Deprecated Google Chrome 120 won't run on Android 7 (Nougat) devices

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

Android users who still run Android Nougat on their devices won't be able to upgrade the Google Chrome browser to version 120 on their devices. Google announced the change on its Chrome Enterprise and Education release notes page.

Google writes on the page: "The last version of Chrome that supports Android Nougat is Chrome 119, and it includes a message to affected users informing them to upgrade their operating system. Chrome 120 will not support nor ship to users running Android Nougat".

In other words: Google Chrome 119 is the last version of the mobile browser that will run on Android Nougat devices. Google suggests that affected users upgrade the operating system to a newer version to continue using Chrome and stay protected.

Problem is, Android Nougat is not supported anymore by manufacturers. Released in 2016, Android Nougat was the sevenths major version of the Android operating system. No Android manufacturer offered support for seven years. While some users may be able to upgrade to Android Orea, also known as Android 8, most may be stuck on Android Nougat.

Google Chrome 120 won't run on Android 7 (Nougat) devices - gHacks Tech News

Android users who still run Android Nougat on their devices won't be able to upgrade the Google Chrome browser to version 120 on their devices.

ghacks.net

 

[brambedkar59]

"...a message to affected users informing them to upgrade their operating system."

User: Sure lemme just compile Android 14 and install it on my 7 year old phone.

 

[Ink]

It's not completely unsafe to run older versions of Android, but it's advised to run supported software.

User: Sure lemme just compile Android 14 and install it on my 7 year old phone.

Android 7 stopped official support in 2019, 4 years ago.

A new Android phone doesn't come preloaded with A7, but a previous version. That makes any phones running A7 today, must have been bought around 2014/2015.

Given that most phones get 2 major updates, A7 users had a minimum of 2 years to upgrade before this announcement.

My current phone launched with A8 and now runs A10. Its official support ended early 2023, this gives me another year or two without having to worry about important apps not getting further updates.

There's always a chance that Firefox will remain to be supported on A7.

Android 7 was released in 2016 shortly before the very first Pixel, which makes clear just how ancient it is at this point. Today, Android 7 is used by less than three percent of all phones out there, increasingly posing a security risk. That’s why it likely isn’t feasible to support it anymore, with Chrome 119 being the last version of the browser to work on it. Chrome 120 will only be available on newer releases. Chrome 119 users on Android 7 will get a warning that they need to upgrade their OS or phone.

Source: What’s new in Chrome 120: The end of third-party cookies is nigh

 

[TairikuOkami]

Aside for security and apps, I would be afraid of using 5+ years old smartphone due to the battery. You charge it daily, it is the most used item in the household, surely it deserves some love.

 

[brambedkar59]

A new Android phone doesn't come preloaded with A7, but a previous version. That makes any phones running A7 today, must have been bought around 2014/2015.

That was the joke, instead of asking users to upgrade to a new device they are asking to upgrade the OS which is not possible.

Aside for security and apps, I would be afraid of using 5+ years old smartphone due to the battery. You charge it daily, it is the most used item in the household, surely it deserves some love.

Batteries are pretty cheap, if you can find a decent repair shop. I miss the old Nokia phones with swappable batteries.