Millions of Android devices to lose updates on popular app - are you impacted?
Whether used in a car to help navigate traffic or walking around a new city, many people with a smartphone use a mapping app to help get themselves from A to B.
Even if you have regularly travelled to a specific destination, being able to track your route - and get any live traffic updates - can give many people added peace of mind.
While most of us go to our preferred map app without a second thought, Android users who use the popular Waze service may be out of luck as the Google -owned app is said to be ending support for millions of its regular users.
According to Android Authority, many people will be losing access to the newest features and bug fixes as the latest update will only be applicable to devices running on specific systems. This means that users of older devices could end up more susceptible to lags and hacks due to not having the latest updates.
Android users who use Waze on their smartphone or tablet that only runs on Android 9 or below are expected to be impacted when the newest version of the app uploads onto the Play Store, reports the Express. The latest Waze app will only work from devices with Android 10 or up.
Additionally, any car navigation screens or infotainment that runs on Android are also expected to be impacted by the change.
It should be noted that this doesn't mean that the Waze app will stop working on Android 9 or below devices, so users will still be able to use their favourite app for navigation. However, over time this version of the app will become less reliable and will not come equipped with any new features.
Despite being acquired by Google in 2013, the Waze app has become a popular alternative to the tech giant's own app - Google Maps.
Designed with different graphics, what makes Waze stand out from competitors is that most of the real-time traffic and hazard updates come from users themselves. Additionally, the app comes with a variety of customisable features and also highlights fuel price comparisons.
While the switch to only supporting Android 10 or above has been seen on the beta version of the latest Waze update, changes usually seen in these trial versions are highly likely to carry on into the general release.
As one of the most popular smartphone system providers, billions of people across the globe use an Android - whether it be a Samsung, Google Pixel, Motorola, OnePlus, or other brands.
However, this does mean that millions of people will end up being impacted by this app update.
While tech fans who own the newer devices that hit the market won't be affected by the change, there are plenty of people still using older smartphones and tablets that run on Android 9. This will mainly impact devices from the late 2010s.
Tech brands have become better at still providing software updates to devices years after their release, but for devices around a decade old it isn't surprising for owners to only receive one or two updates a year.
If you do own an older device, it may be time to consider getting an upgrade to a new model as these smartphones and tablets themselves, as well as some of their apps, are more vulnerable to being attacked by malware and hackers.
This is due to the tech not having the most up to date security and software, which makes it easier for cyber crooks to get past their weak defensives and find ways to steal personal data from users.
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