Paranoid Android is back from the dead. After its main developers were recruited by the Chinese phone company Oneplus to develop android based roms, OxygenOS and HydrogenOS for their phones, Paranoid Android Rom was all but dead. With their release of Paranoid Android 2017 on May 30th and future update on bug fixes and support for new phones, they are all but back and from the looks of it here to stay.

The current build is based on Android 7.1.2, the latest Android Google has to offer. Keeping true to their original concept they have bought back the old features with an addition of some cool new ones.

A list of their main features:

Color Engine

Pocket Lock

Immersive mode

Paranoid OTA (Updates)

Accidental Touch

Advanced Power dialog

Recent app locking

Quick pull-down

Substratum support

Enhanced kernel + control

My very favorite Pie Controls is back with a minimalistic overhaul. If you have never used Pie Control before, it provides a different way of accessing the navigation bar. When Pie Control is enabled the navigation bar goes away. To use pie control you swipe up at the bottom of the screen to bring up pie controls than release of the function you wish to use. Pie Controls can be set to trigger from the right or left of the screen too.









Their new and best feature the color engine simply makes the rom a must flash for people who love customization. It brings what was offered before in OxygenOS for the Oneplus phones. The color engine lets you choose a base layer from Default, Grey, Pixel and Dark, which is perfect for AMOLED screens if you are like me and love that deep dark black. After you can choose an accent from 10 bright colors. Color engine is basically a slim down and easy to use theme engine. If you are a Substratum theme engine fan then do not be disappointed because there is support for that too.

Next best new features are Pocket Touch and Accidental Touch. When Pocket Touch is enabled it will prevent any source of input when the phone is in your pocket. The front proximity sensors are used. You can leave Pocket Touch mode by holding the power button.

You know how sometimes you are playing a game or typing a message and by mistake you touch the back hardware key, well this solves that issue. When Accidental Touch is enabled even if you touch the back hardware key while you are playing a game that action will not be carried out.

Overall the new Paranoid Android rom is amazing and it has been my daily driver since it was released on the Nexus 6. I have not found any bugs till yet. The team of Paranoid Android has committed on releasing bug fixes and adding new features. I personally hope they bring back HALO.