What happens if you dont update your android phone

Have you recently received a notification that updates were available for your cell phone? Have you been wondering whether or not you should upgrade your cell phones software? Should you install the latest version of Android onto your Android smartphone? I say YES! But before updating I recommend that you read this article first as it can save you a lot of time and can help prevent trouble and common issues that can occur during the upgrade process.

Purpose

Updates are great! Updates often add more features, greater functionality, and also help protect your cell phone against recent security threats that might compromise the data on your device. So yes, upgrading to the newest official version of software for your Android phone is typically never a bad idea.

As you upgrade a phone there are some things to keep in mind that can help you avoid any complications that might occur during the update and installation process. If something happens during the upgrade process then the phone could become broken and cease to function at all. So read this article before upgrading as it can save you a lot of time and trouble further down the road.

Backup the phone

Before you even think about updating the software on your device you should certainly check to make sure that the information on your phone is backed up and secured to a place other than your cell phone. This is true at any time but it is especially important to backup a phone before an update as sometimes updates and upgrades can erase information from an Android device or even clear the data on the phone during the process. So make sure that you create a backup before updating and to also create periodic backups of your cell phone should it ever malfunction, or get broken. That way you don’t lose all of your important information should something unexpected happen to your phone.

If you have not created a backup of your phone in a while, or if you have never backed up your phones information I suggest that you do that right now. How to backup an Android cell phone can guide you through much of the backup process if you would like some assistance doing so.

Start on a clean slate

This isn’t a necessary step in preparing to update an Android cell phone but the less clutter on your phone when installing new software means less chances of one of the apps on your phone causing trouble after the installation is complete. If you perform a full backup and reset of your Android cell phone before updating its software then many complications or issues can be avoided.

Again, this isn’t a must, but it sure can be helpful and sometimes doing a little cleaning is a good thing. In life many things can pile up quickly and when it comes to the information on our cell phones there is no exception. By wiping the slate clean and then installing the software onto the phone it’s likely that you will notice a boost in performance as well. That’s just my two cents on the subject.

Wait until you’re ready to update

Make sure that you have set plenty of time aside to allow the phone to upgrade properly. Most common problems that are caused by updating a phone happen during the update and installation process.

Here is a list of common issues that can occur while updating that can be easily avoided:

Power Issues

The Phones Battery – If the battery dies or drains to zero as an Android cell phone is upgrading then it can certainly break the phone. Some phones won’t even let you try to upgrade the software unless the battery has a charge of 80% or more.

So charge your phone to full before updating.

PC Power Outage – If there is a lightning storm outside and you figure that since you can’t go outside because of the rain you might as well plug your phone into the computer so that you can upgrade the phones software then you might want to reconsider this plan. If lightning strikes and the power goes out and the upgrade gets interrupted then your phone might be in trouble.

Try to avoid power surges and power outages while updating a cell phone.

A Laptops Battery – if you are using a laptop to upgrade your phone, which could be a wise decision as a power outage would cause the laptop to revert to battery power and can prevent an interruption, just make sure that the laptop has a good charge on its battery to avoid any possible complications during the upgrade process.

Don’t forget to have a full charge on your laptop and check to make sure that its plugged into the charger before using it to update the software.

Freezing

Try to use a dependable computer when upgrading your phone. If you are using an older computer to upgrade your phone and the computer locks up or freezes then this can complicate the install and can cause some real problems on the phone.

If there is a good chance that a specific computer will freeze or lock-up while it’s updating the phone then wait for the opportunity to try updating through a more dependable computer as an interruption during the update can cause some serious problems.

Disconnecting the phone from the computer

Sometimes smartphones can take a while, even hours, to upgrade so make sure that when you choose to install the latest software onto your phone that it has plenty of time to finish installing. If you start upgrading your phones software and have to leave for an appointment then don’t just unplug your phone from the computer so that you can take your cell phone with you to your appointment. If it seems like the process is going really slowly then don’t just unplug the device to try in on another computer.

You need to let the phone finish the installation; try to avoid unplugging a cell phone from the computer that’s updating it and don’t try to power it off or remove the battery when its upgrading as it can break the phone if the update doesn’t get to finish installing properly.

Will a Hard Reset or Factory Data Reset put my phone back to its original software?

Nope. Once you update a phone to a newer version of Android a hard reset or factory data reset will not change the software. The phone will remain on the most recent version of Android that was last installed on the phone.

For example if a cell phone is running on the Android 2.3 Gingerbread software and was then updated to Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and a factory data reset was performed wiping all information from the phone then after the cell phone rebooted it would still be running on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, even though it originally ran on Android 2.3.

Can I go back to my previous version of Android?

Technically yes… but not through any official channels. You would have to root the phone and install a custom version of software on your Android device. This custom version of software could include a recent or older version of Android but rooting can be a whole different animal altogether. So unless you have rooted your Android phone before or unless you’re pretty tech savvy then I wouldn’t recommend rooting your phone to go back to a previous version of Android.

Besides the best direction to go when it comes to technology is forwards not backwards, more features, more options, more choices, smoother, sleeker, faster.

If you updated your phone and want to go back to a previous version of Android because the new version doesn’t seem to work properly then chances are those issues can be solved with some simple troubleshooting. Check out How to fix an Android phone that doesn’t work right after upgrading for more information that can help you get your phone running quick and smooth once again.

Update through official sources

If you have an older cell phone and a new version of the Android software was recently released but it isn’t yet available on your phone then I recommend you wait for an official version to be released for your phone instead of looking for the means to install it onto your Android device. Installing updates that have not been released for a specific make and model of phone require the phone to be rooted, which again, I don’t typically recommend.

Conclusion

With these tips in mind updating your Android Cell phone should be smooth and painless. I hope that you enjoyed the article. If you yourself take anything into consideration when updating and it was not listed in the article and you believe it to be worth sharing then let me know. If it’s a good tip I will add it to the article above. If you would like to make a suggestion, ask a question, or would simply like to leave a friendly remark then don’t hesitate to leave a comment below.

This story has been updated. It was originally published on September 23, 2018.

As your shiny new gadget ages, so does its software. To keep devices running smoothly, manufacturers issue regular updates. But those patches can’t do anything if you refuse to install them.

Gadget updates take care of a lot of problems, but their most important application might be security. When disasters strike, they usually hit hardware that’s running outdated software. To prevent this, manufacturers will regularly roll out crucial patches that protect your laptop, phone, and other gadgets from the latest threats.

Updates also tackle a host of bugs and performance issues. If your gadget suffers from poor battery life, can’t connect to Wi-Fi properly, keeps displaying strange characters on screen, a software patch might sort out the issue.

Occasionally, updates will also bring new features to your devices. In addition to giving your gadget all the latest bells and whistles, this type of major upgrade can also improve its compatibility with new gear and programs.

Luckily, developers know the importance of installing updates, so they make the process pretty straightforward. It may be annoying to interrupt your work, but it’s worth taking the time to check for and download the latest software.

How to update your phone

If you own a smartphone, you’ve likely seen plenty of prompts asking you to install updates. Apple releases a new version of iOS annually, granting cool new abilities to iPhones, and Google also updates Android regularly—though unless you have a Pixel phone, the latest version might take a while to reach your device.

Many of us delay installing these updates, which require that we give our phone time to reboot. Then we forget about them altogether. If you have a tendency to ignore update requests, you can check whether you missed a valuable patch.

On Android, go to Settings > System > Advanced > System update. You should see a message telling you your system is up to date. If you want to double-check, hit the Check for update button.

Over in the land of iPhones and iPads, check for new updates in Settings > General > Software Update. If a new version of iOS or iPadOS is available, you can tap Download and Install. Otherwise, you’ll see a message saying everything is up to date.

[Related: You should update your iPhone and Chrome browser ASAP]

Since iOS 12, Apple has provided an Automatic Updates option on the Software Update screen. If you enable it, the phone will automatically apply patches overnight, waiting until the device is idle, plugged into a power charger, and connected to a Wi-Fi network.

How to update your computer

Updates for Windows, macOS, and Chrome OS can provide your computer with a lot of new abilities. For example, the most recent macOS Big Sur download makes Apple’s computers feel more like iPads. However, for that same reason, these updates can be pretty hefty—which means they take longer to install. Even if the process should happen automatically, many of us ignore download prompts. So run a quick check now to make sure you’re up to date.

On Windows, launch Settings (open the Start menu and then click the cog icon) and go to Update & Security > Windows Update. While you’re in this menu, you can set specific times when Windows is allowed to install patches automatically: Just click Change active hours. This prevents a download from kicking in while you need to use the computer.

For an Apple computer, you can find it by looking at the menu bar on top of the screen and clicking Apple > About This Mac > Software Update. On this screen, we recommend that you tick the box marked Automatically keep my Mac up to date. That lets your computer install updates automatically whenever it falls idle. To further manage how this works, click Advanced and tweak the settings.

If you own a Chromebook, your operating system should already be installing updates automatically, whenever you shut down or restart your computer. To check which version of Chrome OS you’re currently running, select the time in the bottom right, click Settings, and find About Chrome OS. You can check for updates from there.

Even your smart devices have to get software updates. Luckily, a modern-day smart home setup should largely take care of itself. Most smart home devices, such as Nest security cameras, will update themselves automatically over the internet. However, they do rely on their accompanying apps to ping you if a problem arises—say the update experiences an error, or a faulty internet connection prevents it from downloading.

So, generally speaking, all you need to do is install the companion apps for all your smart home devices and then keep them up to date. We recommend that you set your smart-home apps to update automatically. On an Android device, open the Google Play Store app, tap your profile picture (top right of your screen), and then select Settings > General > Auto-update apps. On iOS or iPadOS, go to Settings > App Store and set Apps to automatically download.

Smart speakers like the Amazon Echo and Google Home make things even easier for their human owners. These devices gain new features through the cloud, so they really don’t need you to provide any input.

[Related: Why you should be using Alexa on your smartphone]

Other gadgets, such as Philips Hue smart lights, do require that you manage their updates through the associated app. When a patch is ready, the app will send an alert to your phone. Because your lights (or other devices) will be unavailable while their on-board software refreshes, the app lets you choose the best time to install this update.

How to update wearables

Like smart home devices, most wearables rely on their apps for updates. So follow the aforementioned guidelines to keeping those apps up to date. When new software becomes available for your gadgets, the app will send you an alert.

Take the Apple Watch. You should see an alert whenever a new update is ready to download, but you can also check for yourself. If your watch has WatchOS 6 or later, open the Settings app on your watch, then tap General > Software Update. If you see a new patch, go ahead and install it. If it’s an older wearable, you’ll need your phone: Open the Watch app and tap My Watch > General > Software Update.

Fitbit devices undergo a very similar process. Launch the Fitbit app on your phone, tap the Today tab, then your profile picture, and the image of your device. Then look for the Update button. If it doesn’t appear, your wearable software is already up to date; if it does, hit it to install the new patch.

For Wear OS smartwatches, updates appear in the app, but you can also access them from the wearables themselves. Head to Settings, then choose System > About > System updates to look for new software.

How to update TVs and other gadgets

Across the board, manufacturers are getting better at building automatic downloads into their gadgets’ software.

For example, updating the on-board software for a wireless router used to be a tricky task. However, just about every modern router will update itself automatically in the background—and you won’t even know it’s happening. If you do want to check your router’s status, head to the manufacturer’s website to look for new updates.

Likewise, you once had to undergo the confusing and complicated task of manually updating drivers for computer peripherals like the mouse and monitor. These days, Windows and macOS handle everything automatically: Patches for computer-support hardware will appear as part of the general operating-system updates we discussed above.

Devices that stream television might just be the exception. Although most smaller streaming devices, including Roku devices and Chromecasts, will upgrade themselves automatically in the background, some larger TV boxes require a little extra work.

For an Apple TV, go to the front screen and choose Settings > System > Software Updates. On this screen, turn the Automatically Update switch to On. Now the television will install new software automatically, working in the background so you don’t need to put in any more effort. If you prefer more control, you can turn off this switch and instead download updates manually, which you do from that same Software Updates screen.

On Android TV devices, a notification should pop up on screen when a new update is ready. You can also check manually: From the main interface, head to Status & Diagnostics > System software update.