Now that many of us have left our homebody lives behind and are back to being out and about, we rely heavily on our phones to give us access to important services on-the-go. With just one device, we can stay up to date on our email and our calendar to make sure we never miss a beat. Unfortunately, some of us may soon find our options limited. One popular phone will no longer be providing users with access to certain essential services. Read on to find out if you're at risk of losing the ability to check your email and calendar on your phone.
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Google will remove your ability to access your email and calendar if you have an older Android.
ShutterstockIn July, Google announced that it will soon remove sign-in abilities for Android devices than run Android 2.3.7, which was released in 2010, or lower. This change will occur starting Sept. 27, making many users no longer eligible to check their Google-based email or calendar on their phone.
"When support ends for sign-in with a Google Account on Android 2.3.7 and below, you will receive a username or password error if you try to sign in to your devices or to add an email or calendar account," the company said in a statement.
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Users with this operating system will also lose other apps.
ShutterstockIt's not just your email or calendar you'll need to worry about, however. According to Brinkwire, "other major Google-made apps that rely on the Google Account would all stop working as well." This includes YouTube, Google Play Store, and Google Maps.
But this isn't the first time Google has limited access for older Android users. In 2017, the company took its first shot at people with Android 2.3 by stopping Google Pay contactless payments, according to the news outlet. And outside of Google, WhatsApp removed its app from devices running anything Android 2.3.7 and older last year.
Google says you should update your phone to keep from losing access.
ShutterstockAccording to Google, this change is part of the company's "ongoing efforts to keep users safe." In order to continue having access to these services and apps, Google says that you must update to a newer Android version of 3.0 or higher. If you do not have the ability to update to a newer system, the company says you can try logging into your Google account on your device's actual web browser, not its app. "You can still use some Google services when logged into Google on your device’s web browser," the company explains.
You can check your Android version through the Settings app.
ShutterstockThere's a good chance you might not even realize you're using an older version of Android. According to the company, you can find your device's version number in your Settings app and check for any system update. But Google does warn that "older devices can’t always run newer Android versions," so there may not be an ability for you to update your existing phone. According to Brinkwire, Sony Xperia Advance and Lenovo are two of the most popular smartphones still running the older version of Android.
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