What is Custom Recovery?

What is a Custom Recovery? 

You read about all the cool ROMs out there and the prerequisite for any of those ROMs was installing a custom recovery. Now you have googled what is a custom recovery? Before going into what a custom recovery is let us start with what actually is Android Recovery? Android Recovery is a software that is installed is an exclusive part of the bootable partition.

Each android phone maker has their own recovery although they perform the same basic tasks which are factory resetting the device and installing OS updates signed by the manufacturer. Over all stock recovery is very limited in its functions. Stock recovery can be accessed by pressing specific hardware buttons. Stock recovery is not designed to be used and accessed by a common smartphone user. Usually you go to settings on your smartphone to factory reset the phone.  When you start factory reset you are basically taken to recovery where the factory reset takes place. Same as when you receive a new update and you start installing it, the phone takes you to recovery and the installations begins.

Types of Custom Recoveries? 

Custom Recoveries are third party android recoveries made by independent developers. Custom Recoveries are designed and coded to offer a lot more then stock recoveries. There are two main Custom Recoveries TWRP and ClockworkMod Recovery. Although they have a different aesthetic they perform the same amount of operations.

TWRP

CWM

Uses of Custom Recovery?

A custom recovery allows you take make full system backups which is highly recommended before installing a custom ROM. This backup is called a Nandroid Backup. When making a backup you can also choose which partition to back up from System, Data, Cache, Boot and EFS. Nandroid backup made by one custom recovery cannot be restored in the other so it is recommended to stick with one recovery. Custom recovery is also used to install custom ROMs and flash other third party files which are not signed by manufacturers. Another amazing feature is to mount partition so you can copy files from an SD card or mount specific partitions which you can access through ADB on a computer. Using custom recovery, you can reset specific partitions, Dalvik Cache, System, Data, Internal Storage, Cache, of the phone. This is very useful if you just want to install an update of a custom ROMs then you will just choose Dalvik Cache and Cache to format.

Final Thoughts

Custom recoveries are only necessary to install if you like to mess around your Android phone. Without custom recovery, you would not be able to install custom ROMs or restore if something went wrong. Before installing custom recovery, you should find a custom recovery compatible for your device. Check out https://twrp.me/Devices/ and find your device from their list to install TWRP.

Which custom recovery do you prefer to use? Let us know below in the comments.