When We try to Install Custom ROMs on our rooted mobile, Choosing official ROMs is a Wise Choice. Because If we select official versions, We Will receive regular patch updates and Major Upgrades. Even If you are a regular user, But, You know fundamental rooting, I advise you to try this custom ROM. Because It is based on Pie 9.0 version, there will be a lot of features and optimizations are done. So, This will be New Experience for you. But, If you are a developer or regular Custom ROM user, you can follow below steps to flash Lineage OS 16.0 on your Moto X 2014. You should have Custom Recovery like TWRP, in your mobile. There are plenty of features like Adaptive Battery, Adaptive Brightness, and Improved Gestures are some essential features.
Why should you flash Official Lineage OS 16.0 on Moto X 2014 (2nd Gen)?
We are thanks for the Hard work of Lineage OS team. Without this team, this method is not possible. Your mobile has 2 GB of RAM. It is more than enough for normal usage and heavy usage too. Moto stopped the security patch and Major upgrades; It has a Flagship level Qualcomm MSM8974AC Snapdragon 801 processor. But coming to OS, Even If you have near Stock Android. The OS is old, and You know how much it suffered to get Marshmallow version. Most of the users use Lineage ROM for Stock Android Experience. If you love extra Lineage OS features, you can use this official Lineage OS. It is near the Stock Android with a lot of features.
If we optimize correctly with correct Lineage OS after rooting, we can see some Improvements. So, after rooting, I can expect Lag-free experience? Probably. Also, if we hibernate and eliminate a lot of unwanted apps and optimize some apps, your device is hardware limited. But, within these limits, we can enhance the performance by 30-40% compared with your old usage. If you use Lineage Custom ROMs, you can expect a 50-80% improvement in performance.
How to Install Moto X 2014 Lineage OS 16.0 Android Pie 9.0 Official ROM
Moto X 2014 comes with a flexible bootloader other than Verizon devices. Verizon devices come with locked Bootloader. This means that different smartphone variants can be easily rooted. Also, the device can accept to install TWRP recovery or any other custom recovery file/app alike.
TWRP recovery is a custom recovery file which must be installed on Moto devices because you can root them successfully. In this article, we explained the easiest method to follow and install TWRP recovery on Moto X 2014. However, the tool required for rooting this device is the Magisk App.
With the help of TWRP Recovery, we are going to flash the Lineage OS into your Moto X 2nd Gen. Does it seem complicated? Relax, everything will be explained succinctly in bullets. If you didn’t root your mobile, Refer- Root Moto X 2014.
Things to check out for;
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Check your device model number.
- Should have TWRP installed on your mobile.
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Make sure your device battery is charged above 50%
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Backup your current files and data, just in case (save them on external storage using TWRP Backup).
Pre-Requirement Steps
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Enable USB Debugging Mode and OEM Unlock on your mobile. To do this; go to settings >>> about >>> Tap on the “Build Number” 7-10 times consistently to enable “Developer Options,” then go to the “Developer Options” and enable USB Debugging Mode and OEM Unlock. There is no complicated process in Moto X 2014.
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Download Moto X 2014 Lineage ROM 16.0 and copy it in your Mobile/ Pendrive OTG Cable. There are plenty of works that can be done with OTG Cable.
Flash Lineage OS using TWRP
- Switch off your device. Then, enter into Recovery mode. To do this; press and hold down the Volume Down + Power buttons at the same time for some time. While holding Volume Down, release Power Button. Choose recovery in Fastboot.
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Press the Volume Up button to continue when you see the warning message.
- Now it Will Boot into TWRP Recovery Mode.
- Select Wipe->Advance Wipe->Select Cache, Dalvik, System Data. System Data will delete all files including your Current OS.
- Return to Home of TWRP select Install.
- Select Lineage OS.Zip.
- After the Installation Reboot Your Mobile.
- We have successfully Installed Lineage OS in our mobile.
Install Gapps for Moto X 2014
Google Apps Called Gapps. That are Pre-Installed on All Android Mobiles. Google apps are Gmail, Google Maps, Play Store, YouTube, Google+, Search, Google Docs, Google Music, etc. These Gapps are not Pre-Installed With Custom ROMs Like CyanogenMod and others, Due to Some License Problems. All the Gapps Applications are the property of Google. There is no Re-modification in the Gapps.
Steps
- Install CPU Hardware app in your mobile. Go to CPU and Note down your Architecture. It is essential to select the correct Gapps for your mobile.
- Download Gapps For Moto X 2014 Lineage Oreo Official ROM 16.0 Pie version and Copy it into your Internal Memory. If you are confused with the Packages, you can refer Official Gapps Package comparison.
- Switch Off Your Mobile. Boot it into recovery mode->Volume Up+ Power Button.
- Now it Will Boot into TWRP Recovery Mode.
- Select Wipe->Advance Wipe->Select Cache Data.
- Return to Home of TWRP select Install. Select Gapps.Zip.
- After the Installation Reboot Your Mobile.
Lineage OS 16.0 Features
There are a lot of features added in Lineage OS 16.0. Here I mentioned some Important features.
- Android Pie 9.0 Stock Android ROM with System-Wide Color options available. Dark, Grey themes are also available.
- We have optimized Recent apps Switcher.
- Volume Rocker contains Silent/Vibrate/Mute Options with Easy adjustable navigation.
- Notification enhanced. Instead of replying to a single message, now you can reply to the whole conversation.
- Lock Screen Visualizer for music.
- New Set of Emoji.
- Notification light can be configured with a lot of colors.
- Reading mode is configured with greyscale. You can select this option from Quick settings.
- Full device encryption supported.
- Adaptive Battery- Better Battery optimization.
- Digital Wellbeing- Optimize your time with Social Network interaction.
What More?
Moto X 2014 (2nd Gen) is a Flagship device when it is released; We can expect Some Improvement by rooting. But, If you use Lineage Custom Roms, you can expect a considerable performance Improvement. So, If you have little knowledge in tech, and you know what you are doing, you can Root and flash Lineage Custom ROM. If you flash other Custom ROM, check what is working and what is not working. It is wise to use Some Official Custom ROMs like Lineage. If you feel you are limited with Hardware, Trust me 2 GB RAM is more than enough for regular usage. Refer- How Much RAM you need. During the process, if you face any problem, comment below.
Selva Ganesh is the Chief Editor of this Blog. He is a Computer Science Engineer, An experienced Android Developer, Professional Blogger with 8+ years in the field. He completed courses about Google News Initiative. He runs Android Infotech which offers Problem Solving Articles around the globe.
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