We all know that our phones require regular software updates. But do you know how long, into the phone’s life, we still get those necessary software updates to keep our data secure. The answer differs depending on whether it’s an Android device or an iPhone.

For an iphone, the oldest device that you can get current software updates for is the iPhone 6s/6s Plus. Anything older than that will not be updated to the most recent software version. Typically Apple supports devices for up to 5 years.

For Android users, this can differ depending on the manufacturer of the phone and your carrier. The rule of thumb for these devices is that android devices won’t get updates if they are older than 3 years. Currently the oldest supported version of Android is version 8 (Oreo) and that was released in Summer 2017.

Additionally, apps from the Google Play store and Apple App store also get regularly updated and often they will pull applications that are known to not be secure. So keep updating your apps. Some applications that are old and not updated may not be yet known to have a vulnerability and, in some cases, may be abandoned by the developer. We recommend you delete/uninstall applications on your phones that you don’t use.