How old is the security patch on your phone?



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Samsung recently revealed that it will give its phones an impressive four years of security updates. Coupled with its high position in our Android update tracker, the company is quickly becoming the king of Android updates. In light of the news, we’re curious how up to date your phone could be. If you’re ready to dig into the Settings app for a moment, let’s compare: What level of Android security patch does your phone use?

In case you missed the news, Samsung has revealed that it will update its phones from now for four years – a change that didn’t just apply to upcoming devices, but even phones as old as the Galaxy S10 series. And it’s barely six months after the company pledged to guarantee three years of operating system updates. It is possible that other manufacturers will meet this commitment for new phones, as Google and Qualcomm announced that devices powered by Snapdragon 888 should be able to acquire four years of security patches, but Samsung’s commitment to older devices quickly make it the king of Android updates. Just look at the age of some phones on its current update list.

We’re doing our best to keep up with any security patch updates that major smartphones are getting, and it gives an interesting picture. Most people are only interested in big flashy Android version upgrades that kick off new features or redesigns, but monthly patches keep your phone safe. You might be excited about the additional picture-in-picture features or customization options, but basics like digital banking, communications, and even the safe use of social media all depend on how secure your smartphone is, and not all manufacturers care about this topic so much.

Security patch levels on the Pixel 5 running Android 12 (left) and Galaxy Z Flip (right).

So what level of security patch does your current primary phone use? It’s always expressed as a date, like February 1, 2021, and it should be listed somewhere in Settings – usually either in an “about phone” section somewhere near the bottom, but you can also just search for “patch Android “” security update “, or something similar and find it. The exact day of the patch level may vary slightly (there are usually two levels for each bulletin), but the month and year are interest us.

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