Download and Install Official Lineage OS 16 for Samsung Galaxy A3 (2016)


Recently, a lot of smartphones are being added to the list of official LineageOS 16. LineageOS which is one of the most popular custom ROM is now available for the Samsung Galaxy A3 (2016). Note that this is the official version it carries the build 16.0-20190903-nightly-a3xelte-signed. The Samsung Galaxy A3 device was announced way back in 2016 and it was launched with the Android 5.1.1 Lollipop out of the box. However, this official Lineage OS 16 update brings in the Android 9 Pie. So, now you can also enjoy the latest Android 9.0 Pie for the Samsung Galaxy A3. In this post, we will guide you on how to download and install official Lineage OS 16 for Samsung Galaxy A3 (2016).

Note that this is the official Lineage OS 16 version for the Samsung Galaxy A3 (2016). The Lineage OS is one of the best and most popular custom ROMs available to install for a huge range of devices. The latest official LineageOS 16 is now updated with more features and bug fixes. Moreover, to update to this official version of the Lineage OS then, you will need to unlock the bootloader of your device. Though it should not matter as the device is already three years old and there are almost no official updates for the device are available. So, without any further ado, let us get straight into the article itself;

[su_note note_color=”#D7E3F4″ text_color=”#728095″ radius=”3″ class=”” id=””]Note that this is an in-depth and detailed guide on the installation of the official LineageOS 16 on the Samsung Galaxy A3 (2016). We would recommend you to at least go through each section once to avoid any issues and problems.[/su_note]

What is LineageOS?

LineageOS is one of the most popular Custom ROMs that are downloaded and installed by the users on their smartphones. For those who do not know, it is based on the Android Open Source Project and get a contribution from various contributors in the Android community. You get a brilliant and my favorite stock Android experience with some extra features that enhances the productivity of your smartphones. Moreover, it is a highly recommended Custom ROM for any device by most of the Android community.

[su_note note_color=”#D7E3F4″ text_color=”#728095″ radius=”3″ class=”” id=””]

As explained in Wikipedia;

LineageOS is a free and open-source operating system for set-top boxes, smartphones and tablet computers, based on the Android mobile platform. It is the successor to the custom ROM CyanogenMod, from which it was forked in December 2016 when Cyanogen Inc. announced it was discontinuing development and shut down the infrastructure behind the project. Since Cyanogen Inc. retained the rights to the Cyanogen name, the project rebranded its fork as LineageOS.

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Advantages of Custom ROM

  • Custom ROMs are built to perform faster than stock ROM.
  • They are more stylish and eye-catching in terms of interface/UI.
  • You will get some extra features in custom ROMs.
  • Moreover, after installing a custom ROM, you will also notice a slight increase in the performance of your device.
  • The Custom ROM installation also comes very handy when your device is operating or running on an older Android version. Custom ROMs like LineageOS can get you the taste of the latest Android version.

Disadvantages of Custom ROM

  • For installing custom ROMs you need to have unlocked the bootloader.
  • You need to have a custom recovery like TWRP, installed and also root access on your device.
  • If anything goes wrong with the custom ROM installation process, you can cause permanent damage or might brick your device.
  • Moreover, if you install a non-optimized custom ROM on your device then, your device will become laggier.
  • The final but most important disadvantage is that your device warranty will be voided and you will not be able to receive official OTA updates on your device.

Download and Install Official Lineage OS 16 for Samsung Galaxy A3 (2016)

Pre-requisites

  • This guide is only for Samsung Galaxy A3 (2016) users. We would advise you not to follow this guide if you are not the users of the Samsung Galaxy A3 (2016).
  • This method requires you to have a PC/Laptop.
  • Make sure to charge your device up to at least 70%.
  • You need to download the correct USB drivers for your device first.
  • Download all the files from the download section.
  • Enable USB debugging on your device.
    • To do this, go to Settings>>About Phone>> tap on Build Number 7 times till you see a toast message “You are now a developer“.
    • Now again go to Settings>>Developer Options>>enable USB Debugging

Download Links

  • Lineage OS 16 [button anchor=”Lineage OS 16 for Samsung Galaxy A3″ url=”https://mirrorbits.lineageos.org/full/a3xelte/20190903/lineage-16.0-20190903-nightly-a3xelte-signed.zip” size=”lg” style=”metro” color=”juicy-orange” block=”yes”]
  • Heimdall Suite[button anchor=”Heimdall Suite” url=”https://glassechidna.com.au/heimdall/#downloads” size=”lg” style=”metro” color=”juicy-orange” block=”yes”]
  • ADB and Fastboot Tools[button anchor=”ADB and Fastboot Tools” url=”https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-uWQn-oHu_ROuDVCzIyrExoRbsSBYTtU/view” size=”lg” style=”metro” color=”juicy-orange” block=”yes”]
  • TWRP Recovery[button anchor=”TWRP Recovery” url=”https://dl.twrp.me/a3xelte” size=”lg” style=”metro” color=”juicy-orange” block=”yes”]
  • GApps [button anchor=”GApps (arm architecture)” url=”https://wiki.lineageos.org/gapps.html” size=”lg” style=”metro” color=”juicy-orange” block=”yes”]

Steps to Install Official LineageOS 16 on Samsung Galaxy A3 (2016)

In this guide we will share with you two methods to install the official LineageOS 16 on the Samsung Galaxy A3 (2016) device. First we will look at how to install the LineageOS via the Heimdall Suite for Samsung and then we will look at how to install the Lineage OS 16 via the Custom Recovery i.e. TWRP. Let us take a look at both the methods and you can choose whichever options works best for you;

Method 1: Installation Using Heimdall Suite

  1. Firstly, download the Heimdall suite from the above download section based on the OS that you are running on your PC.
  2. Now follow the below instructions to install the Heimdall Suite on your compatible OS (Windows, Mac or Linux)
    • Windows: Download and extract the Heimdall suite and note the location of the directory containing heimdall.exe. You can check whether Heimdall is working or not, by opening a command prompt in the same folder where you have extracted the Heimdall suite and typing heimdall version. If you receive an error, make sure you install the Microsoft Visual C++ 2012 Redistributable Package (x86) installed on your computer.
    • Linux: Download the Linux compatible Heimdall suite. Check whether the Heimdall is installed by running heimdall version in the terminal.
    • macOS: Install the dmg package. After installation, Heimdall should be available from the terminal. Type heimdall version to double-check.
  3. Then, turn OFF your device.
  4. Boot into the Download Mode by pressing Volume Down + Home + Power buttons, together.
  5. Accept the disclaimer and connect your Samsung Galaxy A3 to the PC via a USB cable.
  6. Below are the instructions for Windows PC only;
    • Install all the drivers in the Heimdall download file.
    • Run the zadiag.exe from the Drivers folder of the Heimdall suite.
    • Now, choose Options>>List all devices from the menu.
    • Select the Samsung USB composite device or Device Name from the drop-down menu.
    • Click on Replace Driver.
    • Then, you need to select Install this driver anyway. Just complete the installation by selecting the options that allow you to carry on the installation.
    • Now, in your PC, open a command prompt and type;
      heimdall print-pit
    • If your device reboots, then the Heimdall suite is installed successfully.

Install a Custom Recovery Using Heimdall Suite

  1. Download any custom recovery like TWRP.
  2. Now, turn OFF your smartphone.
  3. You need to boot into the Download Mode. To do this press the Volume Down + Home + Power button together.
  4. Accept the disclaimer and connect your smartphone to the PC using a USB cable.
  5. Open the command prompt on the same folder where the recovery image is located and type the below;
    heimdall flash --RECOVERY <recovery_filename>.img --no-reboot
    (Note that you need to change the “<recovery_filename>.img” file name to the name of the image file you have downloaded.)
  6. You will see a blue loading bar on your device’s screen confirming the transfer of the file.
  7. Unplug the USB cable from your device.
  8. Now, you need to reboot your device to recovery mode quickly once you have installed the custom recovery to avoid issues, by pressing the Volume UP + Home + Power buttons together.
  9. That’s It.

Method 2: Installation Using TWRP Custom Recovery

  1. Download the LineageOS 16 from the above download section.
  2. You can also optionally download the Google Apps (arm64) for your Samsung Galaxy A3 (2016).
  3. Boot into the recovery mode by pressing Volume Up + Home + Power buttons together.
  4. Now, return back to the Main Menu and then type Wipe.
  5. To format the data, tap on the Format Data button, to begin the formatting process.
  6. Now, return to the previous menu and tap on the Advanced Wipe.
  7. You now need to clear the Cache and System partitions. Swipe to Wipe.
  8. Now, sideload the LineageOS.zip package:
    • On the device, select “Advanced“, “ADB Sideload“, then Swipe to begin the sideload process.
    • On the host machine, sideload the package using:adb sideload filename.zip
  9. Once the installation is finished run the below command:adb reboot
  10. That’s it! You have successfully installed the official LineageOS 16 for Samsung Galaxy A3 (2016).

So, there you have it from my side in this article. Hope you guys liked this post and have successfully installed the official Lineage OS 16 [nightly] on your Samsung Galaxy A3 (2016). Please do let us know in the comments section on whether you have installed the LineageOS 16 on your device and also do let us know all the new features that it has. Moreover, do let us know any issues faced by you while the installation of Lineage OS 16 on your device. Note that this is an official LineageOS 16 for the Samsung Galaxy A3 and all the bugs and issues have been fixed with the latest update. Until the next post…Cheers!

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