AOKP stands for Android Open Kang Project. It is a custom ROM distribution for several high-end Android devices. The name is a play on the word kang and AOSP (Android Open Source Project). The name was sort of a joke, but it just stuck, just like our infatuation with unicorns.

We fork the source code of Android that Google puts out in the open with every major version release, and we then add the magical unicorn bytes (read: we add some of the coolest features that are both useful and make your ROM awesome).

With AOKP, you can generally do a lot more with your device than what you could do with the original firmware that came installed on it.

We were waiting for when you’d ask this.

There are a variety of reasons why a hilly billy Android user, on a bright sunny day, would suddenly start using AOKP and loving it.

For one, AOKP is lightweight. Most OEMs provide a heavy UI layer over Android and have loads of bloatware (i.e. apps that not everyone use every day, but you cannot remove because they’re “baked in” by default). Since AOKP is built upon vanilla Android source, it has neither of the above.

Also AOKP has features that you will not find on your stock firmware. You can have a multitude of toggles to quickly flip a lot of your phone’s settings right at your fingertips, or you can launch apps quickly from any screen using our Ribbons.

You can change almost each and every aspect of the OS, from its looks to the way it functions, with total freedom. And did we tell you, AOKP helps you make tacos?

We have two different kinds of builds/releases - Nightlies, and Milestones.

Nightlies: Automatic builds, every 3 days, of the latest code committed (may contain nuts bugs).

Milestones: Most stable builds, usually released once a month.

To be notified of new releases, grab the AOKPush App and profit!

You can find builds and milestone releases in our Devices section. Be sure to find your device and to download the newest gapps (which are also linked at the bottom).

AOKP started in November 2011.

We’ve been going strong ever since.