US EditionGoogle issues big warning: Android phones running old software face serious security risk
Google confirms 42% of Android phones lack security updates, exposing around one billion users to malware risks due to manufacturers limiting update support.
- In New Delhi, Google warned devices running Android 12 or older no longer receive security updates, leaving nearly 42% of Android phones vulnerable while only 57.9% run Android 13 or newer.
- Android's fragmentation stems from Google developing Android while Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, and Motorola control updates, often dropping support after a few years, hitting phones launched in 2021 hardest.
- Adoption is low: only 7.5% of phones run Android 16 while around one billion users remain on unsupported devices running Android 13 or older.
- Google advised users of older Android phones to update to the latest supported release or replace devices running Android 12 or older that cannot be upgraded.
- In contrast, Apple’s tighter hardware-software control pushes updates to older iPhones more consistently, while Google Play Protect cannot replace missing system patches, leaving users on outdated Android phones vulnerable.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Google issues big warning: Android phones running old software face serious security risk
Google’s sounding the alarm, as millions of Android users are at risk, all because of outdated software. If you are still using an older Android phone, you’re basically inviting malware and spyware through the front door. The numbers are wild—almost half of all Android devices out there are running on old versions, and that’s a huge problem. How is old Android software exposed to threats? If your phone’s still on Android 13 or anything older, yo…
TechRepublic
IT Security News - cybersecurity, infosecurity newsGoogle Warns Over 1 Billion Android Phones Are Now at Risk
Google warns that over 40% of Android devices no longer receive security updates, leaving more than 1 billion devices exposed to malware and spyware attacks.
Nearly half of all Android smartphones no longer receive security patches. More than a billion devices worldwide are vulnerable and at the mercy of cybercriminals. Here's why.
Google Issues Crisis Alert: 1 Billion Android Users Caught in “Security Dead Zone” - Business League
On February 9, 2026, Google released a stark warning that has sent shockwaves through the mobile industry. According to internal distribution data, more than one billion Android users are currently operating devices that no longer receive critical security protection. The report, first highlighted by Forbes, reveals that while Google continues to innovate with the upcoming Android 17, the “tail” of the Android ecosystem is becoming a playground …
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