The Samsung Galaxy S3 was originally offered with the Android Ice Cream operating system, and then received both the Jelly Bean and KitKat updates up to Android 4.4.4. The latter included an update to guard against the Stagefright exploit . Android Lollipop, Marshmallow and Nougat were not officially rolled out to the S3 but custom ROMs are available. A word of caution though: using custom ROMs will void any warranty you may have so make sure you've backed everything up before your flash your phone. Read on to find how to get the latest Android OS on your Galaxy S3 device.

Samsung Galaxy S3 Android update history

Android Ice Cream Android Jelly Bean Android 4.4.4 KitKat Android Lollipop Android Marshmallow Android Nougat Samsung Galaxy S3 Yes Yes Yes No No No

Android Nougat on the Samsung Galaxy S3

The Galaxy S3 will most likely not be getting the Android 7.0 Nougat update (as it didn't receive Marshmallow or Lollipop either) but fear not, you can still get Nougat on your device using a custom ROM.

There are several guides available for how to get Nougat on your Galaxy S3 (7.0, 7.0.1. and 7.1.1) and Lineage OS (formerly CyanogenMod) has also released CyanogenMod 14, which you can install on your Galaxy S3 to get Nougat. It should be noted though that the CyanogenMod 14 ROM is an early build and still contains bugs.

Android Marshmallow on the Samsung Galaxy S3

The Galaxy S3 did not receive an official update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow. However, the XDA Developers forum has an AOSP custom ROM to get Android Marshmallow on your Samsung Galaxy S3.

CyanogenMod also released its CyanogenMod 13 update (based on Android Marshmallow) to the i9300 model of the Samsung Galaxy S3.

The Samsung Galaxy S3 won't be getting an official Marshmallow update. / © NextPit

Android Lollipop on the Samsung Galaxy S3

In summer 2015, it was unfortunately announced that the Samsung Galaxy S3 would not be getting the Android Lollipop update.

@WesoLabeshnai We don't like to give out bad news Rohan but the Note 2 and the Galaxy S3 won't be receiving the Lollipop update. — Samsung Mobile UK (@SamsungMobileUK) July 4, 2015

While the Samsung Galaxy S3 remains stuck on Android KitKat across the board, an update for bearing a security path for the Stagefright exploit should have been received by all Galaxy S3 handsets.

However, there is a custom version of Android 5.0 Lollipop available for the Galaxy S3 (GT-I9300) through XDA Developers, which you can download now. Android developers created a CyanogenMod 12.1 build based on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop for rooted Galaxy S3 (GT-I9300) owners. It includes Lollipop additions such as the Material Design aesthetic and lock screen notifications.

Have you tried flashing a custom ROM on your Samsung Galaxy S3? What problems did you encounter? Let us know in the comments below.