LineageOS 21 Brings Material You and Android 14 features

LineageOS enthusiasts have a reason to celebrate as the latest iteration, LineageOS 21, based on Android 14, has been rolled out ahead of schedule. Typically slated for an April release, this version offers an early glimpse into the advancements made by the developers.

Stepping Ahead: LineageOS 21 Arrives Early with Android 14 and Material You Enhancements

So, adopting Android 14 QPR1 as its foundation, LineageOS 21 integrates the latest quarterly patch, showcasing its commitment to security updates. One notable addition is the incorporation of Material You, enhancing the aesthetic appeal of various system applications. Also, the official changelog for this release outlines the key improvements is listed below.

For those eager to explore LineageOS 21, compatibility extends to over a hundred devices from manufacturers such as Google, Motorola, OnePlus, Samsung, LG, and Xiaomi. The LineageOS website provides a user-friendly interface with a step-by-step wizard, guiding users through the installation process, including bootloader unlocking and system image flashing. Check the devices section on their website for the LineageOS version available for your specific model, and experience the latest Android innovations on your device.

LineageOS 21 Changelog

• Security patches from January 2023 to February 2024 have been merged to LineageOS 18.1 through 21.
• Glimpse of Us: We now have a shining new app, Glimpse! It will become the default gallery app starting from LineageOS 21
• An extensive list of applications were heavily improved or redesigned:
  • Aperture: A touch of Material You, new video features, and more!
  • Calculator: Complete Material You redesign
  • Contacts: Design adjustments for Material You
  • Dialer: Large cleanups and code updates, Material You and bugfixes
  • Eleven: Some Material You design updates
  • Jelly: Refreshed interface, Material You and per-website location permissions
  • LatinIME: Material You enhancements, spacebar trackpad, fixed number row
  • Messaging: Design adjustments for Material You
• A brand new boot animation by our awesome designer Vazguard!
• SeedVault and Etar have both got an update to their newest respective upstream version.
• WebView has got an update to Chromium 120.0.6099.144.
• We have further developed our side pop-out expanding volume panel.
• Our Updater app should now install A/B updates much faster (thank Google!)

• We have contributed even more changes and improvements back upstream to the FOSS Etar calendar app we integrated some time back!
• We have contributed even more changes and improvements back upstream to the Seedvault backup app.
• Android TV builds still ship with an ad-free Android TV launcher, unlike Google’s ad-enabled launcher – most Android TV Google Apps packages now have options to use the Google ad-enabled launcher or our ad-restricted version.
• Our merge scripts have been largely overhauled, greatly simplifying the Android Security Bulletin merge process. As well as making supporting devices like Pixel devices that have full source releases much more streamlined.
• Our extract utilities can now extract from OTA images and factory images directly. Further simplifying monthly security updates for maintainers on devices that receive security patches regularly.
• LLVM has fully embraced the default usage of LLVM bin-utils for builds. And users can optionally choose the LLVM integrated assembler. For those of you with older kernels, worry not, you can always opt-out.
• Developers have crafted a global Quick Settings light mode to ensure alignment with the device’s theme for this UI element.
• We adapted our Setup Wizard for Android 14, enhancing styling, making transitions more seamless, and stripping out significant amounts of legacy code.
• We have significantly improved the developer-kit experience (e.g., Radxa 0, Banana Pi B5, ODROID C4, Jetson X1), hiding or tailoring UI elements and settings not related to their more restricted hardware feature-set.