Today, mobile phones are no longer just a means of communication. Banking, payments, studies, work, social media and entertainment – everything depends on this one device. From the time we wake up in the morning till we go to sleep at night, our phones are in our hands. Therefore, if the phone does not function properly or is not secure, the loss can be not only technical but also financial.
Very few people know that smartphones also have a kind of expiry date. That is, after a certain time the company stops providing updates for that phone. After this, even though the phone looks fine from outside, it becomes weak from inside. Problems like data leak, slow performance and app crashes increase in such phones. Therefore, it is important to know whether your phone has expired or not.
What is the expiry date of mobile phone?
The expiry date of the smartphone is not a printed date, rather it is related to the company’s support. Every mobile company provides operating system updates and security patches for its phones for a fixed period of time. This support usually lasts for 2 to 4 years. However, some brands provide updates for a longer period of time. The day the company stops providing updates and security patches for your phone, the phone is considered technically expired. This does not mean that the phone will stop working immediately, but that it will no longer be secure and completely up-to-date. To get an idea of this expiry date, you should also check your phone’s manufacturing date, which can be found on the box or in the device’s settings.
How to check it yourself?
When a phone stops receiving OS updates and security patches, the first thing that gets affected is its security. Such phones become easy targets for hacking and data theft. Additionally, the phone gradually starts slowing down. Newer apps don’t work properly, and there are frequent freezing or crashing issues. Sometimes, banking and payment apps also stop working on outdated software. To check if your phone is out of date, go to Settings and look for the Software Update section, and also check the update support status for your model on the company’s website. If you haven’t received a security update for a long time, it means your phone has reached the end of its secure lifespan.
