GrapheneOS statement on Mastodon: https://grapheneos.social/@GrapheneOS/114661914197695338
Calyx made an official statement on this development here: https://calyxos.org/news/2025/06/11/android-16-plans/
Concerning stuff. Hopefully a workaround or solution is found at some point, but if not, I'm already thinking of how to manage without them.
I can't see myself going back to a standard Android phone, so I suppose worse case scenario, I'd have to settle with LineageOS, or potentially abandon Android altogether and see if I can manage with discrete separate devices to fulfill the same needs, such as:
- a pocketable mini-Linux PC like a MNT Pocket Reform, which has the ability to use cellular networks. Should be able to text, browse web, and maybe GPS? Alternatively, perhaps the Mecha Comet?
- Small pocket-able dumb camera
- MP3 player
- Dumb-phone kept in a faraday bag when not in use?
EDIT:
Update on the situation from GrapheneOS in this thread (using Redlib, a proxy of Reddit)
The biggest problem for GrapheneOS is not the change to AOSP but rather our lead developer since 2022 being forcibly conscripted to fight in a war in April. That's why we've been asking for help since April.
In April, we were contacted by someone about upcoming changes to AOSP impacting us including the removal of device support in Android 16. We talked about it internally but didn't know if the information was credible. We prepared as much as we could for the Android 16 port but didn't know exactly what would happen with device support. If we had clearer information on it and knew it was accurate, we could have prepared much more in advanced.
Porting to Android 16 is required to continue shipping full Android privacy/security patches regardless of device. Only the latest stable release gets full privacy/security patches, which was the May release of Android 15 QPR2 and is not Android 16. Older releases only get backports.
Pixels also only have their driver and firmware patches for Android 16, although we're working on a release within the next 24 hours with backports of the most important firmware patches. We would normally have an experimental Android 16 release out already, if they hadn't made changes to AOSP.
There are further changes coming to AOSP. It is not only what is talked about there.
In another comment:
We're going to be continuing GrapheneOS but in the long term we'll need to shift to our own devices with an OEM partner.
It's not only Pixels which are going to be impacted. Pixels are still the only devices meeting our hardware requirements (https://grapheneos.org/faq#future-devices). It's clear we need our own hardware in partnership with an OEM that's serious about security and capable of delivering on it. We've had several attempts at OEM partnerships but they were unable to provide what we needed. It will cost millions of dollars to get a device meeting our basic requirements. We can do that, but we hoped for an OEM wanting to work with us instead of us needing to pay for everything through raising funds. We didn't end up finding a good OEM to work with that way so we'll do it the hard way.
Considering that a significant portion of the US population may be targeted by the regime at some point in the future, having a device that is more resistant and private against those threats is a massive boon.
If you're not engaging in any resistance or are lucky enough to live in an area where that isn't a concern, sure, those features aren't essential, but they also don't hurt in most cases (I'd want sandboxing no matter what, it's just a nice layer of security against potentially compromised apps, which can be on any distribution platform).
I'm not really sure where this is coming from, since no one here ever suggested that LineageOS isn't adequate for some (probably even most) use cases. I only spoke for myself, and I value privacy and security far more than the average person due to needing it.
people who are at risk of this should be minimizing their phone use in the first place, if the US government wants into your phone they will get into it eventually.
there's a reason that one of the main rules of protests is to NEVER bring your phone
Don't disagree with you there.
The US government doesn't have magic word to break into every device. That is paranoia, unless you're talking about "if given an infinite amount of time...".