Custom Android ROM usage has no single counter. LineageOS runs an install tracker that users can switch off, GrapheneOS estimates its base from update-server downloads, and CalyxOS publishes no count at all. This brief covers the latest figure from each project, where LineageOS installs sit by country and device, how many run unsupported versions, and the 2025–2026 changes to bootloaders and Android source releases.
Custom Android ROM Usage Statistics
How Many Devices Run a Custom Android ROM?
LineageOS recorded 3,171,796 active installs across 231 supported models on 2 June 2026, based on its statistics server as mirrored by the LineageOS Changelog site.
The count is opt-out. Amos Batto, who analyses the tracker, notes that some users and builds switch statistics off, so the real number is higher.
Source: LineageOS statistics server via LineageOS Changelog, 2 June 2026
An earlier reading of the same tracker, taken 12 October 2025, showed 4,254,349 active installs. Neither source explains the gap, so the two readings should not be read as a trend.
Source: Amos Batto, LineageOS build and installation statistics, 12 October 2025
GrapheneOS: Update-Download Estimate
GrapheneOS said in April 2026 that it has at least around 400,000 users based on update downloads. The OS has no telemetry, so server logs are its only gauge.
Source: GrapheneOS on X, April 2026
CalyxOS: No Public Counter
CalyxOS publishes no install or user figure. Any 2026 user number attached to it is unsourced.
Source: CalyxOS news and release notes, July to September 2026
Custom Android ROM Usage by Country: Brazil Logs 1,152,953 LineageOS Installs
Brazil and China lead the June 2026 LineageOS ranking with 1,152,953 and 1,067,022 active installs. The United States follows at 378,560.
Installs tagged “(unknown)” rank eighth in the source list at 41,339. France closes the top ten countries with 20,363.
India ranks ninth with 24,447 installs; its much larger Android base appears in these Android global market share statistics.
Source: LineageOS statistics server via LineageOS Changelog, 2 June 2026
LineageOS Installs per Million People
Measured against population, Brazil logged 8,547 LineageOS installs per million people in October 2025. The global average was 522.
The United States recorded 901 per million and Europe 276. Virtualized installs such as Waydroid made up 47% of US usage, or 144k installs, per Batto.
Waydroid runs Android inside a container on Linux PCs, a platform covered in these Linux desktop market share trends.
Source: Amos Batto, LineageOS build and installation statistics, 12 October 2025
The moto g7 play Leads LineageOS Devices at 594,748 Installs
| Rank | Device (as listed) | Active installs |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Motorola moto g7 play | 594,748 |
| 2 | Xiaomi Mi 8 | 283,005 |
| 3 | (waydroid_x86_64) | 231,369 |
| 4 | Samsung Galaxy S10e | 127,518 |
| 5 | (OP4AA7) | 93,790 |
| 6 | Samsung Galaxy S10 | 86,640 |
| 7 | Samsung Galaxy S10+ | 63,283 |
| 8 | Motorola moto g7 power | 53,996 |
Source: LineageOS statistics server via LineageOS Changelog, 2 June 2026
Two Motorola handsets from 2019, the moto g7 play and moto g7 power, make the top eight. Batto’s October 2025 analysis found 99.8% of moto g7 play installs were in Brazil.
Entries in parentheses are build codenames the tracker lists without a model name. The third, waydroid_x86_64, is a container runtime, not a phone.
LineageOS Installs by Manufacturer
Samsung led Batto’s November 2025 full-catalogue count with 411 builds and 1,219,799 installs, 28.6% of all active LineageOS installs.
Lenovo/Motorola followed with 137 builds and 1,154,765 installs. Xiaomi had 204 builds and 724,221 installs.
Source: Amos Batto, LineageOS installation statistics for all builds, November 2025
What Share of LineageOS Installs Run Unsupported Versions?
Older releases dominate. In November 2025, 62.23% of LineageOS installs ran a version older than LineageOS 20 (Android 13), which Batto classes as no longer getting Google security updates.
Source: Amos Batto, LineageOS installation statistics for all builds, November 2025
Batto’s October 2025 article used a narrower test. By that measure, only 25.9% of devices ran a version still receiving security updates.
Stock phones face patch delays as well, with OEM lag documented in these security patch release time statistics.
LineageOS 18.1 was the most-installed version, on 1,078,246 devices or 25.1% of the total. It first shipped in April 2021 and was last updated in March 2024.
Versions 22 and 23, based on Android 15 and 16, held 4.7% of installs.
Source: Amos Batto, LineageOS build and installation statistics, 12 October 2025
The project itself backports some patches to legacy branches. Its July 2026 blog said LineageOS 16 and 17 carried all patches through the November 2025 security patch level.
Source: LineageOS blog, Summertime Updates, July 2026
Device Release Year of LineageOS Installs
Among official and top-250 builds, which cover 97.21% of installs, devices released in 2016–18 held 41.0% and 2019 devices held 38.0% in October 2025. Devices from 2022–25 held less than 1%.
Source: Amos Batto, LineageOS build and installation statistics, 12 October 2025
Official vs Unofficial Builds in Custom Android ROM Usage
Unofficial builds carried 50.40% of LineageOS installs in November 2025, ahead of active official builds at 46.90%. Batto’s script matched 1,319 builds, 768 of them unofficial.
Discontinued official builds made up 22.7% of builds but only 2.62% of installs. The stats page publishes just the top 250 builds, so the script pulled per-country data to find the rest.
Source: Amos Batto, LineageOS installation statistics for all builds, November 2025
Which Android Version Does Each ROM Run in September 2026?
| Project | Android base | Latest release | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|
| LineageOS | Android 16 | 23.2, February 2026 | LineageOS 24 (Android 17) in development, no ETA |
| GrapheneOS | Android 17 | 2026091900 Stable; 2026092500 Beta | Motorola devices under partnership |
| CalyxOS | Android 16 | 7.2.5.20 Stable, 12 September 2026 | Monthly security updates resumed |
Source: LineageOS blog, July 2026; GrapheneOS releases page, checked 29 September 2026; CalyxOS news, September 2026
GrapheneOS lists 21 Pixel models, from the Pixel 6 to the Pixel 10a, on its releases page. All run Android 17 builds.
CalyxOS’s September 2026 notes list 16 Pixel models on monthly updates, plus Fairphone, Motorola and SHIFTphone devices. Six older models, including the Pixel 5 and moto g32, now get open-source fixes only.
Uptake of these same Android releases on unmodified phones is tracked in this Android version distribution breakdown.
CalyxOS Pause and Return, 2025–2026
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1 Aug 2025 | Development paused; users advised to uninstall pending new releases |
| 24 Feb 2026 | New HSM-based signing process completed |
| 4 May 2026 | Android 16 test build 7.2.1.0 released |
| 1 Jul 2026 | 7.2.2.0 released with full maintenance; SHIFTphone 8 added |
| 12 Sep 2026 | 7.2.5.20 reaches the Stable channel |
Source: CalyxOS news, August 2025 to September 2026
Bootloader Locks and AOSP Changes: 2025–2026 Timeline for Custom Android ROM Usage
Google released the Android 16 source in June 2025 without Pixel device trees or driver binaries, Android Authority reported. LineageOS reviewer Nolen Johnson said builders must now “blindly guess and reverse engineer” monthly changes.
The code still shipped under Apache 2.0, a license covered in these open source license usage statistics.
Source: Android Authority, June 2025
LineageOS 23.0 launched on 11 October 2025 on Android 16’s initial release. The project said Google never pushed the QPR1 source to AOSP.
Source: LineageOS blog, Changelog 30, 11 October 2025
Samsung’s One UI 8 removed the OEM Unlocking developer option, 9to5Google reported in July 2025. The change was seen on the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Z Fold 7.
Source: 9to5Google, July 2025
Batto counted only 30.0% of active LineageOS installs on brands that do not block or heavily restrict bootloader unlocking in November 2025.
Source: Amos Batto, LineageOS installation statistics for all builds, November 2025
Motorola announced a long-term GrapheneOS partnership at MWC on 2 March 2026. Android Authority called it the first officially confirmed non-Pixel partner; Motorola gave no ship date.
Source: Motorola News and Android Authority, March 2026
FAQs
How many people use LineageOS?
The LineageOS stats server showed 3,171,796 active installs on 2 June 2026. It counts installs rather than people, and users can switch reporting off.
How many GrapheneOS users are there?
Around 400,000 as of April 2026. GrapheneOS said it has at least that many users based on update downloads, since the OS includes no telemetry.
Is CalyxOS still maintained in 2026?
Yes. Development paused on 1 August 2025 and releases resumed with 7.2.2.0 on 1 July 2026. Version 7.2.5.20, based on Android 16, reached Stable on 12 September 2026.
What did LineageOS developers say on Reddit about install statistics?
In November 2025, a LineageOS developer on the project’s subreddit told Amos Batto the stats page lists only the top 250 builds because of past fake-install fraud.
Does GrapheneOS only work on Pixel phones?
For now, yes. September 2026 releases cover 21 Pixel models, from the Pixel 6 to the Pixel 10a. Motorola announced a GrapheneOS partnership for future devices on 2 March 2026.
