Installing Android 4.4 CM11 on the Galaxy S4

Like most devices that don’t begin with “Nexus,” the Galaxy S4 likely has a while to go before Samsung rolls out an official Android 4.4 KitKat update. Fortunately, the CyanogenMod team has come out with a custom ROM based on KitKat for Galaxy S4s bearing the model number GT-I9505.

This guide will walk you though the installation process. As always, DroidReport assumes no liability for the firmware installation. Proceed with caution.

Before Getting Started

Do not use this guide for any device other than the Galaxy S4 (GT-I9505 model). Flashing this ROM onto any other device will most probably result in a bricked phone.

You must have your Galaxy S4 rooted, with a recovery utility like ClockworkMod installed. As always, you want to backup your device and charge it to at least 80 percent.

Finally, enable USB Debugging mode by navigating to Settings -> Developer Options.

Updating Galaxy S4 to Android KitKat 4.4 via CM11 ROM

1) Download the Android 4.4 KitKat CM11 ROM, as well as the Google Apps package, which can be found here and here.

2) Using your USB cable, connect your Galaxy S4 to your computer.

3) Copy CM11 custom ROM and the Google Apps package to the root folder of your handset’s SD card. Do not extract either.

4) Boot your phone into Recovery mode by pressing the Volume Up, Home and Power buttons simultaneously until you see a Galaxy S4 logo, then release all three to enter recovery mode.

5) Perform a factory reset by selecting “Wipe data/Factory reset.”

6) In CWM recovery, navigate to “Format system” in the Mounts and Storage submenu, and then press “Yes.” Next, navigate to the Advanced submenu and select “Wipe Dalvik Cache.” Select “Yes” when prompted.

7) Navigate to “Install Zip from SD card” and select the ROM downloaded earlier. After the ROM is installed, repeat this step to install Google Apps.

8) After the installation is complete, press “Go back” and then select “Reboot system now” to restart your phone. This may take some time.

9) After restarting, your Galaxy S4 will officially be running Android 4.4 KitKat CM11 ROM. Kudos.