Google Calendar is the go to calendar app, not only for Android users, but for iPhone as well as PC users too. The calendar app integrates well with several other Google services like Gmail, Reminders, Notes, etc along with third-party apps like Teams, Zoom and more. The app offers features such as creating events, schedule meetings, and set reminders.
That said, if you are still using a smartphone with older versions of Android operating system, you may have to update your device soon to use this app.
Google Calendar is losing support for older Android devices
AssembleDebug from TheSpAndroid has discovered that the latest Google Calendar app (v 2023.46.0-581792699-release) features a flag named “UnsupportedOperatingSystem__enabled.” This flag prompts users with an unsupported operating system to update to Android Oreo (8.0) or a higher version for continued access.
This means, Google Calendar app may stop working on Android smartphones or tablets running Android 7.1 or below.
Why is Google dropping Calendar app support from older Android versions?
According to the report, the main reason behind dropping the support from older Android operating systems is most likely due to security concerns. There’s no denying that older versions of Androids have stopped receiving regular updates, especially the security updates and that makes them more susceptible to vulnerabilities, attacks and data loss.
Moreover, newer Android versions come with improved security, better protection against data lost and data theft.
This is not a new process for developers. They keep dropping support from older operating systems to keep their app more modern, feature-rich as well as secure. WhatsApp keeps dropping support for older devices, similarly, Google also dropped Nougat support with Chrome 120 update.
What can you do?
There are a couple of solutions here. First, you can continue using the existing version of the Calendar app on your devices by disabling the auto update feature or installing an older version of the app. But that’ll lead to security issues and will make it more vulnerable.
Second option is to update the phone to Android 8 Oreo or newer versions, if available. This will not only retain the support for Google Calendar app, but also boost the overall security of the device.
Lastly, get a new phone if your phone has reached the end of the update cycle and there’s no update available.