Usually there are many of us who wait for a new version of Android or iOS, not to enter into layers of customization such as MIUI, EMUI or One UI 3.0, which adds new functions to the phone. However, it is appropriate to remind all users, regardless of the mobile they have, of the problems that may appear after updating the mobile .
Performance failures, constant reboots, functions that stop working properly, abnormal battery wear, overheating … There are mobiles that can experience all these failures after updating their operating systems and knowing them in advance can save us from the odd scare.
Shouldn’t I update?
Not at all. Applying an update is mandatory as long as it is officially available for our mobile. In general, the advantages of installing new software on our mobile phone, be it iOS or Android, will always outweigh the risks, but this does not mean that these dangers do not exist.
Every time a security problem appears on a certain platform, each manufacturer usually releases patches that must be installed if we do not want our private data to be compromised. To this must be added the new functions that are added to the phone that we could not enjoy if we completely ignore the update message.
Dangers of upgrades
As we say, although it is advisable to apply all the updates that reach the mobile, it must be borne in mind that you may suffer some of these problems, especially in those models that have already been on the market for a few years.
Incompatibility of apps
Normally, a certain app is prepared to work with several past and future operating systems, since the developers are in charge of adapting its code to eliminate any possible operating problem.
However, there are quite old apps that their development has stalled, although you can use it normally on a certain version of Android or iOS, they may no longer be compatible with future phone updates. Before updating the operating system, try to find out if the apps you use will work 100% with a new version of software.
Performance issues
This problem affects, above all, terminals with obsolete hardware. Full proof are the malfunctions found in the iPhone 7 after updating to iOs 14, a software version 5 years newer than the phone.
In general, an operating system is designed to offer performance improvements in newer mobiles, but those that have been on the market for a while may stop working normally.
Battery problems
The same thing that happens with the performance can be applied to the battery, although this affects both old and new phones. A bad optimization of a certain layer of personalization can cause a high battery consumption and make the autonomy of the mobile phone less than what the same phone presented before updating.
The most normal thing is that this failure is corrected in successive updates but it is no less true that it is a problem that you must take into account when updating a mobile.
Mobile function failures
Taking the Xiaomi Mi A3, one of the smartphones that has suffered the most problems with the respective Android updates , we can see how a failed update can make the mobile become a paperweight.
Android 11 came to brick several units of the phone, blocking them completely, and this is something that can happen in several models as long as the system update has not been reviewed in depth. That the mobile is blocked is the worst that can happen but there may also be cases in which some functions of the phone such as the fingerprint sensor, the possibility of recording audios or taking photos are damaged after changing the operating system.
I’ve already updated, now what?
If you suffer from any of these failures that prevent you from using your smartphone normally, you have 3 options:
- Hold on using your mobile if the problems are not so serious as to prevent you from continuing with your day to day normally
- Wait for the manufacturer to release a patch for the affected models. This will depend on the severity of the problems detected after updating the mobile and on the number of users affected by them.
- Roll back to a previous operating system version. In this tutorial you will find the way to go back to a previous Android version and, if your mobile is an iPhone, you will also have the option to do an iOS donwngrade.