Install Android 5.1.1 Lollipop On Galaxy S4 Mini With CyanogenMod 12.1

The 2nd mini device by Samsung, Galaxy S4 Mini debuted with Android Jellybean, and got an update to Android KitKat. But there are no chances that the device will see any further update of Android due to hardware limitations. That puts a lot of Galaxy S4 Mini users to a little bit of disappointment. Lollipop sweetness is everywhere these days, manufacturers are updating their flagship and there other mainstream devices to this latest and greatest iteration of Android. Forgetting S4 Mini is just an unfair thing from Samsung, but the great developers are always there to cheer the users up.

Good news for the Galaxy S4 Mini owners. Android 5.1.1 Lollipop CyanogenMod 12.1 custom ROM is now available for all Galaxy S4 Mini GT-I9190, I9192 & I9195. The current version for S4 Mini is quite stable and doesn’t contain so many bugs which would hurt everyday use of this ROM. If you don’t know about CyanogenMod yet, you may want to know that CyanogenMod is the most popular custom Android firmware. It is the aftermarket version of Android, which is available for almost all the devices which have been forgotten by the device manufacturers. CyanogenMod is the best way to give old devices a completely new life. The best thing about this ROM is that, it is in the pure stock Android form, and contains no bloatware at all. CyanogenMod also paves a way for other custom ROMs, most of the custom ROM developers make use of the CM sources to compile there ROMs. So far, it is the most widely used and the most popular custom ROM available for any Android device.

Earlier, we covered a guide to install Android 5.0 Lollipop on Galaxy S4 mini, but now that the Android 5.1.1 Lollipop is also available, so we will be installing this firmware in the following guide. Let’s go ahead now and install Android 5.1.1 Lollipop on our beloved Galaxy S4 Mini GT-I9190(3G), I9192 (Duos) & I9195 (LTE).

Precautions:

1. This guide is only for Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini’s following variants
   1. Galaxy S4 Mini 3G GT-I9190
   2. Galaxy S4 Mini Duos GT-I9192
   3. Galaxy S4 Mini LTE GT-I9195 | Do not try this guide on any other device. Flashing a file on an incompatible device may result in bricking it.
2. Your device must be charged at least over 50% in order to avoid any power issues during the flashing process.
3. Your device must have a custom recovery installed on it. Follow our full guide to install Philz Advanced Touch recovery.
4. Backup your important media content, contacts, call logs and text messages. This is highly recommended as we will be making a complete clean installation and you will have to factory reset your device.
5. Create the EFS backup of your device and save it to your PC.
6. Create a Nandroid backup of your device and save it to your PC.
7. Follow this guide to the letter to avoid any mishap.

Disclaimer: In case something goes wrong, or your device messes up, we or the device manufacturers may not be held responsible. Custom process involve a high risk, so make sure that what every you’re doing, you’re taking full responsibility for that and you’re well aware of the procedures.

How To Install Android 5.1.1 Lollipop On Galaxy S4 Mini With CyanogenMod 12.1

1. Make sure that you’ve flashed the Philz Advanced Touch recovery linked above.
2. Download CM 12.1 Custom ROM.zip file according to your device.
   1. cm-12.1-20150620-UNOFFICIAL-serrano3gxx.zip [I9190]
   2. cm-12.1-20150620-UNOFFICIAL-serranodsxx.zip [I9192]
   3. cm-12.1-20150620-UNOFFICIAL-serranoltexx.zip [I9195]
3. Download Google GApps for Android 5.1.1 for your device.
4. Copy both the downloaded .zip files to the internal or external storage of your device.
5. Now boot into recovery mode on your device. To  do so, turn it off completely. Now turn it on by pressing and holding Volume Up + Home + Power Key.
6. Once your device boots up, leave the keys. You should be in the recovery mode now.
7. Now in Philz Touch Recovery tap “Wipe & Format Options > Factory Reset > Yes”.
8. Now go back to the main menu in Philz Touch and tap “Install Zip > Choose zip from /sdcard or storage depending on where you placed the file > select the ROM.zip file > Select Yes in next screen and wait for it to flash the ROM”.
9. Now go back to the main menu again, once again tap “Install Zip > Choose zip > Select the GApps.zip file this time > Yes and wait for it to flash”.
10. Once done, using the wipe options wipe cache and dalvik cache.
11. Now reboot your device.
12. You should be running Android 5.1.1 Lollipop on your Galaxy S4 Mini now. That’s all.

Just in case you’re stuck with anything, feel free to reach us out through the comment or through our contact us page.