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Samsung recently surprised the users of the Galaxy S7, Galaxy S8, and Galaxy Note 8 phones with a new software update. It addressed some GPS issues on the discontinued devices. Unfortunately, but unsurprisingly, the phones didn’t receive anything else. Not even a new security patch, let alone new features. Thankfully, XDA Recognized Developer Ivan_Meler has some good news for you. They are letting you get the taste of Android 13 on your long-discontinued Galaxy smartphone. LineageOS 20 brings the latest Android version to the Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge, Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+, and Galaxy Note 8.
The early builds of Android 13-based custom ROMs for these Samsung devices have some known issues. In detailed posts on XDA forums, the developer noted that storage encryption and network traffic monitoring don’t work. Android 13’s new GPU monitoring is also non-functional. Moreover, some LineageOS-specific features, such as button backlight control, battery percentage in the status bar, and button remapping, are also currently in development. These will be added with subsequent updates.
Otherwise, you’ll get a stable software experience with most Android 13 features that are compatible with your aging phone. All core components and features such as cameras (not yet on Galaxy Note 8), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, fingerprint scanner, audio, GPS, sensors, buttons, and charging working fine. But as XDA notes, VoLTE and Wi-Fi calling might not be usable at all after installing LineageOS 20 on the Galaxy S7, Galaxy S8, and Galaxy Note 8 series. This is due to some restrictions and limitations on the devices themselves.
Download Android 13-based LineageOS 20 for Galaxy S7, S8, and Note 8
The Galaxy S7, Galaxy S8, and Galaxy Note 8 series were among the best phones of their time. But they have been discontinued years back and are no longer eligible for official software support from Samsung. So it’s advisable that you upgrade to a new phone to stay protected against the latest software vulnerabilities. However, if your phone is still going strong and you don’t plan to upgrade anytime soon, installing this LineageOS custom ROM might be a good choice. Not only you’ll get a stock Android 13 experience, but regular security updates too.
Of course, installing a custom ROM will require an unlocked bootloader and a custom recovery installed on the phone. So only proceed if you know what you’re doing. You’ll find device-specific Android 13-based LineageOS 20 builds with a complete guide in the links below.