You are here Home Learn Update your devices Update your devices Updated devices are harder to hack and have newer features Updates are one of the strongest defences in your security toolkit Updating your device and applications can fix issues and address new security concerns. Updates can also add new features to your app or device. Updates are new, improved, or fixed versions of software Regular updates are critical in maintaining a secure system. It's important to check for any updates and make sure that automatic updates are switched on. Cyber criminals hack devices by using known weaknesses in systems or apps. Updates have security upgrades to fix these weaknesses. You can turn on automatic updates so that this happens without your input. To turn on automatic updates, follow one of our guides For Apple macOS or iOS users Follow the steps in our guide for updating Apple iOS and updating Apple macOS. For Microsoft Windows and Android users Follow the steps in our guide for updating Microsoft Windows and updating Android devices. For older devices If your device cannot update – for example, if it is too old – you may need to upgrade to a new device. This means it will not receive security updates, software updates or technical support. This is called “end of support” and is the expiry date of the software. If you find this happening to your device and you can't update, it’s time for a new device. 2 minute quiz Put your new knowledge on updates to the test, take our quiz! Loading... Was this information helpful? Was this information helpful? Yes No Thanks for your feedback! Thanks for your feedback! Optional Tell us why this information was helpful and we’ll work on making more pages like it Leave this field blank Watch out for threats Learn how to identify common cyberattacks and defend yourself against them. Set up and perform regular backups Learn how to make a copy of your files so you don’t lose valuable data. Content complexity Simple This rating relates to the complexity of the advice and information provided on the page.
