Install Android 2.3 Gingerbread on your HTC Desire

It seems HTC just can't make up its mind about updates for the original HTC Desire. First it was getting Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), then it wasn't, apparently due to a lack of memory, and the next day the smartphone maker changed its mind again.

Assuming Gingerbread ever shows up for the Desire an update may be months off and then it could take even longer for the networks to distribute. If you can't be bothered to wait around only to get something packed with logos and uninstallable apps, why not skip all that and install Gingerbread on your HTC Desire right now?

Rooted handset required

To get Gingerbread before HTC says we can a Desire with root is a necessity. Root means you have administrator rights on the phone, giving access to system files and the ability to change stuff that can't normally be modified like, say, completely replacing the operating system.

Rooting the Desire isn't hard. A utility called Unrevoked does most of the work and we've extensively covered the process before. You can follow that guide, which goes into great detail, and just stop at part 2. Otherwise, here's the condensed version (for a Windows PC):

1) If you have it, uninstall HTC Sync.

2) Download Unrevoked.

3) Download and install the HBOOT driver.

4) Run Unrevoked.

5) On the Desire enable USB Debugging and set the default connection type to Charge.

6) Connect the phone and let Unrevoked do its thing, the process shouldn't take long.

(Our previous guide includes formatting an SD card to use Apps2SD+, this isn't necessary for Gingerbread but is helpful to increase storage space for apps)

Be warned that rooting does carry a degree of risk. Should something go wrong it can result in a dead handset, but generally Android devices are pretty resilient so unless that something is the battery dropping out halfway through it's probably okay. Even if it fails, restarting the phone is usually enough to get it working. If it hangs for a while at any point just pull the battery and boot up again.

ClockworkMod Recovery

Once Unrevoked has worked its magic you'll have a new recovery menu which is accessed by switching on the phone while holding the power and volume down buttons. Use the volume key to scroll to Recovery then hit the power button. After a moment ClockworkMod Recovery will load.

ClockworkMod is a replacement Recovery tool which gives us the ability to apply system patches and updates, and perform complete backups of the entire phone. Do that first - scroll to Backup and Restore and press Backup. If anything goes wrong simply repeat the previous steps but choose Restore instead and the phone will return to its previous state, apps and all.

We'll also need to wipe the handset to install the new operating system, but first you'll have to download the necessary software.

Download a Gingerbread ROM

Android is open source, meaning anyone can get hold of the source code to create their own customised phone OS. The code for Gingerbread has already been released so thanks to the hard work of the Android community we can use our new recovery tool to apply compiled Gingerbread ROM packages on a HTC Desire, without having to wait for HTC to release its official edition.

The best place to download a ROM is XDA Developers, the premier Android development community. Click to the Desire development section and you'll see many topics advertising the latest ROMs with Android 2.3. There's a vast selection available, among the more popular and frequently updated distributions are Oxygen, CyanogenMod and LeeDroid.

Read through the posts to get an idea of what each offers. Some, like Oxygen and Ginger Villain, are designed to be fast, clean and simple with just the base Android OS. Others include the HTC Sense UI for an experience closer to the standard HTC Desire software.

Important thing to remember is that it doesn't matter if you change your mind because with ClockworkMod Recovery installing, deleting and restoring the operating system is really easy.

When you're ready to go, download the ROM (or ROMs) and copy it to the phone's memory card.

Installing Gingerbread

Once you've got a backup and a shiny new Gingerbread ROM ready to roll, load up ClockworkMod Recovery. To prepare use the wipe data/factory reset and wipe cache partition options. This will wipe the phone completely so make sure you have everything backed up first (it will not touch files stored on your SD card, but make sure those are saved too, just in case). Remember to do this every time a new ROM is installed.

Once it's wiped select install zip from sdcard from the ClockworkMod Recovery menu, scroll down the list of files on the MicroSD card and choose the ROM file to install.

Installation will not take long. Keep an eye on the screen for any error messages, if it fails, wipe and try again. If the problems continue download the ROM file again or try a different distribution.

Once the installation is finished you'll be back in Recovery. Click Reboot. The first time the phone starts up after installing a new ROM it will take a little while, perhaps 5-10 minutes or longer, so be patient. If it goes on for more than 30 minutes pull the battery and restart.

If all has gone well your HTC Desire will now be running Gingerbread!

What's new in Gingerbread

• Improved performance

Opening menus, switching home screens and loading apps is all a little bit quicker with Android 2.3.

• Longer battery life

It's not a massive difference but Gingerbread's power management is more efficient so the battery last slightly longer.

• New lock animation

When the phone is locked or unlocked there's a new animation which emulates an old CRT monitor being switched off. Check YouTube for examples. Possibly the best reason to upgrade.

• Better keyboard

The original Android keyboard was awful but Gingerbread has a redesigned layout with word prediction feature, and it's a huge improvement. Much faster and easier to use.

• Aesthetic overhaul

The UI has a sharper, cleaner look with simple tweaks giving the OS a more modern feel.