After testing dozens of builds on XDA and Telegram, these are the current top performers for stability, features, and daily driving.
The Samsung Galaxy A8 Star (SM-G8850 / SM-G885Y) was a striking mid-range contender when it launched in 2018. With its sleek glass design, Super AMOLED display, and capable Snapdragon 660 chipset, it offered a premium feel without the flagship price tag. However, as years have passed, Samsung has long ceased providing major OS updates for this device.
If you still have an A8 Star gathering dust in a drawer—or use it as a daily driver—you’ve likely noticed the sluggish performance, outdated Android 9 or 10 interface, and lack of modern security patches. The solution? Custom ROMs. samsung a8 star custom rom top
Flashing a custom ROM can completely transform your A8 Star, offering faster performance, new Android versions (up to Android 14), and a bloatware-free experience. Here are the top custom ROMs currently available for the device.
Why it’s top: LineageOS is the most mature and stable custom ROM for the A8 Star. Thanks to the efforts of independent developers on forums like XDA and Telegram, Android 13 is running smoothly on this device. After testing dozens of builds on XDA and
Once you have TWRP installed:
Why it’s top: One of the few Android 14 ROMs available for the A8 Star (though still in beta/alpha for this device). Device Context: The Samsung Galaxy A8 Star, released
Device Context: The Samsung Galaxy A8 Star, released in 2018, was a unique upper-mid-range device notable for its Super AMOLED display and dual front cameras. However, in 2024, the official software (Android 9 Pie or Android 10, depending on the region) is severely outdated.
Installing a Custom ROM is the best way to extend the life of this device, gaining features like Dark Mode, improved privacy, better gesture navigation, and UI customizations that Samsung's OneUI 1.x/2.x lacked.
Since the A8 Star has a Snapdragon 660 processor, it has decent custom kernel support, but the device is aging. The "Top" ROMs are currently categorized into three buckets: Stability, Features, and AOSP purity.