What do I do with an old Chromebook?
What is being updated?
If you buy a new Chromebook, you can expect about eight years of automatic software updates. These happen in the background and are applied when the Chromebook starts up. You may not even know it’s happening, but it is.
People tend to put a lot of weight on these updates, and some even use them as part of their buying decision process — the longer the lifespan, the better the Chromebook.
As you can see, updates can be necessary, just as they are for your phone. Also for the same reason: security fixes.
On a Chromebook, the browser gets into the system, at least for now. This means that Google cannot update your version of Chrome without updating the software on your Chromebook. Most Chrome updates work, whether they meet a need or add a new feature. They often do a software fix or two, though, which is the most important thing.
Google says this about using an older model of Chromebook that isn’t getting updates:
Old Chromebooks have outdated hardware parts, and these parts eventually lose the ability to get the latest updates.
If your Chromebook is more than 5 years old, you may see this message: “This device will no longer receive software updates. You can continue to use your computer but should consider upgrading.”
If you see this message, your Chromebook will no longer receive automatic software and security updates.
But do you really need to stop using it?
What happens when you don’t receive updates anymore?
The first thing to do if you’re using a Chromebook for school or work (or if it’s provided by your school or job) is to check with your IT department and see if you’re allowed to continue using it. Officials will notify you or provide you with a replacement.
If it’s your personal Chromebook, you need to know that it will never see any new software features, bug fixes, or more malware patches. Perhaps the last thing that worries you the most.
It wouldn’t be a worse experience. It just isn’t getting better.
Your Chromebook will still work tomorrow just as it does today, so it still has plenty of safeguards like a verified boot to make sure the software isn’t tampered with. It is important to remember.
It’s also important to note that many smart people spend a lot of time trying to get around Secure Boot Protection. Sometimes they can, and if that happens, you’re not protected. The same goes for hardware defects.
Not receiving updates means that you will not get any patches that include a fix for a hardware exploit. These are not very common, but they do happen.
Decisions Decisions
Nobody can decide if these issues are important to you. If so, you should probably recycle your old Chromebook and buy a new one. They’re relatively cheap and newer models perform better than anything five years ago.
If you’re OK with knowing that updates have stopped but you’re still protected by things like a secure bootloader, Chrome website malware monitoring, and certificate/privacy warnings, you can continue to use it. Just know that any actual defects that exist will never be fixed.
There is a third option, but it is not for the faint of heart. You can install the updates yourself.
You’ll either need to compile your own version of Chromium OS for your device or have someone else do it – each model uses its own build – and install it via a USB drive or SD card every time you need an update.
This is not something most users are comfortable with, but it is an option if you don’t want to give up and have the know-how to do it yourself.
However, I did it myself, and I still think that buying a new model is the best option for most people.