Update Galaxy S4 I9505 LTE to Unofficial AOKP Android 4.3.1 Nightly ROM

An unofficial AOKP Android 4.3.1 Nightly update for your Galaxy S4 I9505 LTE is not something to discard. Especially when what you get in return fully makes up for it.

This new AOKP unofficial Samsung ROM will say bye-bye to bloatware and TouchWiz user interface and welcome much more pleasant things. Like, for example, features and tweaks to configure the handset according to your wishes, a longer battery, custom ROMs galore and so on.

Requirements

This file that we want to install on your phone needs the following set of pre-requisites:

  • use a rooted phone;
  • get a custom recovery suitable for it, from here;
  • use only the factory unlocked model;
  • turn USB Debugging on;
  • make a normal backup, using this guide and follow it up with a full NANDroid one, via this tutorial;
  • verify the battery and charge it in case you see that it needs that.Samsung-Galaxy-S4-GT-I9505

Instructions

In light of these requirements, you and your smartphone are fully prepared to start the tutorial.

  1. The step to start it all is this one: after you download Gapps from here and the new on your laptop or comp, you should continue by plugging the handset to the latter so that you can transfer the 2 files from their original place to a new one; this new place must be your handset’s own SD card root.
  2. After the copy + paste stage of things is over, you can proceed to the unplugging of your devices from each other.
  3. Then switch the Galaxy S4 I9505 LTE off to move on to the next step, which is the booting of your phone into Recovery Mode.
  4. The next step we want you to perform: create that NANDroid backup if you decided not to when we asked you to. This will have to be done in accordance to what custom recovery your handset boasts. If it’s CWM, you should do as follows: when you’re done with the selection of Backup & Restore, you will have to back the file up on the internal storage of your Samsung I9505. For the TWRP, you need to make a NANDroid backup by pressing “Backup“, choosing what system files you wish to back up and then confirm.
  5. A factory reset must be your priority for now on. If the TWRP is on the phone, apply that reset by tapping “Wipe” and afterwards swiping to factory reset your device. In case there’s CWM to deal with, you should choose Factory Reset/Wipe Data and then confirm.
  6. [sc name=”banner-jos”]Now on to the flashing of the update ROM. The process needs to happen like this if the TWRP is present: after you press “Install”, you will need to first locate the file and then confirm the installation with a swipe of a blue key; the latter is at the screen’s bottom. But if the CWM is present on your Galaxy S4 I9505 LTE, you have to get the update file by opting for Install zip from SD card and for Choose zip from SD card, then confirming the flashing.
  7. The Gapps package will be flashed the same way the AOKP Android 4.3.1 Nightly was installed, so repeat all of those steps.
  8. Then find yourself in the Recovery Menu for the next step: restart the handset into Normal Mode. After the home screen of the update firmware pops up, it’s time to go to your Gmail account and enter your info there. Should the new ROM not please you enough, you should return to the old ROM with the NANDroid backup file.

When the handset is frozen in boot loops or a boot animation: redo the tutorial and everything will return to normal.