The Galaxy Note is a big phone, but that doesn’t mean the software powering it has to big as well. The AT&T Galaxy Note has received a port of the slimmest custom ROM around – Slim Bean, based on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

Slim Bean is a bare-bones ROM that is very light on resources and very small in size, as it strips all the useless stuff and provides a slim and light pure Android experience, with no bloatware. That’s not to say it is completely bare, as it also includes useful customization options, and also provides over the air addons which let you add more functionality as you see fit.

Keep in mind that this is not an official Samsung ROM. It’s a custom ROM that is under development and may have a few bugs and issues, and some things may not work properly and some stock Samsung ROM features will not be available.

Let’s see how Slim Bean ROM can be installed on the AT&T Galaxy Note.

Compatibility

This firmware and the guide below is compatible only and only with AT&T Galaxy Note, SGH-i717. It’s not compatible with any other device, including international version N7000. 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 Slim Bean ROM on AT&T Galaxy Note

  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. [Important] You must use TWRP recovery to install this ROM. Install TWRP recovery by using the guide → here.
  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  |  Filename: slim_gapps.zip
  5. Copy the two zip files downloaded in step 3 and 4 to the SD card on the phone.
  6. Turn off the phone. Then, boot into TWRP recovery. To do this, press and hold the Volume Up + Volume Down + Power buttons together. When the screen turns on, let go of the Power button, but keep holding the volume buttons till you enter TWRP recovery.
  7. Perform a full 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, tap on Backup, then slide the blue circle button at the bottom to the right to start backing up your current ROM. Go back to main recovery menu after backup is complete.
  8. Select Wipe, then select Factory Reset and then confirm the data wipe. This will not wipe your internal SD card’s contents, so do not worry. Then, go back to the main menu by clicking the home button after wipe is complete.
  9. Select Install, then browse and select the ROM file you downloaded in step 3 above. Confirm installation to flash it.
  10. After installation of ROM is complete, repeat step 9, but this time select the slim_gapps.zip file to flash the Google apps package. Confirm again so that gapps are flashed.
  11. After the installation is complete, select Go back then 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.
  12. To add features like Google Now or other missing apps, go into Settings » OTA and download and install the features you want.

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

Slim Bean ROM, based on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean is now installed and running on your AT&T Galaxy Note. 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.

Also try out a few other Jelly Bean ROMs for the AT&T Note → here.