Crypto Wallets on outdated Andriod phones

[UmerIdrees]

I have an Android phone that is a few years old, and in the last few months, the company has stopped providing security / OS updates to the phone. As we know, Android phones usually provide updates for three to four years, while Samsung has started providing updates for seven years in their recent phones.

Anyway, I have crypto wallets like Unstoppable in that device and also the binance apps etc. Is it safe to keep the wallet on that device, or is it time to buy a new mobile phone that can receive recent security updates?

[PX-Z]

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Anyway, I have crypto wallets like Unstoppable in that device and also the binance apps etc. Is it safe to keep the wallet on that device, or is it time to buy a new mobile phone that can receive recent security updates?

It doesn't mean that the phone is immediately unsafe but any new vulnerability discovered like malware after that point (no security patch update anymore) will remain permanently unpatched on your device. I can say it's at least safe for 1-2 years as long as you don't download anything online, especially from untrusted sources. If you have the budget, buy a new one, and make this old device as airgapped, used for signing transaction only, so you have to uninstalled most apps, and disabled most system apps as well that is not necessary.

[Zaguru12]

I have an Android phone that is a few years old, and in the last few months, the company has stopped providing security / OS updates to the phone. As we know, Android phones usually provide updates for three to four years, while Samsung has started providing updates for seven years in their recent phones.

Anyway, I have crypto wallets like Unstoppable in that device and also the binance apps etc. Is it safe to keep the wallet on that device, or is it time to buy a new mobile phone that can receive recent security updates?

First thing I think you need to actually look out for is to confirm if the wallet has been backed up properly and then every other thing will be fixable. For me if the device actually doesn’t stop working then I don’t think you need to actually go to another device because except if the device develops problems or the wallet on it isn’t been able to update its firmware then it could be call for a new device.

I would said that the device cannot be used or classified as airgapped device because this device has actually been online before and as such doesn’t qualifies to be an airgapped device. An airgapped device in my opinion is a device that should never or had never been brought online before, so it’s disqualifies this device any day as great airgapped device

You can though continue to use your wallet on that device should any thing come up the back up is there to recover the wallet in another device

[coinlary]

Yes for surfing the Internet alone. No for just only your wallet and Binance or any other rep. exchange app.

As long as you're not doing more than just using your exchange wallet and the hot self-custody wallets, then you should be safe to some extent. Not like really safe, just make sure you're not doing more than that, and make sure you don't have much on all those wallets. It doesn't matter centralized exchange or not in this case. Mobile phone was never really that much of a good option for storage.

I will delete every browser on it  too

[virasog]

I have an Android phone that is a few years old, and in the last few months, the company has stopped providing security / OS updates to the phone. As we know, Android phones usually provide updates for three to four years, while Samsung has started providing updates for seven years in their recent phones.

Anyway, I have crypto wallets like Unstoppable in that device and also the binance apps etc. Is it safe to keep the wallet on that device, or is it time to buy a new mobile phone that can receive recent security updates?

I don't think that's much of a problem unless you install .apk files or other software from untrusted sources. Downloading software from the Play Store won't have any problem, and this holds true even if you have an updated phone with updated security patches. If you download software from unknown locations, even that new device can be compromised.

And why don't you buy a hardware wallet instead of wasting money on another phone, and that is not a foolproof solution.

[UmerIdrees]

Yes for surfing the Internet alone. No for just only your wallet and Binance or any other rep. exchange app.

As long as you're not doing more than just using your exchange wallet and the hot self-custody wallets, then you should be safe to some extent. Not like really safe, just make sure you're not doing more than that, and make sure you don't have much on all those wallets. It doesn't matter centralized exchange or not in this case. Mobile phone was never really that much of a good option for storage.

I will delete every browser on it  too

So you mean that I only use that outdated phone for storing crypto wallet and delete the browsers too, so any malware does not come into my phone if I surf the internet on the phone 

And why don't you buy a hardware wallet instead of wasting money on another phone, and that is not a foolproof solution.

Sadly, none has provided me a satisfactory answer here. Buying a hardware wallet is a good option, but since Trezor / Ledger doesn't ship directly to my country, it is a risk if I buy it from a third-party vendor ?

[coinlary]

So you mean that I only use that outdated phone for storing crypto wallet and delete the browsers too, so any malware does not come into my phone if I surf the internet on the phone  

Technically, I'm not suggesting usage  of mobile device for storing  your Bitcoin and other altcoins you like. I mentioned  already that it's  not a good choice of storage. Just keep small amounts on it  and use it for convenient transactions of small amounts.
If you need a secure storage  then get a PC and setup a cold storage

Your mobile isn't  going to be receiving update which means you will be open to vulnerabilities and there's one way to get expose to attack that could exploit those vulnerabilities which is  simply through  your browser, visiting  sites that could exploit them and downloading malwares on the mobile device.

That's  why I added "delete your browsers" , you will be left with only your exchange wallets and other hot self-custody wallet(unstoppable).
You can get a malware  by downloading a random  app on play store or other stores too so that's  why I added "reputable wallet" and stop downloading  or adding any other apps apart from the exchange and Unstoppable, delete every other  apps.

Don't  think it too much, your wallet will be fine with just that and the little amoun in it, but those wallet could also stop getting update over time and that might make your exchange wallet to stop working too.

Go through  Beginners and Help threads about recent vulnerabilities with mobile devices,  you get a lot about why you should reconsider using your phone as your main storage for your bitcoin, it's  bad.

[dkbit98]

Anyway, I have crypto wallets like Unstoppable in that device and also the binance apps etc. Is it safe to keep the wallet on that device, or is it time to buy a new mobile phone that can receive recent security updates?

I would generally not use this devices to store anything more than crypto pocket money.
Eventually old smartphones are going to be outdated, but they can be still used similar as airgapped devices with disabled all connections and internet.
Problem is that on some old phones you can't even install all crypto wallets because they are not supported anymore.
I have some ancient old smartphones so I tested this myself, but they are working very slow.