Download and Install AOSP Android 12 on Essential Phone (mata)

In this tutorial, we will guide you to install Android 12 Custom ROM on Essential Phone PH-1 (codenamed mata). The device was launched in the year 2017. The handset came with Android 7.1 Nougat and was later upgraded to Android 10.0. If you are someone who wants to install the vanilla version of Android 12, then this guide is for you.

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 the ‘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, 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 AOSP Android 12 on Essential Phone PH-1

As the title suggests, here we’ve shared the requirements and steps to flash the AOSP Android 12 build on the Essential Phone (mata) 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

You can skip this adb and fastboot part if you have already installed TWRP Recovery on your Essential Phone.

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 Essential 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 a mouse, keyboard, printer, external hard drives, speakers, USB flash drives, etc. You can grab Essential USB Drivers here.

Unlock Bootloader Your Phone:

To enjoy any custom ROM, you must first unlock the bootloader on your Essential Phone.

Install TWRP Recovery:

You have to install TWRP Recovery on your phone to install any custom ROM on your device. After unlocking the bootloader, you can follow our guide to install TWRP Recovery on your Essential Phone.

Download Android 12 ROM:

Here, you will find all the Android 12 custom ROM for your Essential Phone (mata).

Lineage OS 19.1	Download Page
StatiXOS v5.0	XDA Development Page

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.

Warning!

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

Instructions to Install:

Connect your device to the PC via USB cable. Make sure USB Debugging is enabled.
Then head over to the platform-tools folder, type in CMD in the address bar, and hit Enter. This will launch the Command Prompt.
Execute the below command in the CMD window or enter recovery mode by using the Volume and Power button combination. your device to TWRP Recovery:
```
adb reboot recovery
```
Now head over to the Install section and navigate to the downloaded vendor and firmware. Perform a right swipe to flash it.TWRP Home
If you want Google Apps as well, then you need to flash it at this instance itself. Go to Install, select the GApps ZIP file, and perform a right swipe to flash this file.
When that is done, you may reboot your device. Head over to Reboot and select System.

Your device will now boot to the newly installed OS. With this, we conclude the guide on how to install the AOSP Android 12 on an Essential Phone. Do keep in mind that the first boot might take up some time and you might have to set up your device from scratch.

Conclusion

Flashing the ported Android 12 on your Essential Phone will give an early taste of the latest Android OS version. It looks like the Essential Phone 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, you should report them to the respective forum.

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