Google released Android Gingerbread in December 2010. Although the support for it ended years ago, there are still some devices out there running this primitive version of Android, which is currently over 10 and a half years old. According to the new announcement, these ancient devices along with others running even older versions of Android will become more useless by the end of September.

As per a report by 9to5Google, Google has sent an email to users with devices running Android 2.3.7 Gingerbread and low. The email states that the search giant is ending support for Google account sign-in on these older versions of Android on September 26.

From September 27, users will be seeing a “username or password error” while performing the following actions. 

• Sign in to your account.
• Remove your account from your device and re-add it.
• Create an account on the device
• Perform a factory reset of your device and try to sign in.
• Change your password either on the device or on a different device, which then signs you out everywhere else, and when you try to sign in again.

The company says that this measure is to help users in protecting their account’s security.

As a result, users with the following versions of Android will not be able to access Google apps like Gmail, YouTube, Maps, and others from September 27.

• Android 1.0 
• Android 1.1
• Android 1.5 Cupcake
• Android 1.6 Donut
• Android 2.0 Eclair
• Android 2.2 Froyo
• Android 2.3 Gingerbread

Google recommends users update to a newer version of Android (3.0+) if there’s an option. Else, they can continue using some Google services via the phone’s web browser.

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With WhatsApp no longer supporting Android Eclair and Froyo, it was only a matter of time until the same could be said of Android Gingerbread. According to WhatsApp’s blog announcement, Android Gingerbread support ends on February 1st, 2020. The app will still work on the older devices but the users will no longer be able to register or re-verify accounts. Eventually, all support on these versions should cease after a few weeks.

A move like this was inevitable. The latest Android distribution numbers show that 0.3 percent of devices still run Gingerbread. That amounts to roughly 3.9 million active devices that run 10-year-old software. Compared to the 1.3 billion Android smartphones sold to date, the number of Gingerbread-running smartphones seems minuscule by comparison.

This also applies to iPhones that are running iOS 8, which will also see WhatsApp support ending on the 1st of February 2020. iPhone users still on iOS 8 need to either update to a newer version of the software (if available) or get a new device with iOS 9 or later if they want to get all the features of WhatsApp on their phones.

EDITOR’S PICK: Redmi K20 Pro Android 10 update is now rolling out in India

In an official communique, the Facebook-owned company said: “On iOS 8, you can no longer create new accounts or re-verify existing accounts”. The message further suggested users get a device with the latest version of the software, which is iOS 13.1, for the best results. “For the best experience, we recommend you use the latest version of iOS available for your phone”, WhatsApp said.

The company also warned against the possible dangers from jailbroken devices, saying: “We don’t explicitly restrict the use of jailbroken or unlocked devices. However, because these modifications might affect the functionality of your device, we can’t provide support for devices using modified versions of the iPhone’s operating system”, it added.

While we’re somewhat saddened by the news, it’s still some serious and rare commitment to an antiquated OS, even when compared to other major applications. You can’t help but tip your caps toward WhatsApp for supporting users up until the very end. By the time February 1st rolls around, Android Gingerbread will be 10 years old.

For now however, the very few Android Gingerbread users should probably get new phones, the OS is nearly a decade old guys. With Android 10 abound, there’s no reason not to switch to a brand new device, especially with all the great budget phones available now.

UP NEXT: Android 10 (Go Edition) arrives with new features and new encryption

(Source)

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Google‘s monthly Android platform distribution chart has just been updated and it shows some promising results. One of the good news is that Google’s first mobile OS, Android 2.2 Froyo launched in May 2010 is almost extinct, as it is not listed on the chart. What this means is that the maiden Google OS is presently installed in less than 0.1% of devices globally.

Apparently, some persons are still stuck in the past as Google’s earlier second and third gen operating system, Gingerbread and Ice Cream Sandwich still posted 1.0% and 1.1% in the distribution chart. The figures are declining, though, as they were both at 1.2% in December.

Read More: Nokia to Launch Viki Voice Assistant to Rival Siri, Google Assistant?

Amdroid 5.1 Lolipop still tops the chart with a total of 33.3% on the distribution chart, this is closely followed by Android Marshmallow with 29.6%. Android KitKat comes in at the third position with 22.6%, while Android Jelly Bean completes the top 4 with 11.6%. Google’s latest  mobile OS, Android 7.0 Nougat is still at its lowest ebb, with a 0.7% distribution figure four months after it was released. That figure is expected to spike this year anyway, as more and more Android smartphones adopt or get upgrades to Android Nougat.

(source)

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