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Welcome to the NitrogenOS Q&A Megathread. Here you can find answers for the most popular problems and questions about NitrogenOS. I started this thread, so that new users don't repeatedly ask the same questions multiple times. While I am fairly new to coding in Java, I can definitely say I know a lot about Android phones and NitrogenOS, but you'll have to trust me on that. If you need any more help, you can even PM me and I'll try to reply as soon as I can.

You can find the original NitrogenOS thread here.

ROM info

Developer: xyyx

Latest Android version: 8.1 Oreo

NOS Download (latest): https://sourceforge.net/projects/nitrogen-project/files/kenzo/kenzo_test/8.1/

Bugs and updates

- A (very) small amount of users reported Google Dialer not working properly while installed through OpenGapps or the Play Store, you can still use stock dialer

1. Test or stable?!?!

Test in this case doesn't mean less stable. xyyx named the two versions a little confusingly.

Test means Oreo (Android 8.0 and 8.1) and Stable means Nougat (Android 7.1.2).

So let's make this a little less confusing:

Oreo (8.0) builds -> Download from here

Oreo (8.1) builds -> Download from here

Nougat (7.1.2) builds -> Download from here

2. Youtube PiP (Picture in Picture mode)

Google has patched PiP a long time ago, so it doesn't work with the latest Youtube releases. The last official release working with PiP is 12.34.55, which you can download from ApkMirror.

My preferred option however is iYTBP (injected YouTube Background Playback), a modified version of Youtube, but it gets a little confusing as there are multiple options.

You can download it from this thread.

Now the tricky part - choosing the right version. I always prefer the Vanced version, which can be found in the 2nd post. Again you have multiple options, but I will not go through all of them since they are explained pretty good in the post itself. While iYTBP enables PiP, it also blocks ads and adds a lot of useful settings and new updates come very frequently. There are multiple installation methods, but I prefer the Magisk one, since it offers options like detaching the Youtube app from Play Store. What this means is, that you don't have to disable auto-updates and it will not bug you to constantly update it.

You can try these methods:

Magisk Module (Easiest):

1. Open Magisk Manager

2. Go to Downloads

3. In the search bar type "Youtube", you should see two results

4. Choose either the normal or the black theme (I personally prefer the black one)

5. Press the download arrow and then "Install"

6. Wait for a while (it's a big package to download and unpack)

7. Reboot

This is by far the easiest option and the module is updated fairly often.

Manual:

1. Delete or uninstall any previous release of Youtube. If you installed it as a system app, disable it or delete the /system/app/YouTube folder. If you had to delete the folder, reboot.

2. Download the Youtube apk

3. Make a folder called YouTube (watch the caps!)

4. Move the apk to this folder and rename it as YouTube (again with the caps)

5. Copy/move the folder to /system/app (The directory should look like this: /system/app/YouTube/YouTube.apk)

6. Reboot

Magisk (manual):

1. Download the Youtube apk, the iYTBP universal installer and the use_this_settings.sh file. Check that they are in the downloads folder.

2. Edit the use_this_settings.sh file if you want. Since we're installing from Magisk, you'll need to set MAGINSTALL to YES (MAGINSTALL="YES"). I usually also enable detach (DETACH="YES"). This will make the Play Store think Youtube isn't installed and it will not bug you for updates.

3. Open Magisk Manager, go to Modules and press the + button. Now select the universal installer zip and flash it in Magisk.

4. Reboot

Recovery method:

Same as for Magisk, but MAGINSTALL is set to NO (MAGINSTALL="NO"). In case you didn't read the Magisk method, here is the recovery method...

1. Download the Youtube apk, the iYTBP universal installer and the use_this_settings.sh file. Check that they are in the downloads folder.

2. Edit the use_this_settings.sh file if you want. I usually enable detach (DETACH="YES"). This will make the Play Store think Youtube isn't installed and it will not bug you for updates.

3. Reboot to recovery, go to Install and choose the universal installer zip, flash it.

4. Reboot

If you open a video in fullscreen mode and press the home button, it should open it in PiP mode. If you want to change some advanced settings, you can go to your Account (the round icon with your profile picture) -> Settings -> iYTBP Settings

3. Goodix & FPC - What are they

Goodix and FPC are two different types of fingerprint sensors (or rather sensor manufacturers). They both work in Android 8.1 builds. Custom kernels or mods may break the fingerprint sensor functionality.

4. Rooting

tl;dr: rooting NitrogenOS is the same as rooting any other custom rom, just flash Magisk, SuperSU, phh's superuser or anything else.

Now for the extended version.

Magisk:

Magisk is a great open-source root manager, developed by topjohnwu. It features a feature rich app, but most people prefer it because of it's "modules", packages which can do a bunch of things, from installing apps like Viper4AndroidFX or Dolby Atmos, to modifying system settings, like the volume steps increase. Magisk also features an option called "Magisk Hide", which can bypass Android's SafetyNet.

Check out the Magisk thread.

You can directly download the latest version of Magisk from https://tiny.cc/latestmagisk

SuperSU:

SuperSU is an alternative root manager. It used to be developed by Chainfire, but has recently been purchased by another company. I still prefer Magisk, but SuperSU is a great alternative for new users. My problem with it though is, that it is not open-source and the new buyer is pretty secretive so I don't really trust them.

Check out the SuperSU website for the download link.

phh's SuperUser:

Another open-source root manager, but the great thing about this one is, that it's very minimalistic and very small in size.

Check out the SuperUser thread and phh's Build Bot.

5. Google Apps (gapps)

Google apps are a vital part of custom roms. You might not know this, but AOSP and CM based roms are made from Google source code. Google actually makes Android open-source, but the Play Store and other Google apps are not. That's why roms like NitrogenOS do not come with the Play Store preinstalled. That is where Open Gapps come in. They are prepackaged apps, updated almost daily. They come in various sizes and versions, but they can all be flashed in TWRP like a normal zip file.

Platform: arm/arm64/x86/x86_64 - RN3 has an arm64 processor (Think of it as a 64-bit CPU for phones)

Android: 8.0/7.1/7.0... - This is the android version, NOS is Oreo based so choose 8.0 (Or 7.1 for Nougat) [Check below for OpenGapps 8.1]

Variant: This is where it gets complicated. There are a LOT of versions to choose from. For more in-depth resources check the OpenGapps' package comparison.

But OpenGapps are a lot more customisable, to the level where you can choose individual apps you want installed. The easiest way to do this, is to flash the Aroma package, which enables you to choose exactly which packages you want installed. Another option is to configure any of the selected packages using a gapps-config.txt file. You can learn more about that in the Advanced Features and Options section.

You can download daily builds for any Android version from https://opengapps.org/

6. TWRP (Recovery)

A recovery is a partition, used to flash files like ROMs, gapps and any other modifications. You do (in most cases) need an unlocked bootloader to use it. Unlocking your bootloader will not be described on this thread, as there are a lot of resources for our device.

Official TWRP - This is the official TWRP (Team Win Recovery Project) for our device

You can find the latest updates for TWRP on their website.

Red Wolf - This is a modified version of TWRP, my absolute favourite because of it's custom features.

Flashing TWRP:

If you don't have a custom recovery installed and you have unlocked your bootloader, then download the latest version of your preferred recovery and follow these steps:

1. Download Minimal ADB and Fastboot on Windows, or use sudo apt install android-tools-adb android-tools-fastboot if you're on Linux.

2. Enable USB Debugging (Settings -> About phone -> Press "Build number" 7 times to enable Developer options). You should find the Developer options in settings above "About Device". Find USB Debugging and enable it.

3. Connect your PC to the phone via a cable. Open Minimal ADB and Fastboot (which will open CMD) or Terminal on Linux and type this (same for both OSs): adb devices. Select "Always allow on this computer" and confirm access on your phone.

4. Reboot your phone to fastboot/bootloader (By holding Power and Vol-, releasing the power button after a vibration and holding the Vol- button until you see the Xiaomi mascot).

5. Type (In CMD/Terminal): fastboot devices, to confirm if the phone has been recognised, then fastboot flash recovery /path/to/recovery.img

6. After it has succesfully finished, remove the cable and reboot directly to recovery (Power and Vol+, release power after vibration, but keep holding the Vol+ button until you see the TWRP or RedWolf logo).

If you do already have a custom recovery installed and just want to update it, flash the .img or .zip file in your already installed recovery and select "Reboot to recovery".

7. NOS asks me for a password after flashing?!!?!?

This is actually not NitrogenOS's fault, it's a byproduct of your previous rom, most often MIUI. What this means is, that your internal storage is encrypted and the only way to fix this, is to backup everything on your internal storage, which you can do by connecting your phone to your pc while in recovery. You should be able to access the phone's storage and move the files from there. If you for some reason can't do that, you can still put in an sdcard and copy the files to it in TWRP. Bottom line, backup the files and then go to "Wipe" and find the "Format data" button. You might see a "wipe data" button, but this is not the same. When you "wipe data" you are wiping your system, cache, dalvik cache and data partitions, but formatting data will format your internal partition as well and thus remove the encryption.

You can finally reflash NOS and gapps or whatever other modification you want.

8. Firmwares

Check out this link to download the latest firmware for our device.

What is firmware? - It's what connects hardware to software (don't confuse it with a kernel). It's what, for example, makes the camera work.

Do I really need firmware - Yes (but it's already installed, even after completely wiping the stock rom, since it's on separate partitions).

Do I need the most up-to-date firmware - Actually no, the only difference you will notice is in the signal and WiFi strength. If yours are good enough, you don't need to update, otherwise feel free to download the newest version from the link above.

What is emmc_appsboot.mbn? - It's a bootloader update. Bootloader or fastboot is the partition in which you have unlocked your bootloader and flashed the recovery. If you have officially unlocked your bootloader, then you can flash firmware with emmc_appsboot.mbn, but if you have unofficially unlocked your bootloader, do not flash these files as they will re-lock it. But you can still flash the version without emmc_appsboot.mbn.

Kenzo? Kate? - Kate devices are the same as kenzo ones but are a little bigger.

Some comparisons:

Kenzo

Size: 150 * 76 * 6.85 mm

Weight: 164g

Kate

Size: 152 * 76 * 6.85 mm

Weight: 167g

Model numbers:

Kenzo: 2015116

Kate: 2015161

Kate devices are 32/3 GB, and some kenzo devices are as well (some are 16/2 GB), not really sure about this part.

Global stable or developer? - Most people use developer roms, but again, this is not the actual ROM, just the firmware extracted from the rom, it doesn't really matter which one you choose.

When do I need to flash firmware? - If you're coming from MIUI8 (or 9), then you probably have the newest firmware. In this case you don't need to flash it, because MIUI roms already have firmware included in the update. If you're coming from a CM or AOSP based rom you also probably don't have to flash it, but I suggest you update it just in case. If your signal is good enough though, there really is no need.

9. How to flash the rom

Flashing is pretty straight forward. Just go to the Install section of TWRP and flash it like any normal zip, nothing special.

If you're coming from MIUI, then the full procedure is this:

1. Unlock your bootloader (google it, useless explaining it here)

2. Flash TWRP

3. Make a full device backup (Nandroid backup)

4. Copy or move all important files from the internal storage to an sdcard or your pc

5. Format data, or in other words, wipe EVERYTHING (excluding external storage) - This will delete all your photos and anything else in internal storage

6. Flash the latest NOS "test" build (Oreo)

7. Flash gapps (I recommend opengapps.org, check above)

8. Reboot to system

10. OTA?

What is OTA? - OTA means Over The Air (Update)

Does NOS have OTA? - Actually yes and no, newer updates (from March 2018 on) do have partial OTA (it does check for updates and notify you, while also giving a direct download link to SourceForge, but you will have to manually flash every update in your recovery.

What about incremental updates? - Sorry, but no. You'll have to download full packages every time. If you have a bandwidth cap then just download an update every week or two, you can check the changelog to see if you think it's worth updating to.

11. Google Camera

If you're having problems with the official Google Camera or just want some added features then look no further than modded camera apps. Check out this thread by emime12, it's very frequently updated and features a lot of different camera mods, including Google Camera, MIUI Camera, MOTO Camera and many more.

Recommended settings:

3x3 Grid - For better photos ;)

I usually disable "Save location" and "Camera sounds"

Model: Pixel XL (corr) - default

Config camera HDR+: NEXUS 6

HDR+ parameters: Default

Panorama resolution: High

Advanced: Enable both

Experimental: I usually leave this disabled but it's your choice.

Back camera video resolution: UHD 4K (30 fps)

In case your camera doesn't work check if you have these two files and delete them:

/System/framework/com.google.android.camera.experimental2016.jar

and

/System/etc/permissions/com.google.android.camera.experimental2016.xml

Credits go to: @emime12 and Njaiker.

You can find more info about problems and updates on emime12's thread.

Settings may differ a lot, so check emime12's recommended or just test until you find ones that work for you

12. RAM Management - Low free RAM

Android's RAM (Read Only Memory) management doesn't work like Windows'. Android manages RAM very well, "Free RAM is wasted RAM" is a very common expression on XDA. Android loads the first couple of apps into the RAM and priorities the open one. More used ram means more apps loaded in ram which means faster load times. Don't worry about it too much and just enjoy the fast loading speeds.

13. VoLTE?

VoLTE should work on Android 8.1. Magisk, Viper or any other mods may break it.

14. Custom kernels

While there are a lot of custom kernels, I suggest you stick with the stock one, as it is made specifically for NOS and thus it is the most stable. If you still want a custom kernel, you can try Radon or Agni but they might break VoLTE or your fingerprint sensor.

Agni XDA Thread - By psndna88

Radon XDA Thread - By Umang96

15. Daily driver or not?

Yes, NitrogenOS Oreo is very stable, definitely enough for a daily driver. It is the best Oreo rom for our device (in my opinion), as it offers just the right amount of customization and stability.

15. GPS

Some users have reported low accuracy, but you should be fine if you turn on High Accuracy mode and/or install Faster GPS.

Update: In recent updates GPS shouldn't be a problem anymore as xyyx has fixed it, but some users have still reported low accuracy.

16. Viper4Android FX

(There may be other ways, but I haven't tested them yet so I can't confirm if they work) By far the easiest way to install Viper4Android FX is using Magisk. There is Magisk module called ViPER4Android FX Materialized. Download and install that module from the Magisk repo, choose your preferred installation option (By pressing Vol+ or Vol- to select which version you want installed and if you want it materialized - for newest materialized version press Vol+ 2 times) and finally reboot. Try playing some music and open the Viper app. Turn on the "Master Power" switch and the "Playback Gain Control" (the easiest way to tell if it worked). If after a little time the volume increases, it means that Viper4Android FX works. If not, press the three dots and choose "Exit" (without turning off the master power or gain control). Now open the app again and it should work. You can also check that in the side menu under "Driver status", if it's enabled and processing, then everything works.

You may or may not have to exit and re-enter the app after reboot to enable processing (in my case I had to).

I would show you my recommended settings (as requested), but to be honest I only use:

Headset

Viper Bass (Natural bass, 40 HZ frequency, 8 dB)

Viper Clarity (Natural, 6 dB)

Sometimes I use Field surround with default settings

Phone speakers

eXtra loud (Slight, 4x max gain, -1.9 dB max output)

Bluetooth device

Playback gain control (Moderate, 6x max gain, -1.9 dB max output)

If I'm at a party with my bluetooth speaker I pump it up to Extreme and 8x max gain

Viper Bass (Natural, 40 HZ frequency, 8 dB), 17 dB for parties

Viper Clarity (Natural, 3.5 dB)

I don't use equalizers or if I do, they are song-specific. I also don't USB/Dock, so I can't recommend anything there.

Of course these settings can vary depending on the song, so choose those, which you like the most and don't stick with just those I chose, try all the functions to see which you prefer.

17. AdAway (Root)

AdAway is a great open-source root ad blocker, which can automatically download and update sources and works by adding those to the hosts file. It work well on the internet, but also inside apps (most of the time).

Check out the official AdAway website. You can also download it from F-Droid.

Adaway v3.2 (60) (direct download link)

Adding custom host sources:

Go to "Host sources" and add your own sources or check out these: AdAway's host sources

Be careful when adding all of them, since some can block legitimate links like goo.gl.

AdAway also offers an option to scan for Adware, which can be found under "Scan for adware". This will bring up a new window, press "Start scanning". If you don't need/want the mentioned apps you can uninstall them, but AdAway can't block their ads.

You can also check out my recommended settings: