I kept using a phone that stopped getting updates for a month, and here’s what actually broke

Released Oct 28, 2026, 11:00 AM EDT

Tashreef’s fascination with customer innovation started in the school library when he came across a tech publication, CHIP, which eventually motivated him to pursue a degree in Computer Science. Given that 2012, Tashreef has actually expertly authored over a thousand how-to short articles, adding to Windows Report and How-To Geek. He presently focuses on Microsoft Windows material at MakeUseOf, which he has actually been utilizing given that 2007.

With hands-on experience structure sites and innovation blog sites, he brings useful designer insights to his technical writing. You can see his total work portfolio at itashreef.com.

You may likewise come across his brief how-to video explainers, streamlining intricate subjects. Beyond composing, Tashreef takes pleasure in producing brief explainer videos, video gaming, and checking out animated programs.

A lot of Android phones and iPhones now feature 5 to 7 years of OS upgrades. Throughout that duration, your phone gets the current OS updates and security spots. What takes place after your phone stops getting them?

I have a lot of old Android phones that have actually reached their end of life, the most recent being my Note 20 Ultra, which got its last security upgrade over a year back. Out of interest, I chose to utilize it as my day-to-day motorist in 2026 to see what would break. Ends up, the response is less than you would anticipate, however the threats are larger than the majority of people recognize.

The phone works without problems (mainly)

Banking apps, social networks, and day-to-day fundamentals still run great

Credit: Tashreef Shareef/ MakeUseOf

I popped my SIM back into the Note 20 Ultra and began utilizing it the method I would utilize my Z Flip 6, for calls, social networks, banking, and whatever in between. Over the very first couple of days, the phone worked with no obvious concerns. I was anticipating the banking apps to decline to introduce, or a minimum of toss up some sort of cautioning about working on an unsupported gadget. That did not occur.

Contrary to common belief, banks and other payment processing apps can not just quit working on your Android phone even if it has actually stopped getting security updates. Yes, I stated Android phones, due to the fact that on iOS, it’s a various story. Bank of America on Android needs Android 11 or above, whereas on an iPhone, you require at least iOS 17.0. Popular social media and instantaneous messaging apps like WhatsApp, Facebook, and Telegram require at least iOS 15.1 and above, while on Android, some even work on Android 6.0.

Other apps I utilize daily, like Chrome, Adobe Lightroom, Slack, Asana, Claude, and more, appear to work great as long as you have an Android 10 or above gadget. Sure, my old phone does not have the current One UI upgrade or the Material You style refresh, however simply as a practical gadget, it works simply as well as my Z Flip 6.

The security threat is the genuine problem

Your phone is a sitting duck for recognized exploits

Phone makers keep pressing security updates for several years after the OS updates have actually stopped. The security updates, too, have a minimal window of one to 2 years. This is where the greatest issue lies with utilizing a mobile phone that has actually reached its end of life: security hazards.

The core issue is that vulnerabilities are continuously being found in Android’s kernel, system elements, and chauffeurs, and your phone stops getting the spots that repair them. When these exploits are revealed by security scientists, which they do along with a CVE number and the code utilized to recreate the bug, they end up being recyclable by danger stars to target gadgets that will never ever get the repair. In other words, the longer your phone goes without an upgrade, the larger the attack surface area grows.

Why do app designers still support their apps on older phones? Due to the fact that they can not lock out a large portion of their user base. Banks, in specific, can not lock somebody out of their own cash even if they can not manage to update to the current gadget. Rather, business attempt to alleviate the threat by ensuring the phone is not the only line of defense and moving the majority of the security to their backend servers.

Deals are licensed server-side. Banks connect authentication to your SIM by means of automated SMS confirmation, look for rooted gadgets, utilize encrypted storage and transportation, and obstruct screenshots on delicate screens. Even if your phone is jeopardized, the app goes through numerous layers of examination before gain access to is given. Google Play Services and Play Protect continue to get updates separately and can scan for malware in the background regardless of your phone’s security spot level. It’s a calculated compromise banks make versus leaving out countless genuine users from their platforms.

None of this suggests you are safe. It suggests the threat is workable, not gotten rid of. A zero-day that targets the kernel on your particular Android variation, coupled with a harmful link or a sideloaded app, is all it takes.

When it’s time to bid farewell

Examine your security spot date, and prepare your exit

If your phone has actually stopped getting security updates, it’s smart to stop utilizing it for anything delicate, like banking or accessing work accounts. Go to Settings> About Phone> Android security upgradeIf the last security upgrade is more than a years of age, your phone is most likely susceptible to a minimum of a lots understood exploits that are currently recorded and distributing.

Sure, absolutely nothing will break on your phone, and all the apps will continue to work as long as the designers support the minimum Android variation it runs. There is a genuine threat of your phone being jeopardized, and you would have no method of understanding it occurred till it’s too late.

If you can not update right now, there are a couple of things you can do to restrict your direct exposure. Set up apps just from the Play Store and keep Play Protect switched on. Prevent clicking links and accessories from unidentified senders. Do not sideload APK files from random sites. And when it is time to update, ensure the phone you purchase has at least 5 to 7 years of assured updates to make it future-proof– that method, you understand your farewell date upfront.

Your phone does not end, however your security window does

The majority of phones will continue to work without concerns long after they are past their end of life, which is primarily since banks and other significant app makers will not drop assistance immediately. My Note 20 Ultra ran every app I tossed at it simply fine. The screen still looks excellent, the video cameras are still functional, and Samsung’s old One UI develop is completely practical for calls, messaging, and surfing. There is constantly a threat of a phone like this being made use of, and the longer it sits without spots, the broader that space grows. The useful action is to stop utilizing it for anything that includes your cash or individual information, and utilize it for whatever else, like media, a 2nd video camera, or a backup gadget.

For your next phone, choose the one with the longest upgrade dedication you can discover. Samsung and Google both provide 7 years on their flagship and midrange lineups now, and other makers are capturing up. Understanding your phone’s end-of-life date before you purchase it is the most basic method to prevent remaining in this position once again.

Read More