How to Flash a Custom ROM on the HTC One M8 (Video)
A custom ROM is a custom version of Android for your device. After you have rooted your device and flashed a custom recovery on it, you can then use the recovery to flash a custom ROM. Thanks to a sizeable community of developers, there are a lot of these third-party ROMs to choose from (depending on the device) and each one is unique. Developers usually give you the latest version of Android in their ROM, their own custom themes, options, and a ton of other customization options and enhancements. In this procedure, we’ll show you how to flash a custom ROM on your HTC One M8. After flashing a custom ROM on HTC One M8, you’ll be able to:
- Flash newer versions of Android that the manufacturer hasn’t provided yet.
- Utilize different UI skins or stock Android (HTC’s Sense UI, Samsung’s TouchWiz UI, LG Optimus UI).
- Increase performance
- Increase battery life
- More customization options than stock ROMs
Interested? Here’s how to flash a custom ROM on your HTC One M8:
I. Before You Begin
1. You must be rooted to do this tutorial. Head to our How to Root the HTC One M8 (Toolkit Method) video tutorial then return here to continue.
2. You must also have S-Off. Head to our How to Gain S-Off on your HTC One M8 (Firewater Method) video tutorial, complete it, and return here to continue.
II. Choose a Custom ROM to Flash
1. Head to our ROM repository and type in the HTC One M8 and hit Update (you can further narrow your search by using the checkboxes below that).
2. Choose a ROM of your liking.
3. Click the download link in the ROM post to be taken to the developer’s page for that ROM.
4. Search through the developer’s page for the download link for the latest version of that ROM (usually located in the first post in a forum or under Downloads).
5. Save the ROM to your desktop of your computer.
III. Flash the Custom ROM on your HTC One
1. Connect your HTC One M8 via USB to your computer.
2. Copy the ROM .zip file to the internal storage of the device.
3. Turn off the device.
4. Turn it back on by holding down volume down and power.
5. Tap volume down once to highlight Recovery then tap the power button to select it.
6. Tap on Backup in recovery and swipe to backup the current ROM.
7. Tap back.
8. Tap Install, choose the ROM .zip file, then swipe to flash it.
9. Tap Reboot.
IV. Flash Another Custom ROM (Optional)
1. After your have a custom ROM on your device, you can always repeat this process to flash another one and try out different ones until you find one that suits your needs.
You should also check out how to add the Harman and Kardon audio enhancements to your HTC One M8 video.
Any word on a Verizon HTC m8 android revolution nd???
What?
Hd
Hey was hoping you knew the problem, after I install the viper one Rom and reboot I get an “HTC BlinkFeed has stopped working” and it repeatedly pops up so I can’t do anything at all.
Boot back into recovery, wipe data first, then reflash the ROM.
Have did that three times, do I need to do an advanced wipe? Or am I just doing it wrong?
Doesn’t matter how many files so long as you flash the correct one.
In your video after you wipe then you click install yours doesn’t have many file listed, mine on the other hand has a bunch listed. Does that have something to do with it?
HTC One M8 here. Just realized KitKat doesn’t allow write privileges to microSD. If I root the phone will I gain that privilege?
It could. You’d need to have a custom Rom though that would have that enabled though.
Failed bad. I was able to root and gain s-off following your videos. Tried doing this and stuck at installing custom rom. downloaded 1.6.0 from ViperOne dev site, transferred zip to root of phone and went through steps. back up, wipe, then install – I keep getting a Failed. “Error flashing zip ‘sdcard/ViperOneM8_1.6.0.zip”. i then tried downloading 1.5 instead and still same issue. Help?
Confirm you have s-off by turning off the phone and turning it back on by holding volume down and power. It should say s-off at the top.
If it does then I’d suggest downloading ViperROM but to your computer and then transferring it to the phone via USB. Sounds like it’s getting corrupted during download perhaps.
Yep verified it does say “ship s-off” from hboot mode. and yes, from the video instructions it says to download the viperrom from my computer, then transfer it to my phone via USB. Unless there’s something else missing, I may have to get the customrom elsewhere..
Well if your getting it from where I link that’s the developer’s own page so maybe try a different ROM and see if it works and you can narrow it down at least to what the issue is?
Thanks David, will do. Appreciate the help
Hi i´m new to this rooting world, I have a verizon m8. i already rooted and gained s-off. i´m trying to install android revolution but after i do the whole process i think i do it correctly it gets stuck in the htc one screen.
Make sure to do a backup first and then wipe data then flash the ROM.
Ok i did this(rooting not flashing a rom) and then the day after i tried softkeyz and forgot to get busybox and my phone is stuck in a reboot loop i did the normal factory reset and it didint work what happens if i wipe me internal storage? im freaking out here
please help me
thank you
hi.
I followed your process and flashed a Google play os onto a htc one m8. it worked, thanks! one problem though, the imei number has been wiped and it won’t recognise any SIM card. can you help please? my original back up failed!
thanks
Dom
Glad it worked! The issue you are mentioned though, is something to do with the ROM you flashed, not this tutorial. Just try flashing a different ROM (or contact the developer of that ROM to ask them for help with their ROM).
This wipes your phone completely. WARNING! Including photo’s, entire sd card data. Terrible article for not mentioning this. What were you thinking??
just to be safe and it might be a dumb question, but can u keep changing different roms?
Not dumb at all 🙂 Yes, you can. To your heart’s content. Just make sure to wipe data in between flashing (just do section II and III above). Good luck!
Hello everyone. Today is my first and only ttempt in Rooting and flashing an android, so I am raw to say the least. I am trying to S-Off my M8, but it is clearly stated by David that this option is not available. My question is can we still load Custom ROMS?
Hey guys, I have a M8 for Windows. Love the phone, hate the OS. I was wondering if anyone had any info on switching my OS to android, but this phone must know what I’m up to because it gives me garbage results through BING. So if anyone could help me out that’d be great.
Ha, I like the idea that Bing is trying to stop you… Truthfully, though, it’s just not possible (it’s not impossible really, but it’s so difficult that no one has attempted it and you won’t find a way to do it online). Sorry! Best thing to do is sell it on Craigslist and buy a new M9 🙂
yeah Bing knows what I’m up to! I’ll end up waiting for the S6 as an upgrade, thanks for letting me know, I was really looking forward to getting that Harmon/Kardon audio.
I hate to stray off topic a little, but do you think it would be possible to swap certain parts of the phone with one that has android? Both being an m8?
No. Hardware swaps like that would cost more than just buying the new phone.
Looks like Firewater is officially discontinued. Any other suggestions?
Unfortunately I no longer have an M8, but I’ll see if I can find an alternative solution without having one to test on.
Thanks for letting me know its discontinued.
If i download a rom will it update my phone it aswell?
Depends on the ROM you flash. Each one is based on whatever version of Android the developer made it for. So if it’s based on a newer version of Android then that is what you’ll be running.
can i do it with my HTC One m8 dual sim ??
my phone is stuck on the htc logo helppppppppp its not booting up
if my phone is running KitKat and I get the latest viper will it update to marshmelow if not what should I do to get marshmelow. fyi i’m s-off
If you are flashing a custom ROM then you’ll be on what ever Android version that rom is based on. If you flash a ROM based on marshmallow than you’ll be on marshmallow, etc
wow quick response thx!, I checked the venom download page http://venomroms.com/htc-one-m8/ it states that I need to update to 6.0 in order to use the latest firmware. I have no idea how to do this do you have any suggestion, or vids?
wow quick response thx!, I checked the venom download page http://venomroms.com/htc-one-m… it states that I need to update to 6.0 in order to use the latest firmware. I have no idea how to do this do you have any suggestion, or vids?
The tool link is not working I have a rooted HTC M8 and I want to return it back to original rom
There is no tool linked to in this tutorial… What are you referring to? To get back to stock use this tutorial – https://theunlockr.com/2014/06/08/how-to-unroot-the-htc-one-m8-video/