It is a norm for companies to fade out support for devices and software from yesteryears in light of security. In the company’s effort to keep user data safe, Google is going to stop support for devices running Android 2.3.7 or lower. According to Google, it will “no longer allow sign in on Android devices” running the abovementioned OS version or earlier starting September 27, 2021.
The primary effect of this move will mean that users will be prompted an error message when they try to sign in to any Google product on devices with Android 2.3.7 or earlier versions. This error will show up when a user tries to use services such as Gmail, YouTube, and Google Maps or Calendar.
According to Google, starting September 27, users with old devices will receive username and password errors when trying to sign into Google’s products and services. The company is thus advising users, if possible, to update their devices to at least Android version 3.0 to continue using Google services and products unhindered.
Also, Google presents a workaround for users who cannot update to the new Android version. The company says users will still be able to log in to their Google accounts and continue using certain services by logging into the Google account on their device’s web browser.
If you’re somehow using a primary or secondary device that runs such an old OS, you may now have a good reason to upgrade. To be noted: Google has already stopped OS updates, security patches and even the Google Play service support for these old devices a long time back.
