Check if your phone is still ‘safe’ with this setting (Image: Getty)
People who have their lives saved on their smartphones should all make an important check to see how safe their device is. When a manufacturer like Apple, Samsung or Nokia decides to drop support for your phone model, your data becomes more vulnerable.
This happens far more often than people realise. In fact, 20% of people who upgraded their handset last year did so purely because their old device stopped receiving these vital software rollouts, according to consumer champion Which?.
Fortunately, checking where your phone stands with a free tool from Which? takes less than a minute. Enter your specific model to see where you stand, and the tool will tell a best estimate of when support may (or has already) end for a handset.
For example, users with an iPhone 12 (or 12 Pro) should expect security support to stop in October 2026. Compare this to users with the latest generation of iPhones (17/17e/17 Pro/17 Pro Max/Air), who are expected to keep receiving updates until 2032.
The tool supports most major phone brands, including Alcatel, Google, Huawei, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, and more. See where your phone model stands with security here.
What to do if your phone is no longer supported
Which? claims that people don’t need to ditch their devices and upgrade right away if this tool claims there is no new security support – but it should be a consideration.
A spokesperson said: “Without those regular updates, your operating system is defenceless against new threats. Cybercriminals are always on the prowl for flaws in older software, so if a brand stops providing these patches, then these flaws won’t get patched.
“Month by month, the gap between the threats out there and your phone’s ability to fight them off grows wider. Keep using an unsupported phone for more sensitive daily tasks – like mobile banking, online shopping, and checking your work emails – and it could become a problem.”
Some smartphones could be well past their last security update (Image: Getty)
Another quick check on all devices
Companies might offer some updates beyond the estimated end of support, but phones usually don’t have a reminder or alert to let people know this will be the last update their device gets. Checking one part of the software menu will show the phone’s current safety status in real time, according to Which?.
On iPhones, open Settings, then go to General, then tap ‘Software Update’. Which? claim that Apple “regularly backports vital security patches to older operating systems” like iOS 15 and 16. Just check that you have still been getting routine small security fixes for the past six months
Whether it’s a Samsung, Google, Motorola, Xiaomi, Oppo, OnePlus, Sony, Realme or Nokia, the Android shortcut is usually the same. Head to Settings, tap the search bar right at the top of the menu, and type in ‘Security update’ to show your phone’s exact security patch date.