Google now has plans to stop Older Android versions from using Google Mobile Services. Android phones and tablets that runs Android 2.3.7 Gingerbread or earlier won’t be able to use GMS from November.
This is been done for security of users. According to a post by Zak Pollack, Community Manager on the official Android Help forum, the exclusion of support is related to concerns about the security of users’ data.
See Also: Which is best between Xiaomi, Samsung or ZTE Under-Display Camera Technology?
The post also suggested that errors in the username or password are expected to appear soon. With time, users who try to access GMAIL and YOUTUBE will receive these error messages.
“AS PART OF OUR ONGOING EFFORTS TO KEEP OUR USERS SAFE, GOOGLE WILL NO LONGER ALLOW LOGINS ON ANDROID DEVICES RUNNING ANDROID 2.3.7 OR LOWER AS OF SEPTEMBER 27, 2021. IF YOU LOG IN TO YOUR DEVICE AFTER SEPTEMBER 27, YOU MAY GET USERNAME OR PASSWORD ERRORS WHEN TRYING TO USE GOOGLE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES SUCH AS GMAIL, YOUTUBE, AND MAPS.”
Well, Google won’t be the first company to do something like this. We’ve seen companies over the years abandon old versions of the software to focus on new versions of the software.
See Also: Between Apple iOS and Android which is better
This is usually done for the company to focus more on new versions of their software. The likes of Facebook and WhatsApp does this often. But, this also means that people with devices running Android 2.3.7 Gingerbread or earlier won’t be able to use their phones – to the full potential.
It is also important to point out that as soon as Google abandons Android 2.3.7 Gingerbread or earlier, users with this Android OS won’t be able to update Apps via the Google Play Store, can’t sync contact, and more.
See Also: Google to completely stop ad-tracking on Android just like Apple iPhone
The devices will lose some of their “smartness” and will be limited to simple tasks. For example, users will only be accessing the web through the browser or executing simple apps.
So, if you have a device running on Android 2.3.7 Gingerbread or earlier, check if there is a pending update from the SETTINGS. Updating to Android 3.0 Honeycomb, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and above will be a good move.
See Also: List of Samsung Galaxy devices to receive Android 12 and One UI 4.0 Update
Truth is, cutting off Android 2.3.7 Gingerbread or earlier won’t affect many Android users out there. This is because people barely have such devices these days.
But this also means that there would come a time when Google will cut off Android 8 or 9 pie. So, when buying a smartphone in 2021, you should consider its software upgrade plans too.
