A piece of good news for most Chromebook users out there! Google has confirmed an additional year of support for software updates for most of the popular Chromebooks. Before delving into details, let me quickly glance through the automatic updates feature of Chrome OS.
Like most OSes, Chromebook too needs updates to provide the latest features and keep the device secure. The updates are applied across the operating system, browser, and hardware. The updates depend on many device-specific non-Google hardware and software providers to provide security and stability support. Hence, it’s practically impossible for older Chrome devices to get updates indefinitely.
As per Google’s Policy, every Chromebook receives regular updates until the Auto Update Expiration (AUE) date, which is a 6.5-year time limit from the date the Chromebook was manufactured. Notice, it’s not when you bought it, but when it was made. If you purchased an older model that already two years old, your Chromebook will get updates only for the next four years. This is because the hardware manufacturer works with Google to make it possible to provide updates. After the AUE date is surpassed, manufacturers don’t need to provide support anymore, and so no updates will be released to the particular model.
How to find the AUE date of your Chromebook?
Google publishes the AUE date of the approved models on their website. Going by the list, few notable models include the immensely popular Asus Chromebook Flip C302 that got extended support until June 2023, from Nov. 2022. Samsung Chromebook 3 got bumped to June 2022, from June 2021. Another surprise is for the Google Pixel Slate that got an extension to June 2026, from June 2024.
For devices with Chrome Education Upgrade or Chrome Enterprise Upgrade, the AUE date is available in the Google Admin console.
From the Admin console Home page:
- Go to Devices>Chrome management.
- Click Devices.
- View the column for “Auto-update expiration.”
Those who know how to use the G Suite Admin SDK can fish the field “autoUpdateExpiration” that has the AUE date.
Conclusion
Keeping in mind the importance of the security updates, it’s a no-brainer to shop for a Chromebook with long support time, which automatically tunnels to the recently manufactured models. Our hand-picked guide of best Chromebooks of 2019 is a good starting point when you look for one. Also, make sure you know the things before you consider buying a Chromebook.
