Google Pixel 6 Custom Development: Unofficial LineageOS 19, Pixel Experience 12, and more

The Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are among the best Android phones that one can purchase right now. However, many users were rightfully apprehensive about the aftermarket development scene on the Pixel 6 family not picking up. The Tensor SoC that powers the Pixel 6 is Google’s debut in smartphone chip-making. As a result, third-party developers required some time to settle in and understand the platform before building custom ROMs for the device duo.

Over the past several months, the efforts of Google and these developers in the community have come to fruition, resulting in an abundance of custom modification options for the enthusiasts. If you’ve found yourself wanting a different experience on the Pixel 6 or the Pixel 6 Pro, you can now give a number of different custom ROM a try from our forums. Keep in mind that you’ll need to unlock your bootloader before you make any changes to the software on your phone.

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Google Pixel 6 Custom ROMs

LineageOS 19

LineageOS is among the most popular custom ROMs that you can get on any device and fans of the ROM will be glad to know that it’s now available for the Pixel 6 lineup, albeit unofficially. You can flash one of the two available unofficial builds of LineageOS 19, based on Android 12, on your Google Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro by following the instructions in the forum threads (linked below). Based on the comments in the posts, most of the features work flawlessly, however, it does have some minor issues.

Unofficial LineageOS 19 for the Google Pixel 6 Pro by XDA Senior Member alvin14

Unofficial LineageOS 19 for the Google Pixel 6/6 Pro by XDA Member neelchauhan

Pixel Experience 12

Pixel Experience is a custom ROM with a user interface inspired by the Google Pixel phones, but with a few additional features. The ROM comes with the essential set of Google apps and services preloaded to let you sign up using the Google account while setting up the phone. You can download the other Google apps you need from the Google Play Store.

If that sounds interesting, then you should head over to the thread linked below and follow the instructions in the comments to get the ROM up and running on your device. Keep in mind that this is an unofficial build, so some features may not be available or may not be fully working yet.

Unofficial Pixel Experience 12 for the Google Pixel 6 Pro by XDA Senior Member alvin14

DerpFest 12

If you’re a stock Android enthusiast and want to experience vanilla Android with some additional tweaks, then you should definitely check out the DerpFest custom ROM on your Pixel 6/6 Pro. At the bottom, it’s a stock AOSP base with several optimizations and fixes from ProtonAOSP on top, though it’s surely going to grow and improve in the future. You can check out the full list of features in the forum thread below.

Official DerpFest 12 for the Google Pixel 6/6 Pro by XDA Senior Member Hurt Copain

Do note that the ROM might have compatibility issues with some custom kernels, so make sure you’re using the default kernel while using the ROM.

Project Zephyrus

The Project Zephyrus distribution focuses on a clean user interface with a smooth performance. The custom ROM is based on ProtonAOSP, but borrows some of the features from other ROMs without completely duplicating it. You can give it a try at the link below.

Official Project Zephyrus for the Google Pixel 6/6 Pro by XDA Senior Member Hurt Copain

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We’ll be on the lookout for more custom development on the Google Pixel 6 lineup. Think we missed a custom ROM, custom kernel, or mod? Let us know in the comments below!