Download and Install AOSP Android 13 on Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge

The Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge (codenames herolte and hero2lte) launched in February 2016, with the S7 Edge adding the dual-curved screen. Both shipped with Android 6.0 Marshmallow and got as far as Android 8.0 Oreo officially. This guide shows you how to go well past that and run an unofficial Android 13 custom ROM on the S7 or S7 Edge, close to vanilla Android.

Samsung Galaxy S7 overview

The Galaxy S7 has a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display at 1440 x 2560, powered by the octa-core Exynos 8890 (four Mongoose cores at 2.3GHz and four Cortex-A53 cores at 1.6GHz, built on a 14nm process). It comes with 4GB of RAM and 32 or 64GB of storage, with a microSD slot for up to 256GB more. The rear camera is a single 12MP f/1.7 shooter, with a 5MP front camera, and the phone has a 3,000mAh battery and a front-mounted fingerprint sensor. It shipped on Android 6.0 Marshmallow and was later updated to Android 8.0 Oreo. (The S7 Edge is largely the same with a bigger 5.5-inch curved screen and a 3,600mAh battery.)

Android 13 features

Android 13 built on the Material You design that arrived with Android 12, refining the theming, rounded corners, and pop-ups. On top of that it added per-app language preferences, an app permission for sending notifications, themed app icons, and Bluetooth LE Audio support. There are also smaller touches like a built-in QR scanner, tap-to-transfer media controls, multiple profiles for NFC payments, and an updated now-playing widget.

What works and known bugs

Across these Android 13 builds, the main hardware generally works: Wi-Fi, mobile data, RIL, VoLTE, GPS, Bluetooth, the camera and camcorder, the flashlight, the fingerprint sensor, FM radio, sound, and vibration.

What is broken, if anything, depends on the specific ROM and build. Check the ROM’s XDA thread for its current known-issues list before you flash.

How to install AOSP Android 13 on the Galaxy S7 / S7 Edge (herolte / hero2lte)

Work through the requirements below before the install steps.

Prerequisites

Back up your phone

Create a backup of your device storage and files first. The install wipes the phone, and following the steps carefully is how you avoid bricking it.

Charge the phone

Charge to at least 50% so the phone does not shut down partway through the process.

Download ADB and Fastboot

You can skip this part if you already have TWRP installed on your S7/Edge. Otherwise, download the ADB and Fastboot binaries (platform-tools). ADB creates the connection between phone and PC so you can sideload files, and Fastboot handles lower-level flashing.

Download Samsung USB drivers

Install the Samsung USB drivers on your PC so it detects the phone over USB for file transfer and flashing.

Unlock the bootloader

You have to unlock the bootloader on your S7/Edge before you can run any custom ROM.

Install TWRP recovery

You need TWRP to flash a custom ROM. After unlocking the bootloader, follow our guide to install TWRP on the Galaxy S7 or the Galaxy S7 Edge.

Download an Android 13 ROM

Pick one of the Android 13 custom ROMs for the S7/Edge (herolte/hero2lte) below.

Download Android 13 GApps

Most AOSP ROMs ship without the Google apps. If you want them, download an Android 13 GApps package; MindTheGapps is the variant most of these ROMs recommend. Skip this if the ROM already includes Google apps or you plan to use microG.

Installation steps

1. Copy the ROM ZIP (and the GApps ZIP, if you are using it) to the phone’s internal storage.
2. Connect the phone to the PC with a USB cable, with USB debugging enabled.
3. Open the platform-tools folder on your PC, type CMD in the address bar, and press Enter to open a Command Prompt.
   
4. Boot the phone into TWRP, either with the command below or by using the Volume and Power button combination:

   adb reboot recovery

   

5. In TWRP, go to Wipe and tap Advanced Wipe. Select System, Data, Cache, and Vendor, then swipe to format them. If you are coming from a different ROM or the phone is encrypted, use Format Data (type yes) so the new ROM will boot.
6. Go to Install, select the Android 13 ROM ZIP, and swipe right to flash it.
7. If you want the Google apps, go back to Install and flash the GApps ZIP the same way, before the first boot.
8. Wipe the cache, then go to Reboot and select System.
   

The first boot can take several minutes, and you will set the phone up from scratch afterward.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did the Galaxy S7 officially get Android 13?

No. Samsung stopped the S7 and S7 Edge at Android 8.0 Oreo. Android 13 on these phones only comes from community custom ROMs like the ones listed above.

Which ROM should I pick?

LineageOS 20 is the closest to clean Android and includes signature spoofing and OTA updates. Pixel Experience leans toward a Pixel-style look and feel, and Evolution X adds more customization. Any of them is a reasonable starting point.

Will installing it erase my data?

Yes. Unlocking the bootloader and wiping/formatting data both erase the phone, so back up first.

Does flashing trip KNOX?

Yes, and it is permanent. Unlocking the bootloader and flashing a custom ROM trip the KNOX counter, which voids the warranty and disables KNOX features like Samsung Pay and Secure Folder.

Which models does this work on?

The Exynos Galaxy S7 (SM-G930F, herolte) and S7 Edge (SM-G935F, hero2lte). The Snapdragon US and carrier models (such as the G930U or G930A) are not covered by these builds.

Conclusion

An Android 13 ROM is a solid way to keep an Exynos Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge useful long after Samsung stopped updating it. Pick a build for your exact model, back up first, and let the flash finish. If you hit a bug or stability issue, report it on that ROM’s XDA thread so the maintainer can look into it. If you want to go one step newer, there is also our Android 14 guide for the S7/S7 Edge.