crDroid
N/A
Murena
Kali Linux
LineageOS
OmniROM
postmarketOS
Ubuntu Touch
Why should I install a custom OS on my Android device?
You could benefit from some of the following
Increase the lifespan of your device
Once your device's manufacturer stops providing OS updates, you may not be able to install apps that require a
newer OS version.
You phone may also not receive further security updates, which poses a risk.
Sustainability
Mining and manufacturing processes involved in making smartphones have a sizeable impact on the environment. Using
them as long as practically possible helps reduce that impact.
Increased privacy
With most of the custom OSes listed above, you can unGoogle your smartphone. This means not having to install
Google apps or services.
Repurpose your device
If your phone is not fitted to be used as such anymore, you can repurpose it as a small computer, a small gaming
device, a glorified remote control for connected devices, etc. You can also achieve some of these without a custom
OS if relevant apps are compatible with your Android OS version (i.e. it's not too old).
Is it easy to install a custom OS on my Android device?
Your mileage may vary. It will require learning about concepts such as rooting, bootloader, flashing, ROM, etc. Luckily,
many people have been through this before so there is extensive documentation on the internet and the list above is aimed at
providing (device, os) pairs with high compatibility rates.
Can you please add OS [XYZ] to the list?
Sounds like a plan. :) Please raise an issue
once you've
confirmed it's not a duplicate or, if you have coding
skills, raise a PR!
I have found a bug/inconsistency!
Well, thank you for spotting that! Please let us know by raising an
issue once you've
confirmed it's not a duplicate or better still, raise a PR if
that's possible.
I want to repurpose my phone as a headless single-board computer à la Raspberry Pi without installing a custom OS
There are several ways to achieve that. The easiest option is to install termux
if your smartphone OS version is not too old. And if you'd like to play with linux distros within termux, have a look at proot-distro.
Another option is to check in the list above if your phone is compatible with postmarketOS, which is a flavour of Alpine.
You can thus run many applications, including for self-hosting, as explored in this blog post.
If you'd like your phone to be always on, an important aspect to consider is how to run your phone without a battery.
Manufacturers most likely don't design their phones with that in mind. See the question below for a quick tip.
How do I run my phone without a battery?
The easiest is to keep the battery and simply use a plug timer so that the phone is not constantly being charged.
Alternatively, there are ways for some phones to remove the battery and simulate its presence so that the device still
boots up and runs normally. This is a case-by-case basis though. Doing some research online for your specific device may
give you pointers. For example, here is how to achieve a battery-less setup for OnePlus
6T devices.