How to Install CM13 (CyanogenMod 13)

  Update (21st Oct. 2015): CM13 source code is now released, unofficial ports should be coming in hot now. We hope the installation guide below serves you well. 

Google’s freshest and greatest Android version 6.0 Marshmallow is now officially announced. The first devices to run Marshmallow will be Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P, plus some of the supported Nexus devices launched previously. But the world of Android devices is MUCH BIGGER than Nexus devices, and Marshmallow won’t reach officially to all the Android devices out there before the end of 2015.

However, if your Android device is popular enough, you wouldn’t have to wait long to get Android Marshmallow on it, thanks to ROMs like CyanogenMod 13 aka CM13.

We’re expecting CM13 to release in a couple of weeks after Google releases the Marshmallow source code to AOSP (Android Open Source Project). Once CM13 is available, there will be a rapid influx of AOSP based Marshmallow ROMs for various Android devices out there.

Installing CM13 is pretty simple. You download the CM13 ROM and simply flash it using a custom recovery like TWRP or Cyanogen recovery (which is available for most devices) with a factory reset/wipe data.

However, CM ROMs don’t come with Google services pre-installed. You’ll have to install/flash a Gapps package separately on CM13 to get Google Play Store and other Google apps that come pre-installed on Android devices. As of now, there’s no Marshmallow Gapps package available for CM13, we’ll be sure to update this post when it arrives.

Below are guides to install CM13 and Marshmallow Gapps using either TWRP recovery or Cyanogen recovery.

How to Install CM13 using TWRP
  1. Download and transfer the CM13 ROM and Marshmallow Gapps file to your device’s internal storage.
  2. Boot your device into TWRP recovery.
  3. Select “Wipe” from TWRP main menu and do a “Swipe to Factory Reset” on the bottom of screen.
  4. Go back to TWRP main menu, tap on “Install” and select the CM13 .zip file that you transferred to your device in Step 1.
  5. After selecting the .zip file, do “Swipe to Confirm Flash” on the bottom of screen to begin the custom ROM installation process. This may take some time.
  6. Once your ROM is successfully flashed, you’ll see “Wipe cache/dalvik” option, select it and then do “Swipe to wipe” on bottom of screen.
  7. Now flash the Marshmallow Gapps file similarly like you flashed the ROM file.
  8. After flashing both CM13 and Gapps, Reboot your device.
How to Install CM13 using Cyanogen recovery
  1. Download and transfer the CM13 ROM and Marshmallow Gapps file to your device’s internal storage.
  2. Boot your device into Cyanogen recovery.
  3. Select “Wipe data/ factory reset”, then select “Yes” to confirm.
  4. Now select “Apply update” from main menu and select “Choose from internal storage”.
  5. Select the CM13 ROM file that you transferred to your device in Step 1 above.
    └ It may begin to install without confirmation.
  6. Once CM13 ROM is installed, flash the Marshmallow Gapps file like you flashed CM13 ROM.
  7. After flashing both CM13 and Gapps, Reboot your device.

That’s all. Happy Androiding!

If you’ve any suggestions or tips to improve the instructions to install CM13 on this page, let us know about it in comments section below.

Posted by
Shivam Malani

Shivam is our resident designer and web developer who also enjoys writing. He loves to meditate, drive on the freeways and hunt for snipers during his Call Of Duty playtime. Email: [email protected]

52 Comments

  1. Hi there!
    What about updates? Do they come automatically? And if yes, which of them?
    So if I flash gapps and google updtes this app – do I Get it or do I have to flash each new version?

    1. Once on CM you will get CM updates as OTAs, and G@pps via play store

  2. Hi there!
    What about updates? Do they come automatically? And if yes, which of them?
    So if I flash gapps and google updtes this app – do I Get it or do I have to flash each new version?

    1. Once on CM you will get CM updates as OTAs, and G@pps via play store

  3. Is there fingerprint sensor

    1. there is fingerprint feature,but no fingerprint sensor,no.

  4. Is there fingerprint sensor

    1. there is fingerprint feature,but no fingerprint sensor,no.

  5. yea i found a bug in it. ……..

    IT’S STUCK IN BOOTLOOP!!!!

    I’m not a newbie in flashing ROMs. Done a lot. And I carefully flashed this ROM step by step. Would be grateful If you’d fix that.

  6. yea i found a bug in it. ……..

    IT’S STUCK IN BOOTLOOP!!!!

    I’m not a newbie in flashing ROMs. Done a lot. And I carefully flashed this ROM step by step. Would be grateful If you’d fix that.

  7. sounds not working after installing CM 13 and unable to install gapps 6.0 full

    1. Facing the same problem

  8. sounds not working after installing CM 13 and unable to install gapps 6.0 full

    1. Facing the same problem

  9. Hi. Installed it and everything seemed to work expect to Mikrophone. How can i fix it? I cannot call

  10. Hi. Installed it and everything seemed to work expect to Mikrophone. How can i fix it? I cannot call

  11. Doesn’t seem to work for the AT&T version, N900A; or am I doing something wrong? The error states that my phone is not supported.

    1. I’m having the same problem, when I try to install I get an error

    2. AT&T Version is not supported at this time and will not work with the Klte unified package. This is explicitly stated on CM’s website. Always do your research before installing a custom rom!

    3. Did its work for u until now?? Please reply me beacuse i want flash it on my note 3 n900a

  12. Doesn’t seem to work for the AT&T version, N900A; or am I doing something wrong? The error states that my phone is not supported.

    1. I’m having the same problem, when I try to install I get an error

    2. AT&T Version is not supported at this time and will not work with the Klte unified package. This is explicitly stated on CM’s website. Always do your research before installing a custom rom!

    3. Did its work for u until now?? Please reply me beacuse i want flash it on my note 3 n900a

  13. worked for me.
    i9300 doing a cm 13 o9-01-16 nightli with open micro gapps

  14. worked for me.
    i9300 doing a cm 13 o9-01-16 nightli with open micro gapps

  15. Did that rom wotk for note 3 n900a??

  16. Did that rom wotk for note 3 n900a??

  17. Please confirm is it working on note 3 n900a?

  18. Please confirm is it working on note 3 n900a?

  19. Tried on G900A att
    not worked. started with recovery boot

  20. Tried on G900A att
    not worked. started with recovery boot

  21. 2016.04.18 Newbie question:

    1. so I presume it’s true that the factory reset and wipe does not wipe the downloaded Cyangen Mod!?

    2. Is there an update for the Samsung Nexus Tab Pro (wifi picasso) to Marshmallow yet?

    1. 2016.04.18 Newbie question:

      1. so I presume it’s true that the factory reset and wipe does not wipe the downloaded Cyangen Mod!?

      2. Is there an update for the Samsung Nexus Tab Pro (wifi picasso) to Marshmallow yet?

      3. Is it too irritating/lazy/whatever, to ask if Links are included to the Installers and GApps downloads?

    2. Pro answer –
      1- Doing a factory reset USUALLY keeps your ROM (ROM is another word for OS in android terms, if you dont know what an OS is google it) but a WIPE on the other hand, depending on which wipe you do, if the wipe includes the /system/ partition then yes, no more ROM for you. (BTW ROM does mean in computer terms Read Only Memory, the android community misuses it for the lulz)
      2 – Probably, take a look for your self jeez, just google cyanogenmod, then go to downloads, there should be a list of supported devices, if yours is there, AND it says either CM13 somewhere or android 6 or marshmallow then yes.
      3 – CM13 – http://www.cyanogenmod.org/
      – Gapps – http://opengapps.org/
      Opengapps is the best in my experience from flashing ROMs for a year and a half

  22. 2016.04.18 Newbie question:

    1. so I presume it’s true that the factory reset and wipe does not wipe the downloaded Cyangen Mod!?

    2. Is there an update for the Samsung Nexus Tab Pro (wifi picasso) to Marshmallow yet?

    1. 2016.04.18 Newbie question:

      1. so I presume it’s true that the factory reset and wipe does not wipe the downloaded Cyangen Mod!?

      2. Is there an update for the Samsung Nexus Tab Pro (wifi picasso) to Marshmallow yet?

      3. Is it too irritating/lazy/whatever, to ask if Links are included to the Installers and GApps downloads?

      1. Pro answer –
        1- Doing a factory reset USUALLY keeps your ROM (ROM is another word for OS in android terms, if you dont know what an OS is google it) but a WIPE on the other hand, depending on which wipe you do, if the wipe includes the /system/ partition then yes, no more ROM for you. (BTW ROM does mean in computer terms Read Only Memory, the android community misuses it for the lulz)
        2 – Probably, take a look for your self jeez, just google cyanogenmod, then go to downloads, there should be a list of supported devices, if yours is there, AND it says either CM13 somewhere or android 6 or marshmallow then yes.
        3 – CM13 – http://www.cyanogenmod.org/
        – Gapps – http://opengapps.org/
        Opengapps is the best in my experience from flashing ROMs for a year and a half

  23. Works on my Samsung Galaxy S2 i9100. I used a nightly version. I had two problems. The first was I couldn’t flash gapps. When I tried to it said my system memory partition was full and it wouldn’t install, even when I used the pico gapps. The other problem was I lost cwm recovery after I installed it, and it was replaced with cyanogen recovery. I installed it with cwm recovery.

  24. Works on my Samsung Galaxy S2 i9100. I used a nightly version. I had two problems. The first was I couldn’t flash gapps. When I tried to it said my system memory partition was full and it wouldn’t install, even when I used the pico gapps. The other problem was I lost cwm recovery after I installed it, and it was replaced with cyanogen recovery. I installed it with cwm recovery.

  25. Cm recovery is not supporting gapps now what to do
    It say to use twrp instead but twrp does not flash my cm13 rom
    After I managed to do both I faced issue after boot that my status bar is not coming down

  26. Cm recovery is not supporting gapps now what to do
    It say to use twrp instead but twrp does not flash my cm13 rom
    After I managed to do both I faced issue after boot that my status bar is not coming down

  27. […] the zips to your device, reboot into recovery, and install! Here’s a quick guide for […]

  28. […] the zips to your device, reboot into recovery, and install! Here’s a quick guide for […]

  29. Doesn’t doing a wipe data/Factory reset delete the cyanogen mod 13 ROM from internal storage?? Do we have to keep it at any specific location in our internal storage?? Or storing anywhere might do??

  30. Doesn’t doing a wipe data/Factory reset delete the cyanogen mod 13 ROM from internal storage?? Do we have to keep it at any specific location in our internal storage?? Or storing anywhere might do??

  31. Doesn’t doing a wipe data/Factory reset delete the cyanogen mod 13 ROM from internal storage?? Do we have to keep it at any specific location in our internal storage?? Or storing anywhere might do??

  32. BTW I am using cyanogen recovery!!!

  33. BTW I am using cyanogen recovery!!!

  34. BTW I am using cyanogen recovery!!!

  35. Doesn’t doing a wipe data/Factory reset delete the cyanogen mod 13 ROM from internal storage?? Do we have to keep it at any specific location in our internal storage?? Or storing anywhere might do??

  36. BTW I am using cyanogen recovery!!!

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