4 ms·
LineageOS is an open source android distribution. Can anyone comment on who might use LineageOS and why?
by le-mark 1y ago
LineageOS is an open source android distribution. Can anyone comment on who might use LineageOS and why?
- andrepd 1y agoIf you want to escape Google's monopoly, you can use LineageOS without google apps, as opposed to the malware and spyware-ridden trash that usually comes preinstalled on your phone.
- theandrewbailey 1y agoEven if you run LineageOS without Google, LineageOS still phones home to Google for DNS and captive portal checks. https://eylenburg.github.io/android_comparison.htm https://eylenburg.github.io/android_comparison.htm
- andrepd 1y agoYes, that's unfortunate. But it is "easily" patchable (and a world of difference from actually running google play services with root privileges on your phone).
- udev4096 1y agoThat can be easily patched. If you want a full "de-google" experience, GOS is the only perfect option
- spaqin 1y agoFunny how the fully "de-googled" experience starts with buying a Google device.
- udev4096 1y agoThat is going to change soon enough. GOS is working towards having their own device. It's going to take a few years at least
- theandrewbailey 1y agoTo a normie non-tech person, buying a several hundred dollar Google phone, only to delete Google from it sounds stupid, like you've set your money on fire. Yes, I have a Pixel with GrapheneOS.
- AbraKdabra 1y agoI have a Samsung Tablet and Samsung's version for said tablet is a giant mountain of crap, full of bloatware, so I installed LineageOS on it. Also my old phone and my old old phone run LineageOS because I'm just logged in to Google on my {current_phone}.
- theandrewbailey 1y agoI ran LineageOS on my Moto X4 for many years. It was much faster without the OEM Moto and carrier apps, and was faster again when I installed it without Google Play Services. Same thing with an old Kindle Fire tablet, finally made it fast enough to practically use.
- pndy 1y agoCan you tell which tablet is that? I'm lurking around and wondering if I should pick Samsung one once iPad battery dies out
- AbraKdabra 1y agoTab A7, old and not worth it even for a low price, too sluggish even with LineageOS but definitely better than stock of course.
- microtonal 1y agoIt's worth mentioning that newer Samsung phones and tablets have an eFuse that is blown when you unlock them. This permanently disables some functionality of their separate secure element (IIRC). If you are planning to run LineageOS forever, it would probably not be a big issue, but if you just want to try a third-party OS or ever resell the device, it could be an issue.
- kasabali 1y agoAlso note that latest Samsung models like Z Flip 7, along with recent models such as S25 who's gonna get the OneUI 8 update will not allow unlocking anymore.
- andai 1y agoI haven't used custom roms in ages, but I used Lineage back when it was called Cyanogen. It had this cool thing where you could adjust brightness by swiping the top edge of the screen. (This was back in the day when you could reach that part easily!)
- chasil 1y agoEvery version of Lineage has rooted ADB accessible in the developer options. If you want root for apps, you must load Magisk. If root is important to you, this is your OS. Lineage puts out all the patches that they can, every month, unlike OEMs. If current patches are important to you, this is your OS. Lineage allows you to run it without any Google closed source code. These are some serious advantages, depending upon what you are trying to do.
- PaulKeeble 1y agoIf your phone is more than a few years old it likely doesn't get updates from the manufacturer anymore. LineageOS will get you to the latest Android with security patches. Same sort of deal as with OpenWRT for a router really, you get all the features and security patches but at the loss of the firmware that the device came with and its propriety enhancements.
- sltr 1y agoI immediately put Lineage on all my devices. In fact, I only buy Android devices that Lineage supports. It's a uniform, degoogled Android experience that just works.
- gitaarik 1y agoWhat devices do you use Lineage on may I ask?
- mlaretallack 1y agoI use moto devices, my current one is a g45. But I have also setup a second hand g30.
- sltr 1y agoPixel 7 Pro, OnePlus 9, OnePlus 6, Minimal Phone MP01 (unofficial ROM), Samsung Gakaxy Tab S5e. Formerly: Xperia X Compact
- dbeley 1y agoI use LineageOS on all my devices (it's actually my main criteria when buying a phone) to mainly install apps from F-Droid without relying on the Google Play Store. It has the same familiar look and feel on all devices and by experience is way snappier than the original ROM.
- konaraddi 1y agoare you able to do any banking your phone?
- z3ratul163071 1y ago3 banking apps running fine, until revolut decided to pull a douche move. i've ended my contract with them. 2 banking apps running fine.
- sltr 1y ago(Lineage user here) I've had no trouble with Schwab, USAA, Discover, Amex, Mercury, PayPal, Venmo, or Stripe. Phone is rooted with Magisk Hide and MicroG for spoofing google play services. Google Wallet does not work.
- throwing_away 1y agoGoogle Wallet also doesn't work on Graphene OS. I just looked into this and in the US there's basically no technical answer that I'd expect to be reliable. You've got a few choices: * magsafe wallet (~$10) without nfc shield with a physical card * "purewrist" prepaid debit card (would be good for a kid maybe) * garmin smartwatch that gets linked properly like Google Pay would If you're in the EU there are a ton more options, specifically "Curve Pay" and possibly "Amex UK". Very annoying.
- figmert 1y agoCurve Pay is a viable option last I checked. I am unaware of any payment options on Amex UK app. Amex expects you to link your card with Google Wallet.
- Gualdrapo 1y agoGot a Xperia Z1 in 2013. Sony stopped updating it at some point in 2014-2015, which is stupid, but the hardware was still like new (which is the great thing about Sony phones) so I rooted it and managed to install it. Can't remember if it was already named "LineageOS" or "CyanogenMod" at the time. However, it lasted with me until nov. 2020 when I dropped and the screen cracked, made it to be changed but the replacement was kinda bad so used it as an excuse to get a 1ii. I did the same with this "new" phone, that is going to be 5 years with me - since also got that only-two-years-of-updates thing, threw LineageOS on it and it's going as new. So as I said the last time I saw a post about it in here, thanks to LineageOS I can use a phone for way more than they are set out to be forgotten. It's a great project and it's really sad Google are making things harder for them for the sake of "security".
- itshossein 1y agofor some certain models it offers updated android versions (while the company doesn't)
- arcanemachiner 1y agoI want to use an OS that isn't loaded with spyware, so non-FOSS Android just doesn't fit the bill for me.
- drnick1 1y agoQFT. Lineage and Graphene are the last bastions of freedom on mobile phones. Linux phones aren't quite there yet in terms of usability, and sacrifice compatibility with thousands of great apps (including many great FOSS apps) available on Android.
- altmind 1y agoBecause aosp is basically useless on your phone - it lacks a ton of apps
- bigyabai 1y agoYou can run LineageOS on the Nintendo Switch if you want: https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/nx/variant1/ https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/nx/variant1/ And it's a decently recent version with more-or-less official Nvidia Tegra drivers, too. For the variety of weird-but-ubiquitous devices that have a bootloader hack, LineageOS is the route to a working smart device that anyone can pick up and use.
- Onavo 1y agoYou might remember them by their old name, Cyanogenmod
- sandreas 1y agoMy personal take is that most Android devices no longer get updates pretty soon after the release (where pretty soon means 2-3 years). Google promises 7 years of support for their newer devices, but most vendors don't. LineageOS is, besides the fact hat it is more open for non google stuff, providing Android Updates for older devices. While this does not necessarily provide better security (rooted devices are often not considered as secure), you still get the newer Androids security patches and FEATURES. Furthermore you are more open to do what you want. However LineageOS does to my knowledge not support bootloader re-locking on most devices, which might be a security risk (see https://grapheneos.org/install/web#locking-the-bootloader https://grapheneos.org/install/web#locking-the-bootloader).
- microtonal 1y agoGoogle promises 7 years of support for their newer devices, but most vendors don't. Unless you have a Pixel 6 and your security update goes missing? (Didn't get the July security update and the October update is still missing? https://www.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/comments/1o2bhur/where_are_the_pixel_6_and_pixel_6_pro_updates/ https://www.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/comments/1o2bhur/where_... )
- sandreas 1y agoPromises... I tend to not trust promises as long as there is another Option. And I'm a happy graphene OS user.
- strcat 1y agoThere were no Android or Pixel security patches for either July or October. It's not a break of any promise. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45562792 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45562792 provides links to the bulletins and a comparison to a device marketed as supposedly providing long support.
- strcat 1y agoThere were no Android or Pixel security patches for either July or October. Android July 2025: https://source.android.com/docs/security/bulletin/2025-07-01 https://source.android.com/docs/security/bulletin/2025-07-01 Pixel July 2025: https://source.android.com/docs/security/bulletin/pixel/2025-07-01 https://source.android.com/docs/security/bulletin/pixel/2025... Android October 2025: https://source.android.com/docs/security/bulletin/2025-10-01 https://source.android.com/docs/security/bulletin/2025-10-01 Pixel October 2025: https://source.android.com/docs/security/bulletin/pixel/2025-10-01 https://source.android.com/docs/security/bulletin/pixel/2025... Not shipping an update in months when there aren't patches isn't a broken promise. They officially extended the Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 major updates from 3 to 5 years but didn't say they'd provide a release in months with no security patches. Most OEMs don't provide the privacy and security patches properly from day one. Fairphone lags behind 1-2 months on partial backports to older releases and multiple years for major updates with the full patches. Fairphone 4 and Pixel 6 both released in October 2021, but the Fairphone 4 is on the initial release of Android 13 (not Android 13 QPR3) with an end-of-life Linux 4.19 kernel branch. Android 13 is approaching end-of-life too, but still receives partial backports for now. Pixel 6 is on Android 16 QPR1 and moved from the Linux 5.10 branch to Linux 6.1. Pixels get the security patches in the month they're released vs. 1-2 month delays for the Fairphone 4.
- udev4096 1y agoIt makes perfect sense to use it if you even remotely care about better performance, battery life and privacy. Google ships it's bloated apps which not only tracks everything and runs on privileged mode but degrades your battery life to a great extent
- gitaarik 1y agoTo not have Google built into all alspects of your life too much. Although it still uses some essential Google services, it does take out most unnecessary stuff, which you often can optionally add later in a possibly more secure form, but sometimes can't, which will cause very specific apps using these services not to function, or these features of those apps. And if Chat Control will be implemented in Google Android, then LineageOS also offers you a way out of that, which is a huge plus of course if you ask me.