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CyanogenMod arrives in Google Play store with one-click installer for your Android phone

CyanogenMod arrives in Google Play store with one-click installer for your Android phone

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CyanogenMod 560
CyanogenMod 560

Two months after raising $7 million to build a better version of Android, CyanogenMod has released a one-click installer to put its custom firmware on your Android device. Installation requires the phone to be tethered to a Windows PC via a USB cable. A companion PC app will be released later today as a free download. "Our goal for the installer has always been to allow more users to experience the benefits of CyanogenMod, without the hassles of technical guides and concerns associated with the process," said Steve Kondik, Cyanogen co-founder, in an email.

Cyanogen has attracted more than 8 million users by extending the capabilities of Android, in part by bringing new features to smartphones that manufacturers have long since stopped updating. The company's immediate goal is to become the third-most popular operating system after Android and iOS, but has acknowledged that its previous installation process was "brutal." With today's update, Cyanogen becomes a bit easier for more casual smartphone users to try out.