Easier than ever to recommend [Video]

Times have changed. Prices have changed. Your phone hasn’t changed, but the value of LineageOS 24 certainly has.

• LineageOS 23 review: The de facto AI-free alternative Android experience [Video]

Table of contents

It’s only been a few months since the LineageOS 23.2 drop, and we’re already here with the full-fat Android 17 release. The initial delays from Google last year might have lingered longer than we hoped, but the Lineage team has been hard at work, and version 24 is now ready to go.

Simpler installation process

The new online flash tool is, and I don’t say this lightly, the biggest upgrade to how you will flash the Lineage ROM on your devices in the history of the project. It is a fantastic addition and one that lowers the barrier of entry so drastically that it’s now a must for anyone with an older, unsupported handset.

However, even with a lower barrier to entry, you still need to follow the traditional flashing process, but it has been simplified. Just download the files and follow the correct order. Because the new method lets you do everything in a browser window, it makes it much easier to recommend – even more so if you already have Lineage installed on your phone.

Open a second browser window, follow the flashing process, and you will have LineageOS 24 running in a few minutes. Just remember that you will need to do a few things ahead of time. Back up your files, maybe restore your phone before you flash Lineage, and you can’t really go wrong.

I’m hopeful that in the future, it’ll be as robust and simple as the Android Flash Tool, but it’s one step at a time. This is still a huge improvement for accessibility.

We cover Google and all the platform updates here, but if you want to de-Google your life, you can ditch the GApps package. If you need the Play Store and Play Services, remember to download the MindTheGapps package before flashing. In the interest of trying LineageOS 24 as intended, we have omitted this from our own installation.

What’s new?

Like previous builds, if you choose to forgo the MindTheGapps package, there are no AI-powered functions unless you install those and link a Google account. If you want Circle to Search and Notification Summaries, then those will be missing unless you sideload those first.

More Material 3 Expressive and QPR1

LineageOS 24 has integrated a lot of the changes that were added with the QPR1 launch for Pixel phones back in September 2026.

App bubbles are the biggest headline addition. This may be limited to the default launcher on Lineage, but it mimics the pop-up floating chathead for your apps that you can stash on the left or right side of your phone display. The same 4 to 5 app limitation also applies, but the functionality is identical to what we’ve seen on Pixel phones.

Wallpaper and style gain the custom icon functionality, but don’t add anything extra. You can choose new shapes, the style, and disable app text labels. Sadly, we are still limited to just one lockscreen clock style, but you can adjust the text thickness to give it a different look.

The Expanded Dark theme has also jumped over so that apps that would ordinarily not have a dedicated dark mode will be themed, but darker tones are also used in apps that support the function. Your mileage may vary with this, so use with caution.

Animations and minor details all match the M3E changes added in QPR1, with all the latest icon changes and Quick Settings panel enhancements. There’s parity with the frontier builds of Android, but with the trademark LineageOS speed and fluidity on top.

Improved apps and controls

During the setup process, there is a system theme picker to get you set up before loading into the OS. I’m not entirely sure if this is new, but it felt like it had changed based on the Lineage 23.2 build I tested earlier this year.

The system update page looks much better, giving key information at a glance now. It’s a more robust section that helps you get updated and stay updated better than in previous versions of LineageOS.

Canvas, the default LineageOS 24 gallery app, is very simple, maybe a little barebones. It has gained some improved editing tools with this release. I do think they could be better, but they do include basic cropping and rotation. options. Basic markup is there with tools to scribble on your images if you need to do that. I haven’t used Snapchat for a while, but it reminds me of the old Snapchat editing toolset.

The Jelly default browser now supports PWA-lite or PWA-like apps when using the “Install shortcut” tool. I’ve found it doesn’t work all the time, but you can use it for services like Instagram and Spotify. It’s pretty useful if you want these lightweight web-based versions of an application, less tracking, and less space usage. This is a great addition.

The new Screen Recording UI is one such area that is improved with an option to record HEVC video directly from the floating panel. This is missing on Pixel phones and might be useful if you want to record high-quality but smaller video files locally.

One of the issues I still have with LineageOS is how the invisible gesture bar or hide feature has been enabled. Certain UI elements don’t fit when you have this disabled, so I would suggest keeping the hint enabled unless you don’t care about some elements feeling squeezed or shunted too close to the bottom display edge. It’s all personal preference at the end of the day.

LineageOS feels different now

I’ve been surface-level testing LineageOS for a good number of years now, and for the most part, I have always been impressed because the ROM gives you the ability to extend the lifespan of a phone or tablet that you’re still happy to use. I tend not to install on a brand new phone, as it defeats the purpose in my mind.

Outside market forces haven’t changed that one iota, but the ballooning costs of basically any and all technology have me thinking more about how flashing Lineage on some of my older devices is going to be a bigger component in my future.

My parents have older phones that are very close to the end of “official” support windows. I’m 100% going to be putting LineageOS 24 on those in the coming months. The peace of mind that comes with security updates and maybe even better performance is almost impossible to ignore now.

Extending the life of your possessions feels like the best way to say f-you to the big tech companies that have all banded together with the modus operandi that’ll we’ll all own nothing and be happy about it. At least there are options like this that still exist. I’m almost certain that I’ll be using this ROM more than I ever expected in the next few years across a wide array of devices I’m responsible for, and long may that continue.

To get started with LineageOS 24 and see all supported devices, click here.

You’re reading 9to5Google — experts who break news about Google and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Google on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel