OnePlus One Users Can Now Install CyanogenMod 12.1 with Android 5.1!

The beauty of Android is in its customization, and buying an Android device is usually a good long-term investment because it means the user has many opportunities to tweak and modify it and get it to do what they want. Part of that includes staying up to date with the latest developments in the operating system, even when the manufacturer of a specific device doesn’t release their own updates regularly.

This is usually done by flashing custom ROMs, such as the famous CyanogenMod – and as of recently, owners of the OnePlus One can get Android 5.1 on their devices with the help of CyanogenMod 12.1 and a customized ROM. The build can be installed on top of an existing CM12 ROM, and while the flashing process does take some time and a little bit of effort, it’s definitely worth it in the end as it gives the user access to many improvements and new developments in Android.

The only problem with manually flashing a custom ROM like that, as opposed to getting the update directly through the operating system, is that some apps will have to be installed manually by the user after the flashing is complete. More specifically, Google Apps need to be manually reinstalled, and before that, the user has to confirm that the version is compatible.

There are several different ways to obtain and install the CyanogenMod build, and those are a bit outside of the scope of this article – but there are a few general tips that users should be aware of before flashing. This is especially true for those who’re doing it for the first time, but they are important tips that anyone should be aware of in general, even those who consider themselves to be already experienced with flashing Android ROMs.

Backing up data is critical – users should be doing this regularly in general, but flashing a custom ROM is the kind of event that specifically calls for a fresh backup. Various things can go wrong during the flashing procedure, and of course most of the data will be deleted before the flash starts in the first place. There are tools that can make the process of backing up data much more simplified and straightforward.

It’s also important to get the correct USB drivers and settings and verify them before starting with the flashing. Finding out that the drivers are wrong while in the middle of the process can be a very problematic situation, and while it’s far from an unrecoverable one, it’s still an annoyance that can be easily avoided. Not to mention that it can waste quite a bit of time.

It’s also a good idea to keep an eye on community forums and discussion boards for Android and always stay up to date with the most recent version of whatever custom ROM was chosen. This is particularly important if using a build that’s prone to bugs. Sometimes the custom ROM scene might release a fresh build that’s still a bit unstable but contains features that users have been interested in, so they’re pushing it out faster.

Meanwhile, some have been pointing out that the phone has a potentially interesting feature which might not be that appealing to all of its users, but should definitely be attractive at least to some. The feature in question allows for the recording in 4K UHD and 4K DCI, and it’s actually “true” recording in those settings, not something post-sampled.