Google Gives Nexus Owners Clear End of Life Dates For Android Updates

One of the biggest benefits to owning a Nexus device is getting access to Android updates the moment they become available, as opposed to having to sit around twiddling your thumbs while your handset maker and wireless carrier go through the lengthy process of adding in their own custom bits and certifying that everything's running properly. Unfortunately, Nexus devices aren't supported indefinitely. If you're wondering when your handset officially reaches its end of life (in terms of guaranteed updates), Google has the answer.

Google commits to supporting Nexus devices with new Android builds for at least two years after the hardware first debuts on the Google Store. Security patches are doled out for 3 years or 18 months from when the Google Store last sold the device, whichever is longer. After those periods have passed, Google's under no obligation to release updates of any kind, though it sometimes does anyway.


Disclaimer out of the way, here are the specific dates that Google no longer guarantees Android version updates after:

• Nexus 6P: September 2017
• Nexus 5X: September 2017
• Nexus 9: October 2016
• Nexus 6: October 2016
• Nexus 5: October 2015
• Nexus 7 (2013): July 2015
• Nexus 10: November 2014

Obviously a few of those dates have come and gone already, but what's of note is that guaranteed Android releases for the Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 are set to expire in a few months. The good news for owners of those handsets is that Android N is rumored to release in August, so there should be at least one last hurrah for those devices. After that it's a gamble.

As for the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P, they'll definitely receive an update to Android N, though it will be cutting close for Android O (Oreo, perhaps?).