MILLIONS of Android owners have been warned that their phone is now at greater risk of chilling cyber attacks. Last year, Google pledged seven years worth of support to its new phones, including the Pixel 8 and 9 lineups - but that was not always the case. The vast majority of Google phones have just three to five years worth of software support - and that includes security patches.
One of those phones has just hit its quota: The Pixel 5a. The August 2024 security update, which fixed nearly 50 different cyber flaws , was the Pixel 5a's last. Earlier this week, Google released a security update for Pixel owners, dated 2024-09-01, that covers 11 both "high" and "critical" vulnerabilities.
READ MORE ON ANDROID One vulnerability, only on Pixel phones, actually gave hackers a backdoor into your device. Last month, an inactive piece of software inside all Pixel handsets was found to make phones “accessible to hackers and ripe for man-in-the-middle attacks, code injection, and spyware," according to cybersecurity firm iVerify. The risk was enough that Palantir, a US software giant, banned Android devices across the company, The Verge reported.
At the time, Google said it had “seen no evidence of any active exploitation". Most read in Phones & Gadgets However, the tech giant has since patched the issue, alongside another that improves Wi-Fi stability and performance on Pixel phones. The Pixel 5a, Google's mid-range variant of the Pixel 5, launched in August 2021 with just three years worth of updates.
Owners of the device will no longer receive any other security or software upgrades, meaning the device is well on the path to becoming obsolete. Without security patches, the phone will become more vulnerable to cyber attacks and bugs that may arise. Owners of the Pixel 6a should also be wary.
In July 2025, the Pixel 6a will stop receiving Android updates with new features. However, the Google gadget will continue to receive security patches up until July 2027. What's the fix? The fix will be to upgrade your phone to a newer model, which can be costly if you want a handset with seven years worth of updates.
So far only the Pixel 8 and 9 lineups have such a luxury. The Pixel 8 is currently on shelves at Amazon and Argos for around £499/$599. READ MORE SUN STORIES Likewise, the price of the Pixel 9 sits at £799/$799.
But the cost may be worth it if you want the contents of your phone secured into the 2030s. Get the most out of your Android smartphone with these little-known hacks: Secret button that boosts your battery and can save money Lazy hack to free up space on your phone Apps to delete for extra storage Simple trick to get from A to B faster on Google Maps Free upgrade protects Android users from scam apps Clever trick lets you respond to calls WITHOUT talking.
