LineageOS 20 brings Android 13 support to Pixel 2 and 2 XL, plus more

Damien Wilde | Jan 31 2023 - 1:55 am PT

LineageOS 20 based upon Android 13 is now available for several new devices including the Google Pixel 2, 2 XL, the Android TV-based Google ADT-3 dongle, plus a slew of other handsets.

With Google officially ceasing support for the Pixel 2 and 2 XL way back in 2020, for hardware holdouts, this offers a bridge to Android 13. Given that no official support is available, a third-party ROM such as LineageOS 20 is a perfect opportunity to continue to squeeze yet more life out of the cult classic handsets.

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The now-discontinued Google ADT-3 developer dongle is also one of the lucky recipients of LineageOS 20 support. However, this Android TV dongle is one of a few devices that are capable of officially running Android 13.

Given that there are no official avenues to buy this dongle, it could be a way for existing owners to tweak and test out functionality added courtesy of the LineageOS team. Another Android TV box is also gaining Android 13 though, as the Dynalink TV Box is one of just a handful of such devices to be able to run the latest OS courtesy of this third-party ROM.

As mentioned, official builds have now been added to the LineageOS 20 roster for several devices including the Pixel 2 series, Google ADT-3, Nubia Z17, Nubia Z18 Mini, BQ Aquaris X, BQ Aquaris X Pro, and the Dynalink TV Box (h/t XDA).

Ordinarily, we wouldn’t suggest that owners of devices still receiving official support opt for custom ROMs over stable builds. However, in the case of the Pixel 2 and 2 XL, we think that this is the best way to get a taste of Android 13 and all of the upgrades added with LineageOS 20. A brand-new camera application is present, alongside all of the goodies added with Android 13. Plus there are fairly regular security patches added for that extra peace of mind.

If you want to get started, you can find the full list of devices below with links to flash the supported build below:

BQ Aquaris X (bardock)
BQ Aquaris X Pro (bardockpro)
Dynalink TV Box (wade)
Google ADT-3 (deadpool)
Google Pixel 2 (walleye)
Google Pixel 2 XL (taimen)
Nubia Z17 (nx563j)
Nubia Z18 Mini (nx611j)

It’s worth noting that you will also need to flash the GApps package to retain access to the Play Store and several other Google services. You can find more details on how to do this here.