What happens when a device stops getting security updates?
Why an old device keeps working and stops being safe, how to check where yours stands, and what to do short of replacing it.
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Time
- 15 min
- Read
- 4 min
- Safety
- warning
Short answer
The device carries on working; the difference is that newly discovered security flaws are never fixed. That matters most for anything holding money or account access. Check the manufacturer's support dates, and move banking and email to a supported device rather than replacing everything at once.
End of support is not a switch that turns anything off, which is why it is easy to ignore. It is the point at which the risk starts accumulating rather than staying flat, and the gap widens every month.
Safety
Step by step
- Understand what actually changes.Nothing, on the day. The device works exactly as before. What stops is the flow of patches for newly discovered flaws — so vulnerabilities found afterwards stay open permanently.
- Know why that gets worse over time.Security flaws are published when they are fixed elsewhere. That publication tells everyone how to exploit the unpatched version, so an unsupported device becomes more exposed the longer it goes on.
- Separate the operating system from the apps.Browsers and apps often keep updating for a while after the system stops. That helps at the application layer and does nothing about flaws in the system underneath.
- Find out where your device actually stands.Manufacturers publish support periods and end dates. Phones commonly get three to seven years depending on maker; Windows and macOS versions have published end-of-support dates.
- Check before buying, not after.Support length varies enormously between manufacturers at the same price. A phone with two years of updates left is a very different purchase from one with six.
- Move the sensitive things first.Banking, email, password manager, anything with payment details. Doing that removes most of the practical risk without replacing the device.
- Repurpose rather than replace where you can.An unsupported tablet is fine as a music player, a recipe screen, a photo frame or a device for children's videos. Keep it off the accounts that matter and it remains useful.
- Consider a lighter operating system for an old computer.A Linux distribution or ChromeOS Flex will run on hardware Windows has abandoned and continues to receive updates. It is a genuine option and keeps a working machine out of landfill.
- Put it on a separate network if it must stay connected.A guest wifi network keeps an unsupported device away from everything else on the home network. This matters most for old smart devices, which are rarely updated at all.
- Take extra care with smart home devices.Cameras, doorbells and hubs frequently stop receiving updates while remaining connected to the internet. These are the least visible and among the more consequential cases.
- Wipe it properly if you pass it on.A full factory reset with the account signed out, so it is not still linked to you. An unsupported device given away with your accounts on it is the worst of both.
Tips
- Note the support end date when you buy something and diarise it a year ahead. It turns an unpleasant surprise into a planned decision.
- Extended security update programmes exist for some systems, sometimes paid. Worth checking before assuming replacement is the only option.
- The riskiest unsupported devices are usually not the phone — they are the router, the smart camera and the network storage box nobody thinks about.
Common mistakes
- Continuing to bank on an unsupported device — That is precisely the use case the accumulated unpatched flaws are exploited for. Move banking to a supported device even if you keep the old one.
- Assuming a device is safe because it still works — Nothing visible changes at end of support. The risk builds invisibly as new flaws are published and never fixed.
If it doesn't work
Apps no longer updating on an old phone
Cause: App developers have dropped support for that system version — Fix: That is a sign the device is well past its support window. Move accounts that matter to a supported device.
Old laptop too slow and unsupported
Cause: Hardware beyond the manufacturer's support period — Fix: Consider a lightweight Linux distribution or ChromeOS Flex, both of which run well on older hardware and continue receiving updates.
Smart device no longer receiving firmware updates
Cause: Manufacturer has ended support, often without announcing it — Fix: Move it onto a guest network so it is isolated from the rest of the household, or replace it if it holds a camera or microphone.
Questions people ask
Is it dangerous to use a device that no longer gets updates?
It becomes progressively more so. The device keeps working, but newly discovered flaws are never fixed and are published when patched elsewhere. Move banking and email to a supported device at minimum.
How long do devices get security updates?
It varies widely — phones commonly get three to seven years depending on the manufacturer, and operating systems have published end dates. Check before buying, since the difference at the same price is large.