Installing a custom ROM on your Google Nexus 7 tablets will open doors for you to install new Android skins so you can customize the look and feel of your entire Android operating system. Furthermore, it’s the custom ROM running on your Nexus 7 that will allow you to customize the quick settings menu, overclock or underclock the central processing unit, hide the bottom navigation bar from your display to use up less screen real estate and run applications in tablet mode on a smartphone.
The Android operating system is based on open source software just like its big brother in Linux operating systems. It’s that same open source nature that allows us to have developers creating new ROMs by breaking away from what the Android developers have given us with the stock Android we see on your device before we root the device. One of the most popular reasons to root Android and then install a custom ROM is to get a great deal closer to using the stock Android — but we know the Nexus line of devices already give us a pure Android experience anyway, so why all the fuss? There are still many other reasons to install a custom ROM just like we listed above. You’ll also find a good deal more reasons after you install the ROMs we have on the list after the break. Many of these ROMs will come with a unique design and even have new features you will not have seen from the stock Android currently on your device.
These are the best custom ROMs for the Google Nexus 7 3G 2012 tablet so you can update to newer versions of Android, overclock, underclock, deck your device out with a new design and more:
AOSP 6.0 ROM:
The AOSP 6.0 ROM is the first custom ROM for the Google Nexus 7 3G. It delivers the most sweetest Android 6.0 Marshmallow experience for you and it also comes to your Nexus 7 tablets with root access to that internal system. The AOSP 6.0 custom ROM is a simple ROM and it comes without lots of customization built-in or tweaks. It is just the simple stock Android 6.0 Marshmallow on your Nexus 7 tablet.
Features: Android 6.0 Marshmallow based, custom kernel for performance, small tiles, notification bar quick settings tiles arrangement, nav bar ring customization, lock screen shortcuts, Google Now launcher as default launcher, developer options enabled by default, multi window features (you have to enable it from the developer options).
Download: AOSP 6.0 ROM
AutoDroid 1.2 ROM:
The AutoDroid 1.2 ROM is based on Android 4.4 KitKat software updates. However, this is without question the most awesome custom ROM I’ve ever seen because this custom ROM allows for your tablet to be used while you are driving. You can use this custom ROM with one hand and drive your car with the other. The AutoDroid custom ROM has some useful shortcuts on the navigation bar to make it a more productive custom ROM.
Features: Android 4.4 KitKat based, all SlimKat features, built in Kangaroo kernel, full USB DAC support, hot plug, volume control, on boot, power event manager, fast charge in host mode, easycap support, wavelock blocker, volume and media keys available to put in navigation bar, support all file systems, OTA updates available.
Download: AutoDroid 1.2 ROM
Official CyanogenMod 12 ROM:
The Nexus smartphones and tablets always get the official build of CyanogenMod custom ROMs. The CyanogenMod 12 custom ROM can also give you the stock Android 5.0 Lollipop user interface on your Google Nexus 7 tablets. The main difference is that it comes with some more tweaks and features that you won’t get in the stock ROM.
Features: Android 5.0 Lollipop based, custom dpi settings, developer options enabled by default, navigation bar tinting, status bar tinting, status bar icons customization, status bar clock and battery bar customization, modded Google Now launcher as default launcher, CPU control, CM theme engine,
Download: CyanogenMod 12 ROM
C-ROM:
The C- ROM is a CyanogenMod 11 based custom ROM and has all the CyanogenMod 11’s features and performance tweaks. There are some subtle differences between the C-ROM and the typical CyanogenMod 11: C-ROM has some more cool features added to CyanogenMod custom ROM which makes it different from CyanogenMod ROM.
Features: Android 4.4 KitKat based, PIE control, halo, app bar, dark C-ROM, active display, floating windows, gesture anywhere, OTG mode, animation controls, lock screen notification, implement app side bar, status bar customization, notification panel quick tiles arrangement, status bar clock customization, 3 minit battery mod.
Download: C-ROM
Unofficial Carbon ROM:
If you want tons of customize-able options on your phone to customize each and every part of your phone’s interface, whether it is the status bar, lock screen, home screen or navigation bar then you are at the right place. The unofficial Carbon ROM is what you want to be reading about if you are hoping to find the best custom ROM that contains tons of customizable features in it.
Features: Android 4.4 KitKat ROM, sources updated, disable doze mode, slimPIE, slim recents panel, floating windows, breathing notifications, dynamic tiles, music tile, silent mode, force expanded notifications, signal cluster updates, status bar header items, CAF task manager, heads up notifications, advanced power menu, restart the system UI.
Download: Unofficial Carbon ROM
SlimKat ROM:
The SlimKat ROM is based on Android 4.4 KitKat OS. However, this custom ROM is “slim” which means the developers have removed lots of useless apps and what people consider to be bloatware from this custom ROM. Doing so makes it a faster custom ROM by consuming the least amount of RAM at a time.
Features: Android 4.4 KitKat based, restart the system UI to Developer settings, ambient display, brightness setting, call recording format, notification ticker, app side bar, over scroll effects, snooze option to heads up, smart call, proximity speaker (during call loudspeaker gets enabled when you remove your phone away from your ear).
Download: SlimKat ROM
Resurrection Remix 5.5 ROM:
The one thing I like the most about the Resurrection Remix custom ROM is that the custom ROM is simple and fast, while at the same time containing a huge number of customizable options in the settings menu. The Resurrection Remix custom ROM has the CM theme engine installed to customize the interface and there are lots of themes available for theme chooser on Google Play Store.
Features: Android 5.1 Lollipop based, navigation bar customization, nav bar ring switch, nav bar dimensions, brightness slider, carrier label, quick pull down switch, time and date customization, clock color, rooted with SuperSU, battery % text, network traffic monitor, list view animations, system animations, gesture anywhere, recents panel, clear all button in recents panel.
Download: Resurrection Remix 5.5 ROM