A custom ROM is a popular choice to run on a smartphone with Android as the operating system for many reasons. Some of the most common reasons people want to install a custom ROM include increasing the privacy of your device, removing the system apps some refer to as bloatware, extending the life of your Xperia device, running a proper open source software, and having the chance to personalize your device accustomed to your needs.

There are many great reasons for installing a custom ROM over the stock ROM in the paragraph above. Above all, I’d like to touch on the increasing of privacy when it comes to installing a CyanogenMod custom ROM in particular. Usually, a rooted Android device offers us less security because it’s no longer a locked operating system and apps can jump across if you grant them permission via SuperSU. However, as long as you know how to control your SuperSU application, there isn’t any additional security risk at all. That’s what the SuperSU app is designed to do — well, that and grant root access to the apps that you do want to have that same access. What many people might not know, though is that CyanogenMod custom ROMs ship with an option to add encryption to your Sony Xperia Z3 Compact smartphones, and it’s that same encryption that has made news headlines right around the globe lately with the FBI desperately needing to get into a device. In addition to encryption, CyanogenMod also doesn’t ship with the Google apps, and that means greater control and say over your device with regards to what parts of your Sony smartphone will be accessible.

CyanogenMod, or CM for short, were always an incredibly popular ROM team who then went on to turn their work into a booming company. They didn’t waste much time making some swift company moves once they were in the spotlight either, coming pre-installed on the OnePlus One smartphone and a few others since then, including the device from WileyFox out of the United Kingdom.

REQUIREMENTS

• Check that you have the Compact version of the Sony Xperia Z3 smartphone before you attempt to use this guide.
• You must have a computer of any description to transfer the files to your internal storage SD card.
• You must have rooted the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact smartphone before you can install a custom ROM on the device.
• You need to have installed a custom recovery on the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact smartphone before you can upload your new ROM zip file and have it running on your device.

HOW TO INSTALL CYANOGENMOD 13 ON SONY XPERIA Z3 COMPACT

1. Download the CM 13 custom ROM for the Xperia Z3 Compact smartphone from here.
2. Connect the Z3 Compact to the computer with the USB cable.
3. Copy the CM 13 ROM over to the internal storage SD card.
4. Unplug the Z3 Compact from the computer and boot the smartphone in the stock recovery mode to get the custom recovery up on the display.
5. Choose the Backup button from the recovery menu and take your complete backup.
6. Select the Wipe button and wipe the data, caches, and then apply a factory reset.
7. Tap on the Install button and then browse the SD card for the CM 13 ROM file you copied there earlier.
8. Once the new ROM is flashed, choose the option to reboot the system from the main recovery menu.

In conclusion, that’s how to install CyanogenMod 13 on Sony Xperia Z3 Compact smartphones by using a custom recovery and a computer. You should find your new CyanogenMNod ROM is running as soon as the device reboots back into normal mode.