Install Android 2.3 Gingerbread on Motorola Droid

The Motorola Droid was the first Android smartphone which posed a serious threat to the iPhone. It was heavily marketed by both Motorola and Verizon. It was partially responsible for the Android explosion. Motorola became a brand to reckon with and came back in the smartphone game, thanks to the Droid campaign.

However, since the launch of other Android smartphones like the Droid X, Galaxy S and the Desire, the original Motorola Droid has been pushed out of the limelight. It is still a very capable phone though. In this tutorial, I will show you how to bring it back from the dead and install Android 2.3 Gingerbread on the Motorola Droid.

The process is a bit risky, and may brick your phone, so continue at your own risk. However, if you don't do this, there is a very slim chance that Motorola will bring an official Android 2.3 upgrade for Motorola Droid users, so you will be stuck with an older version forever. Also, many users have tried this successfully on their Droids, so it's probably quite safe.

Complete Guide: Installing Android 2.3 Gingerbread on Motorola Droid

1. To install Android 2.3 on your Motorola Droid using this method, you need to have ROM Manager installed on your phone to install, backup and restore ROMs.

To use ROM Manager, your Motorola Droid should be rooted. If it isn't, first root your Droid and then come back to this tutorial.

2. Go to the Android Market on your Motorola Droid and search for the ROM Manager app. Download the Clockwork Mod ROM Manager application and install it. Using this application, you can flash ROMs on your phone, backup your ROM and also restore from existing ROMs.

3. Download the Android 2.3 Gingerbread ROM backup for the Motorola Droid by Steinman and Neubanks89.

4. Start ROM Manager and select the Flash Clockworkmod Recovery option to install the recovery image and backup the current ROM on your Droid.

5. Copy the Android 2.3 Gingerbread ROM you downloaded and copy it to your SD card \ Clockwork mod \ Backup after connecting your phone to your PC.

5. Now start the ROM Manager app again, and go to Manage and Restore Backups. Select the Android 2.3 Gingerbread backup ROM you downloaded and click on Restore.

7. ROM Manager will restore your Motorola Droid using this ROM with Android 2.3 Gingerbread.

Your phone should be running Android 2.3 in a few minutes. If you encounter any problem with the process, just go to ROM Manager and restore your original ROM.

Android 2.3 Backup ROM Source: Droid Forums

If you have any problems with the ROM restoring process or want an update to this ROM, check out Droid Forums.