Samsung's Galaxy S22 Series Could Get Android 17 Thanks to LineageOS

The Galaxy S22 series recently ran out of its software support window, with One UI 8 based on Android 16 being its last update. However, thanks to the folks over at LineageOS, the Galaxy S22 series has a fair chance of getting Android 17.

LineageOS 23 Nightly Released for Galaxy S22 Series

While these initial LineageOS 23 builds for the Samsung Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22 Plus and Galaxy S22 Ultra are built on top of Android 16, their arrival lays important groundwork for future Android development. With Android 17 now available, an active LineageOS development tree means an Android 17-based build could easily arrive in the coming months.

This could give Galaxy S22 owners a potent way to experience newer software without being forced into an unnecessary hardware upgrade. And with the ongoing RAM crisis worsening and causing hardware prices to increase significantly, it might make sense to hold on to these older Samsung Galaxy phones.

For those unaware, LineageOS is one of the most popular custom ROMs that focuses on privacy and longer software support. However, since it's an unofficial operating system, users will have to go through a host of fairly advanced steps to install LineageOS 23.

Besides, since it's an unofficial OS, apps that depend on Google's Play Integrity and SafetyNet may refuse to work. We're talking about Banking and Streaming apps. However, this might be fixable for those willing to root their phones via Magisk.

That said, Lineage on the Galaxy S22 series also doesn't support eSIM or IMS (VoLTE, VoWiFi, and VoNR). So while it has its own set of quirks and things that don't work, it at least gets you the latest Android security patch and a promise of Android 17.

While it's sad to see the Galaxy S22 series being excluded from Samsung's latest 7-year update promise, the hardware itself remains fairly capable of handling modern tasks. Therefore, it might be worth installing LineageOS to breathe new life into the device.

Besides, for users comfortable flashing Android custom ROMs, official LineageOS support provides a bloat-free alternative to One UI that keeps ageing flagship hardware functional and secure well past its official expiration date.