TechGreatest
Upgrade Your Samsung Galaxy S3 To Android KitKat 4.4.4 NOW With ParanoidAndroid ROM
Want Android 4.4.4 KitKat On Your Galaxy S3? You can flash it with ParanoidAndroid
Samsung has officially stopped upgrading the international variant of the Galaxy S3, meaning you can’t get the official Android KitKat upgrade. Naturally, when this sort of thing happens, online communities pick up the slack.
ParanoidAndroid is a custom ROM created by a dedicated group of developers, and the latest (and final) version has just arrived for the Galaxy S3 international model, that is, the model designated I9300.
Of course, being a custom ROM, the process of installing it on your phone requires that you root the device, which can potentially brick your phone if it goes wrong, and will void your warranty too (assuming it’s still valid anyway – the Galaxy S3 is quite long in the tooth now).
We hate saying this sort of thing, but must emphasise that if you choose to root your phone and install this custom ROM you do so at your own risk. KYM can accept no responsibility if your phone stops working!
Before We Begin
- First of all, it’s important to clarify that this software and procedure is for the international variant of the Galaxy S3, the I9300 only. To ensure that you have the correct model, go to Settings>About Phone, where you should see a model number. If it’s I9300, you’re good to go. The phone also needs to be unlocked from carriers.
- Second, it’s a good idea to backup any important files or data you might have aboard your Galaxy S3 before going any further. You can manually plug your handset into a PC and extract what you’re after, or you could use a custom recovery tool such as ClockworkMod or TWRP – these tools create an entire backup of your phone as it is currently and you can restore to that state if things go awry or you change your mind (assuming the phone isn’t completely bricked, of course).
- Ensure your computer has the most up-to-date USB drivers to connect to your phone.
- On the smartphone, make sure USB debugging mode is enabled. Go to Settings>Developer Options and check the enable USB debugging box. Note that if you can’t see Developer Options you can reveal it by tapping the software Build Number seven times.
- Ensure the handset is fully charged.
- Make sure you have a microSD card in the handset.
Root It!
Now you need to root the phone. To do so, follow our guide here:
Get The Files
You need to grab the custom PA ROM:
You also need to get the compatible Google Apps, you have a choice of two packs here:
Now Flash It!
With these files downloaded, connect the phone to your PC via USB. Copy the PA firmware and Google apps zip files to the phone’s SD card root folder – do not extract the files!
Now you can install the ROM using recovery methods via either ClockWorkMod (CWM) or TWRP Recovery.
If you’re using CWM:
- Switch off the phone and wait 5-10 seconds for total shut down.
- Boot the phone in recovery mode by holding volume up, home, and power all at the same time until the recovery screen appears. You can use the volume keys to navigate recovery options and power to select an action.
- Select Wipe Data/Factory Reset. Then choose Yes when prompted.
- Select Wipe Cache Partition and confirm.
- Go to CWM’s main menu. Hit Advanced, then Wipe Dalvik Cache and confirm.
- Choose Install Zip from sdcard, then Choose zip from sdcard. Find the ParanoidAndroid Final ROM file, select it and then confirm.
- Follow the same procedure for the Google App files
- Once this is done, select Go Back, followed by reboot system now in the recovery menu. Wait for the phone to complete its reboot process, which could take as much as five minutes.
- Note that if the phone gets stuck in a boot loop, perform a factory reset from recovery mode.
If you’re using TWRP:
- Switch off the phone and wait 5-10 seconds for total shut down.
- Boot the phone in recovery mode by holding volume up, home, and power all at the same time until the recovery screen appears. You can use the volume keys to navigate recovery options and power to select an action.
- Tap Wipe and scroll to the bottom. Choose Swipe To Factory Data Reset.
- Now select Wipe> Advanced Wipe and select System. Scroll to the bottom and choose Swipe To Wipe.
- Tap install and locate the ParanoidAndroid Final ROM file on your SD card. Scroll to the bottom of the screen and select Swipe to confirm flash
- Follow the same procedure for the Google App files
- Once the installation is complete, tap reboot and select System. It may take up to five minutes to reboot.
- Note that if the phone gets stuck in a boot loop, perform a factory reset from recovery mode.
Paul Briden
14:27, 1 Aug 2014