Google Could Ensure Older Android Devices Can Stay Online With Valid Root Certificates – Gizbot News

Google may have isolated the core components of Android. Root certificates can be another module to ensure that older smartphones and devices running older versions of the Android operating system can connect to the internet reliably. Can Google extend the useful life of millions of devices that have not been updated to the latest version of the Android OS?

Can the root certificate module be updated via the Google Play Store?

Millions of old Android devices are still working. They are operational, but often cannot open up-to-date websites because their root certificates have expired. Last year, the majority of Android phones running Android 7 and earlier versions had expired root certificates, preventing them from accessing most of the internet.

The way Android is currently built and managed, root certificate updates are only available as part of a system-wide update. This means that this critical component will only be delivered in major updates.

In the future, Google may allow root certificate updates via the Google Play Store. Android OS developers can seed the root certificate module via Google Play Services update.

Google’s move to remove TrustCor’s root certificate from Android raises questions about Google’s ties to US intelligence agencies. Separately, Google is also preparing to allow Android’s root store to be updated via Google Play. https://t.co/tRmQBeNTSL

Tips @techmeme

— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) December 20, 2022

By separating this critical component from the Android OS core, Google was able to significantly extend the useful life of the device. Even if your phone does not receive major Android OS updates, it can still receive app updates from the Google Play Store. And like apps, devices can also update their root certificates.

Google may separate root certificates from Android 14?

Today, there are millions of Android smartphones and devices running Android 12 and lower. Android 13 stable has already been released. Google is already working on Android 14. Google may not be able to separate root certificates from already released stable versions of the Android OS.

Simply put, Google can separate root certificates from Android OS versions that are currently in development or plan to do so in future versions. This means Google may allow root certificates to be renewed separately from Android 14+. As a result, all existing devices will be unable to access modern websites until the root certificate remains valid.