In this tutorial, we will guide you to install Android 12 Custom ROM on Samsung Galaxy J8. Full credits to the XDA Recognized Developer phhusson for making this possible. The update is still in the beta stage and you may counter bugs or unusable. You have to try it at your own risk. If something is broken, you can always flash back the stock ROM image on your Samsung J8.

As we know, Samsung Galaxy J8 (SM-J810F, J810G) will not receive any official update very soon but now you can try the GSI based Android 12 build. A GSI (generic system image) is a system image with minimal configurations for Android devices. It works as a pure Android implementation without any modifications or changes to the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) code.

Android 12 and Its Features

Android 12 is all about improved personalization and revamped user interface that changes the way to bring more dynamic expression and a whole new design element. It’s a successor of the last-gen Android 11 which was basically focused on the privacy and security of the user data. While the Android 12 not only focused on privacy features but also on visual treatment.

Talking about the features, it has all new and colorful yet minimal widgets that are now more dynamic than ever before. While the dynamic theme with the wallpapers is more expressive as per your mood. The notification shade, lock screen, and its notifications, glance screen, volume controls, quick shortcut tiles, new power menu, transitions or animations, etc everything looks & feels great whatsoever with ‘Material You’ design.

Meanwhile, the impressive Privacy Dashboard feature, the privacy indicator on the top of the screen is also great. Whereas scrolling screenshot support, improved notifications, and quick reply feature, on-device search feature, easy Wi-Fi sharing, one-handed mode, quick back tap feature, haptic-coupled audio effect, Android 12 updates via Google Play, App hibernation, all-new emojis, improved auto-rotate, and a lot more.

How to Install Android 12 on Samsung Galaxy J8

As the title suggests, here we’ve shared the requirements and steps to flash the AOSP Android 12 build on the Samsung Galaxy J8 variant.

Before heading over to the guide, make sure to follow all the requirements below.

Pre-Requisites

Before we begin with this procedure, I would strongly recommend you create a backup of your device storage and all your files stored on your device. Moreover, it is advised to follow the steps mentioned in this post very carefully to avoid permanent damage or to brick your device.

Charge Your Phone

It’s highly recommended to charge your handset before unlocking the bootloader to avoid your device from shutting down occasionally while going through the process. Make sure to keep at least 50% of charge or higher for a smooth operation.

Download ADB and Fastboot Binaries

Using the ADB and Fastboot command (platform-tools), you’ll be able to boot your Android device into the bootloader mode (download mode) which will be easy for you to proceed with further steps. ADB (Android Debug Bridge) creates a connection or bridge between the device and computer to sideload files.

Whereas Fastboot is a more advanced command utility tool for Android devices that works with computers. You can download ADB and Fastboot Binaries (Platform-Tools).

Download Samsung USB Drivers

A USB Driver is a set of files that basically allows you to create a successful and strong connection between a mobile device with a computer properly using a USB data cable. It’ll be useful to transfer files between the connected devices, flash files on the handset, and more.

It’s also worth mentioning that not only mobile devices but also other external devices can use and run USB Drivers on a Windows computer. Such as mouse, keyboard, printer, external hard drives, speakers, USB flash drives, etc. You can grab Samsung USB Drivers here.

Unlock Bootloader Your Phone:

To enjoy any custom ROM, you must first unlock the bootloader on your Samsung smartphone.

Download Android 12 ROM:

Here, you will find all the Android 12 custom ROM for your Samsung Galaxy J8. To find which version to download, you must first check which processor your device is running, whether ARM, ARM64, or x86.

Download Android 12 Gapps:

It’s worth mentioning that most of the third-party AOSP (Android Open Source Project) ROMs (also known as aftermarket firmware) come without any preinstalled Google apps package. You can manually install the Android 12 GApps by following our guide.

Instructions to Install:

  • First, you’ll need to perform a factory reset on your Samsung Galaxy J8. [You can also reboot to Recovery mode and perform factory reset]
  • Keep in mind that OEM Unlock and USB Debugging are already enabled on your phone. If not, do that too.
  • We assume that you’ve already installed the ADB & Fastboot Tool on your PC.
  • Now, transfer the downloaded Android 12 GSI file to your computer and extract it. Make sure to copy and paste the system.img and vbmeta.img files into the ADB & Fastboot folder for ease.
  • Simply connect your Android device to the PC/Laptop by using the USB cable and authorize the device (if prompted).
  • Now, launch a command prompt on your PC from the extracted GSI folder by typing cmd in the address bar and pressing the Enter button on your keyboard.
  • Restart your device into bootloader mode or fastboot mode by typing the following command in the command prompt and pressing the Enter key:

adb reboot bootloader

  • This will reboot your phone into Fastboot mode.
  • Then you’ll have to disable Android Verified Boot (AVB) by running the command below:

fastboot flash vbmeta vbmeta.img

  • Next, type in the following command and hit the Enter button to delete the existing system partition on your device:

fastboot erase system

  • Use the following command to install the Android 12 GSI package:

fastboot flash system system.img

  • The installation process will start and will take some time. So, wait for it.
  • Once the installation process is done, you will need to enter the following command to wipe the user data partition:

fastboot -w

  • Finally, restart your device by executing the command below:

fastboot reboot

  • Enjoy! The first boot may take some time after the OS upgrade. Now, your Samsung Galaxy J8 should boot into the Android 12 system successfully.

Conclusion

Flashing the ported Android 12 on your Samsung Galaxy J8 will give an early taste of the latest Android OS version. It looks like the Samsung Galaxy J8 model won’t gonna receive the Android 12 update officially from the manufacturer. So, it’s a good idea to get most of the features and visual treatment. However, if you find any extra bugs or stability issues then you should report them to the respective forum.

Warning!

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GetDroidTips won’t be responsible for any kind of issue that may happen to your device if you flash it on another device and brick it. Do it at your own risk.

That’s it, guys. We assume this guide was helpful to you. For further queries, you can comment below.