Recently flashed a custom ROM and lost access to the Play Store? Install GApps on your Android device to restore Google services.

In other words, it will become almost impossible to hide a phone's root status from apps check for it. To be clear, it will still be possible to root Android devices or install custom ROMs on them.

Google complicates development of custom ROMs such as Lineage for Pixel smartphones. The hardened Android version GrapheneOS is particularly affected.

Google is not discontinuing the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), but it has made big changes that affect how Android source code is shared, especially for those who build custom ROMs of Android.

With the launch of Android 16 earlier this week, Google did not release the Pixel hardware repos and device trees that are particularly important for custom ROM developers. This led to speculation ...