The Samsung Galaxy S2 is a rather "old" device by today's market standards, and every smartphone that is more than two years old will have trouble receiving timely software updates. As you know, Google has recently launched Android 4.4 KitKat, but whether or not Samsung will launch the new update on the Galaxy S2 is unclear at this point.

Fortunately, we can always rely on the developer community to launch custom ROMs, and team OmniROM has recently launched the OmniROM custom Android 4.4 KitKat ROM on the Samsung Galaxy S2 I9100G. This guide will teach you how to apply the custom ROM on your device, but before proceeding, it is very important that you read the bullet points below.

IMPORTANT – PLEASE READ

  • This is an OmniROM "Nightly" build, meaning that the ROM could have minor bugs. On the bright side, nightly builds are released in a timely manner, so bugfixes are constantly on their way
  • This ROM is based on Android 4.4, but comes with unique features as well, such as multi-window, multi-workspace, tweaks to the user interface, per-app permission controls, an enhanced DSP Manager, non-obtrusive incoming call alert, flappable quick settings and much more
  • In order to apply this custom ROM, you need to have a rooted Samsung Galaxy S2 that runs ClockWorkMod recovery
  • IMPORTANT: this guide is ONLY for the Samsung Galaxy S2 bearing the model number "I9100G". Do not attempt to apply this guide for other smartphones or other SGS2 variants. To make sure that your smartphone is the right variant, go to "Settings" > "About Device". (If you wish to install OmniROM on the Samsung Galaxy S3 I9300, visit this link. If you wish to learn how to apply the ROM on the Samsung Galaxy S3 LTE I9305, visit this link)
  • During the process, you will need to factory reset your smartphone. As such, you should create backups
  • You can backup app data using the "Helium" app
  • You can backup APN Internet Settings by using the "APN Settings Backup & Restore" app
  • You can backup messages by using the "SMS backup & restore" app
  • You can backup your contacts by syncing them with your Google account
  • Before proceeding, you will need to enable "USB Debugging". To do so, go to "Settings" > "Applications" > "Development" > "USB Debugging"
  • Make sure that your smartphone's battery level is at least 60-70% charged
  • This is an advanced guide. If you brick / damage your phone or you lose data, you can't hold the developers or anyone else responsible
  • Don't skip any of the steps!

Installing OmniROM Android 4.4 Nightlies on the Samsung Galaxy S2 I9100G:

  1. Download the custom ROM file by visiting this link (sort by "last modified" and download the latest build)
  2. The OmniROM package does not include Google apps. To get the required Gapps package, visit this link. (Make sure you download the Android 4.4 package that is 245.5 MB in size, named "pa_gapps-full-4.4-20131126-signed.zip"
  3. After downloading these zip files, connect your Galaxy S2 i9100G to your computer
  4. Copy both the ROM and Gapps zip files onto your phone's internal storage. Do not unzip the archives
  5. After the files have been copied, disconnect it from your computer
  6. Turn off your smartphone
  7. Boot in ClockWorkMod Recovery Mode. To do so, press the "Volume Up", "Home" and the "Power" buttons at the same time. Release these buttons when you see the main CWM Recovery screen
  8. You will now create a full NANDROID backup of your current ROM. This procedure will come in handy if you don't like OmniROM and you wish to return to your current OS. To create a backup, tap "backup and restore" and save the file
  9. Flash the OmniROM Android 4.4 Nightly. Select "install zip from sdcard" > "choose zip from sd card". Then, find and select the OmniROM zip that you have downloaded at step 1. This may take a while. Don't press any buttons during the process
  10. After OmniROM has been flashed, select "install zip from sdcard" > "choose zip from sd card". This time, select the Google apps zip and flash it
  11. Once both the OmniROM and the Gapps zips have been installed successfully, return to the ClockWorkMod recovery screen
  12. Select "reboot system now". NOTE: this first reboot after flashing may take several minutes. Don't panic, and don't press any buttons. If your smartphone is frozen or is stuck in a boot loop, remove the battery, re-install it and follow the entire tutorial from the beginning without missing any steps
  13. Congratulations! You have successfully installed OmniROM Android 4.4. You can now restore your contacts, app data, messages and more.

NOTE: If you wish to remove the OmniROM build and you want to return to your old ROM, you can use the NANDROID backup that you have created at Step 8.


See More: Samsung Galaxy S2 I9100G: Flash Android 4.4 OmniROM Nightlies