Connections will no longer be supported on Android phones running version 2.3.7 or earlier. This change will take effect on September 27, according to an email sent to users by Google. The email advises users to upgrade to at least Android 3.0 Honeycomb in order to continue using Google apps after September. This will have an effect on system and app-level sign-in, but users should still be able to sign in to Gmail, Google Search, Google Drive, YouTube, and other Google services using from the phone’s browser.
Google shows what its Play Store security section will look like. After September 27, the report says that users of the older version of Android will receive an error if they attempt to sign in to Google products and services such as Gmail, YouTube, and Maps. They will also get an error if they try to add or create a new Google account or do a factory reset and try to sign in again. Old version Android users will receive an error if they attempt to change their Google Account password, which logs users out on all devices, and attempts to log in again. Username and password error will keep showing up even after removing the account from the device and trying to add it back.
In its report, 9to5Google shared a screenshot of the email sent to users who may be impacted by this change. There are probably very few users of very old versions of Android, and Google obviously does this to help protect user data and maintain account security. Starting September 27, users of Android version 2.3.7 or earlier will receive a “username or password error” whenever they try to log into a Google app loaded on the phone. These emails seem to be a warning sign for those few users who are still using the archaic versions of the software, urging them to either update their software or change their phone.
Google Play Protect did not provide security against infected apps: AV-Test. Essentially, there will no longer be a workaround for Android v2.3.7 and lower software users, and it’s best to look for other options to continue using Google apps and services hassle-free. The recently concluded first season of Loki is our focus this week on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you get your podcasts. For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on Twitter, Facebook, and Google News. For the latest gadget and tech videos, subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Summary of news:
- Google will soon stop supporting login to Gmail, YouTube and Drive accounts on older Android phones
- Check out all the news and articles from the latest security news updates.
