CWM Recovery: Everything you need to know about

Today we are going to talk about one of the most popular custom recovery tool dedicated to Android handsets – ClockworkMod (CWM recovery). What exactly is it, what are its main features, how can you install it and what compatible devices are currently on the market? We bet that you have all these questions in mind and things might seem a little bit confusing at first, so that’s exactly what we are going to see. CWM Recovery (generally termed simply as CWM) is a recovery software (a partition, to be more specific) that can be used as an alternative to Stock Android Recovery. As you probably know, all Android phones come with an Android Recovery, a recovery being basically a mode created to recover a phone if it has been locked. By choosing such a custom recovery over the Stock Android Recovery it gets you several new features and options that the Android Recovery doesn’t stand a chance to match.

What are CWM recovery main features?

This ClockworkMod is built by Koushik Dutta, a popular name in the Android Developers forums, so you can only imagine that he had thought about adding several improvements over Android Recovery. We are talking about a variety of abilities such as advanced update.zip options, kernels and mods, file browser for choosing update.zips, wiping Dalvik Cache, back up device data, as well as installing, updating, or upgrading not only the official, but also the unofficial ROMs (also known as ‘custom’ ROMs).

If you have a bricked device and can’t boot into Android, ClockworkMod also provides recovery and backup methods, so you can mount the USB storage in order to transfer files between the device and a PC while remaining in the recovery mode. And you shouldn’t think that it all about installing custom ROMs, but ClockworkMod also helps you perform other Android hacks such as enabling lagfixes or rooting.

How can you install CWM Recovery?

So, we cannot deny that ClockworkMod can offer to every Android user a tempting list of functionalities which the Android Recovery doesn’t have, but be sure that you know how to install it. Otherwise, you might end up too with a bricked device! It is true that there are plenty of methods to install or flash CWM over your Stack android recovery, but we suggest that you should take in consideration the easiest and fastest one by using the ROM manager from the Google Play Store.  All you have to do is rooting your device in order to install it and once it is rooted, the installation process is very simple.

You just have to download and install the ROM Manager application and after installing the application, you have to run it and select the “Flash ClockworkMod recovery” option (it is the first one). If your device has an official version of ClockworkMod released for it, it is more than probably to succeed, but there are certain situations when the ROM Manager method won’t work. We are referring to devices such as Samsung Galaxy S or other ones having an extra layer of protection or certain limitations, but there is no reason to be worried; there are several alternatives for these ones too and installing ClockworkMod is still possible. In such cases, you can download the update.zip by yourself, you can flash a kernel with Clockwork built in, or you can use Linux and Heimdall.

Once installed, CWM it can be very easily accessed. You just have to turn your phone off and then power it back on while keeping either of the ‘Volume Down’ or ‘Volume-Up’ button pressed. After that, you have to select the ‘RECOVERY’ option and enter it with ‘Power’ key. But this latest rule doesn’t apply for some Samsung devices; in these cases, you just have to keep both the ‘Volume-Up’ and ‘Home’ keys pressed while powering on the device and you’ll enter directly into recovery.

What compatible devices are currently on the market?

Do you own a high-end or a low budget device? It really doesn’t matter! In order to work, you just have to find it in their official list which includes manufacturers such as Acer, Advent, Asus, Commtiva, Dell Streak, Elocity, Geeksphone, Google, HTC, LG, Motorola, Samsung, Viewsonic, or ZTE.

With ClockworkMod you’ll discover the real potential of your handset, just as our source confirms, so why not giving it a try?