Can I upgrade to a newer version of Android?

When T-Mobile released their G1 in October 2008, few people paid much attention to the operating system installed on it.

This was an age when every smartphone manufacturer offered their own OS, including Apple, whose iOS platform had debuted just a few weeks earlier.

Yet today, the OS installed on the largely forgotten G1 powers three-quarters of the world’s smartphones – Google Android.

There have been 17 different generations of Android, including three in one year (Gingerbread, Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich all came out in 2011).

The latest Android 11 platform has been widely praised for its screen recording functionality and smart device compatibility.

With each new generation offering incremental improvements, it’s often beneficial to upgrade to a newer version of Android, even if that version isn’t the very latest one.

Yet ironically, Android is a victim of its own success. Every smartphone manufacturer installs different hardware and software, which can affect its ability to run the latest OS.

So how do you check if your current phone can upgrade to a newer version of Android?

Search and ye shall find

As the owners of Android, it’s perhaps understandable that Google Pixel smartphones are usually the first to receive the latest version of Android.

Some smartphone manufacturers will issue push notifications – Google themselves provide Android version updates for three years after a handset is released.

Others will offer it only if you seek it out.

To do this, it’s typically necessary to connect your phone or tablet to WiFi, since OS updates are hugely data-hungry and battery-intensive.

Go to Settings > About Phone > Check for Updates. An Update button will be visible if an OS upgrade is available.

You’ll have to reboot the handset to install a new operating system, so close any activities you’re presently working on.

You could also visit the device manufacturer’s technical support webpage, which may host the latest drivers and updates for their model range.

Why can’t I upgrade?

There are many potential answers to this.

Firstly, smartphone and tablet manufacturers often redress new OS launches in their own proprietary skins, which takes time to complete after the new version of Android launches.

Devices may lack enough RAM to run more modern software, or enough internal storage to save it.

Older phones may not be offered the latest versions of Android simply to encourage consumers to buy newer handsets.

If your device doesn’t support an upgrade, there’s no legal way to acquire a newer OS.

However, there is an illegal way.

Rooting your handset bypasses the restrictions on what you’re able to do with the device’s components and software.

If your phone or tablet is technically capable of running a newer version of Android, you can root it by following our guide.

However, you’ll invalidate any warranty, and nobody will help if the hardware stops working or becomes compromised by malware.