Over the past few years, there has been a quiet change with extended updates to Android devices. For years, it was risky to keep an Android phone in use for more than two or three years. This was because there was no guarantee that the OS or security updates would be available after that time.

Google began this change in 2023 when the Mountain View company announced that it would guarantee Android and security updates for the Pixel 8 lineup for seven years. The company extended this support to the mid-range Pixel 8a, announced in May of this year; the Pixel 9 series, announced in August, is also guaranteed for seven years.

Samsung updated its policy with the introduction of the Galaxy S24 lineup and has supported new foldable phones, with the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Fold 6 also getting the same schedule.

These changes are part of a long-term program called the Google Requirements Freeze (GRF), which Google established in 2020. This program will allow chipmakers like Qualcomm to support multiple operating system versions on a single SoC, eliminating the need for manufacturers to update at least three versions of Android software.

As recently highlighted by Mishaal Rahman of Android Authority, Google has extended this program with its new Longevity GRF program.

For a more technical breakdown, Rahman goes into the details of the Android kernel software and explains how Google is “freezing” vendor requirements and extending support schedules.

At its simplest, the LGRF allows chipmakers like MediaTek to use the same “vendor-side” software for up to seven Android iterations of updates. For example, Android 15 was just released in October of this year. Next year's Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra could receive an OS update to Android 22 (assuming Google maintains this branding) without requiring significant software changes from Qualcomm.

In the LGRF, OEM software remains “frozen” for the first three years, i.e., from Android 15 to 17. After that, the Linux kernel must be updated to obtain Google's certification, which guarantees the latest security updates. That update is a major one, and prevents manufacturers from missing out on necessary interim patches.

At this week's Snapdragon Summit, Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon 8 Elite, the first system-on-chip to utilize LRGF. Presumably, MediaTek's flagship Dimensity 9400+, announced in early October, may support LRGF, as the Dimensity chip powers many Android devices, but the number of updates and patches this chip provides information regarding this was not found.

According to Lerman, LRGF has at least one major drawback. The program discourages OEMs from supporting new hardware features added to new Android iterations. Specifically, a phone cannot be released with an Android version that is four versions earlier than the original software provided by the chipmaker. This is intended to prevent manufacturers from shipping devices that may only receive two or three updates instead of seven.

For example, according to Rahman, phones frozen with Android 11 cannot use features like the flashlight brightness API released for Android 13.

This is an issue with the previous GRF standard, and it is unclear from the report if there is a solution to this problem or if an update after the initial freeze period will allow new but delayed features to work.

Google has not communicated this information publicly; Rahman received the information from sources who attended an event for OEMs earlier this year.