How to install Lineage Os 18 on Sony Xperia XA2 [Guide]

How to install Lineage Os 18 on Sony Xperia XA2: When it comes to budget smartphone brands, Realme, Xiaomi, Motorola, etc. are the leaders. These brands provide a capable device with great specifications at a very budget oriented price. Plus, Android is the most widely used OS on smartphones, with over 75% of users across the market. One of the major selling points of Android devices is the unlimited possibilities of customization it brings along like Launchers, Custom ROMs, etc. And budget smartphones are popular when it comes to custom ROM development.

One of the best budget smartphones of last year was the Sony Xperia XA2 and, a lot of custom ROMs are available for this device like AOSP Extended, ArrowOS, Pixel Experience, LineageOS, OmniROM, Resurrection Remix, and a lot more. Out of the box, the Sony Xperia XA2 runs on ColorOS 6 based on Android 9.0 (Pie). ColorOS is a heavily-skinned version of Google’s Android, but most of us out there still prefer to have Stock Android. Recently, Google released the latest version of Android, which we all have been waiting for, aka Android 11. And on top, we don’t know whether or not the Sony Xperia XA2 will get the Android 11 update.

Google Rolled out the Android 11 update that came out with amazing new features like Media controls, Conversations and Bubbles, Screen recorder, Power button menu, new Emojis, Temporary permissions for Apps, Wireless Android Auto, Notification history, and more. It has been about a month since Android 11 rolled out, and developers out there have started working on custom ROMs based on Android 11, but till now, there is no stable version available in the market.

Why Lineage OS 18?

When it comes to choosing the perfect custom ROM for your Sony Xperia XA2, LineageOS is the option.

Lineage OS 18 is a free and open-source operating system for various devices, based on Android. It is among the oldest players when it comes to custom ROM development. They are known for providing a stable stock Android experience with a lot of customization options under the hood. Installing a custom ROM gives a new life to your Android devices. It enables the user to have more customization options, better battery life, and overall a very smooth experience.

Lineage OS 18 brings all the features of Android 11, along with some other features like Improved dark theme, Improved Animation Transitions, Share to Print, 4GB video recording limit removed, Better App Permissions and Privacy Control, Improved Navigation Gestures, and New Media Controls as well.

LineageOS 18, based on Android 11, is next in line to come out. But instead of waiting, you can go with the unofficial build available for the Sony Xperia XA2. But since it an unofficial build, there are a few issues. Features like Audio, Bluetooth, Camera, EGL, Encryption, GPS, RIL (Calls, SMS, Data), Sensors, Video Playback, and Wi-Fi are working but, SELinux is Permissive, and a few Lineage-specific features are not working as of now as it is an unofficial build and the ROM is still in the early stages of development.

Before starting with the process of how to install the unofficial LineageOS 18 on your Sony Xperia XA2, here are some prerequisites that you make sure are checked before starting the process:

Pre-Requisites:

1. Your device will factory reset during the process. Create a full backup of your device.
2. Make sure you have USB debugging enabled on your device to do, so go to Settings -> About Phone -> Tap on Build Number 7 times-> and then go to Settings -> System -> Advanced -> Developer Options -> Enable USB Debugging.
3. Make sure you have an unlocked bootloader with custom recovery installed on your device.
4. Download LineageOS 18 zip file along with GApps you want to flash on your device.
5. Download and install USB drivers for your device.
6. Make sure you have adb and fastboot already setup on your PC.

How to install Lineage Os 18 on Sony Xperia XA2

Now that you have checked all the pre-requisites, we can start the process of installing the unofficial Lineage OS 18 build on the Sony Xperia XA2. Follow the steps below to flash Lineage OS 18 on your device:

1. Unlock the bootloader

First of all, you have to unlock the bootloader of your device. If you don’t know how to do it, then we have a guide for you guys. You can follow the guide on How to unlock the bootloader of Sony Xperia XA2. 

You have to unlock the bootloader in order to follow this guide. If you did then you will end up with the unexpected results if you try to install this firmware on your android device without unlocking its bootloader.

2. Install TWRP On Sony Xperia XA2

This section will tell you how to install the TWRP on Sony Xperia XA2. TWRP is a custom recovery that will allow you to install some different firmware on your android device. In this recovery, you can interact through the touchscreen of your device and there’s no need to use volume rockers. Not only the Twrp will help you install custom ROMs but it has some other benefits too. You can also take a nandroid backup using the TWRP. Follow these steps to install the TWRP on your device.

1. 1. First of all, download the TWRP recovery image for your device and rename it to TWRP and save it in the ADB folder. To download the TWRP for your device, follow the link above and select your device and download the TWRP recovery image from there.
   2. Now go to ADB folder and hold shift and right-click inside the folder then select open command window here.

1. Connect your device with the PC and type:

   adb reboot bootloader

2. Once you’re into bootloader mode, type the following command

   fastboot flash recovery twrp.img

3. Type this final command to reboot your device.

   fastboot reboot

4. Done!! This will install TWRP on your device

3. Install Lineage Os 18 on Sony Xperia XA2

1. Connect your device to your PC via USB cable and Make sure USB Debugging is on.
2. Now transfer the downloaded ROM and the GApps file to the Internal Storage of your device.
3. Now go to the adb folder and inside the folder, open a command window. To do so, press Shift + Right-click and select Open Command Window Here.
4. Now type in the following command: adb reboot recovery
5. Your device will boot into custom recovery (TWRP) that you’ve installed on your device.
6. Now from the main menu, select Wipe.
7. Then, select the System, Vendor, Data, and the Cache partition and do a right swipe to format the selected partitions.
8. Now Tap on Install, from the main menu.
9. Go to the downloaded LineageOS 18 Zip file, select it and perform a right swipe to flash it on your device.
10. Similarly, flash the GApps package and perform a wipe on the cache partition.
11. Reboot your device and, done.

Now you have successfully flashed Lineage OS 18 based on Android 11 on your Sony Xperia XA2. Since the ROM is an Unofficial build, it is not recommended to flash it for your daily use but still, if you don’t have any problem with some minor hiccups, then go ahead and install the Lineage OS 18 on your Sony Xperia XA2.