De-Googled GrapheneOS is coming to Motorola’s foldables next year

GrapheneOS, the open source Android build focused on security and privacy, has laid out its roadmap for official support on Motorola smartphones. The GrapheneOS Foundation announced the expansion plans in a Mastodon thread, confirming that Motorola devices will be added to its supported hardware list starting next year. The rollout will begin with traditional flagship slab phones, then expand to include Motorola’s Razr Fold and Razr Ultra foldables. Support for the Razr Ultra would mark the first time a flip phone officially runs GrapheneOS.

The organization has historically only supported Google’s Pixel line, and its entry into the Motorola ecosystem follows a partnership announced in March. Motorola and GrapheneOS said at the time that they would work together to strengthen smartphone security. GrapheneOS noted that Motorola is handling a large portion of the work required to port the operating system to its devices, which has eased the integration process.

GrapheneOS maintains stringent hardware requirements for the devices it supports. The foundation said this year’s Motorola Signature and Razr handsets are close to meeting those standards but lack mature support for hardware memory tagging and secure element integration. The group expects the next generation of Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chips to satisfy its requirements, which is why it is targeting Motorola’s 2027 phones for initial support.

Earlier this month, GrapheneOS confirmed that its first Motorola devices would be flagships, describing them as higher-end hardware than Pixels and priced accordingly. More affordable Motorola phones are on the roadmap, but those devices would require better security features in Qualcomm’s cheaper chipsets. Motorola would also need to commit to seven years of software support for budget models, a significant jump from the current standard. This year’s $499.99 Moto G Stylus, for example, only promises two major OS upgrades and three years of security updates.

GrapheneOS’s ongoing support for Pixel phones remains in place, and the organization said it plans to add support for the Pixel 11 series in the future. However, the foundation noted that changes in the Android Open Source Project’s support for Pixel devices have made them harder to properly support than many other phones. That contrast highlights why the group is now looking to diversify its hardware base through the Motorola partnership.

For US consumers, the move signals a broader choice for those seeking a de-Googled Android experience beyond Pixel devices. Motorola’s foldable Razr lineup, already popular in the American market, could become a viable option for privacy-focused users once the GrapheneOS port lands. The timeline points to 2027 hardware as the entry point, with cheaper models dependent on future chip improvements and longer software commitments from Motorola.

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