Exynos Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+ can now taste the AOSP-based Pixel Experience and unofficial LineageOS 16

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Samsung is sweating it hard to improve its custom UI to be more user-friendly and less cluttered. The new One UI is part of that endeavor and the stable version of the software is already available for users of the Galaxy Note 9, Galaxy S9/S9+, and Galaxy Note 8 while Galaxy S8/S8+ users can try it in beta. However, if you’re among those who prefer a clean and minimal, stock Android interface, there are two great options for you if you have a model with an unlockable bootloader.

You can now try the Pixel Experience ROM as well as an unofficial LineageOS 16 custom ROM on your Exynos Samsung Galaxy S9 or S9+. Both of these ROMs are based on AOSP Android Pie and offer a near-stock experience, though Pixel Experience will give you a Google Pixel-like experience.

The two custom ROMs are compatible with the Exynos variants of the Galaxy S9/S9+, so they won’t work if you bought the device in the U.S., China, Hong Kong, Japan, or Canada. Before starting, you must ensure that the bootloader on your Galaxy S9 or S9+ is unlocked.

The developer of the ROM (XDA Senior Member Rainbow_Dash, with large credits given to XDA Recognized Developers Ivan_Meler and jesec for their work in the Android Pie bring-up and initial device trees respectively) says the ROMs were built from source instead of using a GSI (Generic System Image). The developer says the only bugs are that the signal bar always shows 0 bars (cosmetic and has no effect on the call quality or data) and that the Hardware Composer is currently disabled. If you’re interested in flashing either of these ROMs, then check out the forum links below.

Download Pixel Experience ROM 9.0 for Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+ (Exynos)

Download Unofficial LineageOS 16 for Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+ (Exynos)