There’s likely been a time when you’ve updated the software on your phone or computer and within a few days (or even hours) you, again, see that little red bubble or text prompt imploring you to go through yet another update.
You may think companies are trying to make life harder by constantly pushing new updates, but have you ever wondered about the reasoning behind those (seemingly endless) updates?
Those annoying little notifications might just seem like developers’ ways of pushing the latest and greatest on you – or if you’re Apple, slowing down old phones to force consumers into buying a new one – but that’s actually not the case. Most of the time, it’s to keep you safe, and they’re important on all types of devices and software – phones, tablets, computer programs, and even browsers and websites.
So why do software updates really matter?
There are three main reasons we recommend keeping your software up-to-date: security, support and new features.
Security
This is by far the most important reason to keep your software up-to-date. You may not even know it, but we have all been affected by a security issue with our devices recently (need we remind you of the Equifax, Uber or Yahoo hacks?).
Hacks or security breaches can happen for a number of reasons, but most often occur when there is a bug or hole in the developer code, allowing an actor(s) with bad intentions to enter the system. Sometimes these issues are a result of the core processors – the pieces of hardware that make your program run – and fixing them requires additional updates to be made to software applications and websites.
Working with an experienced developer can help save you a lot of headache over what updates do and do not apply. If an update is made too hastily, it may expose other safety concerns that need correcting. Developers stay up-to-date on both hardware and software trends and can be your first line of defense in choosing why, when and what to update to ensure your website or application is running securely.
Support
One of the main jobs of a developer is to ensure your website is functioning properly on all types of devices and web browsers. Good developers build websites so they are compatible with an array of browsers, including older browsers. However, it’s not always simple to add specialized custom support for ancient web browsers, especially if the company is no longer supporting the browser (looking at you, Internet Explorer!).
The reason for this is, just as browsers and applications offer updated software, the code languages that developers work with do as well. This means that the advancements in our code will offer new features that aren’t supported by older browsers a lot of times, so finding an alternative fix can be challenging and may not produce the best result.
Testing changes in a development/beta environment is critical, as other lines of code could be affected. Developers understand how each piece interacts with the entire puzzle and have the foresight to prevent portions of your website from breaking and becoming inaccessible, or worse, shut down your entire site.
New Features
The most exciting reason to update your software and browsers is to access all of the new features that your favorite companies work hard to create. The cool new features are usually introduced in the major software releases, but it’s the subsequent minor releases and patches that ensure a user’s experience runs smoothly.
While website updates will often affect code and other developer functions, they sometimes impact front-end users. For instance, an update may create new workflows or processes for scheduling posts or providing critical updates to allow new widgets and third-party integrations to be incorporated into your website.
It’s important to stay in touch with what’s going on in the technology world because it will inevitably affect you in some way. Being change averse is not on your side as it relates to the technology ingrained in our way of life today. Keeping your tech up-to-date can help you avoid possible threats and allow you to utilize the full potential that your devices offer.