It’s been a long time since we have seen any software update for our beloved Samsung Galaxy S8 and Note 8 series devices. The last major update these smartphones received was Android 9 Pie. Moreover, the devices have moved from monthly to quarterly Android security patch update. Even though S8 is capable of running Android 11, they will never see any major firmware upgrade.
Instead of official updates, users now have to rely on Custom ROMs. Thanks to the developers of ”Project Sakura”, we now have the latest Android 11 custom ROM available for our Samsung S8, S8 Plus, and Note 8. Most importantly, it is based on Lineage OS 18.1.
Official builds of Project Sakura custom ROM brings Android 11 for Galaxy Note 8 and Galaxy S8 series. It is a heavily customizable Lineage OS 18.1 clone. Checkout the features below.
Features of Project Sakura based on Lineage OS 18
Project Sakura brings tons of customization options. As it is based on Lineage OS, the ROM is close to pure Android experience with little to no bloatware installed. You will see options like Smart Pixels for extended battery life.
Other features include:
- Control the device’s animations
- You can even customize the status bar as per your requirement
- Gaming mode has been added in order to give you the maximum performance of the device while playing games
- AOD is also enabled which was not available in the previous version of the ROM
Known Bugs
Given these are very early builds. So, there are quite a few things broken and missing at the moment, such as;
- The Hardware Composer (HWC) isn’t working properly.
- Also, you won’t be able to use a hotspot to share the cellular internet connection.
- HDR video playback is buggy.
- The Wi-Fi Direct functionality is also broken, as it works sometimes.
Download Android 11 for Samsung Galaxy S8, S8+ and Note 8
Note that this is only for the international Exynos variants and not for the Snapdragon variants found in the United States. The custom ROM will get you the latest Android version, root using Magisk, advanced features & functionality, close to stock user interface, and much more. Download the ROMs from the developer’s official site.
- Project Sakura for Galaxy S8 (Exynos) | Download ROM
- Project Sakura for Galaxy S8+ (Exynos) | Download ROM
- Project Sakura for Galaxy Note 8 (Exynos) | Download ROM
Support the developer by joining the official Telegram channel
- Project Sakura | OFFICIAL
- Project Sakura | Updates
How To Install Android 11 onto Galaxy S8, S8+ and Note 8?
As we know, Samsung Galaxy S and Note devices are offered in two different processor variants around the world. In the US, Canada, and China, you are supposed to receive the Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset. Most other regions receive devices with the Exynos chip. This ROM is only compatible with Exynos variants as the bootloader unlocking is available.
Prerequisites:
Enable OEM unlocking in developer’s settings on your device.
Make sure you have the latest official TWRP installed on your phone.
Take a full backup of your internal storage as we have to format the device in the process.
Download the Project Sakura Rom from above.
Download latest Magisk for root.
After Downloading ROM and Magisk, move both into your phone storage.
Make Sure you have fully charged your device.
Steps To Install:
Reboot your phone into TWRP recovery mode.
Take a full Nandroid backup from TWRP.
Go To Wipe > select Advance Wipe > check Dalvik Cache, Cache, System, Data. Swipe to wipe your data and cache.
Go back to the main screen and select the Install option.
Select the ROM zip file from your phone storage.
After selecting the ROM zip file, swipe to confirm flash.
Wait for the installation to over.
Reboot the device. The first boot might take up to 15-20 min.
After some time you will see a welcome screen from the ROM.
Setup your device and you have completed the installation. If you don’t mind the bugs mentioned above, you can give this ROM a try. Share your thoughts in the comment section below.