Sign-In on Android 2.3.7 “Gingerbread” Devices to be Disallowed by September 27, 2021
- Google will block out older Android 2.3.7 devices from accessing its services in September 2021.
- These are ten-year-old devices that should have been replaced since a long time now as they’re highly insecure.
- Upgrading to Android 3.0 or above, or installing a custom ROM will be the only workarounds from then on.
September 27, 2021, is the final date when users of Android 2.3.7 “Gingerbread” devices will be allowed to use sign-in to connect to a Google account. This means that users of these older devices won’t be able to access core Google software services such as Gmail, YouTube, Photos, Drive, Pay, Calendar, Play, and Maps after that date. The implications of this development are obviously dire as all of these services will be completely out of reach, not even offering a reduced functionality to the users.
Official support for “Gingerbread,” a mobile OS released 10 years ago, has ended in 2017, but many apps continued to work on it nonetheless. It is estimated that the percentage of Android users still relying on this old version is between 0.2% and 1%, so not exactly a large audience, but still a significant number of people. Android 2.3 brought support for NFC, SIP VoIP, support for large screen sizes and resolutions, a really friendly user interface, enhanced file operations, and GPS support. As such, it is not surprising that many people just stuck with it for so long.
Google is now pulling the plug without leaving anyway for these devices to continue being useful unless their owners find a way to upgrade to either Android 3.0+ or a custom ROM based on a newer Android version. At this point, if you’re still using such an old mobile OS, you shouldn’t be using any services whatsoever due to the extremely wide scope of flaws you’re vulnerable to.
To check if your device has a system update pending your approval, fire up the Settings app and navigate to System → Advanced → System Update. If nothing comes up there, you will need to buy a newer model. To get some ideas on that front, check out this list with the best budget smartphones you can find in the market at the moment and pick the one that suits your needs.