GrapheneOS may skip Pixel 11 over missing hardware security feature
GrapheneOS may discontinue support for the Google Pixel 11 due to the apparent removal of the ARM Memory Tagging Extension (MTE) hardware security feature. The project argues this omission significantly compromises the device's security standards.
Why it matters
This highlights the tension between hardware cost-cutting and the security requirements of privacy-focused operating systems.
X LinkedIn Reddit Facebook Share GrapheneOS says it may abandon support for Google’s Pixel 11 series after discovering that the new devices appear to lack usable support for ARM Memory Tagging Extension (MTE).
MTE is a hardware security feature the privacy-focused Android project relies on extensively to mitigate memory corruption exploits.
The GrapheneOS team disclosed the issue on X after spending roughly a week on a partial Pixel 11 port. According to the project, MTE support is missing at the software and firmware levels and is “near certainly” absent from the hardware itself, preventing the team from completing the port to its normal security standards.
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