LineageOS is hands down the most popular custom Android ROM out there.It's lightweight, allows you to use Android without Google services, and receives regular updates multiple times per year.It's arguably the best way to keep your old phone kicking, even if its manufacturer stopped supporting it with software updates years ago.
This is especially relevant for older Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy phones, which are still quite popular and used by many people.If you own one of those handsets, and it has the oomph needed to run newer Android versions but is no longer officially supported, fret not—you can install the latest version of LineageOS (23.2) and give your old but still perfectly usable phone a new lease on life.Note that the latest version of LineageOS, LineageOS 23.2, is based on Android 16 and has embraced Google's Material Expressive design system.
Other than that, it doesn't differ much from LineageOS 23, which is also based on Android 16.Google Pixel 10 $534 $799 Save $265 Brand Google Looking to upgrade to a Pixel but not sure if you need all the bells and whistles of the more expensive models? You won't be disappointed with the standard Pixel 10 model.Coming in striking colors, Gemini features, and seven years of updates, you can't go wrong with this purchase.
$534 at Amazon $799 at Best Buy $799 at Google Store $799 at AT&T Expand Collapse Using an older Pixel that Google didn't provide Android 16 for? LineageOS has you covered While Google has promised seven years of software updates for its Pixel phones starting with the Pixel 8, older Pixel devices aren't so lucky.The Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 families did receive Android 16 and are expected to get Android 17, despite Google recently doing a less-than-stellar job with Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 software updates.However, the Pixel 5 and older models are stuck on older versions of Android.
In the case of the Pixel 5 and its variants, they're stuck on Android 14, while older models are running even more dated Android versions.The thing is, older Pixels are still quite capable devices, with solid SoCs and enough memory to run Android 16.If you own a Pixel 5, Pixel 4, or any of their variants, you can upgrade it to Android 16 with LineageOS 23.2, and there's a good chance you'll also be able to upgrade the phone to Android 17 once LineageOS adopts the next Android release.
Even the original Pixel and Pixel XL can run LineageOS 22.2 based on Android 15, even though they'll be a decade old come October.While not perfect, it sure beats rocking Android 10, the last update officially released by Google for the first generation of Pixel phones.LineageOS 22.2, based on Android 15, is also available for the Pixel 2 and Pixel 3 families, which are stuck on Android 11 and Android 12, respectively.
The latest LineageOS is available for many deprecated Samsung Galaxy phones as well As long as you can unlock the bootloader If you own a Samsung Galaxy phone that is no longer supported, there's a chance you can install LineageOS 23.2 and upgrade it to Android 16 as well.However, LineageOS support for Samsung Galaxy phones is much more limited than it is for Google Pixel devices, largely because Samsung has locked the bootloaders on US variants of Galaxy phones for years, and an unlocked bootloader is a prerequisite for installing custom ROMs.Owners of international versions of Samsung Galaxy phones powered by Samsung's Exynos chipsets (usually sold in Europe, Africa, and Middle Eastern markets) had been able to easily unlock the bootloader via the OEM Unlock toggle found in Developer Options for years, but Samsung removed the toggle with the One UI 8 update.
As it stands now, if you own a US version of a Samsung Galaxy S device or an international version of a Samsung Galaxy S21 or newer, chances are you won't be able to run LineageOS on it.For some reason, the Galaxy S23 has an official LineageOS port, but there's no official way to unlock its bootloader, which makes installing the ROM quite difficult.If you've got an international, Exynos-powered version of a phone from the Galaxy S10 or Galaxy S20 family, or a Galaxy Note10, you can upgrade it to LineageOS 23.2 and, thus, Android 16.
Just make sure to check the exact model of your phone and whether you can unlock its bootloader with the OEM Unlock toggle.The same applies to a number of international versions of mid-range Galaxy phones, such as the Galaxy A52, Galaxy A52s, Galaxy A71, Galaxy A72, Galaxy A73, and a few others.Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Brand Samsung SoC Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Get the new Galaxy S26 Ultra with AI smarts and an all-new privacy display.
It's big, powerful, packed with AI, and you'll love the S-Pen stylus. $1300 at Samsung $1050 at Amazon Expand Collapse If you own an older Android device you still use, be sure to check whether you can install LineageOS on it Of course, LineageOS isn't only available for Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy devices.If you own an older Android phone that's stuck on a dated version of Android, be sure to visit the supported devices page on the LineageOS website and check whether your phone is supported.Deals Save on Phones & Mobile Deals: Unlocked phones, parts Check Phones & Mobile deals for discounts on unlocked handsets, refurbished phones, and savings on accessories-cases, chargers, batteries, SIM-free options and repair parts.
Find offers that make upgrading or restoring older Android phones affordable.Deals Explore Phones & Mobile Deals Note that not all supported phones are compatible with the latest version of LineageOS and Android 16.That said, if your device is still actively supported, the worst-case scenario is that you're getting LineageOS 22.2 and Android 15, which isn't too shabby, since the phone in question is likely running a much older version of Android anyway.
Even if your device is no longer actively supported by the LineageOS team, you can download and install the last version of LineageOS released for it, which could make it usable again.If nothing else, it can be a fun weekend project.
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