ROM to your device. It’s better to be safe than regret afterward.
Prerequisites to Install a Custom ROM:
- HTC One M9 Unlocked with htcdev.com
- Custom Recovery like TWRP installed on your device.
Read This: How to Root and Install TWRP on HTC One M9
How to Install A Custom ROM on Your HTC One M9
Follow the following steps to install a custom ROM on your HTC One M9:
- Make sure your device is unlocked or have S-off
- Download the ROM zip and copy the zip on your phone’s virtual SD card.
- Power off your device and boot into custom recovery by holding power and volume down key.
- Enter Recovery and perform a full wipe first.
- Select install zip and search for the downloaded zip file.
- Now confirm to install the zip and proceed with the steps that Aroma installer gives.
- Reboot the device after finishing the installation.
Best Custom ROMs for HTC One M9
As of now, only custom ROMs based on HTC’s stock ROM are available for HTC One M9. Custom ROMs based on Google’s stock Android or CM sources are being developed but are not stable to use at the time of publishing this article.
Disclaimer: The list is in no particular order, all the ROMs are equally recommended. Try out for yourself which one suits you best.
1. ViperOneM9
Developer: Team Venom
ViperOneM9 is a custom ROM based on the HTC’s stock ROM. with tons of customization options. It is based on Android Lollipop 5.1 with HTC’s Sense UI over it. Venom Tweaks is the reason to install this ROM, Venom tweaks provide over 300 options to configure individually Venom Tweaks and all other customizing options in the ROM gives you the control of your device.
You decide how things work or look on your device. It is one of the most used ROMs for HTC One M9 with most of them happy with what they get in the ROM. Check out the feature list of this ROM:
Features
- Supports all variants
- Venom Tweaks: Includes Status Bar, Navigation Bar, BlinkFeed Launcher, Lock screen Display tweaks.
- Aroma Installer: Choose what should be included in the ROM.
- Venom Pie
- Venom Sidebar
- Extended Navigation bar
- Venom 3 Finger Gesturing
- Enhanced Quick Settings
XDA Thread: LINK
2. Android Revolution HD
Developer: mike1986
Android Revolution HD is another ROM based on HTC’s stock ROM. This ROM is focused on providing the best performance out of your device. With minor to no noticeable visual changes, Android Revolution HD developers focus on developing a stable powerful ROM which also gives you the best battery life. If you like the Sense UI and want better performance for your device go for this ROM.
Features
- RAM optimizations
- System signatures check enabled for system security and safety
- Improved virtual memory management
- Speed optimizations
- Enabled GPU UI rendering
- Data, cache and system partitions mounting tweaks
- Bloatware applications removed
- All applications updated to the latest available
- Improved CPU governors performance
- OpenVPN support
XDA Thread: LINK
3. LeeDrOiD One M9
Developer: LeeDroid
LeeDroid One M9 by LeeDroid is another feature packed ROM for HTC One M9. LeeDroid has done great development in the past with HTC devices and his ROMs are quite popular among HTC device users. The latest version of the ROM is based on HTC’s stock ROM with Android Lollipop 5.1. It is also one of the smoothest ROM for HTC One M9 with great performance and battery life. LeeDroid tweaks make this ROM fun to use and customize your device according to your needs. Here are more features that you get in the ROM:
Features
- LeeDrOiD M9 Kernel – Firmware specific
- LeeDroid Tweaks:
- Sweep navigation bar to sleep
- Enable large Blinkfeed pictures
- Prism landscape
- Infinite apps in folders
- Hide recent app search
- Tap pull-down clock for world clock
- China Sense
- Quick settings brightness slider
- China sense recent apps
- China sense lock screen and Many more……
- LeeDrOiD Boot animation, audio & wallpapers
- Advanced Power Menu
- Enabled auto selfie feature
- Enabled voice activated capture
- Multi-user support
- Call recording support
XDA Thread: LINK
4. ICE M9: InsertCoin Enhanced (ICE)
Developer: Insert Coin Team
InsertCoin Enhanced or the ICE M9 is a sweet spot between HTC’s stock ROM and ViperOne M9. It is fast and smooth to use and has only features that could be useful to enhance your experience with your device. It has limited customization options as compared to ViperOne M9 or LeeDroid but includes the one you would really want. This ROM is meant for users who want smooth and lag-free experience with some customization. Check out the ROM’s feature list.
Features
- All M9 Variants Supported (International, ATT US, TMO US, Sprint, Verizon)
- Increased Quick Settings Tiles from 12 to 15
- Colorful Navigation Bar
- Call recording and auto call recording
- Increased Quick Settings Tiles from 12 to 15
- Enable/Disable Quick Pull (pull the status bar from right to access Quick Settings Directly)
- Kill All Button in Recent Apps with Memory Usage Info
- Battery Percentage AROMA option
- Ambient Display
XDA Thread: LINK
Well, this completes the list of best custom ROMs for HTC One M9. But I feel the list remains incomplete without any AOSP or CM ROM. Hope to see a stable AOSP or CM ROM on this device soon. Till then check out these awesome ROMs for your One M9.
Use any other custom ROM on your HTC One M9? Tells us what we left out or the one you prefer are already listed. Also, drop your questions regarding installation procedure. We would be happy to help you.
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