Chromebook automatic update cut-off dates

Every Chromebook model carries an automatic update expiration (AUE) date, after which the device no longer receives ChromeOS security updates. Google's AUE policy page lists the Lenovo 300e Chromebook 2nd Gen, a model widely deployed in schools, as reaching expiration in June 2029.

Background

The Lenovo 300e Chromebook 2nd Gen was first released on 28 February 2019, as an affordable and durable option for schools. ChromeOS's central device management and ongoing security updates made Chromebooks a common choice for education, and Google's low-cost education devices have been widely deployed in school fleets.

Incident

A May 2023 report by the U.S. PIRG Education Fund, Chromebook Churn, argued that Chromebooks' fixed expiration dates cause schools to replace devices early and that only about one-third of the resulting electronic waste is properly recycled. The report recommended that Google extend Chromebooks' expiration dates, stating:

We shouldn't allow planned obsolescence that keeps us buying more all the time.

PCWorld's coverage of the report characterized the AUE dates as an artificial limit that pushes schools to retire Chromebooks on a fixed schedule rather than when the hardware fails.

Google's response

Google has since extended its Auto Update policy: ChromeOS devices now receive 10 years of automatic updates, and Chromebooks released before 2021 are eligible for extended updates reaching 10 years from their platform's release.

Consumer response

Summary and key issues of prevailing sentiment from the consumers and commentators that can be documented via articles, emails to support, reviews and forum posts.

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