While stock firmwares don’t receive updates often, you’ll find frequent updates on CyanogenMod. CyanogenMod is one of the best firmwares available for Android, however, you might still find some bugs which is why you should keep your firmware up to date. In this post, I’ll show you how to update CyanogenMod for any Android phone. Updating the firmware is extremely easy and you’ll be able to install the latest updates in just several minutes.
Why Update Your CyanogenMod Firmware?
You might be wondering whether updating CyanogenMod is worth the hassle as it is already one of the most popular firmware available for Android. Here are the reasons why you should keep your CyanogenMod firmware up to date.
Fix bugs and glitches. If you’re currently facing any bugs or issues on your phone, then you should definitely update your CyanogenMod firmware as most updates try to fix software bugs and glitches. Improve the performance of your phone. The latest CyanogenMod update might also bring performance and battery improvements on your phone. Get new features. CyanogenMod updates might also come with new and improved apps or features and you’ll be able to enjoy them on your phone.
Method 1: CM Updater
CM Updater is one of the most useful features that is built into the CyanogenMod firmware and this is the easiest way to update your CyanogenMod ROM. It is similar to installing Over The Air updates on stock firmwares. You don’t need to manually go into recovery or flash anything and everything is automatically done. The installation process only takes a couple of minutes, but downloading the update might take a while depending on your internet connection.
Step 1
Go to Settings, tap on About phone and select CyanogenMod updates.
Step 2
Tap on Update types and select your desired update type, such as stable only or all versions.
Step 3
Tap on the Refresh icon on the top in order to check for updates.
Step 4
Below AVAILABLE UPDATES, tap on the Download icon next to the update that you want to install.
Step 5
Once the update is downloaded, tap on the Install icon and select Update if you get an Apply update popup. Your phone will now update your CyanogenMod firmware and this might take a couple of minutes. Once the process is completed, your phone will reboot. That’s it! You have successfully updated your CyanogenMod firmware.
Method 2: Manually Installing Updates
This is another reliable method for updating your CyanogenMod firmware and it is slightly more complicated than Method 1. This method is ideal for installing major updates, specially when you want to wipe data and cache on your phone.
Step 1
Download the CyanogenMod update manually on your PC. You can find CyanogenMod firmwares on the official downloads page.
Step 2
Transfer the firmware zip file to your phone without extracting it.
Step 3
Boot your phone into recovery. You can do this by using your phone’s advanced power menu or by using a button combination after switching off your phone. The button combination will depend on the phone you’re using.
Step 4
If you’re installing a major update, wiping data is recommended. In order to do so, go to Wipe data/factory reset using the Volume buttons and select it using the Power button. Select Yes if you get a confirmation option. Wiping data will delete everything from your phone so make sure that you have a backup available.
Step 5
Go to Install zip from sdcard, navigate to the CyanogenMod firmware that you transferred to your phone earlier and select it. Select Yes if you get a confirmation option.
Step 6
Wait for the update process to complete and this might take a couple of minutes. Once the firmware is installed, select Reboot system now. That’s it! You have successfully updated your CyanogenMod firmware and your phone will now reboot.
Method 3: CyanDelta Updater
This last method uses a third party app from the Google Play Store in order to update your CyanogenMod firmware. CyanDelta Updater is a popular app that lets you update various ROMs on your phone. The best thing about this app is that it downloads only a small delta file that is needed to update the firmware instead of downloading the full firmware. Unlike Method 1, you won’t have to download huge ROMs in order to update your firmware. CyanDelta Updater is an excellent replacement for CM Updater and it also lets you view the changelog before flashing the update.
Step 1
Download and install the CyanDelta Updater app on your Android device. You can download the app through the Google Play button below.
Step 2
Download the latest zip file of the CyanogenMod firmware for your phone. You can find the firmwares on the official downloads page.
Step 3
Transfer the downloaded zip file to your Android device.
Step 4
Open the CyanDelta app, tap on No zip selected and select the zip file that you transferred to your phone earlier. Wait for the app to verify and import the zip file.
Step 5
Your downloaded zip file should now be saved in CyanDelta. When there is an update available, you’ll see the update name and size below Available update. Tap on the button below Available update in order to download the delta file.
Step 6
Once the file is downloaded, tap on the Install zip button. Your phone will now install the update and this might take a couple of minutes. Once the process is complete, your phone will automatically reboot. That’s it! You can now enjoy the latest features from the CyanogenMod update.
Conclusion
If you have been using Android for a while, then I’m sure you like software updates as they bring new features and fix various software bugs and glitches. CyanogenMod updates work in the same way and you can easily install the latest updates using any of the methods mentioned above. Method 1 is the easiest and most reliable way of updating your CyanogenMod firmware as it comes preloaded. Method 2 is ideal if you want to install major updates and the last method is perfect if you don’t want to download huge files in order to update your phone. Make sure that you follow all the instructions properly on how to update CyanogenMod for any Android phone and feel free to drop any questions in the comments section below. What’s next? Learn about the best CyanogenMod themes and even the top features.
