Update Xperia Z2 with Custom ROMs using CWM Recovery

We all know that Sony Xperia Z2 is an amazing Android smartphone that has a 5.2-inch display with Full HD screen resolution, a powerful Snapdragon 801 chipset, as well as an impressive 20.7 MP rear camera, not to mention that it is dust proof and water resistant over 1 meter and 30 minutes like so many other Xperia devices from Sony, but we bet that some of you might want even more than that.

All you have to do is update Xperia Z2 with Custom ROMs using CWM Recovery such as CM11 or any other version you might want, AOKP, ParanoidAndroid and be sure that a world of new possibilities is waiting for you there.

We have told you from the start about CyanogenMod as long as it is the most popular Android based custom ROM firmware that offers you a variety of features that can be used for improving the performances of your Android smartphone. To be more precise, after installing a custom ROM based on Android OS on your Sony Xperia Z2 phone, you’ll see that it runs faster and better, not to mention that you’ll have the chance to remove bloatware, personalize the looks, customize the performances and even increase battery life (apps that might have been running constantly can be removed). And don’t leave aside the fact by using CWM recovery you can even hard reset your Xperia Z2 phone, being the ideal solution especially if you have bricked it.

Finally, it is obviously that all advanced Android users cannot be that happy with the fact that their handset comes preinstalled with a stock recovery image which allows only limited operations; this is exactly the main reason that for recommending CWM recovery on your Sony Xperia Z2 device and don’t forget that by using such a custom recovery image you will update your phone with a custom ROM firmware like AOKP, CM11, ParanoidAndroid and so on.

We all want better performance and looks for our phone and this guide will help you easily update Xperia Z2 with Custom ROMs using CWM Recovery, but not before taking in consideration the risks involved in such a procedure.

Review the risks:

• We know that this procedure is presented as a secure one, but updating with a custom ROM using CyanogenMod, AOKP, or ParanoidAndroid is not an authorized process, so we want to tell you from the start that you’ll be losing all your warranty benefits over your Sony Xperia Z2 after this procedure; anyway, there is a solution for that, so don’t hesitate to check our guide in order to learn how to restore the warranty on your Android device;
• This tutorial is only compatible with Sony Xperia Z2 having the model number D6502/D6503, so do not attempt to try this on any other device or model. We want to tell you from the star that this could easily lead to very serious damage to other smartphones or tablets;
• You might not get any future official software or firmware updates after performing this procedure on your Sony Xperia Z2; are you willing to accept that?
• There are certain risks of damaging your Android device while updating with a custom ROM, so be very careful about what you are doing, especially if you are a newbie. Incorrectly following the guide may result in your Z2 getting bricked beyond repair. Proceed at your own risk and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask us first.

Preparatory steps:

• Backup your Z2 device completely as long as this procedure will most likely wipe out all your important data including apps, messages, and not only;
• You must use your computer or laptop and don’t forget to prepare the original USB cable as well;
• Download and install Sony’s Xperia Z2 USB Drivers in your PC or else you won’t be able to flash the custom ROM;
• Enable Developer Options on the Xperia Z2 handset (for that you just have to go into Settings>> About phone>> and tapping on Build number seven times to enable Developer options);
• Enable USB Debugging mode too (go to Settings>> Developer options>> tick the USB Debugging checkbox under Debugging section);
• Your Xperia Z2 device must be charged at least 70% in order to avoid powering off due to lack of battery while applying this procedure;
• Unlock Bootloader of Sony Xperia Z2; in order to do so, don’t hesitate to visit the official Sony website here to unlock the boot-loader of Z2 and use our tutorial on how to unlock Sony Xperia devices bootloader.

Update your Xperia Z2 with Custom ROMs using CWM Recovery:

1. Start by downloading the custom ROM firmware file on your computer (as we have told you from the beginning, feel free to use any firmware you want);
2. Place the file on your computer, preferable on desktop, so that you can find it later;
3. Install CWM recovery on your Sony Zperia Z2;
4. Then, connect your handset with your computer by plugging in the original USB cable;
5. Take the downloaded files from your PC and place transfer them on your smartphone’s SD card’
6. Now, you have to unplug the USB cable and disconnect your devices;
7. Enter recovery mode on your Xperia Z2 smartphone;
8. From recovery you must wipe the system by selecting ‘wipe data factory reset’;
9. Then, select ‘wipe cache partition’, followed by ‘advance’ and ‘wipe dalvick cache’;
10. Return to recovery and select ‘install zip from SD card’ followed by ‘choose zip from SD card’;
11. Then select the Android firmware file and flash the update on your Sony Xperia phone;
12. Don’t forget to install the Google Apps package by repeating the step from above;
13. After the installation is complete, you have to go back to recovery and select ‘reboot system now’ from main menu.

Congratulations! That was all! You have successfully updated your Sony Xperia Z2 with Android custom ROMs using CWM recovery and as we have told you before, you can flash CM11, AOKP, ParanoidAndroid and any other custom ROM firmware you might want.

If you face any problem during this tutorial, please contact us by using the comments area. And if you have any suggestions, don’t hesitate to help others by sharing information related to our topics!