Install Android 13 GSI ROMs on Samsung Devices [2 Methods]

Sadique Hassan•Updated Oct 26, 2023

In this guide, we will show you two different methods to install the Android 13 GSI ROMs onto your Samsung device. Things have always been different and a tad complicated in the custom development of Samsung devices. For starters, the entire flashing procedure is totally different when compared with other OEMs in the market.

Download Mode instead of Fastboot Mode, flashing via Odin instead of Fastboot Commands, patching AP instead of boot.img for root, Knox getting permanently tripped with no way out as opposed to SafetyNet, and the list goes on. Likewise, when it comes to flashing ROMs, then the landscape is somewhat different there as well.

While most devices do have long-lasting support for custom ROMs, there are a few that have been left out in the open. For those neglected sets of devices, a Generic System Image comes to their rescue. Using these GSI ROMs, you could nearly all the goodies that a custom ROM has to offer.

Moreover, all the popular players in the town including Pixel Experience, LineageOS, and even Google’s official releases are all part of this GSI family. So without further ado, let’s get you acquainted with the steps to install the Android 13 GSI ROMs onto your Samsung device. Follow along.

Table of Contents

How to Install Android 13 GSI ROMs on Samsung Devices

We are listing here two different methods that will help you get this job done. So what’s the difference between both these methods? Well, in the second method, we will directly flash the GSI ROM’s system.img via TWRP whereas, in the first method, we will first convert the GSI ROM to ZIP format and then flash it via TWRP. If you want to flash just the official Google GSI ROM [clean stock Android experience], then opt for the second method.

On the other hand, if you want to flash a custom GSI ROM, such as Lineage or Pixel Experience, then opt for the first method. Just make sure to take a data backup beforehand. 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.

Method 1: Flash GSI ROM by converting System.img to ZIP

As already mentioned before, this method comes in handy if you are planning to flash a custom GSI, such as Pixel Experience. So with that in mind, let’s get started.

STEP 1: Install Android SDK

First and foremost, you will have to install the Android SDK Platform Tools on your PC. This is the official ADB and Fastboot binary provided by Google and is the only recommended one. So download it and then extract it to any convenient location on your PC. Doing so will give you the platform-tools folder, which will be used throughout this guide to install the GSI ROM onto your Samsung device.

STEP 2: Download GSI Flasher Tool

Next up, download the GSI Flasher Tool and extract it to any convenient location on your PC.

Download: GSI Flasher Tool [Credits: XDA Senior Member azteria2000]

STEP 3: Convert LineageOS GSI ROM to TWRP Flashable

To begin with, download the LineageOS 19 GSI ROM for your device.
Once downloaded, extract it inside the GSI_Flasher > GSI Folder.
Likewise, rename it to system, so that the complete name becomes system.img.
Then select all three folders inside the GSI Flasher Tool- gsi, META-INF, and scripts.
Now right-click on it and select 7ZIP > Add to archive [you may also use WinRAR for this].
Give it any name of your choice, change the Archive format to ZIP, and hit OK.
Wait for the process to complete. Once done, send this ZIP file to the platform-tools folder.

STEP 4: Enable USB Debugging and OEM Unlocking

You will also have to enable USB Debugging and OEM Unlocking on your device. The former will make your device recognizable by the PC in ADB mode. This will then allow you to boot your device to Fastboot Mode. On the other hand, OEM Unlocking is required to carry out the bootloader unlocking process.

So head over to Settings > About Phone > Tap on Build Number 7 times > Go back to Settings > System > Advanced > Developer Options > Enable USB Debugging and OEM Unlocking.

STEP 5: Unlock Bootloader on Samsung

You will also have to unlock the device’s bootloader to install the LineageOS GSI ROM onto the Samsung device. Do note that doing so will wipe off all the data from your device and could nullify its warranty as well. So if that’s all and good, then please refer to our guide on How to Unlock Bootloader on any Samsung Device [New VaultKeeper Method]

STEP 6: Boot Samsung Device to Download Mode

You will have to boot your device to Download Mode so that you are able to flash the required mods. So either refer to our detailed guide on How to Boot any Samsung Device to Download Mode or refer to the below shorter instructions:

To begin with, power off your device.
Then press and hold the Power and Volume Up keys and your device will be booted to Stock Recovery.
Now highlight the Reboot to Bootloader option using the Volume keys and then press the Power key to confirm it.
Your device should now boot to the Download Mode.

STEP 7: Install Odin

Next up, you will have to download and install the Odin Tool onto your PC. This is needed to flash the TWRP and disable AVB on your device. So get hold of the latest Odin from here: Download: Odin3-v3.14.4.zip. Once downloaded, extract it to any convenient location on your PC.

STEP 8: Disable Android Verified Boot

Next up, you will have to disable AVB on your device which would then allow you to flash the desired custom binary (in this case, TWRP).

So start off by downloading the vbmeta_disabled.tar file onto your PC.
Now connect your device to the PC via USB cable (make sure that it is booted to Download Mode)
Then launch the Odin Tool and click on the Userdata button.
Navigate to the vbmeta_disabled.tar file, select it and click Open.
Finally, click on the Start button. You shall now get a prompt on your device, stating that “You have to reset your device to factory settings”.
So use the Volume Keys to select the reset option and hit the Power key to confirm it.

Your device will now undergo a reset and then, the AVB stands disabled. You may now proceed ahead to install the TWRP Recovery and the desired Android 13 GSI ROM on your Samsung device.

STEP 9: Install TWRP Recovery

Download the TWRP Recovery for your device from the official site or an unofficial trusted site like XDA.
Then launch the Odin Tool on your PC and click on the AP button.
Navigate to the downloaded TWRP.tar file, select it and click Open.
Finally, hit the Start button and TWRP will be flashed onto your device.
Now use the hardware key combinations to boot your device directly to TWRP.

STEP 10: Disable Encryption via TWRP

Once your device boots to TWRP, go to Advanced > Terminal.
Then type in the below command and hit Enter
```
multidisabler
```
Your device will now resize the vendor and will ask you to run multidisabler again.
So again execute the below command and hit Enter
```
multidisabler
```

STEP 11: Install GSI ROM via TWRP

From TWRP, go to Wipe > Format Data and type in YES in the space provided.
Then hit the checkmark situated at the bottom right and wait for the wipe to complete.
Once done, go to Advanced Wipe and select Dalvik, Cache, Data, and System partitions.
Then perform a right swipe to wipe these partitions.
After that, transfer the GSI ZIP file to your device using ADB Sideload, Mount, or OTG.
Now go to Install, select the GSI ZIP file, and perform a right swipe to flash it.
If the ROM is an IMG file, then tap on Install image and select the GSI IMG file. Then choose the system/super partition [if asked] and proceed ahead to flash it.
Once flashed, go to Reboot and select System. Your device will now boot to the newly installed ROM.

That’s it. These were the steps to install the Android 13 GSI ROM onto Samsung device. 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 at the earliest.

Method 2: Directly Flash GSI ROM via TWRP

As discussed before, this method comes in handy if you are planning to flash the stock GSI provided by Google. So first off, carry out the STEPS 1 to 10 listed above, excluding STEP 2 and 3 as we don’t need to convert the GSI to ZIP. Once you have done steps [1,4,5,6,7,8,9,10] you may start off with the below instructions:

Download the Android 13 GSI image and transfer it to your device via TWRP.
Then from TWRP, go to Install and tap on Install Image.
Navigate to the GSI ROM IMG file and select it. It will be flashed.
Once done, go to Reboot and select System.
Your device will now boot to the newly installed OS.

So these were the steps to install the Android 13 GSI ROM onto Samsung device. 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 at the earliest.

FAQ: GSI ROM Bugs and Bootloop Fixes

GSI ROMs are known to go through a few bugs and issues related to network, 5G, or VoWIFI/VoLTE. In case, you also come across such bugs, then you could refer to our below-listed guides to fix them.

Likewise, if your device gets stuck in a continuous bootloop, then it’s most probably in need of disabling the verity checks, which requires flashing the vbmeta. All these have been explained in the below-linked guides, do check them out, if needed:

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