Android 14 will make devices stay connected to web even as they age

SAN FRANCISCO: Tech giant Google is reportedly working on a new feature for Android 14 that will allow Android devices to stay connected to the internet even after they get very old.

According to SamMobile, it will allow devices to update their root certificates, or digital certificate that belongs to the issuing authority, on the fly, as root certificates on Android devices can currently only be updated via system updates.

With the new feature, users will be able to update root certificates on their devices through Google Play Services.

This feature will make sure that the Android device can stay connected to the internet even if they age and do not receive system updates from the device manufacturer anymore, according to the report.

When a user visits a website using an Android device, the webpage establishes a secure connection with their device using root certificates.

These root certificates have an expiry date, and when this happens, the website cannot establish a secure connection with the Android smartphone or tablet, which means the website won't open on their device, the report added.

On Android devices, root certificates can only be updated through system updates from the device manufacturer.

As a result, as the device ages, it may no longer receive system updates. In that case, a root certificate on that device may expire, preventing it from loading websites, said the report.

Meanwhile, Google is likely to start rolling out Android 14 Beta for its Pixel devices in April 2023, as the quarterly platform release (QPR1) beta for Android 13 starts next month.

Google originally stated the Android 13 QPR betas would run until June 2023.