- Goal 3
-
Step B
Update the OS and Apps
Up-to-date software is a critical component of a good security strategy.
Updated
Why update the device software?
Just as with your laptop or desktop, software updates can fix known bugs and security issues. It's important to keep your device up to date to keep bad actors from taking advantage of these known issues.
Update the device OS
I recommend the set it and (mostly) forget it approach to updates. This helps to ensure you don't miss any updates. The good news is that in most cases, automatic updates for your mobile device OS should be enabled by default. It's worth checking, though, just in case.
Here's how you check:
Be sure to check back from time to time to make sure you're still getting updates, in case a setting gets changed or something goes wrong. And if you have updates waiting, you can apply them.
Update the apps
I also recommend setting your apps to automatically update. This should be enabled by default too, but we'll check to make sure.
Here's how to easily do that:
Be sure to check back from time to time to make sure you're still getting updates, in case a setting gets changed or something goes wrong. And if you have updates waiting, you can apply them.
A note on device age and updates
Sadly, not all devices can get the newest updates all the time. Apple and Android manufacturers don't support the newest major OS versions on older phones and tables.
It varies per device, but there's usually a time some years after the device is made that updates are no longer released for it. This means that the device can become less secure as it ages. Be sure to check in occasionally to see if your device has been left behind.
Apple maintains these pages with OS versions and their compatible devices:
For Android devices, this is a bit more complicated. Many companies manufacture phones with the Android OS, including Google themselves. It may take a bit of searching outside the Google Pixel devices.
Here are some links to get you started: