Nexus 5 has inevitably reached the end-of-life support after completing three years since its launch, which means it is unlikely to receive the official Android 7.0 Nougat update. Nevertheless, the industrious Android Open Source Porject (AOSP) custom ROM developers have unleashed a highly-functional and stable ROM based on Android Nougat update for the ageing Nexus 5.
The latest AOSP build of Android Nougat update is reportedly good enough for daily use with its core functionalities like camera and Wi-Fi working fine. However, its only caveat is the broken video playback.
Prerequisites
- Take a data backup on your Nexus 5 before you proceed
- Your Nexus 5 must be rooted with a custom recovery like CWM or TWRP (not the CAF version) installed.
- If you are upgrading an existing custom ROM, do not try a dirty flash (without data wipe). Otherwise, you might face boot problems with the device.
How to install Android 7.0 Nougat via AOSP ROM on Nexus 5
Step 1: Download the Android Nougat AOSP ROM and the Google Apps package, using the links provided above. Copy both the zip files to the internal storage on your phone.
Step 2: After you have copied the downloaded ROM zip files, just reboot the Nexus 5 into recovery mode. You can do this by shutting down the phone and then pressing and holding the Volume Down andPower buttons together for a few seconds. Alternatively, download and use the Quick Reboot app from the Google Play Store, which requires root access on your phone.
Step 3: Wait until the device boots into recovery mode and then wipe the /data and /system partitions. Go to the Wipe option and then swipe the bar at the bottom to perform a factory reset.
Step 4: Return to the main menu on the TWRP recovery screen and then hit the Install button. You will be prompted to select the Nougat AOSP ROM zip file from the source, wherein you can select the file from the location where you downloaded earlier.
Step 5: Wait until the AOSP ROM is installed and then reboot your phone. NOTE: The initial boot to the Android Home screen could take longer than expected. Just wait for a few minutes and if the device is still stuck at the boot logo, you will need to fix the boot loop issue by repeating all the steps provided above.
Step 6: Boot your Nexus 5 back into TWRP recovery. Hit the install button and then choose Google Apps (Gapps) package.
Step 7: Once Gapps is also installed, just select Wipe Cache partition. Wait until the process completes and then reboot your Nexus 5.
Step 8: Wait until your phone boots into Android and then skip the setup process. Navigate to Settings > Apps and enable the option to reveal system apps from the 3-dot overflow menu button on the top right. Allow all permissions to Setup Wizard and Google Play Services from the applications' list.
Step 9: You can now setup your device for first use via the Setup Wizard and then sync your Google accounts with the handset. Also, grant the necessary permissions for Contacts and Contacts Sync app to verify that your contacts are synced correctly with the device.
Note: In case your custom recovery software is replaced with the stock recovery after installing the ROM, just re-flash the TWRP recovery on the handset to resolve the issue.
[Source: Android Beat]
