All articles tagged with #lineageos
A wide range of well-known phones from Samsung, Google, Apple, Motorola, OnePlus and LG will stop receiving feature or security updates in 2026, with many moving to end-of-support or vintage status. The piece warns users to upgrade or consider alternatives like LineageOS to avoid security risks, as older devices are phased out of official patch schedules.
WIRED surveys de-Googled Android paths for 2026, noting that a true Android rival remains iOS, but practical alternatives exist as AOSP-based ROMs that strip Google services. The top options are Fairphone 6 with /e/OS as the best preinstalled choice, GrapheneOS for Pixel devices as the strongest security-focused option, /e/OS for non‑Pixel phones, and LineageOS for DIY tinkering with no Google by default. These platforms emphasize privacy controls (tracker blocking, app-permission scopes) but may require unlocked bootloaders, have hardware limitations, and can affect app compatibility.
LineageOS developers have discovered and shared details of an exploit that allowed rooting of the Chromecast with Google TV by bypassing Android Verified Boot. The exploit impacted all Google hardware powered by an Amlogic chip. Google has patched the exploit and implemented "Anti-Rollback" protection. The exploit required physical modification of the hardware, making it unlikely to be used by attackers. LineageOS developers are also working on getting LineageOS running on the Chromecast with Google TV.
LineageOS, the custom ROM that succeeded CyanogenMod, is currently installed on approximately 1.5 million Android devices. The ROM is available on various brands, including Google, Samsung, OnePlus, and Xiaomi. While it's unclear how active these devices are or the number of users, this statistic provides insight into the popularity of LineageOS in a market where custom ROMs are not as popular or necessary as before.
With difficulties in finding new Raspberry Pis, some are turning to alternatives such as using an old smartphone as a single-board computer. By installing LineageOS, a version of Android that is more configurable than the stock version, and disabling unnecessary features, a music streaming server was successfully built on an old Samsung phone. Other options include PostmarketOS or Pine64 devices.