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There is an abundance of choices in the Android smartphone market. Thanks to the developer-friendly nature of the Android ecosystem, there are also endless options for customizing and modifying your phone beyond those offered by OEMs. Due to the fact that Android uses the Linux kernel at its core, kernel sources are one of the mainstays of the thriving aftermarket community, allowing developers to create custom kernels, ROMs, and more.
Keep in mind that you can’t just use the main Linux kernel and expect it to run on your Android device. Google has common kernel tree For Android, SoC makers like Qualcomm are taking that tree and building their patches on top of that. Next comes the OEMs who get the trees from the SoC manufacturer and then work their own hardware patches on top of that.
Due to this design, creating a custom Android kernel is not easy. Developers need to take the device-specific sources, clean up all the debug code, add additional functionality, (optionally) backport features from a newer kernel version, and finally package everything into a flammable package. You will also need a bootloader unlockable device in order to replace the stock kernels with custom ones.
Since the kernel has complete control over the system, it is important to choose a custom kernel that is suitable for your Android device. Below you can find the most popular custom cores in the aftermarket development scene that are also compatible with some of the best Android phones. Compared to OEM-supplied cores, these custom cores not only offer improved battery life and performance but are also popular among the modding community for their stability, hardcore security, and additional features not found in the stock configuration.
NB: The entire dedicated kernel development saga is about sharing knowledge. Many developers have done extensive research to fix deficiencies in OEM-supplied sources and implement new features, which are later used in aftermarket kernel projects across various devices. In this article, we are only going to highlight a few custom cores that are actively maintained and available for multiple devices. This does not count as an endorsement of any particular kernel, nor do we suggest that the work of others should be ignored. We only restrict what we link to in order to prevent this article from becoming too long. Please visit the XDA forums for your device to see if there are other, perhaps more diverse and feature-rich kernels available.
arter97 kernel
Juhyung Park, AKA XDA Certified Developer arter97 Known in the community for working on custom kernels for a large number of devices. Named after its forum processor, arter97’s custom kernel brings many improvements over the OEM kernel, including Qualcomm’s cutting-edge changes over the regular tag, fully neutral OEM “improvements,” and better TCP network congestion control, among others. Other things.
Visit the official download portal for arter97 Kernel
If your smartphone is supported by arter97 Kernel, you should find the official support thread in the corresponding device sub-forum.
ElementalX Kernel
The ElementalX custom kernel project is the brainchild of an XDA Recognized Developer flat2. Not only is the kernel optimized to provide great battery life, but it also offers many customizations to tweak the performance of the device to the maximum extent. Some of the common features across the different devices that ElementalX supports are wake-up gestures, Adrenoboost option, advanced color control, global upstream, and CAF fixes.
Visit the official website for ElementalX Kernel
There are active support threads on our forums where you can contact the developer themselves in case of a bug, or other community members to get the best mods. The developer also offers a dedicated companion application called “EX Kernel Manager” for customizing kernel parameters.
blu_spark kernel
Under maintenance by a senior member of XDA eng. stkBlu_spark is one of the most popular cores in the OnePlus community for its stability and efficiency. The developer also ported this kernel to a couple of Google Pixel devices and brought the same set of improvements, including advanced color control, WireGuard VPN support, and more.
As mentioned earlier, blu_spark kernel is available for many OnePlus smartphones. Go to Developer profile on GitHub To check if it is available for your device. Official support threads are also available in the device-related forums on XDA. Last but not least, the kernel offers integration with the popular Franco Kernel Manager application, so you get an automatic updater as well as a great way to tune various kernel parameters.
Kerisakura nucleus
XDA Recognized Developer Strange 07 He came up with a custom Kirisakura kernel with the goal of producing a suitable replacement for the stock kernel by updating most of the subsystems. Whether it’s the Kernel Control Flow Integrity (Kernel-CFI) security enthusiasts want, or the latest GPU CAF-State driver for all your gaming needs, the Kirisakura kernel has you covered.
Check your device’s XDA forum to see if this great kernel is available for your device and if it is, you can start flashing and modifying it.
CleanSlate Kernel
Pál Zoltán Illés, better known as an XDA Recognized Developer tbalden, used to be a household name in the HTC community for a custom kernel called CleanSlate. After the demise of the Taiwanese OEM’s Android business, the developer has shifted its focus towards Google, OnePlus, and Asus. Apart from offering a slew of improved performance and gesture support, it also made it possible to tweak kernel settings without root access using a handy companion app.
If you want to try the kernel on your phone, locate the official support thread in the device-specific sub-forum and follow the installation instructions carefully.
radioactive nucleus
XDA Recognized Co-Developer and Vice President gardener He originally created the Radiant Core intended for the OnePlus One. The project now supports a number of OnePlus and Google Pixel phones. The kernel offers many improvements, including energy efficient work queues, TTL spoofing, and USB fast charging among others. Experienced users can fine-tune kernel parameters using any standard kernel configuration application.
No gravitational nucleus
No Gravity custom kernel is available for a range of Xiaomi and Poco devices – new and old – with a number of improvements and features. You get high brightness mode, DC dimming, wakelock blocking support, and many other functions with this custom kernel.
XDA Recognized Developer Pier 2324 It maintains the No Gravity core and provides support through the device’s XDA threads. Make sure to check it out for your smartphone.
Honorary mention: Sultan Nawat
If you’ve ever owned one of the first few generations of OnePlus phones and thought about tinkering with it, chances are you’ve come across the work of an XDA recognized developer. Sultanxda. The Kernel Sultan project has helped both developers and ordinary users unlock the true potential of many devices.
Unlike typical custom kernels, Kernel Sultan is not meant to be customized by users. Instead, it presents itself as a true replacement for the stock kernel by bringing several improvements under the hood. A bunch of its features, like the named dedicated low memory killer Simple lmkdevfreq boost driver to improve graphics and overall performance, SafetyNet bootloader unlock check bypass, and many more have found their way into other custom kernel projects through cherry picking.
Unfortunately, the developer does not support the current generation of flagship devices. The latest smartphone duo to receive official support from Sultan Kernel are Google Pixel 4 and the Google Pixel 4 XL.
Installing a custom kernel is usually as simple as downloading the package for the device and flashing it via a custom recovery like TWRP. Now go and check out our forums for the best custom kernel for your device!
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