Google has been quite active recently; the tech giant is in the process of releasing its latest addition to the Pixel line. The Google Pixel 6 series seems to be quite impressive if the rumors and speculations are to be believed. Nevertheless, there has been no official confirmation released by the tech juggernaut.
Meanwhile, a massive update is to be expected by the search engine which will supposedly block certain apps including, Google Maps, YouTube, and Gmail for a plethora of Android users.
Popular Apps Blocked for Millions of Users
Millions of individuals around the world will be locked out of the software today unless they update their phones or buy a new phone quickly. The deadline was mentioned in a brief blog post on Google’s website.
Users who use Android 2.3 devices will be unable to check-in using their Google Account, according to Google. It’s worth noting that the current Google operating system was released in December 2010. “As part of our ongoing efforts to keep our users secure,” Google said it is discontinuing support for the platform. It’s not surprising, given that Google periodically discontinues support for older versions of Android when it launches newer versions. This is mainly because older operating systems are significantly more prone to flaws and hackers, this is the case.
Android 11 is the most recent version, therefore 2.3 is years behind the software seen on today’s Android smartphones. Google disabled Google Pay contactless payments on handsets running Android 2.3 in February 2017.
Additionally, anyone who uses a device that has the software today will be unable to log in to their Google account. Even if they’ve entered the correct credentials, they’ll get a username and password error. A similar problem will occur if you try to add a Google Calendar or Gmail account to the device’s settings menu. YouTube, Google Play Store, Google Maps, Gmail, Google Calendar, and other popular Google apps will also stop working. You’ll need to update your smartphone to Android 3.0 to continue using these apps and functionalities such as messages backup.
How to Update Your Android Device
You can upgrade your device by going to System > Advanced > System Update in your device settings. However, because not all devices running Android 2.3 will be able to upgrade, some users will be permanently kept out.
Sony Xperia Advance, Lenovo K800, Sony Xperia Go, Vodafone Smart II, Samsung Galaxy S2, Sony Xperia P, LG Spectrum, Sony Xperia S, LG Prada 3.0, HTC Velocity, HTC Evo 4G, Motorola Fire, and Motorola XT532 are among the smartphones that still run Android 2.3. If you can’t upgrade your device, you may always work around the problem by using your browser to access certain services. The best solution to avoid all the hassle is to get another device that supports the new updates. Recently, there have been a plethora of mid-range devices released hence you can get a brand new device at a reasonable cost.