Anyone who stores personal data on their smartphone should perform a vital check to determine how secure their device truly is. When manufacturers like Apple, Samsung, or Nokia stop supporting a phone model, your data becomes increasingly vulnerable.
This happens more often than most people realize. In fact, 20% of people who upgraded their handset last year did so solely because their old device stopped receiving essential software updates, according to consumer champion Which?.
How to Check Your Phone's Support Status
Thankfully, you can check where your phone stands using a free tool from Which? that takes less than a minute. Simply enter your specific model to find out when support may end—or has already ended—for your handset.
For example, iPhone 12 (or 12 Pro) users should expect security support to stop in October 2026. In contrast, users of the latest iPhones (17/17e/17 Pro/17 Pro Max/Air) are expected to receive updates until 2032.
People holding onto older devices may have been without the most up-to-date protections since 2022, according to the tracker. The tool supports most major phone brands, including Alcatel, Google, Huawei, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, and more.
What to Do If Your Phone Is No Longer Supported
Which? claims you don't need to ditch your device and upgrade immediately if the tool shows no new security support—but it should be a consideration.
A spokesperson said: "Without those 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."
"Month by month, the gap between the threats out there and your phone's ability to fight them off grows wider. Keep using an unsupported phone for more sensitive daily tasks – like mobile banking, online shopping, and checking your work emails - and it could become a problem."
Quick Security Check on Your Device
While some manufacturers may provide occasional updates beyond their stated end-of-support date, most phones won't notify you when they receive their final update. However, checking a specific section of your phone's settings menu will reveal its current security status in real time.
For iPhone users, navigate to Settings, select General, then tap 'Software Update'. Which? says Apple "regularly backports vital security patches to older operating systems" like iOS 15 and 16, so just ensure you've been receiving routine security fixes over the past six months.
For Android devices—whether it's a Samsung, Google, Motorola, Xiaomi, Oppo, OnePlus, Sony, Realme, or Nokia—the process is usually the same. Go to Settings, tap the search bar at the top of the menu, and type in 'Security update' to display your phone's most recent security patch date.
