Are you able to unlock the bootloader on your phone? What version of Android does it run? If it can be unlocked, it's relatively recent, and you're in for a moderate challenge, there is the option of installing a LineageOS Generic System Image (GSI). The caveats are a lack of automatic updates and the possibility it does not include the correct firmware for your phone.
this post was submitted on 25 Jun 2025
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Yeah, I am! It is actually running Android 12 and the phone is a MotoG31.
I searched a lot around the web but I definitely didn't find anything related with an alternative OS to it!
The Moto G31 supports Project Treble, so there's a good chance it'll take a GSI. However, it does have a MediaTek chipset, which doesn't always play well with GSI. So it might boot, but lose the ability to make calls and texts. Alongside the small risk of bricking, I wouldn't do this if it were my main phone, but if you'd like to take a chance:
- LineageOS GSI: https://sourceforge.net/projects/andyyan-gsi/files/ Go for lineage-21-td since it's based on the TrebleDroid GSI, which tries to support as many devices as possible. You may also want to try just the plain TrebleDroid GSI if the LineageOS one doesn't work too well.
- Guide to install: https://www.makeuseof.com/how-to-install-gsi-android/
Speaking from having experienced the misery of installing a GSI on a budget Samsung tablet with no custom ROM support. Also, if you run into completely unintelligible posts on XDA forums, that's not your fault. It's the only source for some very niche information, but very few people there can write a coherent tutorial from first principles.
@monovergent It seems very complicated to set up and i think that it can leaves me without my cellphone (I use it for banks and work, so maybe it's very risky to try this on it!). I think that I'm gonna buy another one in the future to overcome this issue. For now, I deactivated few tracking resources from my android and I'm using more F-Droid apps and Aurora Store for mainstream apps. Isn't perfect, but at least it's a layer into my mobile privacy. It's the last barrier for me, bc i'm using Linux for more than one year on my computer.
I would agree that's the way to go given the importance of your current phone.
You have the options of:
- Cry over their forum about it, which you should never do
- Port it yourself, which you most probably lack the knowledge or the time and energy to do
- Buy a supported one, which you may have enough money to do
It's like a girl you can't have. Beat it.
@racketlauncher831 hahs, I posted it on lemmy without knowing! But tbh, I would like to try the second option, but I'll need to learn and to have time. But it should be a good option! How can I start it?
@racketlauncher831 Thanks! I'm gonna try this in my free time, why not? It could be a nice challenge! I find out some tutorials online too!