Update HTC ChaCha to ICS Android 4.0.4 CM9 Custom Firmware


HTC ChaCha is one of the few Android phones with a full physical QWERTY keyboard. HTC dropped support for the phone after they decided not to release an official ICS Android 4.0 software update for ChaCha. But without saying, the developers community got hard at work to bring CM9 (based on Android 4.0.4) to HTC ChaCha.

As you continue reading below, we will guide you through the entire process of how  to install Android 4.0 ICS (CyanogenMod 9 – CM9) on HTC ChaCha. Please make sure yo backup your data as given below because this tutorial will require you to wipe all your apps and personal data. Let’s move on to the tutorial now.

Update HTC ChaCha to ICS Android 4.0.4 CM9 Custom Firmware 1

Disclaimer: All the tools, mods or ROMs mentioned below belong to their respective owners/developers. We (TeamAndroid.com) or the developers are not to be held responsible if you damage or brick your device. We don’t have you on gun point to try out this tutorial 😉

There is a long list of known issues in this custom ROM. Here they are:

1. Front camera is not working
Workaround: not available.
Suggestions: none; avoid switching to front camera.
Steps to reproduce: Open camera -> Switch to front camera.

2. Volume panel switching causes a crash in Trebuchet
Workaround: none.
Suggestions: Use it once or twice maximum.
Steps to reproduce: Settings -> Sound -> Volume panel -> Change through all the settings. After each change press OK. Trebuchet will crash.

3. Key X is not working
As with the CM and SuperOSR builds, bear in mind that the keyboard it comes with might be other than for your region.
Workaround: new mappings.
Suggestions: as with the other thread, post your CID, use KeyEventDisplay to post the keycodes and it will get fixed..

4. Wi-Fi Scan button does nothing
Workaround: Wi-Fi Off – Wi-Fi On.
Steps to reproduce: Settings -> Wi-Fi -> Scan -> No results (new results).

5. Movie Studio is not working
Workaround: none
Suggestions: none

6. Wifi cannot lock on hidden hotspots
Symptom: wifi won’t lock on hidden hotspot
Workaround: unhide the hotspot so the phone locks. You can hide it back after this. If you leave away from the wifi but keep the phone wifi on, it will relock once you are back
Steps to reproduce: Phone wifi off -> Hide hotspot SSID -> phone wifi on (it won’t lock)

7. Sometimes mobile data seems to get off
Workaround: you have to go to mobile networks and switch it off and on again

8. No PIN code input is shown
Description: When the SIM is locked and the PIN screen is shown, entering input will not display any characters.
Workaround: None at the moment. Input is still active but it is not shown.
Suggestion: Carefully type in your PIN and continue.

Make sure you have installed all your USB drivers for the HTC ChaCha to connect it with the computer. Download HTC ChaCha USB drivers! Apart from just the USB drivers, there are a few more things that you need to take care of.

1. You need to enable USB debugging mode. This helps to connect your Android phone with the PC. See here: How to Enable USB Debugging.

2. Your phone battery should be 80-85% charged. If your phone goes off suddenly because of battery, during flashing ROMs or installing mods and updates — your phone might go dead permanently. See here: How to Check Battery Percentage.

3. Backup all your important data that you might need as soon as your flash a new ROM, or make a backup for just in case, you never know when anything might go wrong. See below on how to backup data:

4. Your phone should be factory unlocked. Additional instructions for locked Android devices will be added in the tutorial for unlocking devices.

Now, let’s proceed with the tutorial below and update your HTC ChaCha to ICS Android 4.0.4 CM9.

Update HTC ChaCha to ICS Android 4.0.4 CM9 Custom Firmware 2

How to Install ICS Android 4.0.4 on HTC ChaCha

We have put together a detailed step-by-step instructions guide on how to install ICS Android 4.0.4 on HTC ChaCha. Please read every line carefully below. We suggest, read the tutorial once before actually performing it on your phone.

To Remember:

  • This ICS Android 4.0.4 CM9 ROM tutorial is only for HTC ChaCha. Please don’t try this on any other variants of the phone.
  • Make sure you backup all your data in your phone before proceeding.
  • Bootloader should be unlocked. How? –> How to Unlock Bootloader of HTC Phones.
  • Make sure ClockworkMod Recovery is installed and your ChaCha is ROOTED.

If you have fulfilled all the requirements above, then proceed to the actual tutorial.

Complete Step-By-Step Instructions:

Step 1 – Download ICS Android 4.0.4 and Google Apps for HTC ChaCha to your computer.

Step 2 – Connect and mount your HTC ChaCha USB (mass) memory on your computer using the USB cable.

Step 3 – Now copy/paste the ICS ROM zip and Google Apps zip files to your SD card. Make sure the file is in the SD card root.

Step 4 – Then turn off your phone.

Step 5 – Now to get in the bootloader mode. Turn on the phone while pressing and holding the Volume Down + Power buttons.

Step 6 – Follow the navigation instructions on the screen. Select BOOTLOADER and then go to RECOVERY.

Step 7 – In ClockworkMod recovery, wipe data first. Then scroll down to “flash zip from SD card” and press the power button to select it.

Step 8 – Press the power button again and select “choose zip from sdcard”.

Step 9 –Now using your volume keys, navigate to ICS ROM zip file and select it using the power button. Confirm the installation on the next screen and the installation procedure should start now.

NOTE: Repeat this step again for the Google Apps zip file as well.

Step 10 – After the installation completes, go to “+++++Go Back” and reboot the phone by selecting “reboot system now” from the recovery menu. The phone will boot now and it might take about 5 minutes to boot on your first time. So, please wait.

That’s it! Your HTC ChaCha should now have ICS Android 4.0.4 CM9 installed on your phone! Go to Settings >About phone to verify.

Have fun playing with it! If you have any issues, please fire them up in the comments below!

Haris Nadeem
Haris Nadeem

Haris lives on everything Android; has countless devices, apps and games to play with everyday. Currently serving as the Chief Editor at Team Android. Connect on Twitter: @harisn

Articles: 193

31 Comments

  1. Hoi hoi nu staat de android 4.04 op mijn htc chacha… Werkt super!
    Een minpunt ik kan mijn contacten niet lezen op simkaart alle bestaande en bekende mogelijkheden werken niet
    en sommige aps eisen de simkaart te kunnen lezen maar dat gaat dan dus ook niet.

    Bedankt voor als je de oplossing hebt!
    Mail het als je de oplossing weet om naar mijn contacten op simkaart te kunnen
    [email protected]
    Groetjes David.

  2. Hi Buddy,

    I am having Micromax A78 android device, and it has hard QWERTY keypad,
    and configuration is like,

    Display : 320 x 480
    Android OS : v2.3 (Gingerbread)
    CPU : 650 MHz
    Keyboard : QWERTY

    So May i use this Update for my(Micromax A78 ) device ?

  3. Hi, i ve installed CM9 on my chacha (had CM7 before). Works a dream, exept for wifi….does not turn on nor tether?? Any ideas how to work around that? Apart from that great works….thx

    • Thank you very much for the cm9. I am though facing some trouble. My Language button is not working so I can’t switch from English to Arabic although I downloaded few arabic keyboards. what can I do ?? thanks again!!

  4. dose it solv de bettry prob?? i’m thinking to buy nexus S but if it solv the main issue of this phone then i’ll be happy 🙂

  5. I think that my battery is dying it self all runs smoothly and seems great but when I sleep my batter goes down to 6% %ny help out there its dying and the fone is off

    • It happened to me before, then upon checking io found out that my location setting is the culprit. Gps is on. I suggest check your settings and disable any unnecessary apps. Best if you could download juice defender from play store.that works well.

  6. Hi i have a problem with my phone. Suddenly it doesn’t read any memory card anymore. It tried reformatting the phone and memory card but to no avail. I even replace but it can’t detect the micro sd card.. it always shows insert micro sd. Please help

  7. Ogh. I have some problem in step 5, 6 where i need to open bootloader. When i open it, after some delay SD checked some file like 5 times and there it stopped When i opened recovery after that, opened some image where is phone and red exclamation mark in a triangle. I waited more than 5 minutes, nothing changed. I would like to get support as fast as you can! Please, if you can, email me – [email protected]. 🙂

    Thank you!

  8. Download of CM9 for Chacha doesn’t work. Facebook says something like “illegal Appcode”. Please renew the link or put it on a sharehost.

  9. Thank you very much for the cm9. I am though facing some trouble. My Language button is not working so I can’t switch from English to Arabic

    my CID”ara <= HTC__J15;"

  10. Hi Alexandre
    thank you for this fantastic custom firmware
    may I know if are you planning to fix the known bugs?

    Thank You! =)

  11. Hello 🙂
    Maybe someone has a copy or knows the link to the ICS Android 4.0.4 ? The link provided above is not working for me – the transactsocialy page gives me an error and I cant get the file 🙁 I installed this ROM some time ago, but recently tried to go back to stock rom, but the dialer just drains my batery in 2 hours, so I need install it again, but cant find the files needed 🙁

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