Google’s latest Pixel 11 lineup could face a major limitation for users seeking enhanced device security. The makers of GrapheneOS say they will not bring the operating system to the Pixel 11 series because Google has reportedly dropped support for ARM Memory Tagging Extension (MTE), a security feature used in earlier Pixel models.
The Pixel 11 series was launched in mid-August and includes the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL and Pixel 11 Pro Fold. All 4 models are powered by Google’s Tensor G6 chipset and were introduced at higher prices than their predecessors, potentially due to the ongoing memory and storage crisis.
GrapheneOS port reportedly blocked by missing MTE support
The GrapheneOS Foundation said in a Mastodon post that it managed to create only a partial GrapheneOS port for the Pixel 11 series after a week of work. However, the port could not be completed because the devices do not support ARM Memory Tagging Extension (MTE).
The foundation claimed Google is not providing MTE support in the software, firmware or “near certainly hardware” of the Pixel 11 series “to save money”. Pixel devices starting with the Pixel 8 series have supported the security feature.
GrapheneOS uses ARM Hardware MTE across its base OS, kernel and other standard software processes. The foundation said the feature is only “temporarily disabled for a few device-specific processes” and “greatly” improves protection against most remote and local exploits.
According to the foundation, the Pixel 8, Pixel 9 and Pixel 10 series all shipped with MTE support, while the feature appears to have been removed from the Pixel 11 lineup.
MTE plays a key role in GrapheneOS security
GrapheneOS integrated MTE into its “hardened_malloc project” and began using it across the operating system in October 2023. However, Pixel devices did not initially enable the feature by default.
The foundation also noted that Android Advanced Protection Mode on Android 16 enabled ARM MTE for specific processes.
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