Let’s face it – staying up to date with the latest tech is a never ending quest. After all, by tomorrow, there’ll be something new in the works. Understandably, many of us have chosen to stick with trusty devices that work for us, not only saving money but avoiding the rigmarole of adjusting to a new device. Is it really worth it for a handful of new features that you probably won’t even use?
Well, hold that thought – it seems that Android users may need to consider an upgrade in order to continue surfing the web on their devices. The long of it is that Let’s Encrypt, a non-profit certification organisation, announced that its long term partnership with authority IdenTrust will end on 21 September 2021, with Let’s Encrypt already making the shift to its own root certificate on 11 January.
The short (and non techno-geek) version of the news is that older Android devices that do not support version 7.1.1 Nougat or later will no longer be able to freely access secure websites. According to Let’s Encrypt, this could affect up to a third of Android users… Eish.
If a device upgrade is not on the cards for you this year, there are other temporary solutions, such as downloading an alternative web browser such as Firefox. Unlike the built-in Android browser, Firefox automatically refreshes its list of trusted root certificates with each new app update. Android, on the other hand, links trusted certificates to the software, so outdated software equals goodbye internet.
Ultimately, keeping your device relatively up to date is essential in keeping on track with the tech evolution, so while bypassing the browser issue is possible, it should not be used as a long term fix, especially as the outdated OS begins to affect other apps. In other words, it’s time to say, “New phone, who dis?”
