The afterlife of Google’s older Pixel hardware continues to get sweeter. Following the earlier arrival of LineageOS 23 for the Pixel 4a 5G, the custom ROM project has now officially extended Android 16 support to the rest of the Pixel 4 series, including the standard Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, and the 4G-only Pixel 4a.
According to a new merge on the LineageOS Gerrit, official builds of LineageOS 23.0 are now live for these devices. This update brings the full Android 16 experience to phones that Google officially stopped supporting years ago, offering a vital lifeline for users holding onto the last of the “classic” Pixel designs.
While the Pixel 4a 5G had a head start on the latest platform, seeing the older siblings join the fold unifies the generation. It is worth noting the distinct divide in the LineageOS roster right now: out of the 34 Pixel devices released since 2016 (including the Pixel Tablet), the eight oldest models—comprising the Pixel 1 through Pixel 3a series—remain on LineageOS 22.2. The Pixel 4 series now officially graduates to the cutting edge.
This release comes amidst a busy and somewhat contentious period for the custom ROM community. Development had hit a snag recently due to delays in Google releasing the source code for Android 16 QPR1. This bottleneck caused visible friction, with prominent projects like GrapheneOS noting that the delay forced them to hold back builds for the new Pixel 10.
However, the situation has rapidly improved. Google recently dropped the source code for both Android 16 QPR1 and, surprisingly, QPR2. This influx of code has greased the wheels for developers, and work on LineageOS 23.1 and 23.2 is reportedly already underway.
For now, Pixel 4, 4 XL, and 4a owners can fire up their recovery and flash the latest build to get a taste of Android 16, keeping their hardware relevant well into 2026.
Hillary Keverenge
2664 Posts
Tech has been my playground for over a decade. While the Android journey began early, it truly took flight with the revolutionary Lollipop update. Since then, it's been a parade of Android devices (with a sprinkle of iOS), culminating in a mostly happy marriage with Google's smart home ecosystem. Expect insightful articles and explorations of the ever-evolving world of Android and Google products coupled with occasional rants on the Nest smart home ecosystem.
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