Moto X (1st Gen) gets Android 5.1.1 Lollipop with Dirty Unicorns ROM v9.3: How to install

A stable version of Dirty Unicorns ROM is now available for the original Moto X smartphone released in 2013. Based on the AOSP with several patches from CAF, the latest custom release v9.3 of Dirty Unicorns bring Google's newest Android Lollipop v5.1.1 experience for the Moto X. Apart from that, there are regular fixes and changes bundled in the build, which include:

Changelog for version 9.3

• Update to Android 5.1.1
• Materialise DSPManager
• Fix SysUI FC for Themes with QS mods
• Change checkboxes to switches
• Remove Voice dialer
• Fix for Play Services deep sleeping
• Fix various Theme Engine issues
• Add back notification LED settings backend
• Fix NavRing FC
• Expose values for our applications to be themed
• Hide lights settings if device doesn't support them
• Don't set preferred APN's automatically
• Fix battery and notification lights
• Various translations

If you want to upgrade your Moto X (1st Gen) to Android 5.1.1 via Dirty Unicorns ROM, check out our manual installation guide below.

Important points

• Before following the installation guide, create a backup of all important data of the phone using custom recovery.

• Enable USB Debugging on the phone to connect it with the computer and use Android SDK with it. [Navigate to Settings>> About phone. Tap on Build Number several times until a message appears saying 'You are now a Developer.' Now enable USB Debugging Mode by navigating to Settings>> Developer Options.]

• Your Moto X should have above 80% battery charge to avoid power off during the process which could damage the device.

• The phone should be rooted with the latest recovery system installed on it. Also, it should have an unlocked bootloader. [The guide below uses TWRP recovery.]

• As the Dirty Unicorns ROM is in its testing stage; all the features might not function properly.

• The Android 5.1.1 Dirty Unicorns ROM works with Moto X 2013 model. Flashing this on any incorrect variant might brick the device. Therefore, verify the model number of the device.

• After flashing the ROM if the device gets stuck on booting animation or experience boot loop then perform wipe cache partition and wipe dalvik cache for a few times before rebooting the device.

• Once the ROM is installed, users are advised to give 10 minutes to the ROM after the device boots up for the first time for better user experience.

• IBTimes UK will not be held liable for any damage to the device.

Download files

Dirty Unicorns ROM

Gapps

How to update Moto X (1st Gen) to Dirty Unicorns ROM featuring Android 5.1.1 Lollipop

Step-1: Connect the phone to the computer via USB cable then move the downloaded files to the internal storage of the phone and remember the location

Step-2: Disconnect the phone and boot into recovery mode. First switch off the phone.

• Press Power, Volume Down and Home buttons together for 3-4 seconds, then release them

• Boot menu screen will be displayed on your phone

• Using the Volume down button scroll down to recovery option and select it pressing the Volume Up

• An Android logo will appear on the screen

• Now press Volume Up and Volume Down buttons together for about five seconds and press the Power button

• Now Recovery mode menu will be displayed on your Moto X

Step-3: In recovery mode, create an android backup of the existing ROM, which can be restored later if the new ROM does not work or, you want to revert to the current version. From recovery select Backup and do a swipe on the Swipe to Back Up button

Step-4: Perform data wiping task; Wipe system/data/cache/internal and SDcard

Step-5: Go back to recovery menu and select Install then navigate to the folder where you have saved the Dirty Unicorns ROM and confirm installation

Step-6: Install the Gapps package in the similar procedure you used for flashing the ROM

Step-7: Finally reboot the phone by selecting System then Reboot

Your Moto X should now be ready to use running Dirty Unicorns ROM that features Android 5.1.1.

More details about the Dirty Unicorns ROM for the original Moto X is available on XDA development thread.