Are there ways to put custom ROM's on WP?

[Chris Kurth1]

I spend a lot of my time defending WP and Windows 8.1 on websites who are bias towards Crapple products. Yet, I own a Samsung Note 2. I'm happy with it but I'd love to have the Nokia 1520. I guess I just want to know if there is a way to put custom ROM's on Windows phones? If not, are there ways to be an "administrator" of the phone, like having an android phone rooted? I haven't owned a Windows phone in a long time so sorry to sound like an *****. I'm more of a pc guy when it comes to Windows.

 

[xandros9]

WP7 phones? Yea, I believe so
WP8? Not so much, only one (or two?) have had their security cracked allowing much more fun stuff (The ATIV S and Ascend W1 IIRC?)
You can sideload stuff with a dev account

but i dont think you'll find the degree of overwhelming options and launchers like in 'Droid land

 

[raccoon210]

To the kind of degree that you're talking about no. I mean with the ATIV S the best thing you can do is make it have independent volume control. Its technically rooting it but not to any extent that you would consider probably

 

[tgp]

With Lumia WP8 you can flash variants of the ROMs for your phone (ROMs for the phone sold in other countries or through other carriers), but that's about as adventurous as you can get.

 

[brunoadduarte]

What would be the point anyway?

 

[FinancialP]

What would be the point anyway?

You know to mod stuff as you wish. Custom theme colors... Just like how we did on WP7 and every previous version of Windows Mobile.

 

[tgp]

What would be the point anyway?

Even with the limited flashing possible on Lumia WP8, there's at least one point. I flashed a CV ROM on my 520 to unbrand it from AT&T, and it also enabled tethering.

 

[brunoadduarte]

You know to mod stuff as you wish. Custom theme colors... Just like how we did on WP7 and every previous version of Windows Mobile.

Wouldn't that be ruining the point of buying a WP altogether? I get the theme colours, of course. I'd like MS to broaden the colour palette a bit too, but other than that I don't see the point.

 

[FinancialP]

Wouldn't that be ruining the point of buying a WP altogether? I get the theme colours, of course. I'd like MS to broaden the colour palette a bit too, but other than that I don't see the point.

Ruin the point of buying WP? Nope not at all. Options are never a problem.

Does jail breaking ruin the point of buying a iPhone? Nope. What about Android and rooting? Nope.

Options are a great thing.

 

[neo158]

Ruin the point of buying WP? Nope not at all. Options are never a problem.

Does jail breaking ruin the point of buying a iPhone? Nope. What about Android and rooting? Nope.

Options are a great thing.

It doesn't ruin the point of buying a Windows Phone but why bother with custom ROMs on a WP. Unlike iOS it's not nearly as locked down requiring a jailbreak to customise, although that depends on your POV, and doesn't have the performance issues that Android has which require rooting and a custom ROM/Kernel to fix.

 

[brunoadduarte]

Too much options create too much complexity. And we all agree that complexity would ruin WP... Specially considering that its main selling point is simplicity.

I did a jailbreak to my old 3G as well but it was only because of Winterboard, nothing else. As for Android people fiddle with their systems so much that their phones are slow because of that. The infamy of Android's slowness comes mainly from rooting it so much.

I'm not saying I wouldn't do it come the time, I'm just saying be careful with what you wish for.

 

[neo158]

Too much options create too much complexity. And we all agree that complexity would ruin WP... Specially considering that its main selling point is simplicity.

I did a jailbreak to my old 3G as well but it was only because of Winterboard, nothing else. As for Android people fiddle with their systems so much that their phones are slow because of that. The infamy of Android's slowness comes mainly from rooting it so much.

I'm not saying I wouldn't do it come the time, I'm just saying be careful with what you wish for.

I somewhat agree with your comments on Android, however the Galaxy Nexus that I also own no longer gets updates from Google so the only way I've been able to install the 4.4 update is to unlock the bootloader, root the phone and install a CM11 Nightly. So rooting does have it's uses and TBH Android 4.4 has improved performance of it drastically.

I've still given up on Android though and use my WP as a daily driver and that isn't going to change, Android is there for a couple of apps that WP doesn't have yet.

 

[FinancialP]

It doesn't ruin the point of buying a Windows Phone but why bother with custom ROMs on a WP. Unlike iOS it's not nearly as locked down requiring a jailbreak to customise, although that depends on your POV, and doesn't have the performance issues that Android has which require rooting and a custom ROM/Kernel to fix.

It's a option, for those who like to mod. You don't have to do it just like on other platforms.

Every OS can have something improved upon as Microsoft is not perfect just like Apple and Google are not perfect.

How can options be complex? Just don't do it. At least you will have the option to should you wish to.

 

[neo158]

It's a option, for those who like to mod. You don't have to do it just like on other platforms.

Every OS can have something improved upon as Microsoft is not perfect just like Apple and Google are not perfect.

How can options be complex? Just don't do it. At least you will have the option to should you wish to.

How many people install custom ROMs on Android though, I would guess that the majority of people who use an Android device don't even know about custom ROMs, let alone know about unlocking bootloaders or rooting.

You're right though, no OS is perfect but custom ROMs aren't the answer as flashing them can void your warranty or, at the worst, can brick your device. We are better off requesting the improvements via the suggestion box app or the uservoice forums and see if Microsoft choose to add them or not.

 

[FinancialP]

How many people install custom ROMs on Android though, I would guess that the majority of people who use an Android device don't even know about custom ROMs, let alone know about unlocking bootloaders or rooting.

You're right though, no OS is perfect but custom ROMs aren't the answer as flashing them can void your warranty or, at the worst, can brick your device.

That's why it's called an option my good sir. For those who are savvy enough and want to do it. Just ignore it if you don't want to. That's the beauty of options.

 

[M_VwithDVP]

The Samsung Ativ S has been the only one to be hacked and the only one that can have custom ROMs loaded.

 

[Greywolf1967]

In my younger days maybe I could see the point of tinkering with how the OS is shown, or to change things around, but now I am happy with Windows Phone as it is.

The difference is in mind set now. If you want to tweak the Launch/Main Screen then Android is your goto OS. If you want lots of live information in Tile format then WP is it.

If Microsoft were to add a changeable feature, I would like something like the Dragon wallpaper on the Windows 8.1 ( Surface ) background. Something that scrolls up and down much like the background in 8.1 when you scroll side to side.

I think the addition of a few moving wallpapers would go a long way to calming the Custom Junkies jitters of not fully sold Android converts.

Windows Phone has grown out of it's Win CE days of custom every thing seen, for the "Live Tile/Information" Mind set now.

There is nothing wrong in wanting to dazzle up your OS, but if this is your major selling point...then Android is your thing now. It is a good OS and the phones are also good.

You can change roms with use of what the people over at XDA do, but with Windows Phone the only change you get is features built into the rom. Like Nokia Maps on an HTC.

Just basic changes....but your phone will look more or less the same.

 

[Kebero]

To the kind of degree that you're talking about no. I mean with the ATIV S the best thing you can do is make it have independent volume control. Its technically rooting it but not to any extent that you would consider probably

It is 100% impossible to root any device that is not based on UNIX/Linux. And if most people really knew what rooting their Android devices did, they'd probably run as far away as possible from the practice (which is, BTW, the exact opposite of what one should do with a *nix machine - normally, the first thing you do, if it is not automatically done, is to disable root access).

 

[Guytronic]

I rooted then reflashed my Andread tablet and phones into the ground.
With Android it's just never enough.
Wore myself and my devices out checking XDA every damn day for a new ROM version or faster clocks.
ROMMING is a sickness I tell ya...a sickness!!!
If I even see init.d or stack overflow I run the other way.

Glad I broke myself of it with a Windows 8 device.
I no longer have the desire I just want to tap, swipe, type and have stuff work.

 

[Ashish Saraf1]

I rooted my Andread tablet and phones into the ground.
With Android it's just never enough.
Wore myself and my devices out checking XDA every damn day for a new ROM version or faster clocks.
ROMMING is a sickness I tell ya...a sickness!!!
If I even see init.d or stack overflow I run the other way.

Glad I broke myself of it with a Windows 8 device.
I no longer have the desire I just want to tap, swipe, type and have stuff work.

I agree

I have spent countless hours flashing my android phone...its addictive and there is no end to it...infact i almost bricked my Desire HD

Thats why i simply love wp8

sent either from my Nokia Lumia 820 or HTC Desire HD