Install CM13 Custom ROM on 2013 Moto G

by Mike Blass · December 2, 2015

As you can see, here I am to tell you more about the chance that 2013 Moto G owners have. The company isn’t going to release any new compatible Android 6.0 M OTAs for this device, but things never stop here. It seems that an unofficial version of CM 13 has been just made available for this precise version of the Motorola Moto G, which means that you have the possibility to update your phone to Android 6.0 Marshmallow right away.

In such conditions, AndroidFlagship reminds its users that it will not be held responsible for any damage that might occur to their Moto G 2013 devices, during or after the Android 6.0 Marshmallow CM 13 firmware installation. Users are advised to proceed at their own risk and to follow the steps from below as they are given.

Right from the start, I also want you to realize that you need to own a rooted Android device that also has installed a custom recovery image like CWM or TWRP. Ensuring root on Moto G is a must as long as you have to unlock the internal system of your smartphone and the recovery image will be used on the CM 13 flashing operation – the ROM is provided in form of a .zip file.

Verify if the correct USB drivers for the 2013 Moto G are installed on the computer and enable USB Debugging mode via Settings > Developer Options to make sure that there is nothing stopping you from completing the Android 6.0 Marshmallow update guide from below.

And don’t forget to back up your Moto G data because a wipe will be soon performed during the CM13 flashing process. I know that this might take time, but if you skip the backup procedure, understand that you can end up in losing everything that’s saved on your phone. Are you willing to take such a risk?

Then, check the battery charge level of your device and make sure that it is over 60%, as this will prevent the phone from powering off during the installation process. Only now you can continue to the actual guide, but don’t forget that there might be some few minor bugs, as the CM13 ROM is still under beta testing and development.

How to Install CM13 Custom ROM on 2013 Moto G:

Head towards this page and download the CM13 Custom ROM on your computer;
After that, from here you must also download the Google Apps package;
Save both files on desktop;
Establish a connection between your 2013 Moto G smartphone and the computer via the USB cable;
Transfer the downloaded files on your phone;
Power off your phone as you need to reboot recovery on your Motorola Moto E;
Make a factory reset by using the regular recovery options: select “wipe data factory reset”, “wipe cache partition” and “wipe dalvik cache”;
From the main menu of recovery select “install zip from SD card” and “choose zip from SD card”.
Load the CM 13 file and install Android 6.0 Marshmallow on your smartphone;
Repeat the last step as you have to install the Google Apps package too;
Once Gapps is installed, choose “reboot system now”.