[Tutorial] How to Install Android 4.4.4 CM11 M8 Custom ROM on Galaxy S3 (GT-I9300)

Here’s a brief step-by-step tutorial on upgrading your Samsung Galaxy S3 I9300 (international variant) to the latest CyanogenMod 11 M8 custom ROM based on Android 4.4.4 KitKat OS. This is a Snapshot release of CM11 M8 which brings a slew of bug-fixes and feature enhancements aimed to provide a stable Android 4.4.4 build for Galaxy S3 users. So, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and try it out now!

Download CM11 M8 for Galaxy S3 (GT-I9300)

Click here (212MB – MD5 Checksum: 2896372724a8e6c9e43a3b59449ed1e3) to download CyanogenMod 11 M8 Custom ROM for Samsung Galaxy S3 (GT-I9300). You can download the recommended Google Apps “Gapps” here – you’ll re-flash them later.

Install Android 4.4.4 KitKat CM11 M8 ROM on GS3

Before we get along with the upgrade process, let us outline the necessary requirements and important tips again. This upgrade applies to the international variant of Galaxy S III (GT-I9300) only, you can verify your phone’s model in Settings > About Phone > Model Number. Here are some of the update prerequisites.

1. Prerequisites

• CyanogenMod 11 M8 “cm-11-20140708-SNAPSHOT-M8-i9300.zip” update package
• Custom Recovery (CWM or TWRP) and root access on your phone
• A USB cable with latest Samsung USB drivers installed on PC
• At least 70% battery left on your phone
• A complete backup of contacts, app data, messages, and other important data stored in phone memory.

Note: This process involves flashing a new custom ROM which will completely wipe-out your phone’s internal memory. That’s why you’re recommended to store an image of your current system first, either using your custom recovery or through Titanium Backup/Samsung KIES utility.

Disclaimer: Although, this CyanogenMod 11 build is almost bug-free and has been fully tested on GS3, we still can’t guarantee whether it’ll cause any system malfunctions or not. I shall not be held responsible if you get your device bricked (which is very unlikely) at any point during the upgrade process, so proceed at your own risk –  you can come back later when you’ve gathered enough courage.

Ready?

2. Procedure

1. Download CM11 M8 Snapshot and latest Android 4.4.4 Gapps using the aforementioned links.
2. Connect your phone to PC via a USB cable and make sure you’ve enabled “USB Debugging Mode”.
3. Copy the download CM11 M8 and Gapps.zip to the root directory of your phone’s SD card.
4. Now disconnect the USB cable and turn off your phone.
5. Reboot into custom recovery by holding Volume Up + Home + Power Button simultaneously.
6. In the recovery mode, navigate using the volume keys and select by pressing the power button.
7. Next, do a cache wipe-out and then factory reset your phone.
8. (Optional) Perform the Dalvik Cache wipe-out in Advanced > Wipe Dalvik Cache.
9. After that, select “Choose Zip from SD Card” option and select “cm-11-20140708-SNAPSHOT-M8-i9300.zip” file. Wait until it gets completed.
10. In order to flash the recommended Gapps, repeat the above step but this time choose “gapps-kk-20140606-signed.zip” file.
11. Next, reboot your phone normally. It’ll take a while before its gets started the first time.

Well, that’s all! You’ve just installed Android 4.4.4 KitKat CyanogenMod 11 M8 Custom ROM on your Galaxy S3 (GT-I9300)!

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