published
Mobile phone updates increase security. However, a Comparis survey shows that a quarter of those surveyed are update muffles. This exposes you to a security risk.
This is the conclusion of a survey by the Swiss comparison service Comparis.ch.
20 minutes/Michael Scherrer
This is dangerous: “Very personal data is stored on mobile phones. Their protection is improved by updates. If you don’t install this, you run the risk of losing data,” says Comparis digital expert Jean-Claude Frick.
Oscar Moyano
-
The comparison service Comparis examined how often updates are installed.
-
It has been shown that around a quarter of the people surveyed are update muffle.
-
According to the digital expert from Comparis, you are exposing yourself to an increased risk.
“Remind me tomorrow” – the messages regarding system updates are quickly clicked away and quickly forgotten. This, although they usually not only contain new functions, but also improve the security of the devices. The Swiss comparison service Comparis.ch has examined the reliability of security updates.
The result: Every fourth person neglects to update their own smartphone. This is shown by a representative survey by Comparis.ch. Almost three percent of mobile phone users do not update at all, 23 percent only occasionally. This is critical: “Personal data is stored on mobile phones. Their protection is improved by updates. If you don’t install this, you run the risk of losing data,” says Comparis digital expert Jean-Claude Frick. In order to improve the security and stability of the devices, regular updates are therefore essential.
Men update more often
According to Comparis, women are less consistent than men when it comes to updating: 78 percent of the men surveyed always update their devices. For women, the figure is just under 69 percent. There are also clear differences between the age groups: almost six percent of 56 to 74-year-olds never update their mobile phones. The figure is just under one percent for 18- to 35-year-olds and for 36- to 55-year-olds two percent.
There are also differences when the users are divided according to the operating systems used. More iPhone users are paying attention to security. According to Comparis, 78 percent of people with an iPhone install all updates (20 percent sometimes). On Android, it’s only 70 percent (and 25 percent at times). Three percent of Android users do not update at all, and one percent of iOS users.
notification with effect
The reasons why updates are installed at all are very different. 76 percent of those surveyed state that they update their mobile phones in order to benefit from the technical improvements. Almost 57 percent state that they download the updates for data protection reasons. In third place is the reason: «To use the latest features».
This shows that the system’s warning messages have an effect: “Recurring reminders to keep their cell phones up-to-date can increase the motivation of users to consistently install the updates,” says Frick.
Long terms
Comparis also examined how long manufacturers offer updates at all. According to a press release, availability has increased significantly for all manufacturers since the last analysis in 2018. At that time it was limited to three to five years, but today this value has increased to up to seven years. “Apple and Samsung are on the podium: They deliver security updates for their devices for the longest time.”
The representative survey was carried out by the market research institute Innofact on behalf of Comparis.ch in March 2022 among 1025 people in all regions of Switzerland.
If you subscribe to Digital-Push, you will be informed regarding news and rumors from the world of Whatsapp, Snapchat, Instagram, Samsung, Apple and Co. You will also be the first to receive warnings regarding viruses, Trojans, phishing attacks and ransomware. There are also tricks to get more out of your digital devices.
This is how it works: Install the latest version of the 20-minute app. Tap on “Cockpit” in the bottom right, then “Settings” and finally on “Push notifications”. Under “Themes” you tap on “Digital” – et voilà!
