LineageOS 24 Android 17 adds browser flashing to simplify installs

LineageOS 24.0 is the latest release of the best-known custom ROM, a replacement operating system you install in place of the one your phone shipped with. It is built on the Android 17 code Google published in June, and it arrived about four months after that, roughly the same timing as last year’s LineageOS 23.

The team says it was able to move onto the new Android code faster than expected because of the heavy rework it had already done for earlier versions. The release also comes just before a milestone: the project turns 10 on December 24, 2026.

There is one catch in the timing. Google’s September update to Android 17, known as QPR1, never reached the public Android code base, so LineageOS 24 is based on the original June release. Google has said it will now publish Android source code only every six months, which leaves projects like this one working from older public code.

The biggest change for newcomers is a set of web-based flashing tools. They use WebUSB, a browser feature that lets a web page talk directly to a device plugged in over USB, so the page itself can send the commands that used to need separate programs on your PC.

The tools cover several common install methods, including the ADB and Fastboot tools used by most Android phones, Samsung’s Odin protocol and the Amlogic Burn method used on some TV boxes. You need a Chromium-based browser such as Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge, and you can even push the install files to your phone from the browser window.

These tools are not brand new to version 24. LineageOS first announced them in July, and they work for other versions too. They also don’t do everything: you still have to download the right system image for your exact model and unlock your phone’s bootloader yourself.

The project is clear that the tools are an optional extra. The step-by-step guides on the LineageOS Wiki remain the standard, supported way to install, and whether the web tools work depends on your phone, browser, operating system and even the USB connection.

Almost all of LineageOS’s own apps have been redrawn in Google’s Material Design 3 Expressive style, with bolder colors and livelier motion. The setup screens you see when you first turn the phone on got the same treatment, plus new animations.

• Canvas is a new built-in photo editor for quick jobs such as cropping, fixing white balance and adding filters.
• Updater has a cleaner layout with built-in explanations, and it now streams updates by default, which cuts install times a lot on phones with A/B partitions (two copies of the system, so one can update in the background).
• Twelve, the music player, loads big libraries faster and shows your most-played albums and genres on its Activity tab.
• Jelly, the default browser, can now save web apps as shortcuts that behave much like installed apps.

LineageOS supports more than 170 phones and tablets from brands including Samsung, Google, Motorola, OnePlus, Xiaomi and Asus, and the team added 24 devices to the list with this release. Builds for each model roll out once its volunteer maintainer marks it ready, so some phones get version 24 weeks after others.

Owners of older phones face bad news. Devices that run the old Linux 4.4 and 4.9 kernels (the core of the system that talks to the hardware) can’t be submitted for LineageOS 23.2 or 24.0 builds. They stay on LineageOS 22.2, which keeps getting monthly security patches, so they are not left unprotected right away.

On security, the team says it will fold in Google’s patches from August 2025 through October 2026 across all its branches. For versions based on Android 14 and newer, it will raise the security patch level shown in settings. For older branches it keeps adding fixes but won’t change that label, because Google doesn’t publish patch sets the team can verify for them.

If your phone stopped getting updates a year or two ago, LineageOS 24 is one of the safest ways to keep using it with current Android and security fixes. It is open source, ships with no ads or extra apps, and often feels quicker than the maker’s own software on aging hardware.

It also suits people who want to share less data with Google. Google apps are not included, though you can add a Google services package if you need the Play Store.

There are trade-offs. Unlocking the bootloader wipes the phone completely, may void your warranty and can stop some banking apps and security features from working. On an old phone out of warranty the first worry matters less, but check the banking question before you start.

Start on the LineageOS Wiki and find your exact device, matching both the name and the codename, since phones often come in variants with different chips. Each page lists downloads, install steps and device notes.

Back up everything first: photos, contacts, documents and especially two-factor codes in authenticator apps. Then follow the wiki guide, using the browser tool only if your device page supports it. Other Android projects built on LineageOS, such as /e/OS, iodéOS and crDroid, are expected to move to Android 17 next, so those options should follow soon.