End of Android 12 and 12L: Google ends support for millions of devices
If you have a smartphone with Android 12 or 12L, you should look for an upgrade.
Android 12 has reached the end of its journey.
(Image: Bk87/Shutterstock.com)
The Android 12 and 12L versions are history. Google has discontinued support for the OS version.
Since March 31, 2025, around three and a half years after the Android version was introduced, Google has stopped developing and distributing security patches.
This means that devices for which Android 12 was the last update, such as the Pixel 3a and the Galaxy S10 series, will no longer receive security updates for the core operating system directly from Google. Responsibility has thus been transferred to the device manufacturers. Users also have the option of switching to alternative Android versions such as LineageOS or Graphene OS.
Over 300 million devices with Android 12 still in circulation
According to data from Statcounter, the number of devices running Android 12 currently stands at 12.43 percent. This sounds like a manageable number at first, but according to Google, there are beyond three billion Android devices in circulation, of which more than 360 million are still based on the outdated OS version.
Videos by heise
Devices with Android 12 are now potentially insecure
The end of support ultimately means that Google will no longer return security patches for Android 12 and security gaps in the version will no longer be closed by Google. Any critical security gaps in the core of the 12 operating system will therefore remain. However, Google apps and services as well as certain OS components that are part of Project Mainline will continue to be updated via the Play services.
Smartphone manufacturers would now have to take care of the corresponding update support for Android 12 themselves, but most are unlikely to be willing to take on this extra work. The only company that could be an exception would be Huawei. This is because the current EMUI version is still based on Android 12.
For owners of a smartphone that is still based on Android 12, it would now be time to look for a new device that is regularly provided with system-relevant security patches, considering the expired support.
(kbe)
