Anyone storing personal data on their smartphone should perform a quick check to determine how secure their device is. When manufacturers like Apple, Samsung, or Nokia stop supporting a phone model, data becomes increasingly vulnerable. According to consumer group Which?, 20% of people who upgraded their handset last year did so because their old device stopped receiving vital software updates.
Which? offers a free online tool that takes less than a minute to check your phone's support status. Simply enter your specific model to see the best estimate of when support may end or has already ended. For example, iPhone 12 users can expect security support until October 2026, while those with the latest iPhone 17 series are covered until 2032. The tool supports major brands including Alcatel, Google, Huawei, Motorola, Nokia, and Samsung.
A Which? spokesperson warned: "Without 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 patches, those flaws won’t be fixed." They added that using an unsupported phone for sensitive tasks like mobile banking, online shopping, or work emails could become a problem.
To check your phone's current security status, iPhone users should go to Settings, select General, then tap 'Software Update'. Which? notes that Apple regularly backports security patches to older operating systems like iOS 15 and 16, so ensure you've received routine fixes in the past six months. For Android devices (Samsung, Google, Motorola, Xiaomi, Oppo, OnePlus, Sony, Realme, or Nokia), go to Settings, tap the search bar, and type 'Security update' to see your most recent patch date.
