How Long Will a Refurbished Phone Keep Getting Updates?

Quick answer: Software support is measured from the model's release date, not the day you buy it. Recent iPhones get roughly 6 to 8 years of major iOS updates plus several more years of security patches. Samsung Galaxy S24 and later, and Google Pixel 8 and later, get 7 years of both. So a two-year-old refurbished flagship typically has 4 to 6 years of support left. Check the model's release year first, then subtract it from the brand's support window.

Most people worry about the battery when buying refurbished. The more important number is how long the phone will keep receiving software updates, because that is what actually ends a phone's useful life.

A handset with a worn battery can have the battery replaced. A handset that has stopped receiving security patches cannot be fixed at all.

Why software support matters more than hardware

Modern phones rarely die of old age. The screen works, the processor is fast enough, the cameras are fine. What changes is the software underneath.

When a manufacturer stops issuing updates, three things follow. Newly discovered security vulnerabilities are never patched, and the device stays exposed to them permanently. Banking, government, and payment apps begin dropping support for the older operating system, because they cannot certify security on an unpatched platform. And new apps eventually require a version of iOS or Android that the device cannot install.

None of that happens on a fixed date. It happens gradually, starting a year or two after the last update lands.

This is a separate question from how long the hardware physically lasts, which we have covered in how long refurbished phones last. Both matter. Software is usually the one that runs out first.

OS updates and security updates are not the same thing

This distinction causes most of the confusion around end-of-life dates.

OS updates are major version upgrades, such as moving from one annual release of iOS or Android to the next. These bring new features and interface changes.

Security updates are patches for specific vulnerabilities. No new features, but they are the ones that keep the device safe to use.

A phone can stop receiving OS updates while still receiving security patches, sometimes for years afterwards. That phone is still perfectly safe to use. It simply will not get the newest features.

Apple in particular is generous here. In May 2026, it issued security updates for iOS versions going back several generations, covering handsets as old as the iPhone 6s from 2015. The practical takeaway: when a brand quotes a support window, check whether it refers to OS updates, security updates, or both.

How long each brand supports its phones

Apple

Apple does not publish a fixed commitment, but its track record is the longest in the industry. Recent iPhones receive roughly 6 to 8 years of major iOS updates from release, followed by additional years of security patches.

As a concrete measure: the iPhone 11 launched in September 2019 and remains on the supported list for iOS 27 in 2026. That is eight years of major OS updates for a single model. Apple's naming now follows the year rather than a version number, so iOS 26 is the 2026 release and iOS 27 the 2027 one.

Apple maintains a current list of supported iPhone models, which is the authoritative place to check any specific handset.

Samsung

Every Samsung flagship from the Galaxy S24 onwards carries a seven-year commitment covering both major Android upgrades and security patches. Samsung has confirmed this means seven actual OS versions, not merely seven years of patches.

That commitment is tier-dependent. Mid-range A-series devices receive a shorter window, typically around six years on recent models and less on older ones. Devices released before the S24 generation generally carry four to five years.

If you are weighing a specific model, our refurbished Samsung Galaxy guide covers what else changes between generations.

Google Pixel

Google publishes exact end-of-support dates, which makes Pixel the easiest brand to check.

Pixel 8 and every model since receive seven years of OS and security updates from release. Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 devices were originally promised three years of OS updates, later extended to five years of both OS and security updates.

That extension matters when buying refurbished, because it means several older Pixels are further through their support life than a buyer might assume. The published Pixel end-of-life dates are worth checking against the exact model before you commit.

The calculation nobody does

Here is the part specific to buying refurbished.

The support clock starts when the model was released, not when you buy it.

A refurbished handset that came out three years ago has three years less support remaining than the same model bought new on launch day. The phone is identical. The remaining window is not.

So the calculation is straightforward:

Remaining support = brand's support window minus the model's age

A Galaxy S24 released in January 2024 carries a seven-year window, so in late 2026 it has roughly five years left. A Pixel 7 released in October 2022 carries a five-year window, so it has about one year of OS updates remaining, with security patches continuing beyond that.

Two handsets at similar prices can have very different amounts of life left in them. This is the single most useful check you can run before buying, and it takes about thirty seconds.

How to check before you buy

1. Find the model's release year. Not the year the listing was posted, and not the year you are buying. The year that specific model first went on sale.
2. Look up the brand's window for that model's tier. Flagship and mid-range devices are treated differently.
3. Subtract the age. What is left is your realistic support runway.
4. Check whether the figure covers OS updates or security patches. The second number is usually longer.
5. Decide what you need. If you upgrade every two or three years, a shorter runway is fine and you will pay less for it.

On a device you already own, you can confirm the current operating system version under Settings, then check it against the manufacturer's supported list.

What this means for what you should buy

The sweet spot in refurbished has always been one to two generations behind current. Software support is the clearest argument for why.

A flagship from two years ago has lost a significant share of its launch price while keeping most of its support window. A five-year-old handset may be a fraction of the price, but it could have a year of updates left, which changes what it is actually worth to you.

This is also why the cheapest listing is not always the best value, a point we have covered in whether refurbished Apple products are worth buying. A phone with five years of support left and one with one year left are not comparable products, however similar the price looks.

What happens when updates stop

The phone keeps working. Calls, messages, camera, existing apps: all unaffected on the day support ends.

What changes is slower and harder to see. Security vulnerabilities discovered afterwards are never patched on that device, and they stay exploitable indefinitely. Banking and payment apps start requiring a newer operating system. App updates stop arriving, then new apps stop installing. Over two to three years the device becomes progressively less usable for anything involving money or personal data.

An unsupported phone is still fine as a backup device, a camera, a music player, or a first phone for a child on a family plan. It is not a good choice as a primary handset for banking or work.

Battery and software

Both limit a phone's life, and they run independently.

Battery capacity declines with charge cycles and can be restored by replacing the battery. Every iOS device we sell has its battery replaced by default where health has fallen below acceptable levels, so devices leave with a minimum of 80% capacity. Our guide to refurbished phone battery health covers what those figures mean day to day.

Software support cannot be restored by anyone. When it ends, it ends.

That is why the support window deserves more attention than the battery percentage when comparing two refurbished handsets.

Bottom line

Check the model's release year, subtract it from the brand's support window, and you have the number that matters most.

Recent iPhones give you the longest runway. Samsung Galaxy S24 and later and Pixel 8 and later match each other at seven years. Older models from any brand have less left than their price might suggest, which is fine if you know it going in.

For everything else worth checking before you commit, read our refurbished phone buying guide.