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Axion OS on the POCO X7 Pro. You have a ROM zip, a vendor_boot image and a PC, and the steps below are the ones that actually get this build onto rodin.

One thing to set expectations before you start. This is an initial Android 16 release of Axion. It is signed and SELinux is enforcing, which is more than plenty of first builds manage. But it is early, and there is one bug you will meet on day one.

The bug you will hit

Aperture camera video. Recording video on Aperture either fails outright or crashes at random. It is not something you did wrong, and it is not fixed by reflashing.

The fix is simple: use a third-party camera app for video. Photos and everything else carry on as normal. Once you know it, it stops being a mystery and becomes a small annoyance.

What you need

• An unlocked bootloader on the POCO X7 Pro.
• The Axion OS ROM zip and the matching vendor_boot image.
• ADB and Fastboot on your PC, with the drivers installed.
• GApps — NikGapps or MindTheGapps. This is a vanilla build with no Google apps baked in.
• A backup of your IMEI before you touch anything.

That last item is not optional. Back up the IMEI first, while the phone still works properly. You will not need it today. You may need it in three months.

Step 1 — download the ROM and vendor_boot

Get both files from the links on this page. The vendor_boot image has to match the ROM build. Mixing a vendor_boot from one release with a ROM zip from another is asking for trouble.

Step 2 — fastboot, then flash vendor_boot to both slots

Boot the phone into fastboot mode and flash the vendor_boot image to both slots. Both slots matter — this is the step that catches people out, and it is the difference between booting and boot looping.

Use the Fastboot menu for this, and confirm the PC sees the device before you start.

Step 3 — reboot and catch recovery by hand

Reboot the phone with the fastboot reboot command, then hold volume up the moment it restarts so you land in recovery.

Do not use the fastboot reboot-to-recovery command here. That is the one that can leave the phone in a bad state on this device. Hold the buttons yourself.

Step 4 — format data in recovery

Once you are in recovery, format data. This is a vanilla AOSP-based build coming from a different system, so a clean start is what you want. Everything on internal storage goes.

Step 5 — sideload the ROM

Sideload the ROM with adb sideload. If your terminal accepts a dragged file path, you can drag the zip into the window after typing the command — either route works.

Let it run to completion. Do not interrupt it.

Step 6 — take the recovery reboot

When the ROM finishes, it offers to reboot back into recovery. Say yes. This is normal for this kind of flash and it is not a loop.

Step 7 — GApps, then root if you want it

From that recovery session, flash GApps — NikGapps or MindTheGapps. If you want Magisk, this is the point to add it too. Then reboot to system.

Step 8 — give the first boot time

Reboot to system and leave it alone. First boot on a fresh vanilla build is slow. Interrupting it is how you end up back at step two.

Where people get stuck

• Skipping the vendor_boot step. Flash the ROM alone on the X7 Pro and you are asking for a boot loop. This is the big one.
• Using fastboot reboot recovery instead of holding volume up manually. Take the manual route on this device.
• Forgetting the IMEI backup. People only remember they needed it months later, when it is too late to take one.
• Assuming Google apps are included. They are not. This is vanilla, and GApps are your job.
• Blaming the ROM for the Aperture video bug. It is known. Use another camera app and move on.

Who should install it

Install Axion OS if you want a clean, signed Android 16 base without a vendor skin, and you are comfortable with fastboot and recovery steps. Skip it if you need a stock camera experience out of the box or you are not comfortable formatting data on a working phone.

If the driver side of fastboot is what usually slows you down, the free Rom Flasher tool bundles the ADB and fastboot driver install into a couple of clicks. It is free, and the link is in the downloads section with the ROM.

Full description from the video

Axion OS on the POCO X7 Pro (rodin) — Android 16, vanilla, signed, and an initial release. Here's the full flash path plus the camera bug you'll run into on day one.

I ran Axion OS on the POCO X7 Pro for a while before filming this. It's Android 16, it's signed, and SELinux is enforcing — more than a lot of first builds can claim. But it is an initial A16 release, so go in expecting rough edges. The one that catches everyone is Aperture: video on it either fails or crashes at random. Use a third-party camera app and you're fine. Other than that it's normal custom ROM life — this is a vanilla build, so there are no Google apps baked in and you bring your own GApps.

📱 Device : POCO X7 Pro (rodin)

🧩 ROM : Axion OS (Unofficial)

🤖 Android : 16

📦 Build : Initial Android 16 release

🛠️ What You Need

• An unlocked bootloader on the POCO X7 Pro
• The Axion OS ROM zip and the matching vendor_boot.img
• ADB and Fastboot tool with the drivers installed on your PC
• NikGapps or MindTheGapps — the build is vanilla, so GApps are on you
• A backup of your IMEI before you touch anything

📝 Steps

1. Download vendor_boot.img and boot the phone into fastboot mode.
2. Flash it to both slots: fastboot flash vendor_boot --slot=all vendor_boot.img
3. Run fastboot reboot, then hold volume up the second it restarts so you land in recovery. Do not use fastboot reboot recovery here — that's the one that can leave the phone in a bad state.
4. Format data in recovery.
5. Sideload the ROM with adb sideload, or drag the zip into the terminal window after the command.
6. Pick yes when it offers to reboot into recovery, then flash GApps or Magisk if you want them.
7. Reboot to system and give the first boot time.

⚠️ Where People Get Stuck

• Skipping the vendor_boot step. Flash the ROM alone on the X7 Pro and you're asking for a bootloop.
• Using fastboot reboot recovery instead of holding volume up manually.
• Forgetting the IMEI backup, then needing it months later.

Common questions

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