In case you haven’t been following the news from the past few days, Samsung is keenly working on updating its A-series of smartphones. Galaxy A3 (2016), Galaxy A5 (2016), Galaxy A7 (2016), Galaxy A8 (2016), and Galaxy A9 (2016) are expected to be released in early 2016 or at the end of 2015.
However, owners of the current version of the Samsung Galaxy A5 will find it rather disappointing that the Android Marshmallow update won’t reach their smartphones any time soon, or it might not come at all. However, thanks to a new custom ROM based on CyanogenMod 13.0, Android Marshmallow has been ported to the Galaxy A5.
The custom ROM has been shared on the XDA-Developers forum and can be installed only on Samsung Galaxy A5 (SM-A500FU). In case you own this specific model of the A5, you can install Android Marshmallow on the phone by following the below-given steps.
How to Install Android Marshmallow on Galaxy A5 (SM-A500FU)
Before proceeding ahead, please note that this ROM is meant to be installed only on Galaxy A5 with model number SM-A500FU. It won’t work on any other model. Also, this update is unofficial and we won’t be responsible in any way if the installation causes problems with your device. So proceed ahead only if you know what you’re doing.
What’s working: This ROM is currently in the “Preview” stage, which means that it can be used to try out the Marshmallow OS on the phone and is not suitable for regular use. FM Radio, NFC, Android Beam, and possibly other small components are not working.
What you need: You need custom recovery for installing this ROM, along with bootloader and modem from the Galaxy A5’s Android 5.0.2 ROM.
Steps:
- To get custom recovery (which is mandatory), follow this tutorial.
- Download the custom ROM and Google apps.
- Copy both the .zip files to your device storage.
- Reboot your phone into recovery mode.
- Create a backup.
- Factory reset the device or wipe data completely.
- Install the custom ROM .zip file.
- Mount /system and Install Google apps (optional).
In case you encounter any issues, you can get support from the XDA thread.