Custom ROM Support Just Got a Lot Worse on Google Pixel Phones

Customized ROMs aren’t one thing I take into consideration loads anymore after I get a brand new cellphone—you possibly can learn some of my thoughts about that here. However if in case you have a Pixel cellphone, and also you had been hoping to maintain it operating after it is lastly useless, we now have some dangerous information for you.

Android 16 was lastly launched to the Android Open Supply Venture (AOSP), that means that builders might peruse by way of the ultimate Android launch and convey it up on non-Pixel units. Nonetheless, the gadget timber and driver binaries for Pixel units are nowhere to be seen. Google’s VP and GM of Android, Seang Chau, confirmed that this variation is, certainly, intentional. He went on so as to add that “AOSP wants a reference goal that’s versatile, configurable, and reasonably priced – impartial of any specific {hardware}, together with these from Google.” He dispelled rumors that AOSP was going away resulting from this variation being perceived by some as a “first step” in the direction of discontinuing it, however went on so as to add that the omission of Pixel gadget timber is intentional.

Google Pixel gadget timber being basically closed supply is dangerous information for any Pixel that acquired Android 16, or at the least dangerous information for people who needed to put in a customized ROM on them. Whereas it’s doable to convey up a customized ROM on these Pixel units, it is a significantly more durable process now. Builders seeking to port a customized ROM to a Pixel gadget might want to resort to reverse engineering and “blind guessing.” They might want to work with older gadget timber and documentation, and hope that they’ll determine find out how to get their software program to work with the telephones’ {hardware}.

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This provides a number of levels of complexity for customized ROM builders, and what was often a comparatively easy ordeal would possibly now take weeks and even months. And there is a actual risk that some {hardware} elements or options may very well be completely damaged on customized ROMs. Options that depend on closely personalized drivers, akin to superior digicam functionalities, could also be notably tough to implement completely.

The corporate has said that it’s transferring in the direction of utilizing a digital gadget, codenamed “Cuttlefish,” as its major reference goal for AOSP growth. This transfer is meant to make AOSP growth extra hardware-agnostic. However for these of you who need to hold their units operating for longer, this may very well be terrible information. Fortunately, most new Pixel telephones provide you with at the least seven years of updates, so even if customized ROM assist is subpar now, your cellphone ought to at the least proceed to work for a significantly lengthy period of time.

Supply: Seang Chau (Twitter/X), Android Authority