Summary
- LineageOS 23 drops on Android 16 but uses QPR0; QPR1 features are missing due to delayed Google source releases.
- Google bundles patches into quarterly QPRs and withholds full Pixel sources, making custom ROM porting harder.
- Despite limits, LineageOS 23 adds rewritten Aperture camera, Twelve music updates, and Catapult launcher for Android TV.
Custom ROMs still exist, even as you might not be popping into our sister site XDA-Developers to download them as often as you used to do. LineageOS remains one of the most popular projects out there, and now, it’s finally getting updated to Android 16—with some notes that reflect just how dire things have gotten.
LineageOS has just released version 23 of its popular custom Android distribution, based on the recently released Android 16. But this release is the first one to show some of the challenges that will now come up for any prospective custom ROM developers seeking to port a ROM onto a new phone. One of the main ones is Google’s revised cadence for releasing source code and security patches. Previously, LineageOS and other custom ROM projects could rely on monthly public updates to both AOSP and the Android Security Bulletin (ASB). But Google now reserves many security fixes and its Quarterly Platform Releases (QPRs)—mid-cycle updates that bundle bug fixes and new features—for its hardware partners first, with a delayed release to the public AOSP repositories.
As a result, LineageOS 23 is based on Android 16’s initial release, or “QPR0,” because the source code for QPR1, which has already rolled out to Pixel devices, has not yet been made public. This means some of Android 16’s advertised features, such as the “Material 3 Expressive” design elements, will not be included in this initial release. LineageOS 23.1, which should bring some of these changes, will arrive eventually for users, but not quite yet.
On the same vein, the LineageOS team notes that AOSP security updates are no longer fully released on a monthly basis. Instead, patches are often bundled into the quarterly releases. And though we already knew this, Google has also scaled back source code availability for its own Pixel devices, and essential components like kernel sources, device trees, and hardware abstraction layers (HALs) are no longer being published in their entirety, so it’s no longer a “friendly” device for modding.
Despite these issues, LineageOS 23 brings a host of changes. The default camera app, Aperture, has been completely rewritten for better maintainability and now supports JPEG Ultra HDR, RAW capture, and features a redesigned user interface. The music player, Twelve, also has a few updates including improved Jellyfin integration and MIDI playback support.
The most significant new addition is Catapult, a brand-new, custom-built launcher for Android TV. Designed as an alternative to preloaded launchers that often prioritize advertisements and sponsored content, Catapult provides a clean, fast, and user-focused home screen experience that puts user-installed apps front and center. You’re probably not putting LineageOS on your TV too often, but it might actually be a good idea now.
The update is slowly making its way to new and old supported Android devices, so check the download portal and, of course, install at your own risk.
Source: LineageOS
