After all the leaked official Android 4.1 updates for the Samsung Galaxy S3, let’s get back to some custom ROM love, shall we? CodefireX ROM has been released for the Galaxy S3, based on Jelly Bean Android 4.1, and with a multitude of customization options as well as power-user features for a great experience for both simple and power-users alike.

The ROM is in the nightlies stage, which basically means that (almost) every day a newer build of the ROM comes out with all the latest changes in code included in it, letting you stay up to date with the latest improvements and updates.

Keep in mind that this is not an official Samsung ROM but an unofficial custom ROM that is in development, and it may have a few issues present and some things may not work properly. Also, since this is an unofficial custom stock Android ROM, Samsung specific features will not be present in it and some apps like the camera may be different.

The following issues currently exist in the ROM, while the most up to date list of issues can be found → here:

Known Issues (as of 16 Sept ’12):

  • Memory leak
  • Hardware Composer: doesn’t support all Jelly Bean features
  • FM Radio: unsupported
  • TV Out: unsupported, will never work (proprietary, undocumented)

Now, let’s take a look at the procedure for installing CodefireX ROM on the Galaxy S3.

Compatibility

This hack and the guide below are compatible only and only with Galaxy S3, model number i9300. It’s not compatible with the US variants or other devices. Check your device’s model number 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 CodefireX ROM on Galaxy S3

  1. This procedure will wipe all your apps, data and settings (but it will NOT touch your SD cards, so don’t worry about those). Backup your Apps and important data — bookmarks, contacts, SMS, APNs (internet settings), etc. This Android backup guide would help you.
    NOTE: Don’t forget to at least note down your network’s APN settings, which are required to make mobile data work. Go into Settings » More » Mobile Networks, click on the APN that is in use, then note down the setting for each field. While APN settings should be automatically restored from network, you can enter them manually if needed to make mobile data work. You can also find your APN details → here.
  2. Make sure you have ClockworkMod recovery installed. If not, use this guide to install it.
  3. Download the latest version of the ROM from the source page.
  4. Download the Google Apps package. This will install apps like Play Store, Gmail, etc. which are not present in the ROM by default.
    Download Gapps  |  Alternate Link  |  Filename: gapps-jb-20120726-signed.zip
  5. Copy the downloaded zip files from step 3 and step 4 to the internal SD card (do not extract them, copy the zip files directly).
  6. Now, boot into ClockworkMod recovery. To do that, turn off your phone. Then, hold down Volume Up, Home and then the Power buttons together until the screen turns on, then let them go. The phone will boot into ClockworkMod recovery in a few seconds.
    In recovery, use the volume buttons to scroll up/down and the home button to select an option.
  7. Perform a Nandroid Backup of your existing ROM, so that you can always restore it from recovery if something does not work out with this rom. To perform a backup, select Backup and Restore –> On the next screen, select Backup again. Go back to main recovery menu after backup is complete.
  8. Select wipe data/factory reset, then select Yes on next screen to confirm. Wait a while till the data wipe is complete.
  9. Select install zip from sdcard, then select choose zip from sdcard. Scroll to the ROM file on the SD card and select it. Confirm installation by selecting Yes – Install _____.zip on the next screen. The ROM will start installing.
  10. After ROM installation completes, select choose zip from sdcard again, then select the gapps-jb-20120726-signed.zip file to install the Google apps package.
  11. After the Gapps package finishes installing, select go back then select reboot system now to reboot the phone into CodefireX ROM. First boot will take up to 5-7 minutes.

Updating to Newer Nightly ROM Updates

  • Since the ROM will be updated on a regular basis due to being in the nightly stage, in order to update to a newer version, simply download it from the source page, put it on your SD card, boot to recovery, install the ROM without wiping data, followed by installing the Google apps package, then reboot the phone. You don’t need to wipe data when updating. Just install the new version of the ROM along with the Gapps file and you’re good to go.

NOTE: If you want to go back to your previous ROM, boot into recovery (using the procedure explained in step 6), select backup and restore then restore your previous ROM by selecting it from the list.

CodefireX ROM, based on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean is now installed and running on your Samsung Galaxy S3. Visit the source page for more info and to get the latest updates on the ROM. Share your thoughts on the ROM in the comments.