Retirement of Support for Android 4.X Devices

Google recently announced the end of support for Google Play Services for Android Kit-kat. With the lack of updated to Google Play Services and also because these Android versions do not support modern and more secure network protocols such as TLSv1.3 or above, making it hard to secure the communication between the devices and our servers.

Hence to ensure and maintain the security and device management capabilities of Scalefusion, Scalefusion will be deprecating support for the following Android versions:

• 4.4.x aka Kitkat
• 4.1, 4.2 & 4.3 aka JellyBean

When will the Support retire?

• Date: October 31st 2023
• Scalefusion Version: 12.x.x

What would this mean?

This would mean the following:

1. The devices will retain the last policy that was applied to them.
   1. The devices will not be receiving any new policy changes or application updates.
2. Admins would be required to remove Scalefusion locally from the devices using the exit password or hard resetting the device.
3. Our support team will not be able to help and guide you in troubleshooting issues or with enrollment on the aforementioned OS versions.

What are the recommended next steps?

We would recommend the following:

1. Replacing the Android 4.x devices: We understand that it may be a difficult decision having some financial implications, yet we would kindly advise you to plan for the replacement of these devices from your inventory and upgrade to a more modern version of Android. Considering the other vulnerabilities which the modern versions of OS handle and the additional security that Android Enterprise offers, this investment will make your device management a breeze and more secure.
2. Updating Google Play Services on your Android 4.x devices: While you plan for replacing these devices in your inventory, we strongly advise you to update Google Play Services on all compatible devices. Please note, as these devices are quite old, there may not be an update available directly and you would have to look for the updated version from open mirror sites. We would recommend the following steps to attempt an upgrade of Google Play Services:
   1. Update your device to the latest version of Scalefusion (v11.0.7)
   2. If your device requires a new version of Google Play Services, the following dialog would be displayed on every launch of Scalefusion app.
      
   3. If you see the above dialog, you can do either of the following:
      1. Exit from Scalefusion and login to the Google Play Store to see if it auto-updates the Google Play Services. If this is no longer possible, then please proceed to step ii.
      2. You can try and find a compatible Google Play Services for your device from open mirroring sites. Ensure that the minimum version for the Google Play Services that you download is Android 4.4.
         
         
         

         Please note that Scalefusion does not recommend any mirroring sites, nor guarantees the validity of such APKs. Please proceed with caution and at your own risk.
         
         
      3. Use Scalefusion Enterprise store to upload and publish the downloaded APK file.
      4. Once the Google Play Services is updated on the devices to the required version, you would no longer see the dialog on the Scalefusion launch.

Will Updating Google Play Services extend the retirement or support timeline?

No. Updating Google Play Services allows you to enhance the security posture of your device and allows for more secure network communication for all devices. However, it does not warrant any extension in support for Android 4.x devices by Scalefusion which will be deprecated starting October 31st, 2023.

We can understand if you have more questions or need further clarity. Please feel free to reach out to support@scalefusion.com with your questions and we will be glad to help out.