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Your old phone is safe for longer than you think
Apple, Samsung and other phone manufacturers keep remotely fixing the security flaws in their phones’ software for years. That keeps your old phone safer from hackers.
It isn’t easy to tell exactly how old is too old to be secure.
Digital security experts told me that generally, an Android phone is secure to use for four years or more after it was new. An iPhone is secure for seven or eight years or potentially longer.
Not everyone wants to hold onto a smartphone for that long. And the older your phone, the more you may run into problems including apps that stop working as you expect.
But if you choose for financial or other reasons to keep your phone for years, most people don’t need to worry. (You should keep your phone software up to date. Read the One Tiny Win section below for details.)
And it’s worth considering a used phone if you can’t stomach a $1,000 new one.
: 7 Ways You're Using Your Phone WRONG! (Viral Tech)
I also have two demands for phone manufacturers and regulators:
- Smartphones are born with a death date – beyond which they'll be less safe because the companies stop fixing security vulnerabilities. Smartphone companies should be required to tell you that death date when you buy a phone.
- And when phone makers stop releasing security fixes for your phone, they should relinquish control so independent tinkerers can keep your old phone healthy.
With your car, you choose how long you’re willing to keep it running safely. With your smartphone, the manufacturer and other companies make that choice for you. The distinction doesn’t make sense.
Security updates are what you really care about
In general, it is quite safe to keep using your phone as long as it’s receiving regular software security updates from the manufacturer.
For example, Apple is still updating the security of software for iPhones that are up to eight years old.
Let’s say you have a six-year-old iPhone X. You can’t update to the newest iPhone operating system, called iOS 17. But Apple continues to make security and other critical software fixes for iOS 16, which is probably powering your iPhone X. Apple is still updating the security for iOS 15, too.
(Read the One Tiny Win section below if you’re not sure which phone model you have or which operating software your phone uses.)
Most experts said those security updates make your eight-year-old iPhone safe to use, unless you know that you’re a high-value target for hackers.
One exception was Tarah Wheeler, CEO of the information security company Red Queen Dynamics. She said we use our phones so much, and the security of newer devices is so much better, that it may not be worth keeping old phones for many years.
If you have an Android phone from Samsung or another company, it’s more complicated to figure out if your older phone is secure enough to keep using.
Samsung says it will generally keep fixing security flaws for up to five years for its newer smartphones. You need to dig into the fine print, though.
If you see your Samsung phone on this list for twice-a-year security updates, that’s a sign that Samsung is losing interest in your device and it’s on the path to becoming less secure. That includes models such as the Galaxy A20s from 2019.
If your Samsung phone isn’t on that list at all, it may be unsafe.
I also like the End of Life website, which shows whether Apple, Samsung and other companies are still fixing security flaws for a particular product.
Your Android phone may have less frequent security fixes than Samsung discloses, depending on your wireless carrier. Apple also may update the security less often for older operating systems like iOS 15 and 16.
Most security experts said that’s still plenty secure for most people.
You should be able to know your phone’s ‘death date’
Once a company stops updating the software security, your phone is more vulnerable to hackers, said Paul Roberts, founder of Secure Repairs, an organization of technologists who advocate for gadget longevity.
This is effectively a built-in death date for your phone. Roberts wants manufacturers to state that date on the box when you buy a phone.
If you’re buying an iPhone 15 right now, for example, Roberts wants Apple to disclose that it’s committed to fixing any software security holes until 2030 or whenever.
Roberts also said that once Apple, Samsung or other phone makers lose interest in updating the security of their old phones, they should let other people take over.
He said there are plenty of qualified professionals or hobbyists who would be happy to keep software up to date and secure for decade-old or older phones.
Again, this is how cars work. Once your car warranty expires, maybe the dealer is no longer responsible for fixes. But you can take it to an independent repair shop for as long as you want.
Not everyone wants to keep their phone for years and years. But Roberts says that it should be your choice.
“You should be able to keep this device operating as long as it is really feasible,” Roberts said. "In a world where we’re trying to eke the most life out of these incredibly resource intensive devices...seven, eight or 10 years isn’t very long.”
Other factors you should consider
Even after your phone stops getting security updates from the manufacturer, it might still be safe enough if you’re just using your phone to listen to music, scroll Instagram or shop online.
The downside is that if your phone is at least a few years old, it may need more care. Batteries wear out, parts break and apps might not update.
Replacing parts is often a good, affordable choice. In other cases, your phone may not be worth repairing.
When it’s time to throw in the towel, you still might not need a brand new phone. A two- or three-year-old used phone could be a significant upgrade with lower costs to your wallet and our planet.
One tiny win
Truly, there is no shame if you can’t remember which phone model you own or don’t know the name of the operating system that’s powering it.
Here’s how to check and how to tell if your phone is safe to keep using.
On an iPhone:
- Tap on your iPhone’s Settings app → General → About
- Under the “Model Name” you’ll see your iPhone version, such as iPhone 13 mini
- The section for “iOS Version” might say, for example, 17.0.3. That’s one flavor of the iOS 17 operating system.
Your iPhone will nag you to update your software when there are security fixes available. Do it.
If your iOS is older than iOS 15 (e.g., iOS 14, iOS 13, etc.), Apple is no longer fixing the security flaws in your phone’s software. You should consider a new or newer phone.
On an Android phone: Unfortunately, there are not consistent instructions across all the phone types.
- Try looking in Settings → About phone
- Under “Device name” it should have the information about which phone model you’re using, such as Pixel 6
- Scroll down to “Android version,” which might say 13, for example.
To make sure you have the latest operating system on a Samsung phone, check the Settings app and pick “Software Update.” Google has more instructions on updating your phone’s Android software.
It’s not simple to know if particular models of Samsung phones or other Android phones are still receiving security fixes and are therefore safe to keep using. I mentioned above about parsing Samsung’s list of security updates.
The End of Life website also is useful for checking which Samsung phones or Google Pixel phones are still being provided with security updates.
