LineageOS 21 now officially supports Chromecast with Google TV (4K)

Damien Wilde | Jun 12 2024 - 1:10 am PT

After confirmation that the team was working on porting the ROM, LineageOS 21 is now officially coming to the Chromecast with Google TV (4K).

In recent weeks, a slew of smartphone devices have been added to the LineageOS 21 build roster, but little else. This is the first time that the Chromecast with Google TV (4K) has been supported by a third-party ROM project. Released back in 2020, we are expecting a refresh of the streaming hardware at some point in the future, but this could offer a way to help streamline the sometimes heavy Google TV interface.

The Lineage team has had to rely on an exploit despite the inclusion of an “OEM unlocking” switch when the newer HD model launched. It also appears that the Chromecast HD model is not yet supported by LineageOS at this time. The discovered exploit impacts all Google hardware that is powered by an Amlogic chip, not just the Chromecast with Google TV hardware.

However, that exploit was patched with the October 2023 security patch. According to the installation notes, unlocking the bootloader will only work if your Chromecast is not updated past the February 2021 OTA. If that is the only solution, that is a major limiting factor, which means it may be almost impossible for many to flash LineageOS on your hardware. It also might explain why the Chromecast HD is not listed as supported, as it was released in September 2022.

If your device is on the February 2021 OTA, or a build that preceeds it, you can proceed.

That said, as the Lineage Wiki notes, you may be able to unlock the bootloader by other means. The instructions shared only apply to the method that is shared as part of the installation process listed on the Lineage site.

It appears that all the hard work has paid off, as it was almost six months ago that work was confirmed as ongoing in a bid to port LineageOS to the latest Chromecast hardware. At present, no LineageOS 21 builds are live for the Chromecast with Google TV (4K). We expect those to be released publicly in the coming days, along with details on how to flash this on your Google TV-powered streaming dongle.

We hope this build expands on the LineageOS build that has been available for Google’s ADT-3 (deadpool) developer kit for Google TV and Android TV for some time. It’s unclear what features this will bring to the table, but we hope to learn more soon. As noted, build are not yet live but will be available here soon – even if it’s highly unlikely you’ll even be able to try this for yourself unless you manage to have a sealed device that has never been updated.

06/12: Updated to clarify limiting factors.