Google Pixel and Pixel XL now part of LineageOS 16 nightlies program

Damien Wilde | Mar 11 2019 - 5:43 am PT

LineageOS is the offshoot of the original and immensely popular CyanogenMod ROM that was likely one of the, if not the most popular ROM on smartphone across the globe.

Well, the ROM has handled that legacy exceptionally, boasting around 1.8 million active installs as of 2018. While that is impressive, there are still a few handsets that are missing from the list of supported devices.

LineageOS 16 official support was only available for 24 devices initially, it included mainly popular devices such as the Pocophone F1 and the likes of the OnePlus 3 through to the 5T. LineageOS brings all the features of Android Pie to handsets that might not otherwise get a taste.

That means things like the updated navigation gestures, Digital Wellbeing, Adaptive Battery and more all come bundled in this clean ROM. It does this all while maintaining a stock-Android look and feel. Plus it brings with it a built-in system-wide Dark Mode — which we’re expecting in the real stock-Android in the Q update.

Google opens Android Q bug tracker as more OEMs joining Beta Program in 2019

Now, LineageOS has added official nightly support for LineageOS 16 on the original Google Pixel and Pixel XL (via XDA developers). This all means that from today you’ll be able to get automated builds for Android Pie on both of these original Pixel handsets. The last build available for the Google Pixel is dated March 10, 2019, whereas it was March 9, 2019, for the Pixel XL.

It’s worth noting that LineageOS does include support for older Nexus handsets, including the Nexus 6, which brings Android Pie to the device in a roundabout manner. We also feel the need to mention that as these are nightly builds and on a third-party ROM, stability might not be the best. But it’s most definitely worth considering if you are willing to forgo stability in favor of extra features.

If you are, then head to the official LineageOS site here to get started. We also must state that while LineageOS is well updated and developed, we must stress that you do need to make the decision to run this third-party OS at your own risk.