Skipping any of these steps can lead to failure or a bricked device.

The Vivo 1610 is a resilient piece of hardware. While Vivo abandoned it long ago, the custom ROM community has kept its spirit alive. By flashing a lightweight, optimized ROM like LineageOS 18.1 or ArrowOS, you can transform a sluggish, outdated phone into a usable secondary device for music, reading, or calling.

Understanding that the device runs on a Qualcomm chipset is crucial, as many of the tools used for unlocking and flashing are designed specifically for such hardware.

Download an appropriate custom ROM zip designed specifically for the Vivo 1610 / Y55s.

Without background manufacturer services running constantly, your standby battery drain decreases dramatically.

A custom recovery replaces the stock recovery menu. Team Win Recovery Project (TWRP) is the standard, providing a touchscreen interface to install custom ROMs, create full system backups (Nandroid backups), and root your device.

Note: Skip this step if your chosen ROM explicitly states that Google Apps are pre-included. Return to the main menu and tap . Select the GApps .zip file.

Open a command prompt (cmd) on your PC inside your ADB folder. adb reboot bootloader

If you prefer a or a highly customizable OS Whether you plan to root the device using Magisk

In TWRP, go to Wipe > Advanced Wipe and select System, Data, Cache, and Dalvik Cache.

With TWRP installed, you can now flash a custom ROM. Your options, as discussed, are likely limited to GSIs.