LineageOS releases Android 16 update despite challenges with Android source code

The golden era of custom Android ROMs may be long over, but plenty of people still install them in 2025. The reasons for doing so vary: some want a more stock-like Android experience, others want to hold on to their existing device a little longer, and many want to repurpose an old device or move away from Google’s services.

The most popular option is by far LineageOS, a project that provides a close-to-stock experience with additional features and its own set of apps. Today, the team behind the project released LineageOS 23.0 for over 100 devices, bringing its own flavor of Android 16 to a variety of older models.

LineageOS 23.0 is based on Android 16’s initial stable release from June rather than the more recent Android 16 QPR1. This is because Google still hasn’t publicly released the source code for Android 16 QPR1, preventing the LineageOS team from merging the new code. The Android 16 QPR1 source code is only available to Google’s OEM partners, a group that, of course, does not include hobbyist projects like LineageOS.

In the past, Google would typically publish the source code for new Android releases to the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) within a day or two of the update’s rollout to Pixel devices. This time, however, Google delayed the release of the source code for unknown reasons. This left the LineageOS team with a choice: either wait for the source code drop or proceed with the release as is. The team chose the latter, which is why today’s release is named LineageOS 23.0 and not LineageOS 23.1.

On top of that, Google’s recent shift to ‘risk-based’ security updates means that LineageOS, as well as most other custom ROMs, can no longer ship as many security fixes as they used to each month. This is because Android’s monthly security bulletins no longer include patches for all addressed vulnerabilities, but rather only those that Google deems “high risk.” Patches for the vast majority of other vulnerabilities are now only released in quarterly bulletins. This, combined with Google no longer sharing the source code for patches included in its monthly bulletins, means the LineageOS team has to wait for Android’s quarterly releases to fix most security issues.

And if things don’t sound bad enough, the LineageOS team has had to drop first-class support for Pixel devices. Pixel devices used to be guaranteed “day one” devices for LineageOS, but they’re now treated the same as any other OEM’s devices. This is because Google no longer publishes Pixel device trees, HALs, or configs, and they only offer kernel source code as history-stripped tarballs. Thanks to the efforts of projects like CalyxOS, Pixel devices will still be supported, but they’re no longer shoe-ins for day one releases.

Despite these issues, the LineageOS team is pushing forward, giving users the latest version of Android with the latest security fixes it can legally access.

What’s new in LineageOS 23.0?

Because LineageOS 23.0 is based on Android 16 and not Android 16 QPR1, some features like Material 3 Expressive and Desktop Mode aren’t fully implemented. However, all the new features included in the June stable release of Android 16 are present. These include the enforcement of edge-to-edge mode, predictive back navigation, improved app adaptivity, and support for Advanced Protection mode.

On the app front, LineageOS 23.0 includes a huge update to Aperture, the project’s custom camera app. The new version of Aperture supports Ultra HDR and RAW capture and comes with a redesigned notification island with dynamic colors and new indicators.

Twelve, the project’s custom music player, has added a “play random songs” button, a new Now Playing screen with playback statistics, expanded Jellyfin integration, and more.

For TVs, there’s a new home screen launcher called Catapult. It provides a fast, clutter-free interface free of advertisements and recommendations.

The release also bundles updated versions of the SeedVault backup solution, Etar calendar app, WebView component, and charging control feature, as well as a new set of ringtones and alarms.

Finally, this version introduces major foundational improvements. It’s now possible to run LineageOS in a virtual machine through QEMU. This work also lays the groundwork to support any device that is compatible with the mainline Linux kernel in the future, a significant step for the project.

What devices does LineageOS support?

With the launch of LineageOS 23.0, the team is updating its support policy for older versions. The development cycle for LineageOS 21 is now officially ending, which means no new devices will be added to that build roster. The team will, however, continue to maintain and add new devices to the LineageOS 22.2 roster.

LineageOS 23.0 will be available starting today for the following devices. You can find the builds on the project’s official download portal. Before starting the installation, we strongly recommend you thoroughly read the specific instructions for your device on the LineageOS wiki, as our generalized installation guide may not be suitable.

LineageOS 23.0 build roster – Initial devices

LineageOS 22.2 build roster – NEW devices

In addition, the LineageOS team has announced the following devices have been added to the LineageOS 22.2 (based on Android 15 QPR2) build roster: