Download Android Pie on Galaxy S4 Mini via LineageOS 16

Pie time for Galaxy S4 Mini owners is here. Download Android Pie on Galaxy S4 Mini via LineageOS 16 Custom ROM using the instructions given in this guide.

Galaxy S4 Mini is one of the luckiest Samsung devices out there. The reason is the love it receives from the development community. It’s been long since the South Korean phone maker has discontinued the official updates for this phone. The Galaxy S4 Mini, in fact, has been forgotten completely by Samsung. Despite all of this has happened, the Galaxy S4 Mini still continues to taste every single new version of Android. Of course, it’s not happening officially, the phone has been getting the custom ROMs based on the latest Android versions.

Galaxy S4 Mini Update History

Samsung discontinued updates for Galaxy S4 Mini after the Android KitKat. The device was updated to Android Lollipop via CyanogenMod 12. Galaxy S4 Mini was also updated to Android Marshmallow via CyanogenMod 13. Later on, the phone got Android Nougat via CyanogenMod 14. It also got LineageOS 14.1 based on Android Nougat 7.1. After the Android Oreo came out, the Galaxy S4 Mini owners lost hope at one point as there was no sign of LineageOS 15 for the phone. However, after a wait of 3 months, the Oreo-based LineageOS finally made it to the Galaxy S4 Mini. 

Now that the Android Pie is out, Galaxy S4 Mini owners started waiting for the LineageOS 16. The good news is here for them. Unlike the Oreo firmware, it took only 2 weeks for the developer to cook a custom ROM for S4 Mini owners. The LineageOS 16 built of AOSP sources based on Android Oreo is available. The ROM is currently out for the LTE version of the S4 Mini that goes by the model number I9195. If you happen to own this device, it’s time to update it with Android Pie.

Galaxy S4 Mini Flashback

Galaxy S4 Mini was released back in July 2013. This phone was released right after the Galaxy S4. Galaxy S4 Mini is wrapped inside a plastic body with a removable back. The phone has a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display having 540 x 960 pixels resolution. Samsung has used the Snapdragon 400 CPU on this phone which is accompanied by Adreno 305 GPU. There is a RAM of 1.5GB in this phone and the internal storage of 8GB. Galaxy S4 Mini has an  8MP camera at the back and only a 1.9MP camera on the front. There is a 1,900 mAh battery placed inside. The phone ran on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean out of the box and it was updated to Android KitKat later on.

Getting back to our goal now, follow the instructions to the point to avoid any mishap during the installation process of LineageOS 16 on the S4 Mini.

Download Android Pie on Galaxy S4 Mini via LineageOS 16

Preparations to update Galaxy S4 Mini to Android Pie

• This ROM is currently available for the GT-I9195 model of the S4 Mini. Do not try this on any other model or else you will brick it.
• Charge your phone’s battery up to 50% to avoid power loss during the flashing process.
• Backup each and everything from your phone.
• Backup your contacts, find the full guide here.
• Also, backup important SMS messages, full guide here.
• Don’t forget to backup call logs, full guide here.
• Copy the media content to your computer.
• Follow each and every single step carefully.

Downloads required for LineageOS 16 Android Pie on Galaxy S4 Mini

• Install TWRP Recovery on S4 Mini
• Download Google Gapps for LineageOS 16
• Download Android Pie ROM.zip file for S4 Mini I9195: Download Link
• Copy the Gapps.zip and ROM.zip files to your phone’s internal or external storage.

Installing Android Pie on Galaxy S4 Mini

1. Boot your phone into TWRP. To do so, turn it off first.
2. Now press and hold Volume Up + Home + Power button to boot into TWRP.
3. In TWRP, click on Wipe > Advanced Wipe > Select Data, Cache, Dalvik Cache, and System > Swipe screen to wipe.
4. Go back to the main menu in TWRP and click on Install > Install Zip > Locate the ROM.zip file and flash it.
5. Similarly, click on Install Zip once again and this time flash the Gapps.zip file.
6. Go to Wipe > Advanced Wipe > Select Cache and Dalvik Cache > Wipe.
7. Reboot into the system now. Your S4 Mini will be running on Android Pie shortly.

Conclusion

That’s all with the installation of Android Pie on your Galaxy S4 Mini. The first boot can take up to 10 minutes. In such a case, keep patience and let the ROM process everything. If the phone fails to boot up or anything else goes wrong, you can immediately flash a stock ROM to recover your phone. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me through the comments section.

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