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While new apps and features may be banned, you can assume that as long as your Android phone’s internet browser is there, you will at least have unlimited internet access.
You’re wrong: Starting in September 2021, much of the web’s secure sites will be banned on older phones thanks to a change in the way websites are digitally signed.
As explained by Android Police, this is all thanks to changes at Let’s Encrypt – a certificate authority used by around 30% of domains on the web. For years, its own ISRG Root X1 root certificate has been crossed with IdenTrust’s DST Root X3, which is present in all major operating systems.
But that partnership with IdenTrust is set to expire on September 1, 2021, and Let’s Encrypt has said it has no plans to renew the deal. This means that any browsers or operating systems without the Let’s Encrypt root certificate will stop working when they encounter the third party on the web that needs it.
In short, you’re out of luck if your phone is running Android 7.1 or earlier.
“This introduces compatibility issues,” the company writes. “Some software that has not been updated since 2016 (around when our root was accepted for many root programs) still does not trust our certificate, ISRG Root X1. Most notably, this includes versions of Android prior to 7.1.1. “
This, according to Google’s own figures, means that – barring a sudden spike in operating system upgrades between now and September – 33.8% of Android devices will start throwing errors when they visit websites. sites with a Let’s Encrypt certificate.
“What can we do about it? Well, while we would like to improve the situation with Android updates, there is not much we can do, ”the company writes. “We also can’t afford to buy the world a new phone.”
The company advises site owners to limit damage to older devices through an alternate certificate chain, and recommends those who can’t afford a new Android phone to install Firefox Mobile, which supports everything from scratch. ‘Android 5.0.
“Firefox is currently unique among browsers – it comes with its own list of trusted root certificates. So anyone who installs the latest version of Firefox benefits from an up-to-date list of trusted certification authorities, even if their operating system is out of date, ”the company explains.
But it is, in the end, a sticky plaster. A phone needs to access websites through more than the web browser, and you can always end up with strange behavior as a result.
Are you affected? Android 7.1.1 was released in December 2016, so any phones purchased after that are almost guaranteed, and even phones purchased in the previous year are likely to have had a software update. If in doubt, it’s worth checking out which version of Android you’re using, digging into the system settings.
If you find that your phone is incompatible with Android 7.1.1 or later, it’s time to upgrade. The good news is, it doesn’t have to be as expensive as you might think, and budget phones have improved dramatically over the past few years. Here is our current list of the best cheap phones you can buy.
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