1 billion Android users should buy new phone due to malware, spyware attacks: Google

In a chilling revelation, Google has asserted that a staggering 40% of all Android phones in the world are vulnerable to new malware and spyware attacks, and it is crucial to upgrade to a new Android phone immediately if your device falls within this 40.

For those wondering if their Android phone falls under the category specified by Google as vulnerable to spyware and malware attacks.

How to find if your Android is at risk 

Here’s how you can determine if your phone is at risk of being exploited by cyber criminals.

As of now, 42.1% of all Android devices no longer receive security updates, and the problem comes as Google has stopped releasing security patches for phones running Android 12 or older. As a result, devices released in 2021 and earlier are likely to be attacked by newly emerging malware threats.

Fresh Android distribution data shows that only 57.9% of handsets are operating on Android 13 or later.

The division of the Android platform makes this problem even worse. This is because unlike iOS, where updates are managed by a single company. On the other hand, Android is developed by Google, while various manufacturers produce the devices. This lack of coordination makes timely updates nearly impossible.

As of December, only 7.5% of Android devices were running Android 16, the latest Android version. The breakdown of devices receiving security updates is as follows:

• Android 16: 7.5%
• Android 15: 19.3%
• Android 14: 17.2%
• Android 13: 13.9%

Users using Android phones that cannot be updated beyond Android 12, Google has urged them to upgrade to a new device.

It stressed that even a mid-range model supporting Android 13 or higher will provide better security, as one billion Android users are facing potential malware threats.