LineageOS has announced version 24.0, based on Android 17, bringing newer software to supported devices while setting an official upgrade ceiling for hardware running older Linux kernels.
The release also details continued security maintenance across earlier branches, including backported fixes for older Android versions and limitations that prevent some legacy devices from receiving the same patch coverage as newer ones.
Nolen Johnson outlined the changes in an announcement ahead of the project’s tenth anniversary in December. Developers said previous work adapting to Android’s architectural changes helped them complete the transition to Android 17 earlier than expected.
LineageOS is a community-developed, open-source alternative to manufacturers’ Android software. Its maintainers bring newer operating-system releases to supported phones, tablets, and other devices, including hardware whose original vendors have ended software support.
The initial 24.0 roster includes older Google devices such as the Pixel 4, 4a, and 5, alongside newer Pixel models, Fairphone 4 and 5, and selected Samsung, OnePlus, Motorola, Sony, and Xiaomi devices. More will join as maintainers prepare builds that meet the project’s requirements.
Security maintenance and its limits
The project says it has merged security patches covering August 2025 through October 2026 into LineageOS branches 18.1 through 24.0.
For Android versions still receiving Google’s security bulletins, currently Android 14 and newer, LineageOS will continue merging the full bulletins and updating the displayed security patch level accordingly.
LineageOS 18.1, 19.1, and 20.0 will continue receiving backported fixes, but their displayed patch dates will remain unchanged. Google no longer supplies a complete, attestable patch set for those versions, so the project cannot use those backports to justify advancing the security patch level.
Maintenance of even older branches has progressed through November 2025 for LineageOS 15.1, 16.0, and 17.1. However, developers couldn’t adapt some difficult patches from the December 2025 bulletins and have asked contributors for help.
Those distinctions matter when assessing an older device: continued maintenance does not mean every branch has equivalent security coverage.
Older kernels face an upgrade ceiling
Although some devices running Linux kernels 4.4 and 4.9 have been ported to LineageOS 23.2 and 24.0, the project will only accept official submissions for them on LineageOS 22.2.
Developers said the platform changes needed to support these legacy kernels have become difficult to carry into newer Android releases.
The Android 15-based 22.2 branch will continue receiving monthly builds and merged security patches until Google stops distributing official Android 15 security bulletins. Maintainers can still submit additional devices for that branch.
Other release changes include Canvas, a new image editor, redesigned applications, and accessibility improvements to recovery navigation. An experimental generic target has also booted on PCs, Apple Silicon Macs, NVIDIA DGX Spark, and Snapdragon X laptops.
The announcement revisits the browser-based flashing tools we covered in July, which already supported ADB, Fastboot, Samsung Odin, and Amlogic burn mode.
Before upgrading, users should back up important data and follow the Wiki instructions for their exact device. Official-build users generally don’t need a wipe unless the instructions require one; unofficial-build users must follow the full installation procedure.
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