LineageOS’s April Fools’ Day gag was neither funny nor timely

• The Lineage team included an April Fools' gag in the latest LineageOS build.
• However, the build would not be released for another few days.
• Once it was released, the build included a fake warning that left a sour taste in some people's mouths.

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The folks behind LineageOS included an April Fools' Day joke in their most recent builds, but it took until April 4 for the gag to be ready, and some people are not smiling.

The new builds include a "Validation error" notification that, when tapped on, reveals LineaGenuine details. LineaGenuine is LineageOS' tool that determines whether you are running a certified build of the Android fork.

In this case, the details state that your device is uncertified and that LOSCoins must be mined to avoid malicious use of your device's resources. LOSCoins is the April Fools' gag and a git-based blockchain that rewards folks for commits.

The longer they "marinate" — LineageOS' term for failing to review submitted code — the more LOSCoins they are worth.

The joke is a topical one that takes a crack on Google's recent move to block its apps on uncertified devices. Android Police also found that everyone gets 2,000 LOSCoins in a dedicated Wallet app and that the crypto assets were legit.

Android Police

The problem is that you may not know this was a joke if you did not tap on "Learn more" in the LineaGenuine pop-up. This takes you to the latest changelog post, which details the April Fools' joke at the bottom of the post.

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Some thought the joke was in poor taste, while others believed the "Validation error" warning was genuine and were concerned. A dedicated Reddit thread on the subject has more than 300 comments, many expressing anger or disappointment.

Making matters worse, the only way to get rid of the notification is by manually disabling it through a root shell.

The April Fools' joke does not affect LineageOS's usability otherwise — but even so, the somewhat grim warning, in the already sensitive area of flashing custom ROMS, has put a damper on a joke that could have raised a smirk.

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