In this guide, we will show the steps to flash the Android 15 GSI ROM on your Microsoft Surface Duo. While the Redmond giant has officially stopped software support for this device a couple of years back, the device could still get a test of the Vanilla Ice Cream. Even though it isn’t among the most active players in the custom development, yet thanks to the presence of a Generic System Image, you can welcome aboard the latest OS release onto your tablet.
The GSI is based on the stock AOSP experience but modified for the Surface Duos with desktop mode enabled, plus a slew of additional tweaks and customizations, with the likes of tablet mode, phone mode, peak mode display, active display which can be added in the Quick Settings, floating windows, and split windows being some of the noteworthy features. So, without any further ado, let’s make you aware of the steps to install this ROM onto your tablet right away.
Table of Contents
How to Install Android 15 GSI ROM on Microsoft Surface Duo
Before starting, please take a complete device backup. Droidwin and its members wouldn’t be held responsible in case of a thermonuclear war, your alarm doesn’t wake you up, or if anything happens to your device, and data by performing the below steps.
- Download the Vanilla/GApps version of the ROM from below:
DOWNLOAD ANDROID 15 GSI [Credits: XDA Member Archfx]
- Now, extract this .xz ROM via 7 ZIP to get hold of the IMG file.
- Next up, unlock the bootloader on your Microsoft Surface Duo.
- After that, download and extract Android SDK Platform Tools.
- Rename the ROM to gsi.img and transfer it to the platform tool.
- Then open the Command Prompt inside that folder and type in
adb reboot fastboot
- This will boot your device to the FastbootD Mode. Now type in:
fastboot delete-logical-partition system_ext fastboot delete-logical-partition product
- Check your tablet’s current active partition using this command:
fastboot getvar current-slot
- If current slot is a, delete the system_b via the below command:
fastboot delete-logical-partition system_b
- If current slot is b, delete the system_a via the below command:
fastboot delete-logical-partition system_a
- You may now flash the GSI ROM using the following command:
fastboot flash system gsi.img
Reference Image [ROM name is system.img] - Once done, type the below command to perform a factory reset:
fastboot -w
- You may now boot to the new flashed OS via the below command
fastboot reboot
Enable Additional GSI ROM’s Features on Surface Duo
Now that your tablet has been booted to the latest Android 15, it’s time to enable some of the most useful and interesting features of this ROM. Follow along.
Enable Floating Windows
Head over to the Developer Options and enable the following three features [and then do a restart] to enable floating windows on your tablet:
- Force activities to be resizable
- Enable freeform windows
- Enable non-resizable in multi-window
Download OTA Updates
If you want to download OTA updates of this ROM, then head over to Settings -> System -> System Updates. It might ask you to choose a default updater, make sure you choose the default updater PHH Treble Updater and hit Always.
Camera Settings
Enable the following settings from Settings > Phh Treble Settings
- Qualcomm features> Use alternate camera profile
- Misc Features> Force Enable Camera2API HAL3
IMS Settings
In PHH Treble Settings -> IMS features:
- Install IMS APK for Qualcomm vendor -> install APK
- Request IMS network -> ON
- Force the presence of 4G calling setting -> ON
How to Fix GSI Issues
If you face any issues on your GSI ROM, then we have a fix for that. Just refer to the below guide and jump over to the section that is in sync with your requirement, and the underlying issue will be fixed.
5G, LTE, WIFi, Bluetooth, Display, DT2W not working in GSI ROM [Fix]
That’s it. These were the steps to install the GSI ROM on your Microsoft Surface Duo. If you have any queries concerning the aforementioned steps, do let us know in the comments. We will get back to you with a solution as soon as possible.
