To check your Android security patch date, open Settings > About phone (or About tablet) > Android version and look for Android security update. To check for an available update, open Settings > System > Software updates and follow the device’s prompts. Menu names and update timing vary by manufacturer, Android version, region, and carrier.
Find the Android security patch date
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap About phone or About tablet.
- Tap Android version.
- Read the date beside Android security update.
Google’s Android Help instructions identify this page as the place to check your device’s Android version, security update status, and Google Play system status. If you are reporting a problem or checking your device details, note the separate fields shown there:
- Android version: the version of Android installed.
- Android security update: the displayed security patch level.
- Google Play system update: a separate update status and date, not the Android security update field.
- Build number: the installed software build identifier.
Check whether an update is available
- Open Settings.
- Tap System > Software updates. Depending on the device, the menu may instead be labeled Software updates or System update; Pixel devices may use Software updates.
- Read the status displayed and follow the on-screen instructions if an update is offered. If you dismissed an update notification or the device was offline, checking here lets you look again.
Some supported settings layouts also provide update controls at Settings > Security and privacy > System and updates. From there, select Security update or Google Play system update. Not all devices organize security and privacy settings this way, so use the closest matching update option available on your phone or tablet.
Prepare for an update and complete installation
- Connect to Wi-Fi before downloading an update.
- Charge the device to at least 75%, as Google recommends.
- Keep following the prompts on the device’s update screen. If a download does not finish, Google says the device automatically retries over the next few days and sends a notification when it retries.
- Allow installation and any required restart to finish. On Pixel phones and Pixel Tablet, a downloaded Android update installs in the background and becomes active at the next restart. Many other Android devices restart automatically during installation, and the update becomes active when installation completes.
Understand what the patch date tells you
The Android security update date is a patch level associated with a defined set of fixes in an Android Security Bulletin. It is not the Android version, and it is not the Google Play system update date. A date by itself also does not prove that every fix from the phone maker, chipset supplier, or carrier is included.
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The Android Security Bulletins can list more than one patch level for a month. For example, the June 2026 bulletin explains that a level of 2026-06-01 or later addresses issues associated with that level, while 2026-06-05 or later addresses that level and previous levels. Check the relevant bulletin alongside your device’s displayed date rather than treating a single date as a universal current-or-outdated cutoff.
The AOSP index lists the October 2026 bulletin as published October 5, 2026, with patch levels 2026-10-01 and 2026-10-05. Those publication details do not mean every Android phone should already show either date: delivery depends on the device and its update schedule. AOSP notes that bulletins cover fixes from AOSP, the upstream Linux kernel, and SoC manufacturers, and that they are generally published on the first Monday of each month, or the next work day when that Monday is a holiday.
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If the date looks old or no update appears
An older date does not have one universal meaning across all Android devices. Update availability and timing vary by device, manufacturer, and mobile carrier, and older devices may not support newer Android versions. Compare the displayed patch date with the bulletin level relevant to your device, then consult the manufacturer or carrier for the schedule for your specific model. Without the make, model, region, and carrier, a general guide cannot determine whether a particular device is overdue.
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