How to install LineageOS 16 on Android

The unofficial builds of LineageOS 16 have already started coming out for various Android phones. The official builds will be on their way in a matter of a few days as well. The LineageOS 16 will give life to thousands of Android phones that have been forgotten by their manufacturers. Today, we will look into the method to install the LineageOS 16 on Android. The guide will explain the steps to install the LineageOS 16 on any Android handset. Before going through the tutorial, we will learn what LineageOS 16 is and also take a look at its history.

LineageOS

LineageOS is among the most popular custom ROMs for the Android ecosystem. The LineageOS is an evolved form of the CyanogenMod. The official builds of the CyanogenMod ended at the CM 14.1. After that, the CyanogenMod merged into the LineageOS. The very first build of the LineageOS was LineageOS 14.1 which allowed users to install the aftermarket Android 7.1 Nougat.

LineageOS is useful for the phones with discontinued software updates. Some of the smartphone manufacturers are not that good when it comes to software updates. Companies often discontinue the software updates for their products way too early. Samsung is one big example in this regard. At first, Samsung rolls out the updates when the entire world is done with them, and then the company doesn’t pay much attention to its budget-friendly phones. Companies like LG and Huawei also take a lot of time to cook the updates for their phones.

Operating systems like LineageOS are also useful for the users who want to get a hang of the latest version of Android as soon as it comes out. The unofficial builds of the LineageOS are made immediately available right after the AOSP source codes come out. The official builds, however, take quite a while to come out.

So, whether you want to quickly enjoy the latest Android or you want to give a new life to your pretty old smartphone, the LineageOS is your way to go. The active development of LineageOS also makes it popular.

LineageOS 16

Android Pie AOSP source code was released right after the Android Pie was made official. It did not take long for the developers to compile the LineageOS based on it. The LineageOS based on Android Pie is named as LineageOS 16. This is the latest version of LineageOS. The LineageOS 16 has been released for many phones, but as mentioned above, it is the unofficial builds that are being rolled out.

CyanogenMod and LineageOS History

Back in 2009, the very first build of the CyanogenMod was released. The first build of the CyanogenMod was based on the Android Cupcake. CyanogenMod was warmly welcomed by the users. Within a couple of years, the CyanogenMod became the most popular aftermarket Android OS. The CyanogenMod was even adopted as the main OS by OnePlus. The company, later on, moved to its own OxygenOS after the CyanogenMod was merged into LineageOS. Here is how the CyanogenMod transformed over the past decade.

• CyanogenMod 3.1 – Android 1.5 – Android Cupcake [July 2009]
• CM 4 – Android 1.5 and Android 1.6 – Android Cupcake and Android Dounat
• CyanogenMod 5 – Android 2.0/2.1 Eclair
• CM 6 – Android 2.2 Froyo
• CyanogenMod 7 – Android 2.3 Gingerbread [February 2011]
• CM 8 – Didn’t come out as Google did not release the source code of Android 3.0 Honeycomb
• CM 9 – Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich [November 2011]
• CyanogenMod 10, 10.1, and 10.2 – Android 4.1 – 4.3 Jelly Bean [September 2012]
• CM 11 – Android 4.4 KitKat [December 2013]
• CyanogenMod 12 – Android 5.0/5.1 Lollipop [January 2015]
• CM 13 – Android 6.0 Marshmallow [November 2015]
• CyanogenMod 14, 14.1 – Android 7.0 Nougat [July – November 2016]
• LineageOS 14.1 – Android 7.1 Nougat [Merged into LineageOS in December 2016]
• The LineageOS 15 – Android 8.0 Oreo
• LineageOS 15.1 – Android 8.1 Oreo
• LineageOS 16 – Android 9.0 Pie

Phones that support LineageOS 16

Here is a complete list of the Android phones that will support or get the LineageOS 16 custom ROM.

Note: The following guide will work on any Android phone including Samsung, OnePlus, LG, Motorola, Xiaomi, Lenovo, Asus, Huawei, Sony, Oppo and all others that exist.

How to install LineageOS 16 on Android

Preparations to update Android to LineageOS 16

• Always download the ROM that matches the model and variant of your device. Picking up an invalid ROM can brick your phone.
• Backup all of your data as the ROMs often wipe the phone completely.
• Now backup your contacts, find the full guide here.
• Also, backup important SMS messages, full guide here.
• Don’t forget to backup call logs, full guide here.
• Backup all your important media content manually. (Copy to your PC.)
• The bootloader of an Android phone must be unlocked prior to the flashing process.
• An Android phone must have the TWRP recovery which will allow the installation.
• Consider making a Nandroid Backup of your phone.
• Don’t forget to make the EFS partition backup as well.
• Get your hands on the right version of Gapps for Android Pie based LineageOS 16.

Steps to install LineageOS 16 on any Android phone

1. Copy the downloaded ROM and the Gapps files to your phone.
2. Turn off the phone now.
3. Boot your phone into the TWRP recovery. Here is how to do that:
4. All Android phones:
5. Turn off the phone and then press and hold following buttons.
   1. Volume Up + Power button – Boot into Fastboot and then into recovery mode.
   2. Press and hold Volume Down + Power button – Boot into Fastboot and then go into the recovery mode.
   3. Volume Down + Volume Up + Power button – Fastboot and then recovery mode.
6. Samsung phones:
   1. Turn off the phone and then press and hold Volume Up + Home + Power buttons to get into the recovery.
   2. On latest phones with Bixby button, press and hold Volume Up + Bixby + Power buttons to open recovery.
7. Now in the recovery mode, open Wipe > Advanced Wipe > Select System, Data, Cache & Dalvik Cache > Swipe screen to wipe.
8. Go back to the main menu and click on Install > Install Zip > Locate ROM.zip file > Select > Swipe screen to flash.
9. Once again, go to the main menu, click on Install > Install Zip > Locate Gapps.zip file > Select > Swipe screen to flash.
10. Now open the Wipe option again, go to Advanced Wipe > Select Cache & Dalvik Cache > Swipe screen to wipe.
11. Reboot the phone into the system now. You should find it running on latest Android Pie LineageOS 16.