How to Install Android 16 GSI ROM on Any Samsung Phone – A Step-by-Step Guide

Are you tired of Samsung’s One UI and looking for a clean, fast, stock Android experience? If yes, installing Android 16 using a GSI ROM might be just what you need. In this tutorial, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know to install Android 16 on any Samsung phone — from unlocking your bootloader to booting into the latest Android interface.

How to Install Android 16 GSI ROM on Any Samsung Phone – A Step-by-Step Guide

Let’s dive in.


⚠️ Important Disclaimer

  • This method will void your warranty.
  • It will trip Knox permanently, which may break features like Samsung Pay or Secure Folder.
  • Some banking apps may not work on GSI ROMs due to security checks.
  • There is always a risk of a boot loop or soft brick, so keep your stock firmware ready.
  • Only proceed if you are comfortable with the risks and have backed up your data.

✅ Requirements Before You Start

Before jumping into the installation, make sure the following prerequisites are met:

  • A Samsung phone with unlocked bootloader
  • TWRP Recovery installed on your device
  • PC with ADB & Fastboot (Platform Tools)
  • Treble Info App installed to confirm GSI compatibility
  • Android 16 GSI ROM file
  • USB cable for file transfer

If you haven’t unlocked your bootloader or installed TWRP, complete those steps first. These are essential for flashing GSI ROMs.


🔧 Step-by-Step Guide to Install Android 16 GSI ROM

Step 1: Enable Developer Options & USB Debugging

  • Go to Settings > About Phone
  • Tap Build Number 7 times to enable Developer Options
  • Go back to Settings > Developer Options
  • Enable USB Debugging

Step 2: Confirm Treble Compatibility

  • Download and install the Treble Info app
  • Open the app to check if your device supports GSI and which system image type (A-only or A/B) it needs

Step 3: Download Android 16 GSI ROM

  • Download the official Android 16 GSI image from a trusted source (link on the official Treble Info app or XDA)
  • Transfer the image file to your PC
  • Use 7-Zip to extract the .img file from the archive

Step 4: Boot into TWRP Recovery

  1. Connect your phone to the PC using a USB cable
  2. Reboot into TWRP:
    • Power off your phone
    • Press and hold Volume Up + Power until the Samsung logo appears again
  3. In TWRP, go to Reboot > Fastboot

Note: Samsung phones don’t support fastboot officially, but TWRP provides limited fastboot access.


Step 5: Flash the Android 16 GSI ROM

  1. On your PC, open the platform-tools folder
  2. In the address bar, type cmd and press Enter to open Command Prompt
  3. Type: fastboot devices If your device is listed, you’re good to go.
  4. Now flash the ROM: fastboot flash system path_to_image.img Replace path_to_image.img with the full path of your .img file.

⏳ Wait until the process completes (can take several minutes).


Step 6: Wipe Data in TWRP

  1. After flashing, go back to TWRP
  2. Tap Wipe > Format Data
  3. Type yes and confirm

This step is crucial to prevent boot loops.


Step 7: Reboot into Android 16

  • Tap Reboot > System
  • Wait for the first boot (can take up to 5 minutes)

🎉 Once it boots, complete the initial setup and enjoy Android 16 on your Samsung phone!


🤖 What You Get with Android 16 GSI

  • Clean Pixel-like UI
  • No Samsung bloatware
  • No ads or unnecessary apps
  • Smooth performance
  • Latest Android 16 features (beta-level)

🔍 Navigate to Settings > About Phone > Android Version to verify you’re running Android 16.

⚠️ Note: As this is a beta GSI build, some features might not work properly. For example:

  • Camera issues
  • Fingerprint scanner not working
  • Hardware-specific bugs
  • Limited OTA update support

🧪 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

❓ Is this the official Android 16?

Yes, it’s based on Google’s official GSI builds, made for testing on Treble-compatible devices.

❓ Can I go back to stock Samsung ROM?

Yes, if you have the stock firmware downloaded (use tools like SamFirm or Frija), you can use Odin to restore.

❓ Will I receive future updates?

Not automatically. You’ll need to manually flash newer GSI builds when released.

❓ Will apps like UPI, banking, or Samsung Pay work?

Some may not. Banking apps often detect unlocked bootloaders or GSI ROMs as insecure.

❓ Is this suitable for daily use?

If you’re tech-savvy and willing to live with occasional bugs — yes. Otherwise, it’s better for testing and exploring Android 16.


📝 Final Thoughts

Installing Android 16 GSI on a Samsung phone is a great way to get a pure Android experience — no One UI, no bloat, just clean speed and latest features. It’s not for everyone, especially if you depend on proprietary Samsung features or banking apps, but for enthusiasts, it’s an exciting peek into the future of Android.


📎 Tools & Downloads


🛍️ Recommended Tools


🔖 Tags

Android 16, GSI ROM, Samsung Android 16 installation, Treble ROM, Android 16 beta, flashing GSI, Samsung A52s Android 16, TWRP Samsung, fastboot installation, pure Android, One UI alternative


📢 Hashtags

#Android16 #SamsungMods #GSIRom #CustomROM #SamsungA52s #TWRPRecovery #FlashAndroid #AndroidStockExperience #AndroidBeta #ROMFlashing


⚠️ Disclaimer

This article is for educational and testing purposes only. Flashing custom ROMs can void your warranty and may lead to software instability. Always back up your data and proceed at your own risk.


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Sahil Verma

Sahil is a mobile technology blogger and Android developer who has worked on custom ROM projects and app testing. With a background in mobile software engineering, he reviews apps, explains Android tweaks, and creates in-depth tutorials for both casual users and advanced tinkerers.

6 thoughts on “How to Install Android 16 GSI ROM on Any Samsung Phone – A Step-by-Step Guide

  1. SERGHEI 20th September 2025 at 12:04 am

    What about flashing vendor.img and boot.img ?

    Reply
    1. Rakesh Bhardwaj 20th September 2025 at 8:13 pm

      If your phone supporeted, then vendor.img / boot.img will automaticlly get replaced with GSI ROM.

      Reply
  2. SERGHEI 21st September 2025 at 8:26 pm

    Actually, all such GSI-images of the new Android (PHH Treble GSIs), including Android 16, do not contain any
    kernels, drivers and libraries, since these images are universal (for this they were created – to take out all specific drivers and libraries for each hardware platform)!

    But, if you are so sure that “vendor.img / boot.img will automaticlly get replaced with GSI ROM”, then explain to me why, after flashing the GSI-image of Android 16 (PHH TREABLE GSI), the venor.img partition remains empty, and the boot.img partition doesn’t change, but Android 16 does not boot at all ?!

    Reply
    1. Rakesh Bhardwaj 22nd September 2025 at 9:44 pm

      Opps my bad, when gone throughly i found that the kernel (boot.img) and venfor.img are device specific and when it is flshed the boot.img on your phone stays the same (it’s still the one from your old ROM). Also the vendor.img stays empty or outdated (because GSIs don’t ship with vendor). Hence,the system result with no booting at all, since Android needs kernel + vendor + system to work together. And you are right PHH Treble GSIs are system-only. They don’t include kernel or vendor. On Samsung J5 (2017), if you don’t manually flash the correct boot.img and vendor.img, the system partition alone is useless and Android 16 won’t boot.

      I wil try to find a Treble-compatible vendor image as I read somewhere that some developers release “vendor fixes” or “device-specific vendor.img” for Samsung models on XDA, as soon as i finds one i will update the post with that link. Thanks for your comment clearifying this issue.

      Reply
  3. SERGHEI 22nd September 2025 at 6:54 pm

    Don’t delete my messages !
    Let people see my arguments and your responses to them !

    Reply
    1. Rakesh Bhardwaj 22nd September 2025 at 9:47 pm

      Sorry Dear , I do’nt delete any comment here, unless that are mentioned as spam. The reason you are not seeing your comments because all the coments goes into mdodration automatically and needs approval

      Reply

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