CyanogenMod Installer hits the Play Store to help you flash your phone

By Andrew Martonik
last updated

App still needs to be paired with a Windows component to install firmware

In its push to make installing its custom firmware easier for the average user, CyanogenMod has just launched its installer app in the Play Store. You'll need more than just the app to get through the process, however. After installing and going through a few basic instructions related to turning on USB debugging and the like, you'll be pointed to its get.cm website to download the desktop software to initiate the install.

You'll still need a Windows PC (running Vista or later) and a good USB cable to get your phone flashed with CyanogenMod, which adds another wrinkle of complication to the process. The combination of apps on your phone and computer should make it pretty simple though, provided your phone is on the list of compatible devices.

Although the app doesn't do a whole lot on its own, you can grab it from the Play Store if you're willing to also download the software on your PC and move through the process to bring CM to your device.

CyanogenMod Installer Launches on Play Store

SEATTLE - November 12, 2013 - Cyanogen Inc. today announced the the global release of the CyanogenMod Installer to support the CyanogenMod Project. Available via Google Play™, the application brings all the features from the direct to consumer Android OS to millions of new Android users worldwide with a new and simplified installation procedure.

CyanogenMod has become an enthusiast favorite with over 9 million registered users, and the new installer opens the door for more people to harness the full potential of their Android devices.

Paired with the PC client application, the Installer makes replacing and upgrading your current Android installation as simple as a few clicks.

“Our goal for the installer has always been to allow more users to experience the benefits of CyanogenMod, without the hassles of technical guides and concerns associated with the process.” - Steve Kondik, Co-Founder and CTO of Cyanogen Inc. “I’m especially pleased by the support the community has shown for our initiative and want to thank all those that helped beta test the installer.”

The application and installer are free to download and provide a convenient tool to upgrade your phone to the latest release of CyanogenMod. CyanogenMod provides users with greater customization, performance and functionality than the often outdated Android OS found on their device. Enhanced security functionality such as Privacy Guard protects users’ data from malicious or overzealous applications. The custom DSPManager allows for a system-wide equalizer to get the most out of your media and speakers. With integrated themeing capabilities, users can customize the OS to suit their tastes. The built in over-the-air (OTA) update capabilities ensures that users are never far from the latest feature, bug-fixes, and security updates.

About CyanogenMod OS

The CyanogenMod OS is based on Android 4.3 and is constructed by Cyanogen Inc. and its community developers as an open operating system. CyanogenMod uses code and technology pioneered by Google’s Android Open Source Project (AOSP) to extend and enhance software and device functionality. CyanogenMod is a user focused OS, alleviating the concerns over device longevity and limitations of use. CyanogenMod allows users and developers alike to be free from incumbent proprietary models.

About Cyanogen Inc.

Cyanogen Inc. is founded by the lead developers of the CyanogenMod OS to promote and enable a user focused approach to the mobile ecosystem. Today, millions of users use CyanogenMod as the OS of choice for their mobile experience. For press inquiries, please contact press@cyngn.com.

Andrew Martonik
Andrew Martonik

Andrew was an Executive Editor, U.S. at Android Central between 2012 and 2020.

93 Comments
  • It should be interesting to see how this plays out. Also, FIRST! (-: Posted via Android Central App
  • Cool, but CM isn't an OS. Android is the OS, CM is just a ROM Posted via Android Central App
  • And what exactly do you think a ROM is?
  • A random series of capital letters, of course!
  • Lol Posted via Android Central App
  • Lol Posted via Android Central App
  • ROM is Read Only Memory :p
    What people mean when they refer to a custom ROM is firmware.
    iOS is an operating system, Windows Phone is an operating system. A "ROM" is not changing your operating system, they still run in Android... Posted via Android Central App
  • So is Windows 7 just a "ROM" of Windows Server 2008 R2 because Microsoft didn't change "the operating system" when they published Windows 7? Clearly CM is a full operating system in its own right, which is BASED ON the Android operating system source, and is not just a "ROM".
  • I agree with UJ95x. A more apt analogy is the difference between Windows 7 Home and Windows 7 Professional. You're saying these are different operating systems, I would argue they are the same operating system with different feature sets. By extension you're saying that Motoblur, Sense, and Touchwiz are all different operating systems. This begs the question: is Nexus Android? It's not AOSP, so by your reasoning we must conclude it's a different OS. I run CM now, and have almost uninterrupted since my G1 days. So please don't think I'm trying to diminish or disparage CM in any way, but it is a custom Android build, it is not a distinct operating system of its own.
  • Please save yourself further humiliation Posted via Android Central App
  • Cm is an os. Android is also a rom Posted via Android Central App
  • cm was a rom...now it's a service
  • And... I wonder how many people will brick their phones...
  • All of them.
  • I'm glad you said it, this is a ridiculous idea, I'd rather sign up for ObamaCare. Are there any CM ROM's that work 100%? Since CM doesn't define stable as out-of-box functionality this is a bad idea. Posted via Android Central App
  • i beg to differ. I put it on roughly 30 minutes ago on my s3. seems pretty fluid if you ask me. and it only took me between 5-10 minutes to put it on.
  • He said 100% functionality.
    Doesn't matter if its smooth and fluid as unicorn tears rolling off a baby's butt if significant portions of your phone don't work. Too often the CM Apostles seem to gloss over how much doesn't work, because of hardware drivers are proprietary or something like that. Play with it longer than 30 minutes and keep an honest assessment. Ask yourself, If this component or that feature didn't work when it came from Samsung, would you still have bought the device?
  • will do. i already noticed one slight problem. flashlight doesnt work. and i dont have this connected to my carrier at the moment so....i have no access to phone calls, lte and such.
  • I've used CM on a couple of occasions with success each time. No missing functionality. Just upgraded my 1st gen Kindle Fire to CM10.2 (JB 4.3) and it rocks. That's just on an M snap. Obviously, the KF lacks the hardware to notice some issues like cameras and such, but from what I've experienced, on the more stable builds, there's not much missing that most users would notice. I don't bother with the nightlies though. Looking forward to CM11 (4.4). Will definitely flash it to this Kindle Fire (from what I've read, they'll build it for the Fire) and most likely my Galaxy Nexus (might get a Nexus 5 first, not sure) .
  • I have cm on my Nexus 4. Never once had an issue. It's fast, stable, and runs perfectly. Nexus 4 - CM10.1.3
  • You obviously have no QA experience. CM is great, but it's a far cry away from working "perfectly". Posted via Android Central App
  • Shots fired Posted via Android Central App
  • Two shots fired, I'm guessing?
  • Brick City Posted via Android Central App
  • What about Newark. ;-) Posted via Android Central App
  • I used this app and had it done within 20 minutes but the android app seems to have no use apart from connection and advising you to backup Posted via Android Central App
  • Will this work with AT&T 4.2.2 MF3?
  • No.
  • Just as you said earlier. This thread will be full of these dumb questions and people screwing up their phones. Posted via Android Central App
  • Agreed. It would have been nice if Andrew posted a link to this "list of compatible devices", to forestall any mad rush of soon to be disappointed newbies.
  • This!
  • Will this work on my Bold 9930?
  • David- I asked a simple question so I DIDN'T screw up my device. No need to be a douche about it.
  • What's an MF3? Posted from my pure Google Nexus 4 using the AC app.
  • ROM wars begin! RESPECT THE TECHNOLOGY
  • Why not just install CyanogenRom Downloader?
  • Because CyanogenRom Downloader only provides you with the ROM. It doesn't provide flashing firmware.
  • Does the press release really have a typo in the first sentence? Posted via Android Central App
  • Who reads the twice anyway Posted via Android Central App
  • Yes, yes it does. I didn't even notice it until you said. Now it's burning a hole into my soul, and is somewhat irritating.
  • LMAO I love it. Lots of quality comes out of there. Sometimes I wonder if I'm the only one who sees things like that and walks away thinking "I'm sure as crap not going to expect them to get software intricacies right if they can't spell..." Posted via Android Central App
  • Maybe the author has a stutter. Some people write the way they speak.
  • Best news I've heard today. Keep up the good work CM team. Sent from the Android 5.0 Milkshake
  • Will this work on my old Samsung Galaxy S1??
  • I can't decide between running the installer on my AT&T S3 or waiting for tomorrows official 4.3 update from Samsung. I just don't know if it'll still be supported after the Knox update. What do y'all think?
  • Yes.
  • Just get a one click root program read the instructions, guides and forums here and XDA, reread them, read again to make sure; take a backup so you can restore if you don't like stock 4.3 or install another style of Rom.
    Hear there is a 4.4 AOSP rom that's in beta which is already pretty good. as to if ATT/Sammie will update again, who knows? But there's more chance of someone independent of those two working on newer versions.
  • Nice, clean design. Too bad it doesn't work on the Octa S4. :/
  • Install an open source system on your mobile device. It only requires you to run a proprietary system on your computer ;-) Jokes aside, this looks very promising. Perhaps the time is soon to finally try this out. Posted via Android Central App
  • Where is the list of supported phones?
  • http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/CyanogenMod_Installer#Supported_Devices
  • Sadly verizon phones are bootloader locked by scum bag verizon, can't wait till cdma is finally dead Posted from My GNote 2 via AC App
  • Its getting closer but i still wouldnt attempt at risk of bricking my phone, this will no doupt get to the point where its as easy as installing a launcher or just about. For now i will leave it alone lol Posted via Android Central App
  • It's relatively difficult to actually brick a phone. I've been flashing roms since my Fascinate, when I didn't have the slightest clue what I was doing, until now, and I've never come close to bricking anything - phones, tablets, TV sticks, etc.
  • Yeh i would like to think im good with tech but i dont have a clue about flashing roms, i may have that brave moment then become addicted to flashing.... Roms thats is lol Posted via Android Central App
  • If you can read and follow written instructions you'll be fine.
  • Way back in the mists of time it was pretty risky; you had to make sure your kernel and radio both matched your ROM, and you had to flash them in a specific order or else you really could brick something hard. But mostly today, everything is bundled into a single flashable, and it's not even a problem. Head over to XDA, there are complete instructions for every device imaginable. Once you have the bootloader unlocked and a custom recovery installed (usually just a few clicks with a desktop application over USB) it really doesn't matter what you do. What people call 'bricked' today is usually just a boot-loop. This is a state where the phone won't boot into environment, usually caused by flashing a corrupted or wrong zip. But you can still boot to recovery, copy over a new zip file, and reflash; no problem. Occasionally you can still get 'soft-bricked' which is where the handset is unresponsive, and can't be booted into recovery. This can happen if there is an issue while installing your custom recovery. This is dangerous, but only because when you see it your heart stops for a second, not because your device is really broken. Modern devices can still be accessed via fastboot or ADB from a desktop, and you can reflash the recovery partition, and start over.
  • Looks like there are just 10 phones supported (with variants). Not what I was looking for. crespo Google Nexus S
    crespo4g Google Nexus S 4G
    maguro Google Galaxy Nexus (GSM)
    toro Google Galaxy Nexus (Verizon)
    toroplus Google Galaxy Nexus (Sprint)
    grouper Google Nexus 7 (WiFi)
    tilapia Google Nexus 7 (GSM)
    flo Google Nexus 7 2013 (WiFi)
    mako Google Nexus 4
    manta Google Nexus 10
    skyrocket Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket
    hercules Samsung Galaxy S II Hercules
    i9100 Samsung Galaxy S II (Intl)
    i9100g Samsung Galaxy S II (Intl)
    i9103 Samsung Galaxy S III (Intl)
    i9300 Samsung Galaxy S III (Intl)
    d2att Samsung Galaxy S III (AT&T)
    d2spr Samsung Galaxy S III (Sprint)
    d2tmo Samsung Galaxy S III (T-Mobile)
    d2usc Samsung Galaxy S III (US Cellular)
    d2cri Samsung Galaxy S III (Cricket)
    t769 Samsung Galaxy S III (T-Mobile)
    jfltexx Samsung Galaxy S4 (Intl)
    jfltespr Samsung Galaxy S4 (Sprint)
    jfltecan Samsung Galaxy S4 (Canada)
    jfltecri Samsung Galaxy S4 (Cricket)
    jfltecsp Samsung Galaxy S4 (C Spire)
    jfltetmo Samsung Galaxy S4 (T-Mobile)
    jflteusc Samsung Galaxy S4 (US Cellular)
    n7000 Samsung Galaxy Note (Intl)
    quincyatt Samsung Galaxy Note (AT&T)
    quincytmo Samsung Galaxy Note (T-Mobile)
    t0lte Samsung Galaxy Note II (GSM LTE)
    n7100 Samsung Galaxy Note II (GSM)
    t0lteatt Samsung Galaxy Note II (AT&T)
    t0ltetmo Samsung Galaxy Note II (T-Mobile)
    l900 Samsung Galaxy Note II (Sprint)
    m7ul HTC One (Unlocked)
    m7tmo HTC One (T-Mobile)
    m7att HTC One (AT&T)
    m7spr HTC One (Sprint)
  • Maybe stupid, but where did you find that list?
  • http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/CyanogenMod_Installer#Supported_Devices
  • I can tell you for sure CM not running to hot on a GSll Skyrocket, bluetooth has been broken for a long time Posted via Android Central App
  • Will this brick Nexus 5 if I want 4.4 kit kat? Sent from my Note 3 rockin Jelly Bean 4.3
  • Slap! Posted via Android Central App
  • Lol!!!,he said Slap. Sent from my Note 3 rockin Jelly Bean 4.3
  • its not even a 4.4 rom lol
  • Will this work the original moto DROID X? And I'm not asking about moto X. Same name different year. Nice to see moto recycling names. Posted via Android Central App via bad azz VZW LG G2 ROOTED!
  • I wonder if this will work if you have an S-offed, rooted Verizon HTC one...though I guess at that point you may as well just flash it yourself
  • Just used this on my Nexus 4. After an unfortunate encryption debacle last week, I was able to load a 4.3 ROM but was getting an error when attempting to install from zip within CWM. It kept saying it could not load the SD card. I am giving the phone to my wife when I get the N5 and think she would like some of the options that CM offers over stock Android. This app worked without a hitch, showed me step by step what was happening in real time, easy to download PC software. I have installed using ADB, but this was way easier!
  • Good to know! Nexus 4 - CM10.1.3
  • Do I need to be rooted? Posted from my Nexus 4 via Android Central App
  • No, it doesn't matter if the device Is rooted or NOT rooted http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/CyanogenMod_Installer#Common_questions Posted via Android Central App
  • Will this work on my Palm Centri??
  • I would think it will work on all Palm device! Flash away. Posted via Android Central App
  • It's good they're trying to make it easier. Everyone acts like they're rooting /roming experts.. All they did was watch YouTube instructions. What's really the difference here? It's not rooting your device so it's not voiding the warranty. It's not easy to brick your phone, you really have to f'in stupid. So if you can read and listen you'll be fine. Good job cm team! Can't wait to try it on my Nexus 7. Nexus 4 - CM10.1.3
  • "It's not rooting your device so it's not voiding the warranty." Ummmm, if you're saying what it sounds like you're saying... you might want to rethink that. Flashing an entirely different ROM is **WAY** more invasive than simply gaining root privileges, and would absolutely void your warranty. Disregard if I'm mis-reading what you wrote.
  • All jokes aside,I don't forsee me ever rooting or needing CM on any of my future phones because from this point on it's gonna be a Samsung Note or a Nexus. Sent from my Note 3 rockin Jelly Bean 4.3
  • This is exactly how I feel. I dont have the need for it. I'm satisfied with what Google gives me. Posted via Nexii 4 using the Android Central App
  • I was so excited to have the Nexus experience when I got my Nexus 4, and I was completely let down by Vanilla. Though, I also never needed an app to help me flash a ROM, so maybe there's a correlation there...
  • I'm new to the Android os.. After reading this article and the comments, I still have no idea what I read. Lol! Posted via Samsung Note 3
  • I'm not talking about you JellyBeanGurl. Sent from my Note 3 rockin Jelly Bean 4.3
  • ^^^^and this is why saying someone would have to be f***ing stupid is stupid comment.It's not impossible to brick your phone sir.It's impossible to brick a Nexus but obviously we're not talking about Nexus phones. Sent from my Note 3 rockin Jelly Bean 4.3
  • I have ADD (or ADHD) and have hard time reading instructions 100% ... i skim over text. This is especially true if the instructions are shitty ... which about 50% are... In my Android years, I've actually bricked one phone - Dell Streak ... that was when I was a complete noob and read some really crappy instructions on some stupid fan website (not XDA) ... and because I was a noob, I could not restore it to non-brick condition. Good thing Best Buy had a return policy :) After that I learned my lesson, and got good at it. Never bricked anything. Two phones I was unable to root / unlock, where My Touch 4G and Galaxy S 4G ... I guest I did not put enough time into it... However it is VERY possible to brick thing ... my next "project" is Note 2 dual boot. ... but I can't figure out the instructions :)
  • Will be available for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 in the near future?
  • Waiting for my HTC Amaze to get support... Posted via Android Central App
  • I see no support for the Samsung G3 from Verizon. Wonder when we will see that?
  • Very interesting. I have a Nook Color with CM's Jelly Bean installed and the store says the app is not compatible with that device. WTF? It already has their ROM on it!
  • Very interesting, indeed. Just this week I installed CM 10.2 on my 1st gen Kindle Fire. In the Play Store, it shows this app is compatible with my device! Not sure if I'll try to install it or not...actually, I probably will.
  • This is cool. For the newbies. I like the old fashioned way better. Posted via Android Central App
  • Practically all other AT&T phones except the S4? WTFFFF???
  • Let's be honest here, trying to root your phone using this app and software is far more advanced than just a few simple clicks. How do I know this, because I decided that since my Google Galaxy Nexus wasn't getting Android 4.4 KitKat that I would finally root my phone for the first time. I have to say, once I downloaded the app and started it, it wasn't bad. The app told me what to do from enabling USB debugging to installing the software on my Windows 7 notebook. But unfortunately, halfway thought the install, it suddenly stopped. "Couldn't talk to my phone". The phone was stuck on the FastBoot start screen. So after 20 minutes (tried everything else), I pulled the battery, reset the PC and tried again and success. My Galaxy Nexus is now running CM 10.2 - Android 4.3.1 Jelly Bean. Only thing, I'm not going to root my Nexus 7 (2012) because if it gets stuck on that screen, I can't simply just pull the battery and try it again, as you can't pull the battery. I wouldn't know how to fix it at that. Its bad too because rooting your is actually pretty good including uninstalling bloatware and unwanted software, it makes the device run smoothly, and performs better. Plus no need for an app to read the OTG cable and 32GB USB card. I will have to think about what's next. Posted via Android Central App
  • Good! You hear that Ubuntu? You need to work on Ubuntu Touch Installer app on Play Store next! Oh as well as Ubuntu Convergence installer app! :D
  • So Idid the one click method no problem on my Stock Sprint S4, worked first time with no issues. After testing out the build now for a few days though I do like it, I would like to revert back to Stock Touch wiz for their us S4 VARIENT. Being as it was a one click to get this far and myself being a complete flashing noob where should I start to go back to stock, bloat and all, I can root and freeze again at a later time. Should I browse the XDA forums or does anyone have a link to a better resource? I would like to get back my multiscreen tasking and smart srcoll and other Samsung features.
  • I tried it just now, and it brick my NOTE N7000! Fck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!