Can You Still Use An Outdated Chromebook?

If you buy a new Chromebook, you can expect about eight years of automatic software updates. These updates happen in the background and are applied when you start up your Chromebook. You might not even know they are happening, but they are.

On a Chromebook, the browser is baked into the system, at least for now. This means Google can't update your Chrome version without updating the software on your Chromebook. Most Chrome updates are functional, whether they're addressing a need or adding a new feature. They often fix a software exploit or two, though, which is much more important.

But do you really need to stop using it? The first thing to do if you are using your Chromebook for school or work (or if it is supplied by your school or your job) is to check with your IT department and see if you are even allowed to keep using it. The administrators will let you know or provide a replacement.

If it's your personal Chromebook, you need to know that it's never going to see any new software features, bug fixes, or more patches against malicious software. The last thing is probably what you're most worried about.

It's not going to be a worse experience. It just doesn't get any better. Your Chromebook will keep working exactly the same tomorrow as it does today, so it still has plenty of safeguards like verified boot to make sure the software hasn't been tampered with. That's important to remember.

It's also important to note that many smart people spend a lot of time trying to get around the secure boot safeguard. Sometimes they can, and if that happens, you're not protected. The same thing goes for hardware flaws.