Slimmed down and no-frills custom ROMs are a fad that many follow with a passion, specially those who like to use a completely minimal ROM on their devices. Slim Bean ROM, a follow-up to the Slim ICS series of slimmed down ROMs has been released for the Galaxy Nexus based on Jelly Bean Android 4.1, by XDA Recognized Developer krarvind.

Slim Bean is a trimmed down ROM and comes up at a small size of around 80-90 MB, and is mostly completely stock Jelly Bean but pre-rooted, has a custom home launcher, and also features a smaller DPI value for higher density of text for a sharper look. It is available for both the international GSM Galaxy Nexus as well as the Verizon variant.

NOTE: The ROM is currently in the alpha stage of development, so some things might not work properly and there may be a few bugs and issues in the ROM, so keep in mind that the ROM is not to be considered completely stable as long as it’s in the alpha stage.

Let’s see how you can install Slim Bean ROM on your Galaxy Nexus GSM/Verizon CDMA variant.

Compatibility

This ROM and the guide below are compatible only and only with the international GSM Galaxy Nexus/Verizon Galaxy Nexus. It’s not compatible with the Sprint variant or any other device. Check your device model in Settings » About phone.

Warning!

The methods and procedures discussed here are considered risky and you should not attempt anything if you don’t know completely what it is. If any damage occurs to your device, we won’t be held liable.

How to Install Slim Bean on Galaxy Nexus GSM/Verizon Variant

  1. This procedure will wipe all your apps, data and settings. Backup your Apps and important data — bookmarks, contacts, SMS, APNs (internet settings), etc. This Android backup guide would help you.
    Important! Don’t forget to at least make a backup of your APN settings, which you can restore later if your data connection does not work after installing the ROM. Use the backup guide to find out how.
  2. Make sure the bootloader on your device is unlocked and ClockworkMod recovery is installed on it. You can use the Galaxy Nexus Toolkit to unlock bootloader and install recovery. Unlocking bootloader will erase your SD card files and all data, so make sure to take a backup (see step 1).
  3. Download the latest version of the ROM from the official development page. You need to download the following files (where * is the latest version of the Alpha build and is a number like 4 or 5):
    1. JB_Common_a*.zip  |  This is the main ROM and required for both international and Verizon variants
    2. JB_Maguro_a*.zip  |  Download this file if you have the international GSM variant
    3. JB_Toro_a*.zip  |  Download this file if you have the Verizon variant
  4. Copy the “JB_Common_a*.zip file to the SD card. Also copy the JB_Maguro_a*.zip/JB_Toro_a*.zip file to SD card according to your device.
  5. Boot into CWM recovery. To do this, turn off the phone. Then, press and hold the following keys together: Power + Volume Up + Volume Down to enter Fastboot mode where you will see “Start” written in big green letters. Then, using the volume buttons, navigate to the Recovery mode option, then select it using the Power button to reboot into recovery mode.
  6. Select wipe data/factory reset, then select Yes on next screen to confirm. Wait a while till the data wipe is complete.
  7. Then, select install zip from sdcard, then select choose zip from sdcard. Scroll to the “JB_Common_a*.zip” file on the sdcard and select it. Confirm installation by selecting Yes on the next screen. The ROM will start installing.
  8. After ROM installation completes, select choose zip from sdcard again, then select the “JB_Maguro_a*.zip/JB_Toro_a*.zip” file (according to your device) and confirm installation.
  9. After the installation is complete, go back to the main recovery menu and select reboot system now to reboot the phone and boot up into Slim Bean ROM. The first boot will take some time, up to 5 minutes.

To Enable Face Unlock

The face unlock feature of Android isn’t included in the ROM by default, so if you want to use face unlock, do the following to install it on your phone:

  1. Download the face unlock package.
    Download Link  |  Filename: JB_Face_Unlock.zip
  2. Copy the JB_Face_Unlock.zip file to the SD card on your phone.
  3. Boot into CWM recovery. To do this, turn off the phone. Then, press and hold the following keys together: Power + Volume Up + Volume Down to enter Fastboot mode where you will see “Start” written in big green letters. Then, using the volume buttons, navigate to the Recovery mode option, then select it using the Power button to reboot into recovery mode.
  4. Select install zip from sdcard, then select choose zip from sdcard. Scroll to the JB_Face_Unlock.zip file on the sdcard and select it. Confirm installation by selecting Yes on the next screen.
  5. After the installation is complete, go back to the main recovery menu and select reboot system now to reboot the phone. After rebooting the phone, you’ll be able to use face unlock.

The Jelly Bean Android 4.1-based Slim Bean ROM is now installed on your Galaxy Nexus GSM/Verizon variant. Let us know how it works!