Major Google banking warning as millions of phones risk being declared ‘unsafe' – and it might block money transfers
MOBILE technology experts are putting out a security alert to millions of smartphone users.
It follows a recent report from Google that has highlighted a potential risk that individuals with an Android could be facing.
1
Experts say "its not worth the risk" to have an old version of an Android phone
Credit: Getty
In the report, it is suggested that there are greater security measures in place on phones running
Additionally, the system of new Android versions may also start requiring devices to have received a security update within the past year to allow them to function.
This includes key functions in operating banking apps, or transferring money, which might get blocked.
Smartphone updates therefore prove to not only be a mechanism for updating features, but also essential fixes for security holes that have been found in Android.
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It makes them safer from hackers and other bad actors who hunt for these flaws, who particularly focus on banking and finance apps.
Compromised apps, which may have unpatched vulnerability on older phones, enable
These updates should therefore also be done regularly.
By Google implementing a requirement for Androids to have recent patches on phones, it is attempting to establish a stronger base line of security for users' sensitive applications and information.
Most read in Tech
The
"If this is the scenario you are left with, another option is to just go ahead and shell out the money to buy a new Android handset."
Three little-known ways 'unknown tracker alerts' on Android can keep you safe
They report that one-third of active Android phones are susceptible attacks as they have "completely lost support" from Google.
This is with the 200 million users who are out there with a Android 12 or Android 12L powered device, that have reached end-of-life status.
Phone Arena's mobile technology experts also warn that phones stuck on Android 10, 11 or 12 cannot pass new security checks because manufacturers are not even send out fixes for them anymore.
"They aren't just missing recent patches; they stopped getting any security patches quite some time ago, maybe months or even years back."
On top of that is the fact that
"millions upon millions of older
are already well past their security update cutoff date
."
This comes after another
It found 62 flaws in the Android update for April, with two being actively exploited by hackers in their targeted attacks.
SIGNS YOUR ANDROID PHONE IS INFECTED
Here's Google's official list of signs that you might have malware on your Android phone...
You may have malware on your device if:
Google signed you out
of your Google Account to help protect you from malware on your device.
You notice suspicious signs
on your device, like pop-up ads that won't go away.
Device symptoms
Alerts about a virus or an infected device
Anti-virus software you use no longer works or runs
A significant decrease in your device's operating speed
A significant, unexpected decrease in storage space on your device
Your device stops working properly or working altogether
Browser symptoms
Alerts about a virus or an infected device
Pop-up ads and new tabs that won't go away
Unwanted Chrome extensions or toolbars keep coming back
Your browsing seems out of your control, and redirects to unfamiliar pages or ads
Your Chrome homepage or search engine keeps changing without your permission
Other symptoms
Your contacts have received emails or social media messages from you, but you didn't send the emails or messages.
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The Irish Sun
7 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Secret signs a snooper is reading your text messages or even posing as YOU – & clues to show it's happening as you sleep
IMAGINE if every text you've ever sent or received was being watched by a mystery stranger – or even someone you know. Well, that might be true. There are loads of ways that sinister spies can have a nose around your private text conversations, so knowing the signs is essential. 9 Special feature shows you every device where your account is signed in Credit: The Sun / Google We reveal the hidden and forgotten settings you need to check. 1 – CHECK YOUR ACCOUNT If you're worried about your texts being spied on, your first port of call should be checking settings in your main messaging accounts. After all, if someone has access to your Apple or Google account, or WhatsApp, then they have unrestricted access to your texts too. That's because they can simply log in as you and read everything you're up to. They can send texts as you, and trawl through your old chats if they want. It's about as nightmarish as it gets. Thankfully, most major tech services will let you see who is logged in on your account and kick them out. And once you do kick the person out, make sure to change your password and add a second layer of verification (like a code sent over text or an authenticator app) in your app settings. For Apple users, you can see a list of the devices where your Apple Account is logged in. Just go to Settings > [Your Name] on your Apple device, then scroll down to see the device. If you don't recognise one, just tap it and then choose Remove From Account. You can also do this on the website. For Google (and Once you're there, you can then easily sign out of any unrecognised devices. Deepfakes more 'sophisticated' and dangerous than ever as AI expert warns of six upgrades that let them trick your eyes You'll find other major apps like Facebook and Netflix all have similar settings – so it's worth checking them all every so often. 2 – MYSTERY NIGHT SPIKE You also need to watch out for someone close to you reading your texts in the middle of the night. Maybe you don't have a phone passcode, or it's someone you've shared your code with, or perhaps a nosy partner or family member who has seen you tap it in. First, go into Settings > General > iPhone Storage on your 9 Take a look at the order of your last-used apps – notice anything strange? Credit: The Sun / Apple Change the filter from Size to Last Used Date, which shows apps by when they were most recently used. If you see a chat app there that you know you didn't use recently (or in that order), then someone has been having a peek. Next , go to Settings > Screen Time and turn it on. It's a handy feature to track how much you're using your iPhone – but has a hidden spy-busting benefit too. Head into Settings > Screen Time > See All App & Website Activity, then scroll to Pickups. Now look for First Pickup. This shows when your iPhone was first picked up and opened on a given day, so you can see if someone unlocked it before you'd woken up. And third, go to Settings > Screen Time > See All App & Website Activity, then look for Most Used for today. Now look for an app you're worried is being accessed – like WhatsApp. You can see the exact hour slots for when that app was used, as well as the amount of time spent on it. 9 Go to the Screen Time feature here - it has a hidden spy-busting benefit Credit: The Sun / Apple So if someone opened your WhatsApp at 3am for five minutes, you'll know about it. If you have an Android phone, you can use a similar trick. But instead of Screen Time, you'll be looking for a Google Feature called Digital Wellbeing. You can tap on individual apps in Digital Wellbeing, and then check their Hourly usage – showing you when an app has been active. 3 – UNENCRYPTED CHAT APPS Lots of popular chat apps are totally encrypted. That's true of apps like WhatsApp, Signal, Facebook Messenger, and Apple's iMessage. That means when you send a text, it gets all jumbled up into an unreadable mess. And as it flies across the internet, it'll stay jumbled. 9 Look for apps that have "end-to-end encryption" for the best protection Credit: The Sun / WhatsApp / Apple Then, when it reaches your recipient, they have a special key to unlock it. No one else has that key. This key will turn it back into the original text. The idea is that no one can see the message as it's sent over the internet. You ideally want your stored messages encrypted too (this is called end-to-end encryption). For instance, WhatsApp can't read the texts you send in the app, because they're jumbled up. And your internet provider can't read those messages either, because it's just seeing garbled data. This also means if the Government, police, or spies want to snoop on your texts, they can't. They could get a warrant and demand that WhatsApp hand over your messages, but they wouldn't be able to read a thing. The other benefit is that without a backdoor into these texts, hackers can't read them while they're in transit either. They'd have to break into your phone instead, which is difficult. So if you're using non-encrypted chat apps, it puts you in greater danger. DON'T LET ENCRYPTION PUZZLE YOU Here's some advice from The Sun's tech editor Encryption is easy to forget about. You can't really see it, it's hardly exciting to think about, and if it works properly, then you never have to. But it's important because it prevents some of the most effective hack attacks. Not having your data encrypted is a bit like removing all the curtains and doors from your house. You (probably) wouldn't choose to live in a glass house where every wall was a window without blinds – so don't use apps that are much the same. Not for anything important, anyway. Think about all of the texts you've ever sent. Most of them are probably boring. But some of them will be personal and sensitive: private conversations with loved ones, chats about finances or medical issues, and even login details you've shared with family. Don't leave these in an unlocked box just waiting to be scooped up by a savvy hacker. Using encrypted apps is one of the best defences against cybercrime, and it costs nothing. Picture Credit: Sean Keach For a start, texts sent via old-school SMS aren't encrypted. Popular chat app Discord doesn't encrypt text chats – they're just stored on servers. Most video games won't encrypt text conversations you have either. Make sure you're not having any sensitive conversations unless you're sure that the app you're using is end-to-end encrypted. 4 – SECRET CONTACT CODE This one is a dead giveaway that you're not texting who you think you are. It relates to encryption. Remember: encryption scrambles your texts, and only the recipient with the correct key can unscramble them. Well, hackers have ways of getting around this, so tech giants have come up with a key-verifying system to put your mind at ease. How does it work? Move to here Let's start with iPhone owners, who can use Contact Key Verification in the Messages app. Turn it on by going into Settings > Name > Contact Key Verification > Verification in iMessage. 9 This allows you to check who you're talking to is who they say they are Credit: The Sun / Apple This makes sure that you are speaking to the person with a matching key – and not an impostor intercepting your texts. Once the setting is on, it'll automatically verify the Contact Key when you chat with another person. You'll get an alert if there's an error, which Apple says helps "make sure that even a very sophisticated attacker can't impersonate anyone in the conversation". You can also manually do this by tapping Conversation Details, and then generating a code at the same time to share and compare. WhatsApp has a similar feature called Security Code. Just open a chat with a pal, then tap the contact's name. Now tap on Encryption to view a QR code and a 60-digit number. Next time you're with your pal, you can scan the other person's QR code or just visually compare the 60-digit number. If they match, it's a guarantee that no one is intercepting your texts (or calls!). 9 Your WhatsApp has a special key verification feature to help you make sure that your texts aren't being intercepted Credit: The Sun / WhatsApp 5 – MYSTERIOUS SPY APPS Every so often, take a look at your recently installed apps. Notice anything strange? Anything that shouldn't be there? Any apps that you don't recognise? That's a major red flag. Unexpected apps that you don't recognise are a serious sign that someone is meddling with you. It might have been installed by someone close to you (maybe they grabbed your phone while you slept) or installed on your device as part of a hack attack (perhaps you clicked a dodgy link or opened a rogue email). 9 Make sure to check your phone for any strange apps Credit: Apple 9 Scroll to the far-right on your iPhone to find the App Library – apps may appear here that don't show up on your Home Screen Credit: Apple Either way, once a "spyware" app is on your phone, hackers can run riot with their surveillance. And don't be fooled by how the app appears: it might pretend to be a regular app with a normal function, but it is actually spying on you. So even if it looks like a calculator and works like a calculator, it might still be spying. The only warning sign is that you didn't install it. That's never right. If you ever find any app that you don't recall installing, delete it right away. It could be tracking every single text you send – and potentially much more. 6 – UNEXPLAINED TEXTS This sign can come in two forms. The first is when you receive texts from family members that don't seem to make sense or flow from your previous conversation. Maybe they're having a mad day. But more likely, someone has broken into your text conversations. What this usually means is that someone is texting your friends and family as you – and then deleting the evidence. 9 Watch out for texts with strange letters and symbols Credit: The Sun / Apple So when you look at your phone, there's nothing there. But you're catching it out because your friend or family member has replied to a text – and you've seen it before the snooper has deleted it. 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Tech giants spend loads of money uncovering dangerous loopholes that hackers can exploit to break into your phone. And they release these as security fixes via updates for your phone and apps. If you don't download them, you're leaving your gadgets wide open to snooping. What to watch: If you've got a very old phone, it might no longer be supported by the creator. That means it's no longer getting software updates. So if you're finding yourself unable to update your phone, you may have been cut off. That means you won't get the latest software updates to fix security bugs, leaving you in serious cyber-danger. If that's the case, you'll want to upgrade to a newer model as soon as possible. It's not worth the risk. Picture Credit: Apple / The Sun This can sometimes manifest as strange strings of text (including coded instructions meant for a computer) that don't make sense to your human eyes. It's not a guarantee that you're being spied on, but it's definitely a sign that something is amiss. Just like before, look for and delete any mysterious apps on your device that you don't remember installing, update your phone's software, and reboot it completely (to wipe any 'active' hacks that live in your phone's short-term memory).
The Irish Sun
9 hours ago
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iPhones hit by email chaos as major app freezes and crashes ‘driving users crazy' – hidden button instantly fixes it
IPHONE users have complained that a mysterious bug is blocking them from accessing their emails. Numerous people have reported that Apple's Mail app is crashing and freezing. 1 Some say they're left with a blank screen when trying to access their email Credit: Getty It's thought that the issue may be affecting some iPhone devices with iOS 18.5 installed. "My mail app is refusing to load anything and just shows a white blank screen," one person wrote on Reddit. "I have been having this issue all day. Very frustrating!" another commented. "This has been happening for a few days now and it's driving me crazy," a third yelled. Read more about Apple Apple's own service status page doesn't show any problems being investigated currently. There are some workarounds - though it only appears to work temporary and success is mixed. Some say simply restarting their iPhone helped for a bit. Others have had said disabling their iCloud account in the Mail settings worked. Most read in Tech However, this will mean that you can't access iCloud Mail on your device. For the time being, it might be better to wait and access your emails manually online via your web browser. If you have an iCloud Mail account, just go to For those who have other email accounts and want to try disabling their iCloud Mail from the app for now, go to Settings > Apps > Mail > Mail Accounts. Just remember you'll need to add it back again after if you rely on iCloud Mail. iPhone tricks to try today Here are some of the best... Typing cursor – When typing, hold down the space bar to turn your keyboard into a trackpad, letting you move around words and sentences more easily Close all Safari tabs – To do this in one go, simply hold the overlapped squares in the bottom right-hand corner, and press close all tabs Delete lots of photos quickly – Hold down on a photo and then drag your finger diagonally in Photos to select lots of images at once, then hit delete Convert currency quickly – Swipe down from the top of your Home screen (or swipe left to right on an iPhone X or later model), then tap in the bar and type a currency (like $200) and it will automatically covert to your local currency Check if you're due a battery upgrade – Batteries inside smartphones degrade over time. Just go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health, and check out the Maximum Capacity reading. Generally a battery is considered worn when you're down to 80% capacity. If you're below, you can buy a battery swap from Apple Move apps around faster – Hold an app until it starts wiggling, then (while still holding) tap other apps, causing them to stack so you can move them around easier
Irish Independent
17 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Ask Adrian: My phone keeps turning itself off, can I fix it?
My phone keeps freezing and turning itself off. It does this about four or five times a day. It's a Samsung and it's about five years old. Is there some way to fix it myself? — Lorraine O'Connor Answer If possible, try to check that it's up to speed with the latest Android update from Samsung. You can check this by going into 'settings' and then 'software update'. It should tell you what version you are and whether you need to update it. (Don't worry, updates are free.) Sometimes an older version of a phone's interface can cause it to glitch a little bit. If that doesn't fix it, try shutting the phone off completely for a minute or so and turning it back on. I know this sounds obvious, but most of us never actually switch our phones off – we just send them to sleep or into 'do not disturb' mode at night while they charge. If that still doesn't work, you might consider doing a compete reset of the phone. Again, you can do this in settings by choosing 'general management' and then 'reset' (or just do a search in settings for the word 'reset'). It's very important to back things up before you do this, though. You'll have to do this individually twice (at least); once for WhatsApp (if you use this) and once for everything else. To back up WhatsApp on a Samsung phone, you need to allow chat backup to Google Drive within WhatsApp's own settings on your phone. For the rest, you can go to 'settings', then 'accounts and backup' and then, under Google Drive, 'back up data'. If you want to be extra safe, you'd also back up on Samsung's Cloud, again under 'settings' and then 'accounts and backup'. If none of that works, then it's a judgment call on whether it's worth going to get it looked at by a repair shop or getting a new one. If was a sub-€300 phone, it might not be worth repairing from a cost perspective.
