Software developers put a lot of time and effort into constantly improving on your experience. Therefore, they appreciate when users update their apps and phone to take full advantage of the new features and bug fixes.
But I get it. It’s a hassle.
First, you have to make sure your phone has enough space (bleh!). Then you have to wait, sometimes for minutes, without using the app (as a Twitter power user this part is actually tough). And what do you get for your investment? Bug fixes usually, maybe a new feature that throws off your app feng shui. Why would you go through all of this effort for that?
Well, let me tell you why.
1. Not updating puts your personal information at risk.
McAfee recently reported on outdated apps being used to attack you:
The Intel Security research team reported on the growing trend of mobile app collusion, which we define as two or more mobile apps working together to:
- Steal personal information off your smartphone
- Read your personal or work emails, notes, and other files
- Send fake text messages on your behalf
- Load viruses onto your phone without your knowledge
- Conduct financial transactions using your online payment accounts.
McAfee Labs has observed such behavior across more than 5,000 versions of 21 apps designed to provide useful services such as mobile video streaming, fitness tracking, and travel planning. But because many mobile apps haven’t been updated, criminals can exploit their out-of-date designs and security flaws, commandeer the capabilities of benign apps, and use them to attack the smartphone’s owner.
How can you avoid this, you ask? Update your apps and delete ones you don’t use! Those bug fixes and security updates are important to keeping your personal info safe and keeping your phone from becoming a spam bot.
2. Performance
If your app is slow, crashes, or is buggy, a lot of the time the cause of that is not updating!
One of the first things that support teams are going to do if you contact them is ask if your phone and app are updated. Those bug fixes actually fix bugs! Having the newest versions of your apps ensures peak performance.
It’s not just apps, though. Operating system updates are important as well. Why do Apple and Android do updates? They are constantly improving.
Things change quickly in tech. You can’t wait for a new phone to release new features and new security, so it is released in as real time as possible. This also helps you learn a couple of new features at a time, rather than being overwhelmed by a big change. As with apps, security patches are a big part of OS updates – it helps keep you secure and protects against viruses.
Looking for an app update but don’t see it? That might be because your operating system needs to be updated. Start with updating your phone and then the app update will likely appear. If you update the apps, but not your OS, your apps may not work correctly (and vice versa); some app updates won’t even download without an update to the OS.
You can have your phone automatically update apps. Then you don’t have to worry about it at all. How to:
How often does Red e App update? Every 30-ish days. That isn’t so bad, right? Generally our updates include bug fixes and new features/functionality. We always list our updates in the notes, and they are actually fun to read, in my humble opinion. Check out the App Store “What’s New” section.
