This is why I still use an Android custom ROM in 2024

I’ve been using Android for as long as I can remember, and ever since I got my hands on my first rooted phone, I’ve always enjoyed customizing my device experience. Over the years, that has led me down a rabbit hole of using Android custom ROMs – in fact, I’ve been running them for as long as I’ve been writing about Android. Today, I’m here to explain why I still use a custom ROM even in 2024.

Control: Features and aesthetics

As you know, Android is pretty flexible and offers extensive customization options – if you dig deep enough. It allows you to choose from a number of different launchers and widgets, themes and fonts, and customize your device in more ways than you can shake a stick at. But, sometimes, it just feels like it’s not quite enough.

In 2024, we’re seeing the slow death of the old “pure Android” vision as Google pushes its vision of “stock Android” that features a lot of bloatware and bloatfeatures that I simply don’t want on my device. In its quest to compete with other ecosystems, the Android experience is being forced to take a backseat to Google’s services.

And if you’re someone who, like me, values having granular control over their device, there’s no better way to customize it than by flashing a custom ROM. This is the key advantage of running a custom ROM – full control.

As someone who uses their phone to take notes, consume multimedia content, and develop Android apps, I’m often switching between different apps and interfaces throughout the day. I’m very intentional with how I set up my device to optimize my workflow. Being able to control the look, feel, and functionality of my phone from top to bottom helps me remain in complete control of my digital space. It’s incredibly liberating.

That control extends to having full access to every corner of your phone and knowing that every function you can interact with is either there because you put it there, or there because the developers of the ROM chose to make it part of the experience – which is completely up to you. You could choose to have only the basics, or load up on extra apps and features that make your phone work perfectly for you. Your choice, your rules.

The power of choice

One of the things I love most about custom ROMs is that they give you the freedom to try out a lot of different experiences on your phone. We live in an era where every Android manufacturer feels compelled to push its own bespoke Android experience. While some companies, like Samsung, Google, or OnePlus, have polished and feature-packed custom UIs, the trend for many other manufacturers feels incredibly lazy. These “stock” skins are rarely good. Often they are simply “borrowed” from older ROMs, repackaged as a bespoke skin for their users.

This is especially true in the world of mid-range and budget devices, where the customization often comes in the form of uninspired UI changes and features that, honestly, no one really needs.

For someone like me, custom ROMs give me a lot of other choices. For instance, you could flash a clean version of stock Android if you like that style and want a clean experience. I used LineageOS for years – a beautiful ROM based on pure Android – because I love the speed, smoothness, and simplicity of Android as it was originally intended.

However, even though it’s not on my phone right now, I do like some aspects of Pixel’s features. I’ve even played around with ROMs that come pre-loaded with the best features of different phones – such as the excellent Call Screen feature or the live Google feed in Pixel’s launcher.

Essentially, you get to choose from hundreds of ROMs designed with different feature sets, different looks, and different philosophies – and if you want to make one of them feel more unique to your needs, you can often do so.

A lot of the time, when a device I want to try out lacks something important, I’ve learned I can just “install” it in the form of a new custom ROM. Some of the ROMs I’ve tried even come bundled with some awesome extras that you might not find elsewhere.

Being on the cutting edge

Beyond features, another reason why I love using a custom ROM is because you often have access to the newest software updates and features first. If a new Android version rolls out, you’ll be able to try it out on a ROM before your OEM makes an update for your phone available. Not every ROM is actively developed by a large community – but the best ones are always working hard to bring the latest features and bug fixes to users quickly.

Think of it like this: Your OEM usually has an enormous amount of devices that need to be supported with each update. Their schedule often reflects this fact as they try to test the update on multiple different configurations – and it can be months before an update reaches your device.

Custom ROMs usually target just a few devices (generally those with high interest among ROM developers), so you’re going to get updates a lot faster. Of course, there’s no guarantee the latest software is always bug-free and perfect – you’ll have to decide if the benefits outweigh the potential downsides. Still, if you want to test drive the newest version of Android first, or get the latest software, a custom ROM is the best way to do so.

Keeping it simple

Sure, there is some technical barrier to entry for those who aren’t familiar with custom ROMs. I often hear people express frustration with the “complexity” of installing and updating a ROM. The initial process of setting up a new ROM requires some effort and technical know-how, especially for people who are new to the Android modding scene.

There are resources available to walk you through the whole process of flashing a custom ROM – even if you’ve never touched one before. The vast majority of people I’ve helped set up a custom ROM in the past had absolutely no experience doing so. They all seemed to be impressed by the potential for personalization.

But the ease of using the ROM day-to-day outweighs any minor difficulties I had during installation. Once I set everything up, I’ve almost never encountered problems with stability or performance.

Is using a custom ROM right for you?

All things considered, whether you use a custom ROM depends entirely on how you feel about Android and how you prefer your phone to run. For many people, a “stock Android” experience may be all that you need to get the features and customization you crave. And if you do get frustrated with how your phone functions, or want a complete overhaul, I’d strongly recommend giving custom ROMs a try.

You won’t find me turning back anytime soon, though – because once you go custom, there’s simply no going back.