5 Best ROM For Galaxy S9 in 2024
There are a lot of people that just aren’t a fan of what Samsung has done to Android with their TouchWiz skin. There are folks that prefer stock Android, but want the premium hardware that comes with the Galaxy S9. So, what do you do? Well, you can can consider rooting and flashing a new ROM on your Galaxy S9. The process has gotten a whole lot easier over the years, allowing almost anybody to get deep into the phone to flash a whole new operating system. It’s still Android, but with a ton of design and performance changes, and for the better, too. So, if you want to flash a ROM on your Galaxy S9, but aren’t sure which one to get, we’re showing you all of our top picks below.
Rooting your Galaxy S9
It’s worth noting that rooting phones over the years have always had a little risk with them. There’s always the risk of damaging your phone — you could do something minor that is completely fixable, such as a boot loop or soft brick, or you could do a hard brick and completely ruin your phone. And usually, you’ll be on the hook for getting a new phone, as rooting and messing with software like this completely voids warranties and any insurance terms you might have.
However, you can take solace in this: the folks over at XDA Developers have been rooting and flashing phones for years now with complete success. If you follow their steps to a T for rooting your phone (check them out here), you won’t run into any problems or have to worry about ruining your phone.
And now, on with our favorite ROMs for the Galaxy S9!
LineageOS
LineageOS is a ROM based on the Android Open Source Project. One of the neat things about it is that it can be used without any Google products installed, whereas regular Android forced you to have much of Google’s apps on your phone. It’s a clean ROM that resembles stock Android with a few minor changes, so you’ll definitely get that “vanilla” feel with LineageOS. Most everything is working with this ROM, except for a few Samsung apps and features, such as KNOX and Theme Center. And that’s not really a bad thing, especially if you’re trying to get rid of Samsung bloatware on your phone.
Get it here: XDA Developers
Google Pixel Experience
Are you envious of the beautiful and stock software on the Google Pixel? Well, you can have it on your Galaxy S9 or Galaxy S9+ with the Google Pixel Experience ROM. This removes TouchWIz from your phone and puts the Google Pixel software on your Galaxy S9, giving you all of the features and software found on the Google Pixel. With the Galaxy S9 running Android 8.0 Oreo, it’s actually really easy to flash the Pixel Experience (also being referred to as a Generic System Image (GSI), thanks to Oreo’s support for Project Treble.
Get it here: XDA Developers
RessurectionRemix
You might also want to consider downloading and installing RessurectionRemix. This is a super clean ROM that gives you a close to stock Android experience. There are some small differences, but if you want a clean operating system with no frills, RessurectionRemix is a stable ROM that you’ll have a lot of fun with.
Get it here: XDA Developers
DotOS
DotOS is a ROM for those looking for performance and stability. If you’re looking for a long-lasting battery, DotOS takes out the frills and focuses on preserveing battery life when you’re not using your phone, but then offering unmatched performance when you are using it. You should be able to fly through tasks with this ROM, as there’s no throttle on the CPU — playing even the most demanding games with DotOS will be smooth as butter. This was put together by a team of six developers, and has a ton of extra features. It moves away from TouchWiz, and gives you DotOS’ own custom Android look. You can check out many of the changes at the link below.
Get it here: XDA Developers
HavocOS
HavocOS is based on LineageOS (previously CyanogenMod), focusing on snappy response times, great performance, and long-lasting battery life. That said, it does have a vanilla Android look to it, though HavocOS developers have taken some liberty and added their own UI elements. There are a ton of improvements, and you can check out the exhaustive list at the link below.
Get it here: XDA Developers
Verdict
As you can see, there are a ton of great custom ROMs available for the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+! Which one is your favorite? Let us know in the comments section below.