Google is putting an end to Android 4.4 KitKat

Many of us think it was just yesterday, but Android 4.4 KitKat was introduced in 2013, which is now a full ten years ago. In a way, it evolved into Android’s equivalent of Windows XP over the course of a few years because, despite Google’s best efforts, it was still present on a lot of hardware even after the introduction of Android 5.0 Lollipop and later versions, with the Android 14 Beta being the most recent. It’s long since passed away and a distant memory, but it was one of the most reliable and sturdy Android releases ever. But as of right now, it’s fully gone.

At the very least, we hope you’re not currently using an Android KitKat phone. It was the final significant upgrade to use Google’s Holo design language before Lollipop properly transitioned into Material Design. However, less than 1% of active Android devices currently run KitKat. Beyond version 23.90.99, Google Play Services won’t receive any future updates for Android 4.4 KitKat, therefore ending official Google support for this OS and making it fully obsolete. If you’re still using one, you can merely anticipate problems moving forward. Google also discontinued Jellybean (4.1-4.3) support two years ago, making all 4.x versions unofficially extinct.

To be totally honest, not many individuals are being impacted by this. Your phone may not have the most recent version of Android, but it should at least have Android 9 or a newer version. Furthermore, if it is outdated, it will have Android 8.0, Android 7.1, Android 7.0, or Android 6.0 from 2015. All these versions are now out of date and typically among the earliest that most app developers support at the time this article is being written. You were already up against developers ending support for their apps on your phone because many apps had long refused to work on Android 4.4 KitKat at this point. Simply put, Google is turning off a system that was already on life support.

If you fall into that fewer than 1% bracket, it’s probably time to acquire a new phone. Even one of the many fantastic inexpensive phones might operate better and be faster if your device is genuinely running KitKat.