The official CyanogenMod 13 nightlies for the OnePlus 3 started rolling out last month. While they are nightly builds and not stable builds, they are still good enough to be used as daily driver.

Compared to OxygenOS on the OnePlus 3, CyanogenMod 13 offers more customization options. This includes a Theme chooser, LCD density, system profiles and status bar tweaks that are missing from OxygenOS. However, there are some trade-offs to installing CyanogenMod 13 on your OnePlus 3 as well. You will lose out on some OxygenOS features like Dash Charge and the camera quality will also take a severe hit. While Dash Charge support will come to CyanogenMod and other custom ROMs for the OnePlus 3, little can be done about the camera performance taking a hit once you install the ROM.

Read: CyanogenMod 13 features walkthrough

Pre-requisites

It goes without saying that installing CyanogenMod 13 on your OnePlus 3 requires the handset to be rooted with a custom recovery installed. If your OnePlus 3 is not rooted, you cannot install CyanogenMod 13 on it. Also remember that as of now, installing CyanogenMod 13 on the OnePlus 3 makes little sense since you lose out on some key features. Nonetheless, if you have made up your mind about installing CyanogenMod 13 on your OnePlus 3, read the steps below.

Since installing CyanogenMod 13 on the OnePlus 3 will wipe it clean of all data, it is recommended that you create a backup of all your installed apps and games before proceeding with the steps below.

Read: How to root OnePlus 3

Installing CyanogenMod 13

Step 1: Transfer the CyanogenMod 13 ROM and the Gapps ZIP file to the internal storage of your device. It is always recommended that you cross check to make sure that you have downloaded the right version of CyanogenMod and the Google Apps package. You can download the relevant files from the link below. Make sure to download the 64-bit version of the Google Apps package for Marshmallow. The package is available for download in multiple variants, so download one according that suits your requirements.

Download: CyanogenMod 13 | Google Apps

Step 2: With the ROM transferred, reboot your OnePlus 3 into recovery mode. This involves switching off the handset and then pressing the Volume Up + Power button for a few seconds.

If the above key combination does not work for you for some reason, use an application like Quick Reboot from Google Play.

Step 3: Once your device has booted into recovery mode, you need to wipe the /data and /system partitions. Head over to the Wipe option, and then swipe the bar at the bottom to do a factory reset.

Do not use the format data option as it will wipe the internal storage of your OnePlus 3. To format the system partition, tap on Advanced Wipe, select ‘System’ from the list of partitions and then swipe the bottom bar to the right to confirm your selection.

Step 4: Now, install CyanogenMod on your OnePlus 3 by tapping on Install button in TWRP and then navigating to the CyanogenMod ROM zip file that you had transferred to the device in Step 1. If you are unable to find the ZIP file, make sure to check that you are inside the right sub-directory. Confirm your selection once again by swiping the arrow at the bottom to the right.

Step 5:  Proceed to install the Google Apps package on your OnePlus 3 in the same manner that you followed above. Tap Install, select the Google Apps zip file, and then confirm your selection by dragging the arrow at the bottom to the right.

Reboot your OnePlus 3 by tapping the ‘Reboot system’ option. The first boot can take its own sweet time so be patient. In case your device does not boot into Android after 10-15 minutes and is still stuck at the boot logo, repeat the steps from above and reflash the ROM.

Once your OnePlus 3 boots into CyanogenMod 13, let it idle for a few minutes before you start setting things up. If you are getting a lot of random force closes, reboot your device. If the problem persists, repeat the steps again in the video.

Since CyanogenMod rolls out nightly builds for their ROM for the OnePlus 3, my recommendation would be to install the latest nightly build once a week. This will make sure that you are getting all the device specific enhancements and bug fixes the CM team is adding to their ROM. You can use the built-in updater app in CyanogenMod to install the latest nightly or follow the steps mentioned above.

If you are facing any issues in installing CyanogenMod 13 on your OnePlus 3, drop in a comment below and we will help you out.