Google has not updated the vast majority of its iOS services since December. Those apps now throw up “This app is out of date” messages when they try to sign in to Google.
update: About an hour after this issue came to light, Google removed the alert. All login attempts go immediately to the password entry field.
You need to update this information. The version you are using does not have the latest security features to keep you safe. Only proceed if you understand the risks.
This warning (spotted by Spencer Dailey) appears after entering your email address in applications that have not seen an update since mid-December. These include Gmail, YouTube, Google Search, Maps, Photos and Drive. Users can “Continue” to enter their password, but long after seeing the message, tend to visit the App Store and search for a new version.
At the end of last month, we reported that the company had updated three applications (Fiber, Play Movies & TV and Translate). In those Google applications, there is no ‘obsolete’ warning, while Google Workspace / G Suite addresses do not generate this error.
The problem today is probably more with Google’s account system indicating the older versions of these programs, rather than a real security issue.
The lack of updates comes amid speculation that Google is not updating its iOS apps to avoid Apple’s privacy label from Apple. As of December, iPhone and iPad developers must list their privacy practices in the App Store.
Google has repeated twice this year that it will add privacy labels to all of its applications as new versions are released. The disclosures are available today in more than a dozen programs, including YouTube.
As Google’s iOS apps are updated with new features or to fix bugs, you’ll see updates to the list of app pages that contain the new app’s privacy information. These labels represent the maximum categories of data that can be collected – that is, if you use every available feature and service in the app.
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