Last Updated on December 11, 2022 by Mathew Diekhake

The Asus Zenfone 2 smartphone came out in the first quarter of the year of 2015. It was made famous due to becoming the first smartphone in the world to offer 4GB of RAM (although there were still some regions that only offered 3GB of RAM.) It was underpinned by a 2.3GHz 64-bit Intel Atom quad-core processor which delivered enough power for great gaming when coupled with the 4GB of RAM.

Another good thing about the Asus Zenfone 2 was that it got heaps of Android updates. They did stop at the end of Android Marshmallow though, and we are now heading toward the end of Nougat. You can try lots of custom ROMs that feature an upgrade to Nougat from the last official Android software update that rolled out for the Zenfone 2. There are a few on the list that are official names as well like the Resurrection Remix custom ROM.

Note: Make sure you check what model number the custom ROM is made for from the download links. Whenever we create a post such as this one, it means the model numbers are all thrown into the same article. Don’t assume that all custom ROMs will work for all model numbers. Each download link will mention what model number the ROM is for somewhere on the page, either in the custom ROM thread title or the original post closer to the download link. If you still don’t see it there then have a read of some comments or leave a comment yourself if you aren’t sure, and the custom ROM poster or other people subscribed to the thread will help you out. 

ViperOS v3.0

The ViperOS is an open source project, meaning it gets developers from a bunch of different people and anyone can contribute who has the ability and desire to do so. However, it is mainly developed by the team from Viper Amped. Lots of people love the Viper operating system and can’t wait for when the time comes that they get to install the ViperOS custom ROMs. ViperOS has been a viral operating system for XIaomi device, but you can also find them available for devices from other manufacturers, too, just like you have here with the Asus Zenfone.

What makes ViperOS great is the fact that it is based on Linux. Technically Android is also based on Linux, but this isn’t about Android. It’s more like a revamped version of one of the Linux distributions called Ubuntu. Ubuntu has always been the most popular Linux distro, but it’s also at the height of its popularity right now with even the Windows 10 operating system allowing people to run an Ubuntu terminal with the Ubuntu application available from the Windows Store.

The version of the ViperOS available here for the Zenfone is the official version. It’s also based on the Android 7.1.2 Nougat software updates. Android 7.1.2 is the latest version of Android currently available at the time of writing, so it’s very fresh. Like a lot of custom ROMs, it might also continue to get future updates if there are any. Other features packed inside the ViperOS ROM include heaps of status bar tweaks, lock screen tweaks, multitasking changes and system changes as well. The status bar tweaks include like Traffic indicators, clock, and date, Carrier label, VPN icon toggle, VoLTE icon, an option to Display Data Disabled indicator Icons, heads up toggle, status bar items, battery icon settings, quick settings personalization, data saver icon toggle, and the Viper status bar logo. The lock screen tweaks include custom lock screen settings, option to hide lock screen clock, date and alarm text, flashlight, double tap anywhere to sleep and disable media images, hide the status bar from the lock screen, and hide the Quick Settings. The multitasking tweaks include a round button style on the Recents, different recents style for the toggle (cards and grid), and a Recents membar. The System tweaks include a new Viper color engine built from scratch, new default launcher called Lawnchair, navbar taken from the Google Pixel, kill applications with the back button, advanced Bluetooth, and still loads more that you can check out from the download link.

Download: ViperOS version 3.0 ROM

Resurrection Remix-N 5.8.4

We just spent a long time writing down many of the features that the ViperOS custom ROM download page was kind enough to fill us in on, and the next custom ROM called Resurrection Remix is another one that comes with heaps of features. The features rarely change much between official versions of the Resurrection Remix custom ROMs between devices; it’s more just about the version of Android that it is based on. The version of Resurrection Remix for the Asus Zenfone 2 is not an official version though, and it will likely be short of a few features because of it.

Those of you who don’t mind installing unofficial custom ROMs will be pleased to know that this one is based on the Android 7.1.2 Nougat software update, showing that the team has no problem keeping this custom ROM updated with the latest in Nougat software. Android 7.1.2 is likely the last we’ll see of the Nougat software with the release of Android O (rumored to be Android Oreo) coming out soon. The developed who ported the ROM from another device didn’t mention the features you get with this one, so you’ll need ot install it to find out.

Download: Resurrection Remix N 5.8.4 ROM

NutOS — Slimified Lineage

One of the good things about custom ROMs is that the teams generally don’t mind if you steal their stuff and start using it if you ask nicely. Most custom ROMs are based on other custom ROMs like CyanogenMod or LineageOS, for example. Sometimes you can also find developers who take one ROM and strip it down or borrow features from it, too. The NutOS custom ROM is a ROM that borrows many of its features from LineageOS and just removed some of the features that they think aren’t necessary. The result is intended to be another custom ROM worthy of your attention that has its own identity. If you like LineageOS but believe that it has too many features, then you might enjoy this slimified (which is pretty much saying simplified) LineageOS custom ROM running on your Asus Zenfone 2.

Some of the features of this NutOS custom ROM include OMS (if you have Google Gapps and the nanomod), O3 & Ofast Optimization, improvements coming your way for the GPS, GPU and SIM card strength and function, many build.prop tweaks, signature spoofing, quite a few code optimizations (over Linux that presumably is and not Android), Doze hax, ViperFX, and a slimmed down ROM with its applications and zip files.

Download: NutOS ROM

Clean Stock Marshmallow ROM

While it’s no longer the latest version of Android up for grabs, the fact remains that Marshmallow was many people’s favorite version of Android to date, preferring it over anything before Marshmallow as well as the Nougat that arrived after it. The last official Android software update that rolled out for the Asus Zenfone 2 was, in fact, Marshmallow and it is the same version of Marshmallow that is available here for you to install.

Download: Clean and stock version of Marshmallow ROM

HOLO kernel

While kernels technically aren’t ROMs, sometimes we include them if lots of people are installing them are proving to be worthwhile. Out of all the kernels we’ve seen available for devices, the HOLO kernel looks to be one of the coolest, and so many people are installing that it is nearly one of the most installed files out of all kernels and ROMs for the Asus Zenfone 2.

Some of the highlight features of the HOLO kernel include the Linux Kernel version 3.10.106, it has been built with a custom GCC 6.3.X Linaro TC, both under-clocking and over-clocking are available, it has other CPU optimizations available, it has an Intel power clamp driver, it has support for lots of different things like Sweep2Sleep, Autosleep, NTFS RW, ExFAT, a new minimum brightness amount that drops all the way down to 2% now from the standard 15%, and loads more.

Download: HOLO kernel

Resurrection Remix-N 5.8.3

The Asus Zenfone 2 smartphone has both an unofficial and official version of the Resurrection remix custom ROM available. Many people assume that the unofficial one came out first before the official team decided to cater for the device, but it’s the other way around. The unofficial version offers a newer version of Android. The official version is slightly older but still based on Android Nougat. It doesn’t give an exact number, but it will likely continue to be updated until the end of Nougat as time goes on and might currently be based on the Android 7.1.1 instead of the Android 7.1.2 that the unofficial version is based on.

You get all of the same amazing features in this version of the Resurrection Remix ROM as you would from a device coming from another manufacturer. Some of the highlights include a brightness slider, it is based on the Google Android 7.1.0_r22 release, you can enable or disable the notification count, a SuperUser indicator switch, a carrier label switch, clock customizations with the time and date, a better battery bar, custom logo style, system animations, toast animations, a Recents panel, heaps of Pie features, lock screen wallpapers, and still loads more.

Download: Resurrection Remix-N 5.8.3 ROM

AOKP N 7.1.1r6

The Android Open Kang Project isn’t around that much anymore but it was often one of the best ROMs in its time, You can still find some of its features as part of other ROMs such as the PAC-Man custom ROMs. The version of the AOKP ROM here is based on the Android 7.1.1 Nougat software update. One thing you’ll need to take note of though is that it is only available for two different model numbers. Those numbers are the Z00A/Z008 for the Asus Zenfone 2 smartphone. It is an official version of the AOKP custom ROM, so if you have one of those two model numbers, it is a ROM worth checking out.

Download: AOKP ROM

Xperia Open Source Project

If you thought that the Xperia Open Source Project was only available for the Sony Xperia smartphones and tablets, you would be wrong. There are some official versions of the Xperia Open Source Project that are available for other devices from time, to time and this is one of them. Yes, the Asus Zenfone 2 is one of the lucky ones to find the official Xperia Open Source Project available to install. It isn’t getting that many downloads compared to some of the others, but it is still a ROM worth checking out if it sounds interesting to you. You can find out more about it from its download page.

Download: Xperia Open Source Project

OctOS

The official version of the OctOS is also available for the Asus Zenfone 2 smartphone if you want to give it a try. It too is only available for the Z00A/Z008 model numbers, but if you do have one of those models, then you’ll be happy with OctOS if you wanted to try Android 7.1.2 on a ROM that offers something different than the usual stuff you get with resurrection remix and LineageOS.

Some of the unique features you get include a substratum rootless theme engine support, tentacle settings, the Google Pixel launcher, a screen recorder, the chance to use the volume buttons for sleeping and waking as well as to control your playback, status bar time and date options, a status bar network traffic indicator, Omni Switch, new Power menu options, and still heaps more.

Download: OctOS ROM