Google Nexus 4
How to install BareBones ROM on Nexus 4. LG

Barebones is a new custom ROM available for the fourth-generation Nexus smartphone codenamed Mako. It provides an efficient and minimal groundwork for Nexus 4 users to customise their device the way they want to. The ROM is compiled from updated sources and modified to be as lightweight as possible.

The ROM optimises the battery life of the smartphone, enables LTE, HD voice and contains working Android RunTime. Also, most of the stock apps, live wallpapers, and bloatwares are removed in this ROM.

Head over to the XDA source thread to know more about the ROM which features newer Android Lollipop version 5.0.2.

If you want to update your Nexus 4 to Android 5.0.2 using the ROM, check out the following installation guide.

Points to remember

  • Create a back up all important data on the phone using any custom recovery, before following the installation guide.
  • Enable USB debugging mode on the phone to connect it with the computer and use Android SDK with it. [Go to Settings>> About phone. Scroll down to build number, tap seven times on the build number. The developer options under settings should appear now. You can now enable USB debugging mode.]
  • Your Nexus 4 should have more than 80% of battery charge.
  • The phone should be rooted and have the latest version of custom recovery installed.
  • The bootloader of the phone should be unlocked.
  • The Barebones Android 5.0.2 ROM works only with Nexus 4 Mako. Applying these on any incorrect variant might brick the device. Verify the model number of the smartphone by navigating to Settings>> About phone>> Model number and install firmware accordingly.
  • As this custom firmware is going through development stages, the device will get bugs with the installation.
  • IBTimes UK will not be held liable for any damage to the device. Installation will be completely at your own risk.

Download files

Barebones ROM

Gapps

How to install Android 5.0.2 Lollipop on Nexus 4 with bareBones custom ROM

Step-1: Connect and mount Nexus 4 USB memory to the PC through USB cable. Without extracting, move the downloaded files to the internal storage of the phone and remember the location

Step-2: Switch off the Nexus 4 and unplug the USB cable from it

Step-3: Boot your phone into custom recovery. For this press and hold Volume Up, Volume Down and Power buttons together. Release all the buttons when you see Bootloader/fastboot menu.

You will also see the Start button on the screen, press Volume Down or Up until the start text changes to Recovery Mode. Press the Power button to confirm entering into Recovery mode

Step-4: In recovery mode, perform a Nandroid backup by selecting backup and restore

Step-5: Perform data wipe by selecting wipe data/factory reset. Use the Power button to select everything in the Recovery mode

Step-6: Perform a cache wipe by selecting wipe cache partition

Step-7: Perform a wipe of your dalvik cache to avoid boot loops or any other errors. From recovery go to advanced>> wipe dalvik cache

Step-8: Return to the main recovery menu and select install zip from sdcard>> choose zip from sdcard. Browse to the location where you have saved the Barebones ROM, select it and confirm installation

Step-9: Once you have flashed the ROM, follow the similar steps to install the Gapps package

Step-10: When you have installed all the files, boot the phone into normal mode by selecting reboot system now. Keep in mind that the first boot will take some time before it loads all the new files

The bareBones ROM based on Android 5.0.2 should now be running on the Nexus 4. Select Settings>> About phone for the new Android version of the Nexus smartphone.

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