In November 2019, Google announced that they would extend the Auto Update Expiration (AUE, formerly End of Life) by six months to two years for over 135 Chromebooks. For more information on AUE, visit our blog, Chromebook 101: What is AUE & EOL?
When Chromebooks first rolled out in 2011, the EOL was five years old. Prior to the latest extension, EOL moved to six-and-a-half years. Chromebooks that launched in 2020 and later will have an AUE of eight to eight-and-a-half years. Remember, AUE is not determined from the date of purchase, but from the date of launch.
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Chromebook Updates are Important
If you’re one of those people who don’t care much about the end of auto-update support, here are a few reasons why you should:
- Within the first six weeks, you will be missing out on a significant revision. Google releases updates for its Chrome OS every two to three weeks with minor fixes and issues a major update every six weeks. That’s the regular schedule, but updates can happen even more frequently.
- It’s not just a few improvements and new features that your Chromebook will be lacking. Chromebook updates include critical bug fixes and security updates as well.
- Some existing features may also stop working.
Do Chromebooks Last Longer Than Laptops?
Chromebooks are designed to last longer than laptops. They have a longer lifespan because they don’t use traditional hard drives. Instead, they rely on flash memory, which is more durable and can withstand more wear and tear. Chromebooks also receive regular software updates that keep them running smoothly for years.
If you’re using a Chromebook that was released in 2017 or later, your device will update itself automatically and won’t need to be replaced. However, if you have an older Chromebook, it will eventually reach its “auto-update expiration” date. This is the point at which Google no longer guarantees that your Chromebook will receive security updates or new features. To find out when your Chromebook’s auto-update expiration date is, open Chrome and type chrome://system into the omnibox. You should see a section called “Auto Update Expiration.” The date listed here is when your Chromebook will stop receiving automatic updates from Google. It’s important to note that just because your Chromebook’s auto-update expires doesn’t mean it becomes useless. You can continue to use it as normal, but you’ll need to be extra vigilant about keeping it up-to-date with the latest security patches. Additionally, some features may stop working properly over time (such as printing and casting to external displays). If you want to keep using your Chromebook past its auto-update expiration date, we recommend buying a new one. This way, you’ll always have the latest features and security updates and can rest assured knowing your device is fully supported by Google.
The best option is to enable Lacros
You may or may not have heard of Lacros. It’s a project Google has been working on for some time now. It’s a huge project because once finished it will mean Chrome OS and the browser will no longer be integrated. Lacros simply stands for Linux and Chrome OS.
At the moment any updates to Chrome OS or the browser can only happen when an update of Chrome OS takes place. This is because the browser and operating system are joined together. Once Chrome OS and the browser is separated it will mean updates can take place for the OS and browser separately.
Why do Chromebook batteries last so long?
Chromebook batteries last so long because they’re designed for low power consumption. Chrome OS is a very efficient operating system, and that’s one of the reasons Chromebooks are so popular.
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