Installing Android 4.4 Mackay ROM On Galaxy S (GT-I9000)

If you own a Samsung Galaxy S (GT-I9000), you’re probably already aware that the handset is officially locked to Android 2.3 Gingerbread. While it’s anyone’s guess how well Android 4.4 KitKat will perform on the legacy device, the XDA team welcomes you to give it a shot with a Mackay ROM based on CyanogenMod.

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

Before Getting Started

Before you get started, ensure that your Galaxy S is the GT-I9000 model. You must also root your device and install a recovery utility like ClockworkMod.

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 Samsung Galaxy S (GT-I9000) to Android 4.4 KitKat

1) Download the Android 4.4 Mackay ROM and Google Apps package, which can be found here and here.

2) Connect your Galaxy S to your computer via USB cord.

3) Copy the ROM file and Google Apps package to the root folder of the Galaxy S’s SD card. Don’t extract the files.

4) Boot your Galaxy S into Recovery mode by pressing the Volume Up, Home and Power buttons together until the Samsung logo is on screen.

5) Wipe all data from your Galaxy S by first selecting wipe data/factory reset, followed by wipe cache partition, then wipe dalvik cache.

6) Install the Mackay ROM by choosing “install zip from SD card > choose zip from SD. Hit confirm installation and then repeat the same steps to install Google Apps.

7) After the firmware is installed, navigate back to “reboot system now.” Your Galaxy S will now take a few minutes to restart. Do nothing until this completes.

8) Once your phone boots up again, you’ll officially be running Android 4.4 KitKat Mackay ROM. Kudos.