Install Android 4.4.2 KitKat on Galaxy S3 GT-I9300 via Resurrection Remix ROM

The Galaxy S3 GT-I9300 is yet to receive any further official updates from Samsung following the release of Android 4.3 Jelly Bean firmware. With official Android 4.4 KitKat firmware being restricted to Google Nexus devices and a few newer devices, the older Android devices seemed to be losing out on the latest features.

With due credit to Android custom ROM developers, a new Resurrection Remix ROM has been released with latest Android 4.4.2 KitKat features for the international variant of Galaxy S3 (GT-I9300).

The ROM is based on the latest Android Open Source Project (AOSP) release with its features taken from AOKP, CyanogenMod (CM), ParanoidAndroid (PA) and original Remix ROM builds. Consequently, the Resurrection Remix ROM is expected to bring a mix of top-notch performance, customisation, power and several new features to your Galaxy S3.

Android 4.4.2 KitKat Resurrection Remix ROM Features

The Resurrection Remix ROM introduces a host of new features based on the latest Android 4.4.2 KitKat firmware. Some of the noteworthy features ported into this ROM are listed below:

New Custom Features

HALO & Colors
PIE & Colors
Hybrid Settings
Music Toggle
Halo toggle
Hybrid Toggle
Full AOKP toggles
Pitch Black UI Mode
ListView Animations
Disable full screen keyboard
Keyboard rotation/rotation time
Lockscreen see through
Show Wi-Fi name
Headset action
Low battery warning
Lock clock widget
Dash clock widget
Privacy guard
Permission management
Lockscreen tint colors
Ribbons
Lockscreen wallpaper
Power sounds
Share ROM
More batteries
Changelog
Lockscreen options and targets
Center Clock/No clock/Right Clock
AM/PM display
AOKP clocks and Digital Clock
New Wallpapers
Volume rocker moves cursor when keyboard is open (optional)
Nova/Stock launcher included
%1 battery mod and CircleMod battery

New Custom Settings and Options

Brightness adjustable via statusbar if auto brightness is disabled. Also check the current brightness percentage as you slide.
There's also a "Emergency Broadcast Settings" that allows you to check/uncheck for notifications of "Amber Alerts" and other such Local Emergencies. I personally haven't seen this yet in the other Jelly Builds.
Change NavBar targets and long-press actions
Battery Bar
Change NavBar height
Volume Panel (Volume Rocker allows you to change ALL volume levels in one Menu)
Notification Counter
Disable Boot Animation
Device Options (Color Tweaks)
Led Options (Color and Pulse Rate)
NFC Polling Mode (NFC with Screen Off or Locked)
Theme Engine
Quiet Hours
T9 Dialer
Notification Shade Wallpaper Changer (And Transparency)
Lockscreen Wallpaper Changer
Wait To Lock Screen
Volume Wake
Quick Pin Unlock
Phone Face-Down Ringer Setting (Silent/Vibrate)
Headphones Plugged in Ringer Setting (Silent/Vibrate)
Bluetooth Connection Ringer Setting (Silent/Vibrate)
Lockscreen Weather
Performance/Color Settings
Brightness Control Slider
Added Device (Color) Settings To Maguro
Flip Phone To Silence Incoming Call
NavBar Open/Close Notification Shade Option
A Plethora of BugFixes and Updated Translations

Interested users can follow our step-by-step guide to install the latest Android 4.4.2 KitKat update via Resurrection Remix ROM on the Galaxy S3 I9300. IBTimes UK reminds its readers that it will not be held liable for any damage to device during or after firmware installation. Users are advised to proceed at their own risk.

Pre-requisites

The Resurrection Remix ROM and the instructions given in this guide are meant for the Galaxy S3 I9300 model only. Verify device model number by navigating to Settings > About Phone.
Back up data and settings using a recommended custom recovery tool, like ClockworkMod (CWM) or TWRP, as it creates a complete image of the existing phone setup. In Recovery, choose Backup and Restore and tap Backup.
Verify correct USB drivers for the phone are installed on the computer (download Galaxy S3 I9300 USB drivers).
Ensure USB debugging mode is enabled on the phone, by navigating to Settings > Developer Options (NOTE: Tap the phone's Build Number seven times to unlock or reveal the hidden Developer Options under Settings.) Then select the checkbox to enable USB debugging mode under Settings > Developer Options.
Make sure the phone has at least 80% battery charge to prevent unexpected device shutdown (due to battery drain) while installing the ROM.
Ensure the device is unlocked (not locked to a specific carrier) and rooted with latest ClockworkMod (CWM) Recovery (v6.0.4.5) installed. If you are installing the CWM recovery for the first time, check out the video tutorial below, courtesy of The Android Soul:

If the device is stuck at booting or experiencing boot loop issues, perform Wipe Cache Partition and Wipe Dalvik Cache a few more times before rebooting.
Allow newly installed ROM to stabilise for five minutes before you start working on it.

Downloads Required

Steps to Install Android 4.4.2 KitKat Update on Galaxy S3 with Resurrection Remix ROM

Step-1: Download Android 4.4.2 Resurrection Remix ROM for Galaxy S3 I9300 to computer

Step-2: Download Google Apps package

Step-3: Connect the Galaxy S3 to computer via USB cable. Without extracting, copy the downloaded firmware zip and Google Apps zip files to the root folder of phone's SD card.

The Android 4.4.2 Resurrection Remix ROM can be installed on the Galaxy S3 I9300 using either CWM or TWRP recovery. Follow any method based on the recovery mode installed on your device.

How to Install Android 4.4.2 Resurrection Remix ROM via ClockworkMod (CWM) Recovery

Power off the phone and wait for 5 to 10 seconds until the device shuts down completely.
Now press and hold Volume Up, Home and Power buttons together until the Galaxy S3 logo appears on screen and the device boots into Recovery mode. NOTE: In recovery mode, use Volume keys to navigate between options and Power key to select the desired option.
Perform Wipe data/Factory reset (this will delete all apps and their settings and game progress) and choose Yes on next screen to confirm the action. Then perform Wipe Cache Partition and once again hit Yes to confirm.
Return to CWM recovery main menu and select Mounts and Storage> Format / data and click Yes on next screen to confirm.
From the main menu of CWM recovery, go to Advanced and choose Wipe Dalvik Cache. Then hit Yes on next screen to confirm. Then Fix File Permissions via recovery (check video below):

Select Install Zip from sdcard and then click Choose zip from sdcard. Browse to the location of the Resurrection Remix ROM firmware file which you copied earlier to your phone's SD card. Choose Yes on next screen to confirm the ROM installation.
Repeat the previous step to install Google Apps as well.
Once Google Apps is also installed, select "+++++Go Back+++++"and reboot the device by tapping reboot system now from the recovery menu. Your Galaxy S3 will restart and it may take about 5 minutes for first boot. So, do not interrupt the process.

Your Galaxy S3 I9300 is now running on Android 4.4.2 KitKat via Resurrection Remix ROM. Go to Settings > About Phone to verify the firmware installed.

NOTE: If the device gets stuck at boot loop (while rebooting), then just do a factory reset from recovery mode to fix the issue.

How to Install Android 4.4.2 Resurrection Remix ROM via TWRP Recovery

Power off the phone and wait for 5 to 10 seconds until the device shuts down completely.
Now press and hold Volume Up, Home and Power buttons together, until the device boots into Recovery mode. NOTE: In recovery mode, use Volume keys to navigate between options and Power key to select the desired option.
Perform Wipe data/Factory reset (this will delete all apps and their settings and game progress). To do so, tap on Wipe and scroll down to the bottom of the screen and do a Swipe on "Swipe to factory reset" option.
Now perform a System format by selecting Wipe > Advanced Wipe and then tap on System option. Scroll to the bottom of screen and do a swipe on "Swipe to Wipe" option.
Tap on install and navigate to the Resurrection Remix ROM zip file you copied earlier to your phone's SD card. Scroll to the bottom of screen and do a swipe on Swipe to confirm flash option to begin installing the firmware.
Repeat the previous step to flash Google apps as well.
Once Google Apps is also installed, select reboot and then tap on System to reboot your device. Your Galaxy S3 will restart and it may take about 5 minutes for first boot to complete. So, do not interrupt the process.

Your Galaxy S3 I9300 is now running on Android 4.4.2 KitKat via Resurrection Remix ROM. Go to Settings > About Phone to verify the firmware installed.

NOTE: If the device gets stuck at boot loop (while rebooting), then just do a factory reset from recovery mode to fix the issue.

[Source: XDA]