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As Google was once keen to stress, its Android operating system is open source. You can download the source code and completely alter it – it’s for this reason a Samsung Android phone looks different to a HTC. Each

wants to put their own ’skin’ or experience atop Android.

That can be confusing, but it’s also liberating. It’s not just manufacturers that can alter Android: so can users. One of the most popular community-generated Android builds is CyanogenMod. Named after creator Steve Kondik (AKA ‘Cyanogen’), it’s a firmware that takes Android as its base, but focuses on providing many more options not typically available to users, including power and CPU settings.

Because CyanogenMod – which is almost as old as Android itself – is overseen by volunteers and updated on a rolling release cycle, it is often quickly ported to major new devices as they launch. Cyanogen

is not homebrew, however – not any more. With financial backing from companies including Twitter and mobile titan Qualcomm, it’s a big business, with rapidly improving design to match its customisability. The smartphone market is becoming ever more competitive, and even some manufacturers are spotting an opportunity.

Oppo partnered with Cyanogen Inc to release a version of its N1 flagship running Cyanogen OS, a build of Cyanogen designed specifically for OEMs, and then in 2014 the fantastically priced OnePlus One was one of the first major phones to ship in the West with Cyanogen out of the box. Huawei is now helping Cyanogen with support for its devices. And the brand new Wileyfox Swift reviewed this issue – runs Cyanogen, letting you tinker with the phone’s design to an unprecedented degree for an otherwise budget device. Cyanogen is here to stay – if you want to install it for your device head to cyanogenmod.org to see if it is supported.

THE SECRET ANDROID BUILD YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

C Y A N O G E NFEATURE

A vanilla Android Nexus device homescreen

On most Android phones you’ll need to head to the Play store to download a customisable launcher to change the themes

A Cyanogen homescreen

The Themes app on Cyanogen makes this possible straight from

the homescreen

At a glance the two platforms look extremely similar. In truth, they are. You can change the ‘launchers’ (think homescreen

layout and design) of both very easily. But Cyanogen lets you get much, much deeper.

Cyanogen’s Themes app makes it beyond easy to apply new looks to your homescreen. You simply pick new ones and tap to apply

(some are paid, some are free). You can even tailor individual elements, from how the status bar looks to the font, even what

animation you see when you boot the phone up.

LAYOUT

MODIFICATION

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FEATURE

Samsung phones come preloaded with confusing apps that duplicate core Google service and hog valuable storage

Most Android phones will only let you dial up and down screen brightness

Cyanogen is light on preloaded apps – as

light as they come

With Cyanogen you can calibrate

the screen to your preference

Spot the difference? Samsung, Sony and other major manufacturers’ phones are often cluttered with horrible bloatware you can only

‘disable’ rather than delete. Cyanogen just throws it all out, letting you do as you see fit with your own storage.

The more adventurous can start tinkering with the tech under the bonnet in Cyanogen. You probably know how to adjust your screen’s brightness, but a Cyanogen phone will also let you adjust the colour temperature and calibration, so if you prefer a warmer look you can. In CyanogenMod, with Developer mode enabled (tap Build Number

in Settings>About Phone seven times at your own risk) you can adjust CPU and GPU performance in Settings>Performance, which

can gain you valuable battery life back.

The case for cyanogen

The case againsT cyanogen

Better battery lifeCyanogenMod – but not the proprietary Cyanogen OS baked into some phones – lets you overclock your phone’s processor to get more performance out of it. However, it also lets you cap clock speed, noticeably extending battery life – great news if you’d rather have a phone that runs for two days on a charge than one that tanks in a morning but can edit 4K video.

More apps for AmazonThere are several CyanogenMod builds for the Android-based Kindle Fire devices. This is particularly handy since Amazon sells its hardware at very low prices, but removes all the recognisable elements of Android, including the vastly superior Play app store. Installing CyanogenMod lets you add them right back in.

It gives old devices a new lease of lifeManufacturers eventually stop pushing out major upgrades to their old phones, so while in theory your Google Nexus S or Samsung Galaxy S II has reached end of life, CyanogenMod can help it almost up to date with the news phones – at least for features, if not performance.

You are on your ownLots of phones can run CyanogenMod, but only a few ship with

CyanogenOS preloaded. It’s relatively easy to install for the most part, but check your manual – it will almost certainly void your

warranty, so if a fault develops you’ll be left footing the bill. There’s a vibrant community around Cyanogen, however, who

are happy to help troubleshoot, so all is not lost. But instructions are too lengthy (and varied) to explain here, so make sure

you’re prepared by schooling up on terms like ‘root’, ‘flashing’ and ‘recovery’. Don’t even think about attempting it until you

understand the concept first.

Not all devices support itThere are countless Android devices on the market right now,

each with different chipsets, screens and radios. As such, CyanogenMod has to be tailored to work for each device. The list of handsets and tablets supported by volunteers is extensive, but

by no means total, and your mileage will vary – cheap budget handsets from phone networks in particular often get no Cyanogen

love and attention.

SPAMWARE

OVERCLOCK

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