Unveiled in January 2016, the Redmi 3/Prime most probably will get official Android Nougat (MIUI 8) update from Xiaomi soon. However, if you prefer stock UI to Xiaomi’s heavily customized MIUI, deep customization and CyanogenMod features, then the CM14.1 custom ROM is the best choice.

Note that CyanogenMod 14.1 is a Nightly build, which means the ROM may include several bugs that are not yet identified, buggy and unstable. Do not flash it now on your Redmi 3/Prime, if it is your main phone. However, if you are ready to face certain issues, go ahead and flash CM14.1 straightaway. Prerequisites for installing official CM14.1 on Redmi 3/Prime – Bootloader unlocked, root access and latest version of TWRP recovery installed – Backup every important data you have on the phone – Above 80% battery charge remaining on the phone

How to Install CM14.1 on Redmi 3/Prime (ido)

  1. Download CM14.1 (ido) for Redmi 3/Prime from here.
  2. Download Android 7.1 compatible Gapps package from here.
  3. Save both zip files (ROM and Gapps) on your phone’s storage.
  4. Boot your phone into TWRP recovery (Switch off the phone, press and hold Power + Volume Up buttons together).
  5. In TWRP recovery, choose ‘Backup’ option and backup complete system (recommended).
  6. Now, select ‘Wipe’ and then Factory Reset.
  7. Now, select ‘Install’, navigate to /sdcard and select the CyanogenMod 14.1 zip package. After the installation finished, install Gapps zip file.
  8. Once installation has finished, return to the main menu and select Reboot, then System. The device will now boot into CyanogenMod 14.1. The first boot will take few minutes. Once booted up, set up and enjoy CM14.1 (Android 7.1). Any question? Leave it in the comment section below (Source – CM)