Even though Nexus 5 was launched back in 2013, the device is still being used to this day. The reason why the device’s age matters is because once a device reaches the two year milestone, Google officially stops supporting it. What’s interesting is that even though Nexus 5 will not be receiving any software updates any time soon, the device is still able to keep its popularity.

Nexus 5: Still Surviving

The best thing about Android powered devices is that they allow users to install custom ROMs. This is why Nexus 5 is able to survive after three years. Thanks to CyanogenMod, Nexus 5 owners can always get their hands on Google’s latest Android operating system updates. Sadly, CyanogenMod decided to end its activity and stopped producing custom ROMs. While everyone though this means that Nexus 5 is coming to an end, another custom ROM developer team stepped in.

Nexus 5: Lineage OS Is Keeping The Smartphone Alive

Lineage OS is the developer team that took CyanogenMod’s place in the custom ROM world. The whole tech community was doubtful of Lineage OS, but the developer team proved to everyone that they are the best replacement for CyanogenMod when it launched Lineage OS 14.1. This custom ROM is built around Android 7.1.1 Nougat and it supports a huge array of older Android devices, including Nexus 5.

While Google has officially excluded Nexus 5 from its support list, Lineage OS made sure that Nexus 5 owners can still get access to Google’s latest updates and features. Right now, all Nexus 5 owners are wondering if Lineage OS will keep on providing them with custom ROMs along the way. Even though Lineage OS 14.1 can be installed on Nexus 5 right now because the device is quite old, Lineage OS might decide to quit on developing specific Nexus 5 software.

Nonetheless, Nexus 5 owners should be happy that they can at least install the Android 7.1.1 Nougat based custom ROM and not worry about the future. Even though Lineage OS might decide to give up on Nexus 5, this will surely not happen any time soon since the device is still quite popular.