Why do YOU install a new ROM?

[jbhuskers]

Here's a newbie question that I can't find a solid answer on. What is YOUR reason for flashing a new ROM as opposed to the stock ROM? What is a good ROM and what does it do that makes it a good ROM?

I had reservations in rooting my phone, but thankfully I used Z4 and it worked like a charm. I have even more reservations for installing ROMS (even though I do have ROM Manager installed, I just haven't pulled the trigger).

 

[tgyberg]

I'd say variety for starters. It's the spice of life no?!

 

[UltraDroid]

It's not really clear from the question you're posing if you're rooted or not, but I'll forgo addressing the "rooted vs unrooted" argument and simply answer the question. I change roms on my DX to add functionality and, sometimes, from boredom. If I see a different rom which has some cool features I'd like to play around with, I back up my current rom and give the new rom a spin. I either like it or I don't. If I like it, I keep it around for awhile, until I get bored with it and see a newer rom which seems interesting. I always have the option though of restoring an earlier rom which I've backed up.

-Mike

 

[Beka27]

To elaborate further on the "boredom" response: For some people, changing wallpapers or icons is enough to get that "new phone fix". Others need more drastic changes. A new rom does that for you.

 

[Beka27]

I had reservations in rooting my phone, but thankfully I used Z4 and it worked like a charm. I have even more reservations for installing ROMS (even though I do have ROM Manager installed, I just haven't pulled the trigger).

You are right to have reservations about flashing roms. Rooting only unlocks the door. It does not essentially change anything. You can download root-only apps and that's about it. By flashing a rom, you open the door, walk inside, grab a beer, and sit down to watch some tv. The real modifications don't take place until you leave the stock OS and flash a rom.

 

[AsrMatt]

Good choice with Z4root. I have had much luck with it and even though it has left the market it is still floating around out there.

I decided to flash out of shear boredom and looking for a little more functionality. I am currently running Liberty 2.0.1 with UD theme from the toolbox. A good friend of mine is running liberty on his X and he loves it. I highly recommend it for both functionality and looks. There are plenty of themes for it and a lot of tools in the Liberty Toolbox.

Those are my 2 cents. :icon_ banana:

 

[Laur3nNewm4n]

I rooted mostly to get rid of bloatware apps and for free tethering (I still only use <2GB per month, even if I do tether a little bit).

I flash custom ROMs for a few reasons. Typically, they add some functionality that a stock ROM lacks. I also like the look of MIUI (a ROM) much better than the stock Android OS. Finally, I do it partially because I can, and it's something new to learn and try.

 

[matt2783]

I rooted and flashed a ROM because I felt it was necessary, my Droid was basically unusable. I figured, before I go off and spend $200-$600 for a new phone, I may as well try a custom ROM and see if it will improve my phone. It was the one of the best decisions I ever made. Performance went through the roof and I have a bunch of features I wouldn't otherwise have. I was considering buying a D2, now I don't think I would trade my OG for a D2.

After I did it once I kind of got addicted. Now I flash a new ROM just to check it out, see what it has to offer.

 

[jbhuskers]

I have seen Liberty before. Now installing a new ROM wipes out all programs and contacts and etc right?

 

[rlarson_mn]

My first android phone was a Droid original which was a wonderful phone to tweak, I learned a lot from the android community and my son on rooting and rom changing. It was a great learning and stretching time for me. I now have a Droid X and have it rooted but of course no rom installed as with my original Droid. At this point I am more interested in creating new functionality with my phone that directly produces quality in my phone experience. My next phone will be a Droid X2 which would be great if it were rooted but what is a requirement for me would be Gringerbread on the phone as an OS.

 

[UltraDroid]

I have seen Liberty before. Now installing a new ROM wipes out all programs and contacts and etc right?

Installed programs - yes, but if you purchased them through the market they're easy to restore. Contacts - no, if you've got them set up on Google, when you re-sync your contacts, they're restored.

-Mike

 

[AsrMatt]

I have seen Liberty before. Now installing a new ROM wipes out all programs and contacts and etc right?

Installed programs - yes, but if you purchased them through the market they're easy to restore. Contacts - no, if you've got them set up on Google, when you re-sync your contacts, they're restored.

-Mike

To go a step further you can download and install Titanium Backup from the market. With this program you can preserve all of your apps and data. I went from stock 2.2 to Liberty 2.0.1 and restored from Titanium Backup with no issue. Some ROMS have issue when restoring from a stock ROM. It is best to download and install the apps fresh, but it is nice to have all the options. As Mike said Google will back up all of your contacts. Also, there are a few back up programs on the market that will back up all of your text messages if you are interested.

Let us know how it goes once you have installed your new ROM.

 

[gthotie5]

For me its mostly just battery life since D2G stock is garbage.

Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using DroidForums

 

[UltraDroid]

I have seen Liberty before. Now installing a new ROM wipes out all programs and contacts and etc right?

Installed programs - yes, but if you purchased them through the market they're easy to restore. Contacts - no, if you've got them set up on Google, when you re-sync your contacts, they're restored.

-Mike

To go a step further you can download and install Titanium Backup from the market. With this program you can preserve all of your apps and data. I went from stock 2.2 to Liberty 2.0.1 and restored from Titanium Backup with no issue. Some ROMS have issue when restoring from a stock ROM. It is best to download and install the apps fresh, but it is nice to have all the options. As Mike said Google will back up all of your contacts. Also, there are a few back up programs on the market that will back up all of your text messages if you are interested.

Let us know how it goes once you have installed your new ROM.

Yeah, I'm glad you brought up the text messages - slipped my mind. There are a couple of programs you might want to look at, from the market like SMS Backup & Restore - which is free - SMS Backup + (also free) and SMS Backup & Restore Pro, which cost a couple of bucks. That Pro version lets you schedule backups, which may increase it's value or be more convenient, but I've never used that particular program.

Good point AsrMatt!

-Mike

Follow-Up: If you decide to go with one of those backups, read the material on the market, including the comments. Some of those programs don't work correctly on Droid X or Droid 2. My experiences with them were back when I had a D1.

 

[jbhuskers]

Does a new ROM like Liberty help battery life too? dancedroid