Finally after long waiting, some stable, and high performance Android 4.4.2 KitKat are now being distributed by developers. It always takes some time to bring bug free version of Rom, it needs good efforts also. Just few days back, Samsung had announced KitKat updates for many devices but Galaxy S2 wasn’t present on their list. It is respected that, they will roll update in Q2 for 2014, or may take longer than that.
Don’t need to bother that. We have our own way to get updated to latest Android operating system by mean of custom Rom. To update Samsung Galaxy S2 to Android 4.4.2 KitKat, we would use SlimKat Rom. Based on official AOSP firmware, it has been transformed to slim version, but still it is feature rich, and very beautiful in terms of user interface. It comes with entirely dark user interface, which is very smooth, and looks classy too.
How to Install & Update Samsung Galaxy S2 I9100 to Kitkat 4.4.4 Android Update Galaxy S2 SII I9100 to KitKat 4.4.4 Android -. Samsung might not release KitKat update for Galaxy S2 but several developers are out there supporting evergreen signature android handset of Samsung which changed the fate of the company and earned the reputation that the brand reaps even now.
Samsung Galaxy S2
With high stability, this Rom comes with very high performance with minimal or no bugs inside of it. This feature rich Rom is good choice to update your device, as it has been distributed officially, so there won’t be any problem regarding to it. To install it successfully we recommend you to follow each step very carefully without skipping any of them. If you want to read more about this Rom then you must consider to visit the XDA Thread here.
Before going any further, read all the pre-requisites listed below, and prepare your device according to them. Read all the prerequisite that we mention below. Try to read them thoroughly.
Pre-requisites
- SlimKat Rom, and this guide is especially made only for Samsung Galaxy S2 I9100 handset, and meant nothing for any other device. So before installing it, make sure to check the model number of your device, it should be I9100.
- To install this Rom, you must be on custom recovery. Latest TWRP or CWM recovery is necessary to install this Rom, otherwise you will get bugs, and other issues after installing it. To install custom recovery, you can use Rom Manager app, it will easily install CWM recovery on your phone.
- Backup all the information stored under the phone, because installation process will go through complete wiping of internal memory. Go through our guide to backup Android phone to make it easy. Also, the guide includes the method to backup the current of the device.
- Make sure to enable to USB debugging on phone. To enable it, go to phone’s Settings->Developers Options->check the USB Debugging box.
- Charge the device to good extent. We recommend to charge at least 40% level, so it could easily survive during the installation.
Downloads
→Get the latest built of SlimKat Rom from here. (Slim-i9100-4.4.2.build.3-OFFICIAL-3081.zip)
→Get the Gapps for Rom from here. (Slim_AIO_gapps.4.4.2.build.3.zip)
How to install SlimKat Rom on Galaxy S2 I9100
- Download both the files listed in download section, then put’em all to phone’s SD card. Remember the name, and location of the files.
- Turn off the device, and wait at least 5 seconds.
- Turn on the device by pressing, and holding Volume Up + Home + Power buttons together until Samsung’s logo gets appeared on screen. Then release the buttons, and you’ll be at recovery mode very soon.
- Under recovery mode, select “wipe data/factory reset”, then select “yes” on next screen to confirm your selection.
- Now go to “mount and storage”, under it select “Format System”, followed by “yes” on next screen to let it perform.
- Get back to main menu, there select “install zip from sd card”, then “choose zip from sd card”, find and locate the downloaded SlimKat Rom zip file, and select “yes” on next screen to confirm the installation process.
- Similarly, install the Gapps zip package.
- Once you done with both the files, go back to main menu then select “reboot system now”.
Your phone will restart, and boot up to home screen. For first boot up, it can take some longer time than what it usually takes. So, don’t get panic, it is natural. Fill the Google account settings to get started with your phone.
Further to improve the device performance, you can visit our post on root apps for high performance and improve usability.
Yes, now your Samsung Galaxy SII can also have kitkat!
UPDATED: 14/02/2015 , This post was originally posted in my old website zids dreamyworld, as that website is being shut down soon, the post had to be transferred to this site, Dead Links updated
Instructions
Samsung Phones Galaxy S2
* – Your phone must be I9100 (not i9100G,i9100P or other variants) international version. go to settings > about phone > and make sure your phone is i9100
* – You must have at least 50% battery
* – Save, backup all your contacts and Apps/games before do this, or you gonna lose them all. Sd card and external card will not be deleted
* – Download and move these files to a safe folder to External Sd card
1. PhilZ-cwm6-XWLST-ODD-5.06.1-signed.zip
Download it here:XDA philz cwm list
1 – A * ( Warning!) after completed install philz cwm, reboot to recovery (volume up, home, power) , select Back up and restore , and back up your/efs from the next menus. This is important, it backs up your phone imei, and incase your phone has no signal,no imei after flashing this kitkat, just come to this philz cwm after installing it, then Restore it.
2. Download Cwm.kitkat.compatible. i9100.Zip here: CWM Kitkat compatible
3. Download Cyanogen Mod cm-11-20141115-SNAPSHOT-M12-i9100.zip , Here: Download ROM 4.4.4 cyanogenmod
Use 3G or Wi-Fi to download this, don’t use slow networks because file may corrupt
4. Google Apps (Small) –
gapps-kk-20140105-
signed.zip here: Google apps and select Gapps small for CM11
Starting the Flashing Process
1. Switch Off Your Phone, Boot into stock recovery
(volume up+home+power)
2. Select “ Apply update from external Sd card ” and go to the folder where the mentioned files that you downloaded earlier saved, and select and Install PhilZ-cwm6-*****-
signed.zip and wait…
(Warning!) – Do the /efs backup as explained in 1-A , if you do not do this, you may end up with a phone with no signal!
3. After finish that, turn off phone and Reboot into Philz recovery
(Switch off and volume up+home+power)
4. Do a full wipe, wipe data, wipe cache, wipe dalvik cache (it’s in the menu options)
5. Select install Zip and Install CWM.kitkat.compatible.i9100.zip and wait till it’s complete…
6. Reboot into CWM (volume up+home+power)
7. Wipe data/factory reset, Wipe cache partition, Advanced>Wipe dalvik
cache
8. After finishing wipe, Select install zip and Install cm-11-20141115-SNAPSHOT-M12-i9100.zip and wait a minute…
9. After the installation complete, Select install zip again and Install gapps-kk-
signed.zip and wait..
10. After installation complete, Reboot and all done.
– first boot will take a few mins (sometimes more than 15 minutes) So Don’t panic 🙂 i have done this and successfully upgraded my S2 to kitkat
Screenshots
If there’s any errors or problems, drop a comment below, i will help 🙂
Enjoy the new kitkat 4.4.4 on S2!
Also search in the site how to get best battery life, signal and fix overheating of S2. My kitkat 4 4 4 is better than stock 4.1.2 with different modems, kernel etc