Before you dive in, you need to understand the environment. Unlike Xiaomi or Samsung devices, the Nova 5T does not have an official, working build of the latest Android version (Android 14/15) widely available.
The development community for this device has slowed significantly. The most stable, daily-driver ready custom ROMs you will find today are based on Android 11 and Android 12. While that sounds "old" compared to modern flagships, the Nova 5T hardware is so capable that running Android 12 on a custom ROM makes the phone feel faster and fresher than many mid-range devices released this year.
The Huawei Nova 5T (codenamed Harry) occupies a strange, bittersweet spot in smartphone history. Launched in late 2019, it was a spec-sheet monster featuring the Kirin 980—a flagship processor that could go toe-to-toe with the Snapdragon 855. It had a premium glass build, a killer LCD screen, and a price tag that undercut the competition violently. Nova 5t Custom Rom
But it also launched right as Huawei’s trade ban in the US began to tighten. For many, the Nova 5T was the last great Huawei phone they ever bought. Today, in 2024, running the stock firmware on this device is a relic of a bygone era. The software is stale, Google Mobile Services (GMS) are missing by default, and updates have long ceased.
If you are still holding onto this hardware, you are sitting on a goldmine of performance that is being held back by software. It is time to unlock that potential. Here is the state of the Custom ROM scene for the Nova 5T. Before you dive in, you need to understand the environment
Most ROMs are based on Android 12, 13, or 14 and are found on the Telegram Group (Huawei Nova 5T / Honor 20 – Yale).
| ROM Name | Android Version | Stability | Features | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | LineageOS 19.1 | 12 | Very Stable | Lightweight, close to stock AOSP, good battery. | | LineageOS 20 | 13 | Stable | Latest security patches, improved UI. | | crDroid | 9 (Android 13) | Stable | Highly customizable, many features. | | Pixel Experience | 12/13 | Stable | Pixel look & feel, Google apps included. | | Project Elixir | 13 | Stable | Feature-rich, good performance. | | Evolution X | 13/14 | Beta/Stable | Pixel-like with extra customizations. | | DerpFest | 13 | Stable | Smooth, unique customizations. | If you prefer the look and feel of
Assuming you have unlocked your bootloader (or paid someone legitimate to do it), you will need:
(Skip this step if you are already unlocked)
If you prefer the look and feel of a Google Pixel, Evolution X ports have been popular for the Nova 5T.
The most significant development for the Nova 5T is the availability of ROMs with Builtin GMS (Google Mobile Services). On stock Huawei firmware, you had to struggle with "Gspace" or microG to get the Play Store working. On custom ROMs like crDroid or Evolution X (ported for this device), Google services are often integrated into the system layer. This means no sandboxing lag, no crashing notifications, and a native Android experience that works exactly how you expect it to.