Skip to main content
Tech Radar TechRadar the technology experts
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
RSS
Asia
flag of Singapore
Singapore
Europe
flag of Danmark
Danmark
flag of Suomi
Suomi
flag of Norge
Norge
flag of Sverige
Sverige
flag of UK
UK
flag of Italia
Italia
flag of Nederland
Nederland
flag of België (Nederlands)
België (Nederlands)
flag of France
France
flag of Deutschland
Deutschland
flag of España
España
North America
flag of US (English)
US (English)
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of México
México
Australasia
flag of Australia
Australia
flag of New Zealand
New Zealand
  • Phones
  • Computing
  • TVs
  • AI
  • Streaming
  • Health
  • Audio
  • VPN
  • More
    • Cameras
    • Home
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Opinion
    • How to
    • Versus
    • Deals
    • Coupons
    • Best
Tech Radar Pro
Tech Radar Gaming
Trending
  • Amazon Prime Day
  • Back to school
  • Nintendo Switch 2
  • Best VPN
  • ChatGPT
  • NYT Wordle today
  • Best laptop
  • Best web hosting
Recommended reading
Android 12
Android If you've got a phone running Android 12, it's time to upgrade – here's why
OnePlus 13R from the back
OnePlus Phones No iPhone, no problem – the O+ Connect app from OnePlus gives UK users Airdrop-style file sharing
Android 15 logo on a phone, in a hand
Android Android 15: latest news and everything you need to know
Collage of iOS 26 features
iOS iOS 26: new features, a new design, and everything you need to know
Gemini on Android
Android How to use Gemini on Android
HarmonyOS Next
Pro Huawei is looking to surpass the billion-user mark with its HarmonyOS Next operating system, as it can no longer use Microsoft Windows
Apple iOS 18 Software Update
iOS Have an iPhone but not iOS 18 yet? You’re in the minority
  1. Computing
  2. Internet
  3. Websites & Apps

How to download and install Lineage OS

How-to
By Matt Hanson published 26 January 2017

Get CyanogenMod's successor

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

How to download and install Lineage OS

How to download and install Lineage OS

CyanogenMod, the popular open source mobile operating system based on Android, has ceased to be, but you can now download and install an early version of its successor, Lineage OS.

The reason many people installed CyanogenMod on their phones, rather than Android, was because of its increased flexibility and additional features compared to Google’s mobile operating system, and Lineage OS (as the name suggests) is a continuation of CyanogenMod’s goals.

Lineage OS is still very new, so it’s only available for certain makes and models of smartphones and tablets, and installing Lineage OS is something that’s perhaps best left to advanced users, as you may find certain features of your phone no longer work – or now work differently than before.

However, when you do download and install Lineage OS you’ll be rewarded with a powerful and flexible operating system for your smartphone or tablet that’s free from the whims of Google.

Page 1 of 5
Page 1 of 5
1. Can you install Lineage OS on your phone or tablet?

1. Can you install Lineage OS on your phone or tablet?

Lineage OS isn’t available for all smartphones just yet, but the list of supported phones is large (around 140 at the time of writing) and constantly growing.

Popular phones such as the Nexus 6P, HTC One M9, and LG G4 are all supported, and for the exhaustive list (which is too long to post here), visit the official Lineage OS website. 

If your device is listed you should be good to go. If not, you may want to wait until the official release of Lineage OS (as this is currently an early release candidate), and other devices may be supported by then.

Page 2 of 5
Page 2 of 5
2. Back up your device

2. Back up your device

Installing a new operating system on your device is risky at the best of times, and even more so when it’s an early version of a new operating system, such as Lineage OS. 

So before you install Lineage OS you’ll want to make sure that you’ve backed up the files and photos stored on your Android device as these will be wiped.

It’s also worth backing up your files and settings so that if something does go wrong, you can easily revert to a working version of Android. For a full guide to backing up your device, head to our how to back up and restore your Android phone or tablet guide for a full rundown.

Page 3 of 5
Page 3 of 5
3. Download the Lineage OS ROM

3. Download the Lineage OS ROM

After checking that your device is supported, and your important files have been backed up, you can now download the Lineage OS ROM. 

The Lineage OS website hosts the ROMs, which is currently Lineage OS 14.1, based on Android Nougat 7.1.1. 

Download the Lineage OS ROM for your device, and make sure the ROM file is stored on your device’s internal storage.  On your device go to the Google Play Store and download the Official TWRP app. This will enable you to install the latest version of the TWRP tool, which will help to install Lineage OS to your device.

  • Want to stick with Google? Here's how to download Android 7.0 Nougat right now
Page 4 of 5
Page 4 of 5
4. Installing Lineage OS

4. Installing Lineage OS

You’ll need to root your Android device before continuing. To do this, check out our guide on how to root Android and follow those steps. 

Next, Load up TWRP. You can do this by rebooting your Android device and holding down the volume down button and the power button to boot into recovery mode. 

Some devices vary on how to boot into recovery mode, so you may need to search for how to do that. Once in TWRP, tap on ‘Install’ then click on the Lineage OS ROM you downloaded to your device. 

Lineage OS will then be installed. Finally, tap on ‘Wipe cache/dalvik’ then reboot your device. If all went well, you should now have Lineage OS running on your device.

  • How to install CyanogenMod 13 on your Android phone
Page 5 of 5
Page 5 of 5
Matt Hanson
Matt Hanson
Social Links Navigation
Managing Editor, Core Tech

Matt is TechRadar's Managing Editor for Core Tech, looking after computing and mobile technology. Having written for a number of publications such as PC Plus, PC Format, T3 and Linux Format, there's no aspect of technology that Matt isn't passionate about, especially computing and PC gaming. He’s personally reviewed and used most of the laptops in our best laptops guide - and since joining TechRadar in 2014, he's reviewed over 250 laptops and computing accessories personally.

See more Computing How Tos
Read more
Android 12
If you've got a phone running Android 12, it's time to upgrade – here's why
OnePlus 13R from the back
No iPhone, no problem – the O+ Connect app from OnePlus gives UK users Airdrop-style file sharing
Android 15 logo on a phone, in a hand
Android 15: latest news and everything you need to know
Collage of iOS 26 features
iOS 26: new features, a new design, and everything you need to know
Gemini on Android
How to use Gemini on Android
HarmonyOS Next
Huawei is looking to surpass the billion-user mark with its HarmonyOS Next operating system, as it can no longer use Microsoft Windows
Latest in Websites & Apps
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Thursday, July 3 (game #1256)
NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
NYT Strands hints and answers for Thursday, July 3 (game #487)
NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, July 2 (game #486)
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Wednesday, July 2 (game #1255)
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Tuesday, July 1 (game #1254)
NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, July 1 (game #485)
Latest in How Tos
Google Chrome logo on desktop and mobile
How to private browse in Chrome on Windows, Android and ChromeOS
The ball for Women's Euro 2025
How to watch Women's Euro 2025: live stream soccer options, TV channels, watch for FREE
Coco Gauff practicing for Wimbledon 2025
How to watch Yastremska vs Gauff at Wimbledon 2025 on BBC iPlayer (it's free)
Jamie Smith and Joe Root celebrate after walking off unbeaten in their test victory against India at Headingley, Leeds.
How to watch England vs India 2nd Test: Live stream cricket online – India 310-5 after Day 1 Gill century
Emma Raducanu preparing for Wimbledon 2025
How to watch Raducanu vs Xu online: live stream Wimbledon 2025 tennis FREE
A woman dances on a friend's shoulders at the Glastonbury Festival held at Worthy Farm, in Pilton, Somerset on June 29 near Glastonbury, England. The festival, founded in 1970, has grown into one of the largest outdoor green field festivals in the world.(Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
How to watch Glastonbury replays on BBC iPlayer (it's FREE)
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. 1
    I must be dreaming – LG's all-new C5 OLED TV gets a stunning $1,000 price cut ahead of Prime Day
  2. 2
    Security experts flag another worrying issue with Anthropic AI systems - here's what they found
  3. 3
    I shop Amazon for a living (yes, really) – here are 37 early Prime Day deals that I'd buy now before the sale starts
  4. 4
    ChatGPT is no match for a 40-year-old digital Pocket Chess game, and I bet Garry Kasparov would be pleased
  5. 5
    There's a massive 4th of July Lego sale at Amazon – here are 13 deals I'd buy from $6.99

TechRadar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Web notifications
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...