Is it safe to use your phone after it stops getting security updates?

[AC News]

Once your phone reaches its end of life and it stops getting updates from the company that made it. should you stop using it?

Is it safe to use your phone after it stops getting security updates? : Read more

 

[davinp]

This is a big problem with Android phones. Since Google lets the manufacturers control the updates, they chose to stop updating phones after a certain amount of time. Each has their own update policy. Too bad we don't have an Android Update the way Windows has Windows Update so that we could go and download patches when they come out.

I don't like that Motorola stops providing security after the phone is 2 years old. The Moto G Power 2021 came out one early 2021 and the last security update it received was Feb 2023. But the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G which came out at the same time is getting security patches through 2025. The minimum should be 3 years as we should not have to buy a new phone every 2 years.

 

[Daniel Gomes]

Yes you can still use your phone after security updates. Most security exploits are minor and never actually seen in the wild. Android is by far the safest mobile operating system already thanks to Google going to great lengths to make Android security robust.

Unless you're a very high profile person who is the target of hackers, you can safely use your device for years to come.

The battery will wear out far earlier than your security will.

 

[Mchangila]

Yes you can still use your phone after security updates. Most security exploits are minor and never actually seen in the wild. Android is by far the safest mobile operating system already thanks to Google going to great lengths to make Android security robust.

Unless you're a very high profile person who is the target of hackers, you can safely use your device for years to come.

The battery will wear out far earlier than your security will.

Is it safe as well to use a third party security solution.. I'm on a pixel 5 as well and I love the phone for it's simplicity and form factor.. but I use Bitdefender for Android as well (the paid version of it).. am I safe??

 

[fuzzylumpkin]

Is it safe as well to use a third party security solution.. I'm on a pixel 5 as well and I love the phone for it's simplicity and form factor.. but I use Bitdefender for Android as well (the paid version of it).. am I safe??

Using BitDefender on your Pixel 5 should be both totally safe and totally pointless.

"safe" is a relative term... But your use of BitDefender won't impact how "safe" you ar, either negatively or positively.

 

[mustang7757]

I think you should, can you get away with it possibly if you avoid shady sites and don't download APK from non trusted places but still vulnerable to the latest attacks that won't get patched.

 

[NeilPeart]

For those that really care about security there is GrapheneOS - that is a much more secure version of Android that supports all current Pixel devices, and even devices Google stopped supporting (Pixel 4/4XL).

GrapheneOS releases

Official releases of GrapheneOS, a security and privacy focused mobile OS with Android app compatibility.

grapheneos.org

I have a OnePlus 6 and 7T in my family's rotation and I installed LineageOS on those devices to keep them going once OP stopped providing updates for them (currently running LineageOS 20, based on Android 13).

LineageOS Changelog

This page is listing the official changes and downloads for LineageOS.

www.lineageoslog.com

Personally I'll continue using Pixels and upgrade every few years or so, and always ensure 4 things:

1. Latest Android version (device/manufacturer/ROM-dependent)
2. Latest Play System updates (Google-dependent; seems to be perpetually a month behind)
3. Latest Play Store updates (and updating the store itself via settings)
4. Use Chrome or a browser that maintains version parity with Chromium (example, Kiwi and Vivaldi keep up-to-date with Chromium versions while Samsung Internet is nearly 6 months behind Chromium versions). The latest Firefox with extension support is something I will be testing as well.

 

[cuvtixo2]

For those that really care about security there is GrapheneOS - that is a much more secure version of Android that supports all current Pixel devices, and even devices Google stopped supporting (Pixel 4/4XL).
I have a OnePlus 6 and 7T in my family's rotation and I installed LineageOS on those devices to keep them going once OP stopped providing updates for them (currently running LineageOS 20, based on Android 13).

I had a Pixel 3 and, if I remember correctly, they (or their predecessor called CopperheadOS?) dropped OS support right when Google did, and the all Pixel 4's except 5G model are on special "extended support". I'm glad you're happy with this alternative, but they're highly dependent on Google for Pixel models. And their attempt to build a commercial CopperheadOS company failed with a bit of drama. If they get it running on one or two more models from different companies, I'll look back into it.

 

[Windroid 2483]

Concidering how many Android phones don't get security updates promptly (if they get security updates at all), the question becomes "Is it safe to use Android?".

 

[Jack_Howlett]

Once your phone reaches its end of life and it stops getting updates from the company that made it. should you stop using it?

Is it safe to use your phone after it stops getting security updates? : Read more

It's not as safe as it once was, but it's not necessarily dangerous either. Phones stop getting security updates eventually as companies focus resources on newer models. Just be aware of some increased risks. Without updates, your phone will no longer receive fixes for newly discovered vulnerabilities. Over time, hackers may figure out ways to exploit older unpatched software. So your phone is more at risk of malware, hackers, etc. compared to phones still receiving updates. However, most people don't tend to directly experience issues. Phones aren't automatically hacked just because updates stop. If you stick to downloading apps from official stores and use common sense online safety habits, the risks remain relatively low for normal usage.