Android 5.0 Lollipop was released in 2014, a whopping ten years ago, introducing Material Design and pushing Android into a brand-new era. Not many updates were as big as that one, but this latest measure by Plex is just another reminder that it’s time to let it go.
Plex announced that it will be ending support for devices running Android 5.1 and older. This includes both phones and tablets that run the operating system, which is coming up to 10 years old. This measure also includes older Amazon Fire TVs and Fire tablets running Fire OS 5 or older. Fire OS is Android-based, and Fire OS 5 itself is based on Android 5.1, so this part in particular makes sense. There could also be some set-top boxes, smart TVs, and other embedded hardware still using old versions of Android.
This change will take effect on October 21, 2024. At this point, currently affected devices will be able to continue to run the existing Plex app release, but they cannot install future app updates. You should still be able to access content, but Plex warns that future changes to the app might break support for the older operating system completely, so it’s probably just a matter of time until something stops working.
The company cited the age of the operating systems and the limitations they impose on utilizing newer system capabilities as the reason for this decision. Many, if not virtually all of these devices no longer receive security and feature updates from their manufacturers, and they’re a security risk to keep using.
Plex encourages users of affected devices to upgrade to a device running at least Android 7.1, recommending Android 12.0 or newer for the best and most secure experience. Many phones that launched with Android 5.1 might be able to grab an update to Android 7.1, and if it’s not supported, even an update to Android 6.0 will put you in the clear here. Still, you should get yourself on a newer Android phone soon.
Source: Plex
