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How to Check Whether Your Phone or Laptop Still Gets Security Updates

Check your phone or laptop’s exact model, software version, and official support schedule to distinguish an update waiting now from ongoing security support.

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To find out whether your phone or laptop still gets security updates, identify its exact model and installed software version, then check the manufacturer’s support schedule or the operating system’s release records. The update screen tells you what is installed or available now; it does not, by itself, confirm how long support will continue.

Start with the exact device and software details

Before checking support, record the manufacturer, full model name or number, operating-system version, and security patch level or build. These details let you match the device to the right policy: update commitments can differ by model, region, carrier, Windows edition, and OS branch.

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  • Phone: note the model and Android or iOS version, plus the security update level if shown.
  • Laptop: note the manufacturer and model, OS version and build, and—on Windows—the edition, such as Home, Pro, or Enterprise.

Keep two questions separate: “Is an update available today?” and “Does the vendor still provide security updates for this device or software version?” A device can have no update waiting and still be supported. It can also be fully updated to the last version its model can receive even after ongoing support has ended.

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Check an Android phone

Pixel phones

  1. Open Settings > System > Software update and check for available updates.
  2. In Settings, find the Android version and security update level. The exact location of those details can vary by Android version.
  3. Match the Pixel model to Google’s Pixel update policy. Use the model-specific entry rather than applying one date to every Pixel.

Google’s current policy page, checked October 4, 2026, lists seven years of OS and security updates for Pixel 8 and later, measured from when each model first became available on the Google Store in the US. The listed Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 families receive five years on the same basis. Google’s page also identifies older listed models that no longer receive Android version and security updates. Check the current list for the exact handset before calculating an end date; the terms are Pixel-specific.

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A Pixel update may roll out gradually, and timing can depend on the device and carrier. A brief delay after an update is released does not, on its own, show that support has ended.

Other Android phones

On a non-Pixel phone, use Settings to find the Android version, security patch level, and system-update screen; menu names vary by manufacturer. Then look up the full model number and country or region on the phone maker’s official support site. Google advises owners of other Android devices to contact their manufacturer or carrier for update information. Do not assume that a Pixel schedule applies to Samsung, Motorola, or another Android brand.

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Check an iPhone or Mac

  1. Record the exact iPhone or Mac model and the installed iOS, iPadOS, or macOS version.
  2. Open Apple’s security releases page and look for a release matching that operating-system version.
  3. Check the release’s compatible-device information to confirm it applies to your hardware.

Apple’s release records include security updates for older OS branches as well as releases for newer major versions. So, a device’s inability to install the newest major OS does not by itself establish whether it still receives security fixes: check the release history for the installed branch and compatible hardware. Apple’s deployment guidance also notes that update deferrals can affect what users see and that availability may change when later updates appear; see its software update deployment documentation.

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Those release records show which versions received updates, but the official material cited here does not establish one guaranteed support duration that applies to every iPhone or Mac. Confirm the specific model and OS combination rather than estimating a universal number of years.

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Check a Windows laptop

  1. Record the Windows edition, version, and build. In Windows, open Settings > System > About to see the device and Windows specifications.
  2. Compare the version and edition with Microsoft’s Windows lifecycle page and Windows release information.
  3. Check whether the laptop’s hardware can install the relevant release. A release’s support dates do not guarantee that every laptop is eligible to run it.

Windows support dates are version- and edition-specific. For example, on Microsoft’s lifecycle page as checked October 4, 2026, Windows 11 version 24H2 has an end-of-updates date of October 14, 2026, and version 26H2 has an end-of-updates date of October 10, 2028, for Home and Pro. Do not apply those dates to another Windows edition without checking its entry.

Microsoft’s release information page lists version availability, builds, latest updates, revision dates, and end-of-updates dates by edition group. As checked October 4, 2026, Windows 11 version 26H2 was available from September 29, 2026. The listed end-of-updates dates are October 10, 2028 for Home, Pro, Pro Education, and Pro for Workstations, and October 9, 2029 for the listed Enterprise, Education, and IoT group. These are release-level lifecycle dates, not a guarantee that a particular laptop can install that release. Microsoft’s dates can change, so verify the current pages and the edition on your device.

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Check a Chromebook

  1. Open Settings > About ChromeOS > Additional details.
  2. Read the Update schedule entry for the device’s final update timing.

Google says Chromebooks receive ten years of automatic updates under its current policy, but the device’s own update schedule is the useful check for its last update. For devices released before 2021, extended-update conditions may mean some features or services are unsupported. The manufacturer’s end-of-sale date is not the same as Google’s update eligibility date.

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If ChromeOS displays a “Final software update” notification, Google says the device will no longer receive ChromeOS and browser updates, including security updates, bug fixes, and new features. See Google’s Chromebook automatic updates information.

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How to interpret what you find

  • An update is available: install it, then check the resulting version or patch level. This establishes that an update was offered; it does not reveal the device’s eventual support end date.
  • No update is waiting: this only describes the current update check. Confirm the model’s support schedule or the installed OS branch’s release records separately.
  • You have the latest version for that model: that may be the final version the device can install, not proof that the model still receives security fixes.
  • The model or version is past its stated end date: treat it as no longer receiving ongoing vendor security updates unless the vendor lists a later applicable update or exception.

When comparing devices or schedules, use the exact model and region or carrier, current patch date or build, OS version and edition, the support commitment’s start point, and the stated end-of-updates date. Also check whether the vendor is still issuing fixes for the device’s older OS branch.

What to do if support has ended

Install any final available update and avoid treating an unsupported device as equivalent to one receiving ongoing vendor security fixes. If you use it for sensitive work, consider moving that work to a device with a documented current support policy. Which replacement makes sense depends on your budget, operating-system preference, accessibility needs, and use case; there is no one replacement recommendation that fits everyone.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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