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There is no single safe flashing sequence for every Android 16 custom ROM on the Nothing Phone (2). The device’s codename is Pong, and each ROM maintainer may require a different starting firmware, recovery, partition-flashing method, or data-formatting sequence. Choose a build explicitly made for Pong, back up your data, and follow that build’s current instructions from start to finish.
Which Android 16 ROMs are available for Nothing Phone (2)?
A CustomDroid catalogue snapshot dated September 16, 2026 listed 12 tracked ROMs for the Phone (2), with 8 marked current. Its entries spanned Android 14, 15, and 16, including a LineageOS Android 16 v23.2 build. These are catalogue counts from that date—not a guarantee that every listed project remains maintained or that a build is stable, complete, or suitable for your needs.
Before downloading, confirm that the release is specifically for Nothing Phone (2), codename Pong. A ROM for another Nothing phone, a generic Android image, or a differently named device variant is not interchangeable just because the Android version matches.
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Compare the build instructions, not just the Android version
Availability alone does not establish build quality, hardware support, update cadence, or compatibility with banking apps and Play Integrity. Check the exact release notes and installation guide for:
#1 Best Overall
- Nothing OS 2.0: A new visual identity. Customise everything from app labels and grid design to widget size and colour themes. Now with new folder layouts. Create widgets for quick settings functions or save time by adding key widgets directly to your lock screen. The new Glyph Interface: Key information, in a flash. Assign different light and sound sequences for each contact and notification type. Use the lights to track progress or create your very own ringtones with the Glyph Composer.
- Camera: We’ve upgraded the camera’s internal software entirely so photos and videos are more dynamically accurate than ever. A new bigger 32 MP front sensor captures picture-perfect portraits. Dual rear 50 MP main + 50 MP ultra-wide camera effortlessly captures real life with smart tuning effects like Advanced HDR, Motion Capture 2.0 and Night Mode. New 2x Super-Res Zoom preserves a scene's finest details. Video: 4k 60fps videos on the main rear camera and 1080P at 60fps on the front camera.
- Display: 6.7” LTPO OLED display with 1600 nit peak pixel brightness and Gorilla Glass 5 (front and back). With LTPO, Phone (2) can intuitively adapt its 120 Hz refresh rate to preserve power when you're not on your phone. A killer display that doesn’t murder battery life. NOTE: AT&T (full support), T-Mobile (full support) - THIS DEVICE IS NOT COMPATIBLE with CDMA carriers such as Cricket, Verizon, Sprint, Boost Mobile, US Cellular, etc.
- Battery: At 4,700 mAh, Phone (2) houses our longest lasting battery yet. Charge fully in just 55 minutes. Lasts up to 22.5 hours. Compatible with 15W Qi wireless charging. Phone (2) also doubles as a 5W wireless charger so you can power accessories like Ear (2) on-the-go. Chipset: With the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, Phone (2) boasts an 80% improvement on performance over its predecessor. Now with rapid speed, the best in-house heat management, and advanced camera capabilities.
- Sustainability: 100% recycled aluminium mid-frame, 100% recycled tin on 9 circuit boards, 100% recycled copper foil on the main circuit board, and over 90% recycled steel on all 28 steel stamping parts. Plus, 80% of the plastic parts are sustainably sourced. The packaging for Phone (2) is entirely plastic free with 60% of the paper included coming from recycled sources.
- Whether the build targets Pong and which starting firmware version it requires.
- Which recovery and image files are required, and the order in which to use them.
- Whether installation uses recovery sideload, a ZIP in recovery, fastboot update, or individual partition images.
- Whether Google Apps are included or must be installed separately, if you need them.
- Known hardware limitations, update instructions, and the maintainer’s rollback or recovery guidance.
What to prepare before flashing
Back up and verify your data
Plan for a complete data wipe. The Phone (2) installation guide describes ROM flashing as erasing data, and bootloader unlocking also commonly entails a factory reset. Copy important files somewhere separate from the phone and verify that the backup can be opened before proceeding. Do not treat a cloud sync as a complete backup unless you have checked that it includes everything you need.
Confirm the build and its prerequisites
Read the chosen maintainer’s current instructions for the exact Pong release. Record the required starting firmware, recovery or partition images, installation method, add-ons, formatting steps, and any stated rollback path. If the guide does not identify a requirement clearly, stop and resolve that uncertainty with the project’s documentation rather than borrowing a step from another ROM.
Set up a computer connection if the guide requires one
For computer-based ADB or Fastboot steps, install Google’s Android SDK Platform-Tools and use a data-capable USB cable. A cable that only charges the phone will not provide the data connection those steps need. USB connection is also part of Google’s official Android Flash Tool workflow, but not every custom ROM uses that tool.
Why the flashing steps differ between ROMs
A device-specific guide published by DroidWin on August 26, 2026 illustrates that Phone (2) ROM workflows are not interchangeable. Depending on the build, instructions may call for recovery and adb sideload, installing a ZIP from recovery, using fastboot update, flashing separate partition images, or wiping the super partition. Some procedures also specify formatting data before installation, after installation, or at both points.
| Instruction type | What it means for your procedure |
|---|---|
| Recovery with ADB sideload | Use the specified recovery and its sideload mode to send the named package from the computer; do not substitute another recovery’s steps. |
| ZIP installed from recovery | Install the designated ZIP through the recovery interface, following the release’s stated order for any additional packages. |
fastboot update |
Use only when the maintainer explicitly provides a compatible package and directs this method. |
| Partition images or super-partition wipe | These instructions affect specific partitions and can differ substantially from a recovery ZIP install; use only the exact image set and sequence for the build. |
| Data formatting | Format only when and where the chosen guide says to. Formatting is destructive, and the timing is not universal. |
The table describes categories of steps, not a flash recipe. A command or image set intended for one ROM can be wrong for another, even when both target Pong and use Android 16.
How to approach the installation
Use this as a planning sequence, not as a universal command-by-command procedure. The selected ROM maintainer’s current instructions take precedence at every stage.
Rank #2
- 6.7" flexible LTPO AMOLED display, HDR10+ & SGS Low Blue Light, 10-bit color depth, 120Hz refresh rate, 2412x1080px at 394 ppi, 4700mAh Battery, LED Glyph Backdoor
- 256GB/12GB RAM, No SD Card Slot, Qualcomm SM8475 Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4nm), Octa-Core, Adreno 730
- Rear Camera: 50MP, f/1.9 + 50MP, f/2.2 (ultrawide), OIS, Video: 4K at 30/60fps, Front Camera: 32MP, f/2.5, Android 13, Nothing OS 2.6
- CDMA 800/1900, 3G: HSDPA 800/850/900/1700(AWS)/1900/2100; 4G LTE: 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/17/18/19/20/25/26/28/30/32/34/38/39/40/41/42/48/66/71; 5G: 1/2/3/5/7/8/12/20/25/28/30/38/40/41/66/71/75/77/78 SA/NSA - Dual SIM
- Professionally Renewed Device. Compatible with Most GSM Carriers like AT&T, T-Mobile, MetroPCS, etc. Will not work with CDMA Carriers Such as Verizon, Straight Talk, etc.,
- Back up your data. Confirm that important files are stored off the phone and accessible.
- Identify the exact release. Verify the Pong device target, required starting firmware, and any stated prerequisites in the release documentation.
- Prepare the required tools and files. Install Platform-Tools if the instructions use ADB or Fastboot. Obtain only the recovery, images, and packages specified for that exact release.
- Enable the required developer options. The Phone (2) guide describes enabling USB debugging and OEM unlocking. Follow the device and ROM instructions for the settings required by your procedure.
- Unlock the bootloader only as directed. Android’s documentation describes
fastboot flashing unlockas a supported-device mechanism for unlocking partitions for reflashing. OEM unlocking enables the ability to unlock where supported; it does not prove that a particular build or procedure is appropriate for your phone. Confirm the current device-specific steps before using any unlock command, and expect data loss. - Install or boot the specified recovery or images. Follow the build’s precise file names, partitions, and order. Do not mix recovery images or partition instructions from different releases.
- Flash the ROM using its documented method. Use the maintainer’s recovery, sideload, Fastboot, or other stated procedure—never combine methods because they appear similar.
- Format data only as specified, then reboot as directed. Do not add extra wipes or skip required formatting based on another ROM’s guide.
- Check the device after startup. Confirm that the phone boots and test the functions you rely on before treating the installation as complete.
What unlocking does—and what it does not tell you
The Android Open Source Project documentation says, “By default, most Android devices ship with a locked bootloader, meaning that users can’t flash the bootloader or device partitions.” On supported devices, unlocking permits reflashing; the OEM unlocking setting enables unlock ability where supported. That general Android explanation is not a substitute for the Nothing Phone (2) steps or the selected ROM maintainer’s requirements.
Android’s Android 16 Generic System Image (GSI) binaries are described as experimental. Android warns that using them may erase all data or make parts of a device unusable, and says GSI use requires an unlocked bootloader and a Treble-compliant device originally launched with Android 9 or later. Those cautions concern generic system images. They should not be applied automatically to every device-specific Pong ROM, which has its own files and instructions.
How to check the phone after installation
A successful flash is not proof that every feature works. Use the chosen project’s release notes and test the functions that matter to you:
- Boot and restart behavior.
- Calls, cellular connection, and mobile data.
- Wi-Fi and camera.
- Encryption and the ability to install future updates as documented.
- Google services, if needed, and any banking or other apps that depend on integrity checks.
Feature status can vary by build. The catalogue listing and general device guide do not establish that every Android 16 ROM supports all of these functions.
When not to continue
- The release does not explicitly name Nothing Phone (2) or Pong as its target.
- You cannot confirm the required starting firmware or the correct recovery and image files.
- The instructions conflict, are incomplete, or refer to a different release.
- You have not made and checked a backup, or you are not prepared for a data wipe.
- You need a feature the maintainer has not confirmed for that build.
Nothing Community’s Phone (2) development thread links the device kernel source and community development resources, reflecting the community-led nature of this work. Follow the maintainer of the specific ROM for installation and recovery guidance; do not assume a catalogue entry or a general guide supersedes the project’s latest release instructions.
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