Google Removed Crucial Security Feature from Pixel 11 to Save Money

GrapheneOS, a privacy-focused operating system for Android devices, has announced that it will not support Google's Pixel 11 series due to a lack of hardware security features. The Tensor G6 chip in the Pixel 11 lacks Memory Tagging Extension (MTE), a crucial feature for GrapheneOS.

MTE is a hardware security feature that prevents memory exploits by slapping an invisible sticky note on every 16-byte chunk of memory and on every pointer allowed to access it. If the notes don't match when a program tries to read or write, the chip terminates the process instead of quietly letting the exploit through.

According to GrapheneOS, Google deliberately removed MTE from the Pixel 11 to save money. Leaked internal documents and bootloader analysis support this claim, showing that MTE was planned but then canceled during the development of the new SLC system.

As a result, GrapheneOS recommends using older Pixel models or exploring support for Motorola's upcoming flagship phone, which will be built around Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chip and is expected to have proper MTE support.