The Google Nexus 6 is one of the first smartphones running Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box. As such, it’s finding heaps of third-party developers creating custom ROMs for the flagship phone from Mountain View. We are creating a list of our favorite Nexus 6 custom ROMs today and one of those is the SlimLP ROM from Slim ROMs. You might know the same brand from other names such as the SlimKat series.

Every smartphone comes with an official ROM. You know this as part of the software which you see from the display. If you want to change the theme, features and other tweaks you can only do this by installing a custom version. We make it all possible through root access.

Slim ROMs

Don’t start following the steps below until you’ve read through the list of essentials. Here we are listing what you need for the guide, what risks are involved, how to keep your data safe so you don’t lose it and more.

  • The Nexus 6 comes with the Shamu code name. Only use the following for the Shamu and no other device. Each file is specifically for a device and you can’t just install the same on any device. Files for the wrong device can soft-brick the handset.
  • You cannot start using the guide unless you have root access first. We are not supplying the steps for rooting your device during the installation. It’s only for installing the custom SlimLP ROM.
  • You should take a Nandroid backup after entering the custom recovery mode during the steps. Otherwise you can take the mirror image copy of the data beforehand. A Nandroid lets users store the pictures, photos, videos, game and app data including where you left off, WiFi passwords, user settings and much more.
  • You can download and install apps such as Titanium backup from Google Play if you don’t want to take the Nandroid backup. Titanium comes with oodles of features that allows you to store much of the same.
  • Allow the USB Debugging mode permissions by visiting the Developer Options menu from the Settings menu.
  • You want the latest USB drivers running on the computer or else you cannot successfully connect the phone to the computer. There is a quick test for the same: try accessing the phone data from the computer drive. The drivers are working if you are looking at the pictures.
  • You can download the Google Nexus 6 USB drivers from the official website or third-party files if you need them.
  • Temporarily disable any security programs on the computer by stopping over at the system tray. Moreover, go to the application on the phone and stop any antivirus protections from running.
  • Remember to turn the security programs on after leaving here or else you may browse the internet unprotected from nasty files such as a Trojan Horse.
  • Make sure you have enough battery power to prevent the device shutting off before the flashing stops.
  • You cannot rely on USB charging for the guide because we are not connecting to the computer all the time.
  • You may choose from team Win’s TWRP recovery or ClockworkMod recovery. However, you must be running one of them. Follow these steps if you are already running another ROM from the same company such as a SlimKat ROM. If it doesn’t start with slim it likely comes from another brand. You can do the same if you are coming from another version or if it’s your first time flashing anything after gaining root access.

How to install the SlimLP ROM on the Motorola Nexus 6

  1. Download the official SlimRoms pack here.
  2. Download the suitable Google Gapps here.
  3. Transfer the files to the internal SD card storage of the phone.
  4. Turn off the phone.
  5. Boot it up in custom recovery.
  6. ClockworkMod users must apply the Nandroid backup now, followed by wiping the data/factory reset.
    – wipe the caching options from the recovery menu.
    – tap the “mounts and storage” option and select “format system.”
  7. TWRP users must apply the  wipe dalvik cache and other cache options such as data and system.
  8. CWM users navigate to “install zip from SD card’ and flash the Slim ROM file.
    – Go back and install the gapps pack, applying the same method.
  9. TWRp users select “install’ and upload the Slim ROM file.
    – do the same with the gapps pack file.
  10. Go back to the main recovery menu and reboot the device in normal mode.

If you are done trialing the custom ROM and wishing you were running stock Android, you can revert back to the stock version by installing the “root and unroot pro” application available from Google Play. The free version is for opening up away from the default factory restrictions and the paid version lets you unroot the handset. Otherwise you have to wait for the next official firmware to come out as a manual file and flash it like you normally would.

Furthermore, you can flash older firmware files such as the original 5.0 Lollipop, 5.0.1 or 5.0.2 Lollipop.