CHECK your Android phone – you might be making a big mistake.
If you don’t regularly install new updates then you may be at serious risk, cyber-experts have told The Sun.
Modern smartphones are packed with safety features.
But your handset will only be as safe as you let it be.
We spoke to Brian Higgins, a security specialist at Comparitech, who revealed exactly how to stay safe on an Android phone.
“For Android phones specifically, you should make sure you’re running the most up-to-date version of Google Play Protect,” Brian told The Sun.
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“Then check that you have installed all of the available Android Updates for your device.
“These services are constantly altered as new vulnerabilities are discovered so it’s absolutely vital that you check regularly to make sure you’re running the latest versions.
“The time between an update’s release and when you install it is the most dangerous, because criminals will know that there is something wrong with the system and will do everything they can to take advantage.
“Always ‘Update Now’. Never wait.”
Every so often, your Android phone will need to be updated.
This might not seem important – especially if your phone is working fine.
It’s easy to think of Android updates as just delivering new features.
But installing updates is also important to make sure you’ve got the latest security fixes.
A whole host of phone makers use Android – including Google, Motorola and Samsung.
This is true for your Android system itself, as well as the apps you’re using.
These updates can fix dangerous holes used by hackers to exploit your system.
It’s easy enough to update your phone and could save you a lot of hassle.
First, go into your phone’s Settings app and then tap About Phone at the bottom.
Then choose Android version to see whether you’ve got the latest update.
Now open Settings then go to System > System Update to get any new updates.
You can also check for security updates specifically.
Go into Settings > Security and then tap Google Security Check-up.
You can also choose Google Play System Update to see if there are updates specifically for Google Play – the Android app store.
Follow any on-screen instructions to install your updates.
It’s possible that you might get some updates later than other people depending on your phone.
Google’s own Pixel phones usually get Android updates first, while other manufacturers can take some time releasing their versions of the upgrades.
If you’ve got a very old Android phone that can no longer be updated, that can put you at significant risk of hack attacks.
So if you don’t get updates anymore, consider upgrading to a newer model as soon as possible.
Some very old models simply can’t receive the latest updates.
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