Samsung’s newest flagship device, the Galaxy Note 8 has finally launched in international markets. The device comes with a number of software and hardware enhancements. However, if you already own a Galaxy S8 and are pretty happy with it, you probably don’t need to upgrade to a Note 8. And if it’s about new software features on the Note 8 that you want it for, than installing a custom ROM ported over from Note 8 is also an option.

Developer geiti94 over at xda has released a neat port of Galaxy Note 8 for the Galaxy S8. The ROM is based on Note 8’s AQH9 firmware with Android 7.1.1. And apart from Galaxy Note 8 features, the ROM also comes with a permissive kernel and root (with Magisk v14).

‘Galaxy Note 8 update tracker’

The ROM is built for Galaxy S8 and S8+ variants powered by Exynos chipsets. Do not try this on a Galaxy S8 variant which runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon, you may brick your device if you do so. Also, to install this ROM, you need to install TWRP recovery first on your device. Let’s get started..

Downloads

For updated build of the ROM, head over to the original development thread over at XDA.

How to install Galaxy Note 8 ROM (port) on Galaxy S8 and S8+

  1. Install TWRP recovery using Odin.
    └ Skip this step if already have TWRP recovery installed on your device.
  2. Download and transfer the Galaxy Note 8 ROM port zip file to your S8 .
  3. Boot your Galaxy S8 into TWRP recovery:
    1. Power off your Galaxy S8.
    2. Press Volume UP + Power button together for a while and release them as soon as you see Galaxy S8 boot logo on screen.
  4. Select Wipe from TWRP main menu and do a Swipe to Factory Reset on the bottom of the screen. [Clean install is recommended, wipe everything except internal storage.]
  5. Go back to TWRP main menu, tap on Install and select the Note 8 ROM .zip file that you transferred to your S8 or S8+ in Step 1.
  6. After selecting the .zip file, do Swipe to Confirm Flash on the bottom of the screen to begin the custom ROM installation process. This may take some time.
  7. Once your ROM is successfully flashed, you’ll see Wipe cache/dalvik option, select it and then do Swipe to wipe on bottom of screen.
  8. Reboot your Galaxy S8.

That’s it. Enjoy Galaxy Note 8 experience on your Galaxy S8.