Google will end support for the Chrome browser and the Calendar app on older versions of Android. According to the information, updates for both software will only be available for Android 8 and above.
The end of app compatibility is expected to happen in the coming months. That’s why it’s important for people who still use older phones to be aware of the changes.
Google plans to release Chrome 120 for mobile devices in early 2024. Then, a recent changelog update informs that the new version of the browser will not be supported for devices running Android 7.1 and earlier.
“The latest version of Chrome compatible with Android Nougat is Chrome 119 and includes a message to affected users informing them to update their operating system,” the note on the big tech website highlights.
The current edition of Chrome should not stop working on devices running Android 7.1 or earlier. However, the browser should only receive one-off security updates.
Google Calendar end of support
Google Calendar will also end support for devices running Android 7.1 and below. The information was found by The SpAndroid blog in a software update released last week.
Soon, users of older phones will see a message stating that “Your current version of Android is no longer supported.” Then, the person is told to update the operating system to continue using the app.
According to the details, Google Calendar will only be updated on devices running Android 8.0 and above. Although it has not yet been widely distributed, the change began with the release of version 2023-46-0-581792699.
The end of support for Chrome and Calendar shouldn’t affect many users. According to 9to5Google, Android 7.1 accounts for only 3% of active devices and previous versions of Google’s operating system equate to less than 5% of phones.