Android 13 is not automatically unsafe for USB tethering, but the real risk depends on whether your phone is still receiving security updates from its manufacturer.
What matters most
- Android version alone does not tell the full security story.
- A phone on Android 13 with current security patches can be significantly safer than a newer Android version that is badly maintained.
- If your device no longer gets monthly or quarterly security updates, its exposure to known vulnerabilities increases over time.
About USB tethering risk
Using your phone for USB internet sharing to a PC is generally a lower-risk activity than installing unknown apps or exposing services directly to the internet.
In normal use, USB tethering does not mean someone can hack your phone just by knowing your phone number.
For that to happen, there would usually need to be a specific remotely exploitable vulnerability in:
- The cellular baseband
- The phone app / messaging stack
- The network stack
- A vendor-specific service
Those types of attacks do exist in the real world, but they are not typically something random attackers can do at scale just from having a phone number. They are usually more relevant in targeted attacks, high-value targets, or when a device has serious unpatched flaws.
Practical risk assessment
Based on what you described:
- Not installing shady apps helps a lot.
- Keeping Google apps updated is useful, but it does not replace full system security patches from the phone maker.
- Not giving your number out widely slightly reduces nuisance targeting, but phone numbers are not secret in any strong security sense.
So for ordinary daily USB tethering, your risk is probably more influenced by:
- Whether the phone still receives security patches
- Whether the PC you tether to is clean and updated
- Whether USB debugging is disabled
- Whether you avoid unknown cables, accessories, and apps
Important limitations
I cannot safely say your device is fully safe or unsafe without knowing:
- The exact phone model
- The manufacturer
- The current Android security patch level
- Whether the bootloader is locked
- Whether the device is still in official support
Without that information, the most accurate answer is that USB tethering itself is not a major red flag, but an out-of-support phone becomes progressively less trustworthy for any security-sensitive role.
What you should check now
On the phone, verify:
- Security patch level
- Google Play system update version
- Whether developer options and USB debugging are off
- Whether the device is still within the vendor’s update policy
If the phone is still getting security updates, using it for USB tethering only is generally reasonable for normal home use.
If the phone is no longer receiving updates, I would treat it as acceptable only for lower-risk tasks and plan to replace it sooner rather than later.
When to upgrade sooner
Upgrading earlier makes sense if:
- The device is already out of support
- The last security patch is many months old
- The vendor has a poor update history
- You also use the phone for email, passwords, 2FA, or account recovery
- You want a longer-term security baseline
A recent Samsung device is a sensible choice in general because many models now get relatively long security support compared with a lot of Android vendors.
Bottom line
For USB tethering alone, an Android 13 phone is not likely to be remotely compromised just because someone knows your phone number. The bigger issue is whether your specific device is still patched and supported. If it is still receiving updates, using it for PC internet sharing is generally reasonable. If it is out of support, I would avoid trusting it for anything important and move the upgrade forward.
If you want the most reliable conclusion, check the exact model’s support status and current security patch level and follow the vendor’s official update policy.
