BlackBerry designed the Priv with a focus on security. The bootloader is permanently locked. There is no official method to unlock it, and no exploit has been found to safely unlock it for the Snapdragon 808 variant used in the Priv. Without an unlocked bootloader, the device cannot load an unsigned kernel or recovery image, which is the prerequisite for flashing a Custom ROM.
This is the number one question: Will the sliding keyboard work?
Answer: Yes, but not out of the box on newer ROMs.
Google removed the "Physical Keyboard" API after Android 8.0. Therefore, on Android 10+ custom ROMs, the Priv treats the keyboard as a standard Bluetooth keyboard (even though it's wired internally). Blackberry Priv Custom Rom
The Fix:
The Bottom Line: If you are not willing to spend 20 minutes configuring key mappings, do not flash a custom ROM. Stick to stock debloated Marshmallow.
The BlackBerry Priv (STV100-1 to -4) launched in 2015 with Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. Its final official update was Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow – no Nougat, Oreo, or later.
By 2026, stock Marshmallow is: BlackBerry designed the Priv with a focus on security
Thus, custom ROMs are the only way to get a newer, more secure, and faster Android on the Priv.
The Blackberry Priv was Blackberry’s first Android smartphone (released late 2015). It combined a sliding physical keyboard with a high-resolution AMOLED display and Snapdragon 808 hardware. Interest in custom ROMs for the Priv stems from three main motivations: extending software support beyond official updates, removing carrier or OEM bloat, and tailoring performance, privacy, or feature sets (e.g., newer Android versions, deodexed builds, custom kernels).
Best for: Stability purists.
Android 10 runs significantly cooler than 11 on the Snapdragon 808. The thermal HAL (Hardware Abstraction Layer) is better tuned here. You will notice that the phone rarely exceeds 45°C, whereas stock Marshmallow would hit 65°C just by opening Twitter.
| Feature | Stock 6.0.1 | LOS 18.1 (A11) | |--------|-------------|----------------| | Android version | 6.0.1 | 11 | | Security patch | 2017 | 2024–2025 | | App compatibility | Many fail | Most work | | Speed | Slow, laggy | Noticeably faster | | Physical keyboard | Perfect | Glitchy backlight | | Slider detection | Perfect | Sometimes fails | | VoLTE | Works (carrier dependent) | Broken | | Camera | Stable | Occasional crash | | BlackBerry Hub | Native | Missing |
Users attempting to modify the BlackBerry Priv face severe risks: For the capacitive touch (scrolling), you need to