Last Updated on December 11, 2022 by Mathew Diekhake

The Xiaomi Redmi 3S smartphone is a budget smartphone really popular on the other side of the world. What initially started off as a brand that was a blatant rip-off of Apple smartphones has now managed to flourish and almost be the next Apple for people around Asia. One of the ways they’ve managed to achieve that is with the Redmi smartphones. The Redmi 3S smartphone comes with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 SoC, which is enough power to run some of the best custom ROMs in the world. All you need to do is find out how to install them.

Some of the custom ROMs available for the Xiaomi Redmi 3S smartphone might require certain instructions that you need to follow to have them installed correctly. Any information about the installation of the ROMs is going to be listed on the download page to the XDA-Developers thread that is available for it. Sometimes a custom ROM needs to have a particular custom recovery image installed on it for a ROM to work, but the Redmi 3S only has the TWRP custom recovery image available at the moment, so you don’t need to worry about that.

Team Win’s custom recovery image isn’t one that you ever need to worry about not being compatible because it is the best custom recovery image out there. The only thing you need to be careful of is if the TWRP custom recovery that was made for the Redmi 3S is updated in the future. It’s not uncommon for the custom recovery images to be updated for a device and when that happens, you should look for the latest version that is available and install that one instead. The newer releases of the custom recovery images are normally required for the later software releases.

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.

Android Open Kang Project

A brand new custom ROM for the Xiaomi Redmi 3, the Android Open Kang Project is based on the LineageOS custom ROM and Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow certainly isn’t the latest version of the Android operating system available to date (that title goes to the Android 7.1.1 Nougat software update), but Android Marshmallow is still running on more devices than Nougat. The Android Open Kang Project, otherwise known as AOKP ROMs, are based on a few high-end custom ROMs. The unicorn that is featured in the logo is also featured in other great ROMs because AOKP is so good.

You should factory reset the Redmi 3 and wipe the data before installing this custom ROM. Then, you want to format the system, format the cache and format the Dalvik cache. After that it when you can install the AOKP ROM on your smartphone by using the custom recovery image. You can also install an appropriate Google Apps package that works for Marshmallow after the ROM is installed first. You can see the full list of instructions from the download link which links through to the official XDA-Developers thread that is made for this custom ROM.

Download: AOKP Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow ROM

Marsh ROM –2.2 From Team Ghost

Much more of an independent ROM, the Marsh ROM is based on the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow software update as well. However, unlike the Android Open Kang Project custom ROM above, this one is not based one LineageOS but rather the older CyanogenMod 13. (CyanogenMod 13 is the CM builds that were based on Marshmallow. There were never any official CyanogenMod builds based on Nougat because they broke up as a company and stopped making ROMs by then. If you want to try LineageOS-based ROM, then you should look elsewhere.)

The Marsh ROM stands for custom ROM based on Marshmallow. Even though it is an independent ROM made by a small team, this is a stable ROM that you can install, meaning it should give you many problems at all and should even be fine to use on your daily device. A word of warning though: there are not many downloads accumulated with this ROM which usually means it isn’t going to be very good.

Download: Marsh ROM version 2.2

Resurrection Remix-v5.7.4

The Resurrection Remix custom ROM with version 5.7.4 is the one you want to install if you have the Xiaomi Redmi 3. It is based on the Android 6.0 Marshmallow software updates, which is not as new as many of the other custom ROMs that run Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. That said, there isn’t a huge difference between Android 6.0 and Android 6.0.1. What’s more, you do get heaps of features inside the Resurrection Remix custom ROM.

To fill you in on exactly what you are missing between Android 6.0 and Android 6.0.1, the latter comes with new Unicode emoji support, descriptions now come with the USB connections, the Google Pixel C gets a new navigation bar and everyone can now double-tap on the power button to open up the camera application and start taking photos. If you put that next to the hundred and something features you get when you install Resurrection Remix, you can understand why it not being updated to Android 6.0.1 isn’t such a big deal. There’s one other thing too: this is an official version of the resurrection remix custom ROM.

Download: Resurrection Remix version 5.7.4 ROM

crDroid

The crDroid custom ROM for the Redmi 3 smartphone is another one that is based on the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow software update. There isn’t as much uniqueness that comes your way when you install crDroid in comparison to other custom ROMs out there, but that wasn’t what it was desired for by its developers. This one is meant for the best performance and reliability.

The crDroid custom ROM for the Redmi 3 smartphone that is on offer here is a stable version. When you couple that with the fact that its main purpose was to provide stability, then you know you can install this one over most other options if you need a reliable operating system. What’s more, the crDroid ROMs are mainly based on CyanogenMod (still CyanogenMod and not LineageOS for this particular ROM), but it also has received contributions from many other brands out there too. Some of those other developers that have worked on this ROM include the guys from Paranoid Android, Slim ROMs, Temasek, the CyanogenMod team and a couple of other guys like the Omni team and Jar2105/HridayHS.

Download: crDroid Android 6.0.1 ROM

LineageOS 13.0

LineageOS is the second-coming of the CyanogenMod custom ROM. Since CyanogenMod isn’t around anymore, it is typically Lineage that most custom ROMs use for their sources. This isn’t just a custom ROM based on LineageOS sources, though. This is the official LineageOS custom ROM for the Xiaomi Redmi 3 smartphone that you can install.

The download page suggests that this custom ROM should also be updated to the latest version of Android Marshmallow possible which is the Android 6.0.1 update. You don’t get to know any of the features still with these ROMs. The CyanaogenMod team has never felt the need to let people know what features any of their ROMs have, and in my opinion, that was one of their massive failures. If you want to know what is inside a LineageOS custom ROM you need to install it for yourself (and hope that you can see all of the features or keep using it for at least a year, and maybe then you’ll have picked up on them all.)

Download: LineageOS Android 6.0.1 ROM

Tipsy OS

If you thought that the Tipsy custom ROM wasn’t going to be something to do with drinking, you’d be wrong! According to the logo available from the download page, it is, in fact, all to do with drinking. Still, not much real drinking will ever be done from a custom ROM anytime soon. So, what does this Tipsy ROM have to offer then?

It’s hard to say what the analogy is meant to be; the ROM apparently is “slim” — meaning lightweight and reduced of bloatware. Additionally, there are also quite a few new features. But the key features of this ROM are much like the LineageOS: it is high on stability and performance. Most ROMs are high on stability and performance though so it would’ve been nice for the developer to list what some of the unique features are and what makes it appealing over other ROMs. He hasn’t, and subsequently, this ROM probably won’t receive as many downloads as most of the others.

Download: Tipsy OS ROM

Resurrection Remix ROM 5.8.2

There is an official version of the Resurrection Remix custom ROM listed above that is based on the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow software update. The version available here is the unofficial build of Resurrection Remix that is based on the Android 7.1.1 Nougat software update. Unofficial builds aren’t builds that have been put together to make it seem like a Resurrection Remix custom ROM. They are builds that once were official ROMs but made for another device and people have ported the ROM over to the new ROM.

If you are going to install this Android 7.1.1 version of the Resurrection Remix custom ROM over the Android 6.0.1 version, then you are going to want to know what features Android has on offer between the two software updates. Some of the main features include the chance to now display color calibration, the chance to screen zoom, you can double tap in overview button to switch the apps you are using, a new emergency information section, file browser improvements, multi-window support, notification sheets have replaced the notification cards, more options available from the Quick Settings, Just In Time with ART, a daytime virtual reality interface so it is now compatible with virtual reality, DayDream VR mode, new emoji support, heaps of new developer features, the chance to send GIFs from the default Android keyboard and still loads more.

Download: Resurrection Remix 5.8.2 ROM

Hexagon ROM

A hexagon has six sides. The hexagon ROM could potentially have six sides if you count up the fact that it is based on the CyanogenMod, DroidOS, Slim ROM, Omni ROM, Travel, and AICP. Overall though, the Hexagon custom ROM relies mainly on the CyanogenMod sources. You get features that are a combination from the ROMs mentioned, and all the same stability that you would come to expect from CyanogenMod.

Download: Hexagon ROM

CyanogenMod 13.0

Many people had wondered what was going to happen several years down the track when we got closer to what would have been CyanogenMod 20.0 or way down the track at CyanogenMod 100.0, but as it turns out, nobody needed to worry after all. The CyanogenMod 13 custom ROM is the last version of CyanogenMod ever made because before the CyanogenMod 14.0 came out, they had split up as a company and stopped making custom ROMs altogether under the CyanogenMod name.

The version of the CyanogenMod 13 custom ROM here is an unofficial build, but it was still downloaded by well over one hundred thousand people. Unofficial builds aren’t anywhere near as popular as official builds, but they are still popular as you can see.

Download: CyanogenMod 13 ROM