Phoronix reported on October 25, 2026, that Linus Torvalds merged Linux 7.4 char/misc changes removing Google’s C-written Binder driver. The Rust implementation is set to take over its role. Binder remains Android’s interprocess communication (IPC) mechanism; the change is to the kernel driver that supports it.
The change is in the kernel driver
The shift replaces the implementation, not Binder’s role in Android. Phoronix says the Rust driver has reached feature parity with the C version.
Standard Binder builds require Rust
Hardware Busters reports that Linux 7.4’s standard Binder configuration depends on Rust being enabled. A kernel build that selects that configuration must therefore enable Rust. Hardware Busters also reports that the change removes 11,470 lines across 20 files.
Performance and future use
Phoronix reports that Rust Binder outperformed the C driver in some tests. The reported result is limited to those tests.
Phoronix also quoted Linux kernel maintainer Greg Kroah-Hartman describing the Rust version as stable and saying it would be used in the future across a few billion devices.
