The Google Nexus 7 was just recently released, yet a CyanogenMod 10 ROM has already been reported to be working well with the tablet. The CyanogenMod 10 custom ROM isn’t much of a surprise, as Nexus devices are already linked with Google. Consider the new ROM as Google’s own way of hyping their devices as well as giving it much developer support from the community.

The Nexus 7, with its beefy quad-core processor and Tegra 3-powered chipset, is one of the powerful tablets on the market to date. And, what’s even better is that you can modify your tablet to perform faster by installing the latest CyanogenMod 10 ROM.

Check out our guide below to learn how to install CyanogenMod 10 on the Nexus 7 Android tablet.

Warning

• The instructions in this guide are intended for use with the ASUS Google Nexus 7. Applying these instructions on another device or model may produce undesired outcomes.
• The information in this guide is provided for instructional and educational purposes only. There is no guarantee that these instructions will work under your specific and unique circumstances.
• Use these instructions at your own risk. We shall not hold any responsibility or liability for whatever happens to you or your device arising from your use of the info in this guide.
• Read and understand the whole guide first before actually performing the instructions.

Requirements

• ASUS Google Nexus 7 with ClockworkMod Recovery installed.
  • Need help with ClockworkMod Recovery and rooting? You can check our guide how to unlock the bootloader, root, and flash ClockworkMod Recovery on your Nexus 7 Android tablet.
• Fully charged battery or at least 70% battery left.
• Download the following files and save it to your computer.
  • CyanogenMod 10 ROM (cm-10-20120724-UNOFFICIAL-grouper.zip,md5sum: fc7d8e40cbf93289267b6674d2d4e9ad)
    • MediaFire Link
    • Goo.im Link
  • Google Apps Package (gapps-jb-20120717-signed.zip, md5sum: 10988c023495b7871514f2d69cbc2503)
• Backup all personal data on your phone to make sure you have a copy of your personal data (e.g., contacts, SMS, MMS, Internet settings, Wi-Fi passwords, and the like) in case the procedure in this guide erases such data.
  • For backup tips, check our guides on how to sync your data to the cloud and how to create local backups of your mobile data.

Instructions

1. Copy the two downloaded ZIP files into your tablet's SD card.
2. Turn off your tablet.
3. Boot into ClockworkMod Recovery. You can do this by pressing and holding down the Volume Up, Volume Down, and Power buttons until your tablet boots into ClockworkMod Recovery.
4. Create a NANDroid backup of your existing ROM. To perform a backup, select Backup and Restore, and on the screen that follows, select Backup. Head back to the main recovery menu after backup is complete.
5. Select Wipe Data/Factory Reset, then select Yes on the screen that follows to confirm data wipe.
6. Select Install ZIP From SD Card. Select Choose ZIP From SD Card, then browse for the downloaded CyanogenMod 10 ROM file and select it. Confirm the installation process by selecting Yes on the next screen.
7. Repeat the step 6, but this time around, select the GApps package ZIP file to install the necessary Google applications.
8. After the installation is complete, head back to the main recovery menu by selecting Go Back.
9. Reboot your tablet by selecting Reboot System Now.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed the unofficial CyanogenMod 10 ROM on your Google Nexus 7.