People using old smartphones should be careful, Google has stopped support for this Android version.

Technology Desk – Android 6.0 Marshmallow Support Ended: If you are using several years old Android smartphone, then this news is useful for you. Google has discontinued support for Google Play Services for Android 6.0 Marshmallow. This does not mean that your phone will suddenly stop working, but in the coming time, many important Google services and apps will not work as before. Now to take full advantage of Google Play Services, the phone will need to have at least Android 7.0 Nougat or newer version.

Why is Google Play Services important?

Google Play Services is a background system that handles many important services of Android phones. With its help, apps are downloaded and updated from Play Store, Google Account works properly, Location Services, Maps, Notifications and many security features run. That means this system is not visible, but many important functions of the phone depend on it.

What will change after support ends?

Phones with Android 6.0 will not shut down immediately and calls, SMS or existing normal apps will continue to run. But with time many new problems may emerge. There may be difficulty in downloading new apps from Play Store or updating old apps. Some services related to Google account may be affected. Many apps may stop sending notifications and location-based features may also not work the same as before.

Security will also be affected

The biggest concern is about security. After the end of support for Play Services, such phones will not get new security fixes and necessary updates. Due to this, the risk of cyber attacks, malware and data theft may increase than before. Apart from this, app developers will also gradually stop providing new features and updates for Android 6.0.

How to know if your phone is affected or not?

Open the phone’s Settings.
Go to About Phone or About Device.
Check Android Version here.

If your phone has Android 7.0 or above, then there is no need to worry at the moment. But if the phone is running on Android 6.0 Marshmallow, then many Google services may face problems in the future.

Is it necessary to buy a new phone now?

Google has not announced the discontinuation of Android 6.0 phones. Such phones will still be able to do normal calling and many everyday tasks. But due to security updates and end of Play Services support, their use will gradually be limited.

If your phone can’t be updated and you regularly use banking, UPI, online payments or apps that contain sensitive information, it might be wise to consider getting a new Android device for better security and new features.