Google has announced that it will no longer provide support or updates for its decade-old Android KitKat operating system. The move comes as Google is focusing on newer and more secure versions of its Android OS for better user experience and better security.
In an official announcement on the Android Developers Blog, Google revealed that it will be discontinuing support for KitKat in future releases of Google Play Services. The tech giant cited the number of active devices falling below 1% as the primary reason behind the move. It states that Google Play Services will stop updating for KitKat (API level 19 and 20) from August 2023.
The official blog post reads, “As of July 2023, the number of active devices on KK is less than 1% as more and more users are updating to the latest Android versions. Therefore, we are no longer supporting KK in future releases of Google Play Services. KK devices will not receive versions of Play Services APK older than 23.30.99.”
Why is Google ending support for Android KitKat?
Android KitKat, which was released in 2013, gained significant popularity at the time. However, with the rapid advancement in technology over the past few years, Google notes that KitKat OS is out of date and may no longer support security and improvements related to newer technology. Furthermore, without these updates, the OS also becomes vulnerable to potential security risks for the users. Google notes, “The Android KitKat (KK) platform was first released nearly 10 years ago and since then, we’ve introduced many innovative improvements and features to Android that aren’t available on KK.”
Furthermore, Google’s decision to discontinue support for KitKat OS is also in line with its commitment to provide a safer and more reliable experience to its users. By ending support for older versions, Google plans to focus its resources on improving the security and functionality of its new Android OS offerings.
What can Android users do
Google is advising users to upgrade their Android devices to a newer version, preferably Android 10 or the latest Android 11. This is to ensure optimum performance and security. Upon upgrading, users will not only get the latest features and bug fixes, but will also be able to continue using Android services.
Furthermore, for users who are still using Android KitKat, Google recommends that they consider upgrading their devices or getting a new smartphone that supports the latest Android versions. This is important for security reasons, as older Android versions are more vulnerable to cyber attacks and other bad elements online.
Notably, Google had earlier removed its support for Jelly Bean OS on API 16 and 18 in 2021.