Opt-in option to extend automatic updates to 10 years on Chromebooks released before 2021

[DennisLfromGA]

I think we were all pleasantly surprised to hear yesterday's news:

• Chromebooks will get 10 years of automatic updates

They mention the below in that blog:

• For Chromebooks released before 2021 and already in use, users and IT admins will have the option to extend automatic updates to 10 years from the platform’s release (after they receive their last automatic update).

And on the updated Help Center Auto Update policy page some of the devices have an asterisk '*' with the following note:

* These ChromeOS devices must opt in to receive extended updates.

Can someone explain how the 'opt in' will work for those devices that have received their last automatic update, please? 

Will it be as simple as pressing a button to 'opt in', a link to an 'opt in' page, or something else?

Maybe these details will be published soon but we're already getting questions in the Chromebook forum about this so it would be good to know the procedure ahead of time so we can explain it to them.

Also, I believe the majority of users will want to continue getting updates after they have received their last automatic update so would it be better to make it an 'opt out' option instead of an 'opt in' option? It seems like there would be less confusion that way, some may not be aware of this or miss a deadline to 'opt in' and that would just lead to more problems and disgruntled users or worse.

Thanx for your indulgence,

~DennyL 

[Mike Frysinger]

those are great questions, but i don't know if the product side has fully settled, and we lowly eng aren't authorized to speak on the matter.

i don't even know if the UX has been finalized & merged since we still have some time before devices get into this state.

as for opt-out-vs-opt-in, that's not going to happen.  from the first article & paragraph you cited:

> For devices prior to 2021 that are eligible to receive extended updates, some features and services may not be supported. See our Help Center for details.

before you ask what features/services, see above.

-mike

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[DennisLfromGA]

Thanx, Mike

We lowly PEs are even lower on the totem pole so your insight is very welcome.
And now I do understand the 'opt-in / opt-out' dilemma so thanx for that too.

~DennyL

[Edward Goldstick]

This query posed so concisely is very welcome and your initial clarification is equally appreciated.  My current Chromebook is an HP X2 12-f0 circa 2018 that was scheduled for obsolescence in June 2024 and has apparently been extended to 2027.  I was becoming frustrated with its declining usability due to slowness apparently related to memory usage by Chrome... and yet it has begun working better since version 114 and is now very satisfactory.   My hope was to keep the device primarily as a reading tablet with Android and as a backup to a newer one for my work, but it was unclear that was viable.  This is a good roadmap and I hope it continues to be followed.

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[Mike Frysinger]

in case it was missed, we've published some details now:

https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/14328032

-mike

On Fri, Sep 15, 2023 at 12:46 PM DennisLfromGA <denny.l...@gmail.com> wrote:

[DennisLfromGA]

Thanx for the link and those new details. 

Regarding this:

• If you opt in
• All Android related data is erased from the devices and cannot be recovered.
• The Google Play Store is removed from the devices, and Android apps cannot be remotely installed by an administrator. 

Makes me even more certain about the purpose of partition 13 and what Flexor is all about. ;-)

~DennyL

[DennisLfromGA]

Mike F, and/or any other chromeOS team member(s),

The 'Auto Update policy' page with the 'Google approved ChromeOS devices' list and the 'Extended updates support' page answer many questions about what will happen when a device hits the AUE date, that's great. But there are a few details that are yet unanswered, mostly dealing with the devices tagged with an asterisk that states:

• *These ChromeOS devices must opt in to receive extended updates.

It seems the devices both tagged with an asterisk or not that have extended updates no longer show the original AUE date in the 'Update schedule' when you navigate to the following URL on the device:

• chrome://os-settings/help/details#:~:text=Change%20channel-,Update%20schedule

I guess one of the questions is on the devices tagged with an asterisk: Will we be prompted to 'opt in' when the device hits the 'original' AUE date and if not when?

If so, it would be good to know when that original AUE date is/was (since it's no longer shown) or maybe have a way to look it up.

Also, the 'Extended updates support' page states:

• For older models not automatically receiving extended updates, an administrator must 'opt in' via a policy in the Admin console.
  This policy will be available before the first devices receive extended updates in June 2024.

What happens on un-managed devices without admin policies, will they also be offered some way of 'opting in' to extended updates if they are eligible as shown in the 'Google approved ChromeOS devices' list?

And my last question for now that you may not be able to divulge yet: For those devices that 'opt in' will they install 'Flexor' in place of chromeOS?

Thanx for your indulgence and any insight y'all might have on this subject,

~DennyL

[DennisLfromGA]

Mike,

> in case it was missed, we've published some details now:
> https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/14328032

That page has been updated but it is listed under: 

• 'Chrome Enterprise and Education Help -> Manage policies for ChromeOS devices -> Extended updates support'  

And only speaks of the method for the 'Google Admin console'.

Are we to assume that this page or parts of it only applies to both managed and unmanaged devices?
Will an opt-in  / opt-out option be available for unmanaged devices also and, if so, will we soon get instructions about how it's performed?

We're getting many questions about this in the Chromebook forum from device owners with a 2024-06 AUE date and others but we don't have any answers yet - unless we've missed it somehow/somewhere so any more details would be greatly appreciated.

Thanx in advance,

~DennyL

[DennisLfromGA]

We just got word from the chromeOS team that 'Extended Updates' will be offered to consumer devices and Enterprise devices marked with an asterisk starting in M126 stable. Below is the link to the Chromebook Help Forum article for consumer devices:

• Extended updates support

Here is a screenshot of the 'Extended updates support' option in the Settings menu:

Finally, we got some answers and not a minute too soon since some have already hit the AUE date this past June.

~DennyL