Is Android supported for Cyber Essentials?
Vendor end-of-support dates by version, and what the security update management control requires if you are past one.
- Status
- 4 of 5 versions supported as of 3 November 2026
- Next end of support
- no fixed date (rolling release) (Android 17)
- Vendor
- Google and device manufacturers
- Category
- Mobile operating system
- Source
- Vendor lifecycle page
- CE Plus test
- Test case 2: authenticated vulnerability scan
Partly. As of 3 November 2026, 4 of 5 listed Android versions are supported for Cyber Essentials. Android 13 and earlier no longer receive security updates and fail A6.1. The supported versions have no fixed end date; they stay supported while Google and device manufacturers ship security updates for them.
Is Android supported for Cyber Essentials?
Partly. 4 of 5 listed Android versions were supported on 3 November 2026; the table shows which.
Android support depends on the device manufacturer, not the Android version alone. Google's November 2026 security bulletin lists fixes for Android 14, 15, 16 and 17; a phone is supported only while its manufacturer still ships those patches for that model. Check the manufacturer's published end date.
Which Android versions are supported?
Android 17, Android 16, Android 15, Android 14 are supported as of 3 November 2026. Android 13 and earlier is past end of support.
| Version | Updates end | Cyber Essentials | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android 17 | No fixed date (rolling) | Pass | Confirm the manufacturer still ships patches for the model. |
| Android 16 | No fixed date (rolling) | Pass | Confirm the manufacturer still ships patches for the model. |
| Android 15 | No fixed date (rolling) | Pass | Confirm the manufacturer still ships patches for the model. |
| Android 14 | No fixed date (rolling) | Pass | Oldest version in Google's November 2026 bulletin; confirm manufacturer patch status. |
| Android 13 and earlier | No fixed date (rolling) | Fail | Not covered by Google's October or November 2026 bulletins. |
Source: https://source.android.com/docs/security/bulletin/2026/2026-11-01. Last checked 3 November 2026.
How do you check which Android version you are running?
You need the exact version for the device and software lists in the question set, and to compare against the table above. Check each in-scope device, or export the version column from your device management tool.
- Open Settings > About phone (or About device) and read Android version.
- Under the Android version entry, read the Android security update date. If it is months old and no update is offered, the manufacturer may have stopped patching the model.
- Check the manufacturer's published support period for the exact model, for example Google's Pixel update schedule or Samsung's security updates page.
Record the version with the date you checked it. That dated record is the evidence behind your A6.1 answer and the version lists in A2.6 to A2.8.
What does "supported" mean under A6.1?
Supported means a vendor still issues regular security updates for the version and has published the date it will stop. Past that date, the version is unsupported.
The requirements define licensed and supported software as software you have a legal right to use and that a vendor has committed to support by providing regular vulnerability fixes, where the vendor provides the future date they will stop. Extended support counts while you can evidence the entitlement. Once the date passes, the software is unsupported whatever it still does.
Question A6.1 asks whether all operating systems on in-scope devices are supported by a vendor that produces regular security updates. It applies to every device in scope, including staff-owned devices under BYOD, and to firewall and router firmware, which the A6.1 guidance treats as an operating system. The same guidance lists Windows 10, macOS Ventura, iOS 15 and Android 12 among its examples of operating systems out of regular support. Paid extensions such as Extended Security Updates count while you can show the licence.
What happens if Android is unsupported?
An unsupported Android version on any in-scope device stops the assessment passing: A6.1 cannot be answered Yes, and A6.3 would be a Yes, which means the licensed-and-supported requirement is not met. It is not labelled an automatic fail, but the assessor will not pass the application until it is fixed. There are three ways to fix it; pick one per device before you submit.
- Upgrade to a supported version. This is the answer for almost every laptop, desktop and server. For operating systems with a paid extension, enrol and keep the proof.
- Remove the software from in-scope devices, and answer yes to A6.6.
- Move the device into a defined sub-set that prevents all traffic to or from the internet, describe how in A2.2.2, and declare it under A6.7. A sub-set is segregated by a firewall or VLAN. It is a last resort for equipment that cannot be upgraded.
How does Cyber Essentials Plus check this?
Test case 2 checks it: an authenticated vulnerability scan of sampled end-user devices, servers and IaaS instances. The sub-test fails if the scan finds a vulnerability rated critical or high risk by the vendor, scored 7 or above on CVSS v3, or with no severity given, where the vendor fix has been available for more than 14 days.
The test specification adds that virtual patching is not accepted as a long-term mitigation for legacy unsupported operating systems. The Plus audit tests the same scope as the self-assessment certificate, so fix unsupported software before the self-assessment, not after.
Frequently asked questions
Partly. 4 of 5 listed Android versions were supported on 3 November 2026; the table shows which. Android support depends on the device manufacturer, not the Android version alone. Google's November 2026 security bulletin lists fixes for Android 14, 15, 16 and 17; a phone is supported only while its manufacturer still ships those patches for that model. Check the manufacturer's published end date.
Licensed and supported software is software you have a legal right to use and that a vendor has committed to support with regular vulnerability fixes, with a published future date when they will stop. Extended support still counts. A version past its end-of-support date, or on a paid extension you cannot evidence, is unsupported.
The assessment will not pass until you fix it: A6.1 cannot be answered Yes, and A6.3 (unsupported software in scope) would have to be answered Yes. A6.3 is not labelled an automatic fail, but a Yes means the requirement that all in-scope software is licensed and supported is not met. The three fixes are: upgrade to a supported version, remove the software from in-scope devices, or move those devices into a sub-set with no internet access and declare it under A6.7.
Yes, indirectly. Test case 2 is an authenticated vulnerability scan of sampled devices. Any critical or high-risk vulnerability, or one with a CVSS v3 score of 7 or above, where the vendor fix has been available for more than 14 days fails the sub-test. The specification also states that virtual patching of legacy unsupported operating systems is not accepted.
The dataset was last checked on 3 November 2026 against the vendor lifecycle page linked on this page. Vendors change dates, so confirm against the source before relying on a date near your assessment.
Related pages
- A6.1: supported softwareThe question, the guidance and how assessors mark it.
- A6.7: moving unsupported software out of scopeHow a sub-set must be built.
- Security update managementThe control hub, including the 14-day rule.
- Is it supported? toolLook up any product in the dataset.
- A6.3: unlicensed or unsupported softwareWhat the question asks and why a Yes means the requirement is not met.
- Check your readinessFree checker that asks the auto-fail questions first.
- Android setup guideSettings that keep this product updating within 14 days.
- Glossary: licensed and supported softwareThe NCSC definition, including the published end date.
- iOS and iPadOSApple
- NCSCNCSC, Cyber Essentials: Requirements for IT Infrastructure v3.3 · April 2026Read on ncsc.gov.uk (opens in a new tab)
- NCSCNCSC, Cyber Essentials Plus Test Specification v3.2Read on ncsc.gov.uk (opens in a new tab)
- source.android.comGoogle and device manufacturers lifecycle page for Android · checked 3 November 2026Read on source.android.com (opens in a new tab)
Would you pass the 2026 question set?
Answer 24 yes or no questions, built by the assessors who mark Cyber Essentials, and get a readiness score in about five minutes, with any auto-fail questions you miss flagged first in your results.
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