There are numerous ways to maintain your expensive Android phone, and the powerful computer in your pocket requires more care than merely a case can provide. Software updates can help with that because they, among other things, protect your important data, correct functional issues, and enhance performance. In a word, pay attention to the signals that a software update is available.
But with Android phones, the stakes are higher when it comes to paying attention. In addition to the OS-level updates provided by Google, smartphone manufacturers also need to make their own set of adjustments based on the hardware that is currently in use and specific software modifications to handle a variety of tasks.
You should pay attention to those software update alerts if your phone has been acting strangely lately, certain features have suddenly stopped working, your battery life has decreased, there are connectivity problems, or your phone simply gets warm while performing even the most basic tasks. They may very well be the solution to all of your phone’s issues.
Missing New Android Features
The availability of new features and experiences is one of the main benefits of utilizing the most recent software version. With a new UI design, additional customization options enhanced privacy safeguards, and, of course, a lot of different kinds of new things to experiment with, you get the whole package.
The frequent Pixel Feature Drops are worth keeping an eye out for if you own one of Google’s Pixel devices. There are a lot of new features introduced by these drops. For instance, a pocket operator was added to Pixel in the June 2022 feature drop that let users record movies and edit them into entertaining clips using beats, graphic effects, sound layers, and mixing effects. The update also included a conversation mode in the Sound Amplifier app to help those with hearing impairments, as well as a means to add vaccination records directly from the home screen.
Finally, updates are released by OEMs for their unique Android skins, such as Samsung’s OneUI or the OxygenOS available on OnePlus phones. With each new software build that they release, these businesses adhere to their update cadence and assign distinct version numbers to bring new features, UI tweaks, and general performance improvements.
The phone that is vulnerable to attack
When it comes to updating their phones, the majority of Android users frequently struggle because they fear that the newest software change might break a few things. Although the worries are not unwarranted, they do disappear when an update also includes a security patch. While not all security updates are necessary, those that address vulnerabilities classified as severe or critical should be downloaded and installed right away.
Remote code execution is one of the most prevalent sorts of vulnerabilities that smartphone manufacturers regularly address. Simply said, a bad actor can remotely control a phone and access vital systems. Then some flaws let a hacker take entire control of a device or steal data. Malware, which can cause a lot of harm and be abused for ransomware or used by bad actors for surveillance, can be installed by a hacker using a significant security flaw.
Apple released an iOS update last year that addressed a flaw that NSO Group had used to install the Pegasus spyware on a victim’s phone. Because iOS-powered smartphones are less secure than Android-powered ones, security upgrades need to be taken more carefully. 98 percent of mobile banking threats, according to Kaspersky, target Android handsets. Additionally, Norton points out that Android is more likely to experience security-related mishaps because it is open-source.
Poor performance of Your Android Phone
A software update can either improve the user experience or correct any performance issues that are already present in your phone. A significant Android update requires a lot of work, and there is always a danger that a few flaws might seriously damage an app. The most frequent performance issues brought on by bugs are heating, sporadic app crashes, and unusually high battery utilization.
To fix these problems, companies frequently provide corrective updates. Because of this, delaying a minor software update after a significant update that has negatively impacted normal usage is not a good idea. Consider the Magic Eraser function in the Google Photos app for Pixel smartphones as an example. The feature was removed by Google after an error in an update it had released made it disappear. Google acknowledged the error and released a correction update.
In general, users suffer the most when a significant upgrade is sent out in a hurry without enough optimization and quality testing. It is important to remember that new software updates typically remedy the issues brought on by the prior version that made significant changes, even though it shouldn’t happen in the first place.
