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Google Warning: Google has launched Android A big warning has been issued regarding smartphone users. According to the report, almost half of Android smartphones worldwide are at serious risk of malware and spyware. The biggest reason for this is said to be the old Android OS version running in the phone. The information about this report has been given by Forbes.

Old Android OS becomes the biggest weakness

The report clearly states that smartphones which are working on Android 13 or older OS are most at risk. In fact, older Android OS no longer receives regular security updates. For this reason, such phones become easy targets for hackers and cyber criminals. The number of such smartphone users worldwide is said to be more than 1 billion.

Android 16 has reached very few users yet

According to data till December, only 7.5% of smartphones in the world are running on Android 16. At the same time, 19.3% phones are working on Android 15, 17.9% phones are working on Android 14, and 13.9% smartphones are working on Android 13. This clearly means that a large population is still dependent on the old OS.

Only so many phones are getting security support

According to reports, only 58% of smartphones are currently covered under security support. There are about 40% smartphones for which no security update is available now. This remains the biggest threat to phone users.

Important advice for those using old phones

Google and cyber experts recommend that users whose phones are running on old Android OS should immediately update to the latest Android version. Also, it is very important to keep installing security updates regularly.

Why do iPhone users get relief?

The report states that even older iPhone models continue to receive security updates for a long time, whereas in many Android smartphones this feature stops quickly. If the company has stopped support for an Android phone, then buying a new smartphone is considered the safest option.

For how many years are security updates available?

Usually smartphone companies provide security updates to their devices for 4 to 5 years. However, now brands like Samsung and Google Pixel have announced to provide security updates for some of their handsets for 7 years.

Why is security update so important?

Security updates fix vulnerabilities and bugs present in the phone, taking advantage of which hackers can gain access to the device. There is a risk of data theft, espionage and phone hacking through these.

Android vs iOS: Which is more dangerous?

The number of Android smartphones worldwide is much more than that of iPhone. Brands like Samsung, Redmi, Realme, Oppo and OnePlus make phones on Android OS and sell them in the global market. For this reason, Android users need to be more cautious about security.