Just like with any computer or electronic device on the market, there are many reasons why a Chromebook may eventually stop working as a new device but a device that reaches End of Life (EOL) will be the most common. This makes these details an important part of the information that must be available for several reasons.
The reason for this is because of the speed with which gadgets have evolved and continue to evolve. The rate is generally faster than those running competing operating systems in terms of the sheer number of changes over the years and month to month.
With new features and improvements generally being tracked along with hardware changes and the release of new components, new devices are triggered relatively quickly. In fact, it runs at the same rate as some Android smartphones, with new devices updating previous fonts almost yearly. New ports are filled up and new devices launched fairly often.
Turnover means that software updates and security updates apply over a shorter timescale as well, compared to an average of 10 years or more on macOS or Windows. Google's policies ensure that all gadgets will continue to receive updates for a period of six and a half years from the date of their initial release.
Chrome devices last longer than the average Android device and can continue to be used without updates but security updates tend to stop at the same time. So knowing when to turn on a device is a vital part of knowing when it will receive to stop receiving updates and to stop being a usable device in many cases.
Unfortunately, it's not really easy to get a release date without a lot of research, sometimes even with a lot of time spent on the task. Once found, completing the math involved can be a pain. Fortunately, it's not difficult to know when the device will reach its EOL.
Maybe you can skip the longest step if you know the model's naming
The first and longest set of steps can be skipped here if the model name - and the model number associated with it for those devices that have been part of a series - are already known. This is probably the case for those who only bought a Chromebook recently or for those looking to buy one.
Knowing the exact model number and / or designation is critical to easily finding an EOL history, so those who already have a Chromebook but don't know the mapping will want to review this step.
For those of you who don't know setting the Chromebook from the top of their heads, it's not always easy to work this way either because the system doesn't store that information anywhere it can be easily accessed in the program. Usually, the model designation is displayed only on the box in which the device was shipped or when received, whether it is electronic or physical. Sometimes it is displayed on a sticker on the device but this is not always the case.
Therefore, in these cases, it is not easy to find the model numbers or code names required to search for the EOL scheduled date. It should be noted that even the simplest way to determine the model number will not always return the appropriate designation, depending on the system, regardless. This is especially true for older systems or the white label product sold by lesser known OEMs.
Two ways to find the model mapping include searching for the serial number or searching for the device based on its code name. Code names can be used for many devices from more than one manufacturer, although the OEM marking will help narrow things down while the former may be more difficult and will require additional search across the manufacturer's website or elsewhere - which we will not cover. Here.
It's very easy to find out the Chrome OS device serial number. When turning on a Chromebook, users first need to make sure they aren't signed in by not doing it from scratch or out. Logout is logged off by clicking the clock in the lower right side of the main UI and then the Pill Logout button instead of the power icon.
Once back at the login screen, pressing the "Alt" keys and then the "V" keys will call the serial number forward, as indicated by the last number in the upper left side of the screen.
In fact, it's a little easier to figure out the Chromebook model's design by referring to the code name.
When returning to the "Quick Settings" menu at the bottom of the clock on the lower right side of the basic user interface, clicking or clicking on the gear icon will load the settings menu. From there, another click or tap on the three hamburger menu icon at the top left of the UI will bring up a column of options.
At the bottom of this page, there is one tag titled "About Chrome OS" and clicking or clicking on it that will call up a menu displaying standard information about the tool with some details placed behind the foldable slides. Selecting the "Detailed Build Information" option opens a page that specifically displays these details, including a slide called "Firmware".
The device name will appear in the firmware name. In the example images, the HP Chromebook x2 used here is referring to that firmware as "Google_Soraka.10431.75.0." The word "Soraka" is the Chromebook codename used here.
There are two sites that can be used to find a template of your Chromebook with the codename. Although you can also use Wikipedia, the Chrome OS update version tracker and developer info site for Chrome OS devices are specially designed to provide information based on those details.
Both should be the same but not always so it is advisable to check if the hardware is not present on one or the other. The process of searching for a gadget on the websites is the same regardless and does not take much time.
On any of the sites, despite their different appearance, pressing the "Ctrl" key and pressing "F" will display a search bar for the page and place the cursor inside the bar automatically. Entering the tool's now known symbolic name will automatically scroll down the page to the first degree of the name entered and highlight it - pressing the enter key will cycle through states if the first is not the desired name.
The Chromebook codename we're using is "Soraka" and take a quick look at the row on the graph for any of the pages that the tool appears as "HP Chromebook x2".
For some devices, the model number will be displayed in parentheses as well, especially if there are multiple variants or where the Chromebook is part of a series of the same brand - such as the Acer Chromebook 11 series. There is one, for the next step.
The expected final version number for any given device listed on the chart is displayed on the aforementioned developer information for Chrome OS devices on the same page - although the date is shown in some cases.
This is an estimate rather than an accurate one because Chrome OS updates could take much longer or shorter time than ultimately expected. It's also very short-lived, and usually only shows expected EOL for a Chromebook or specific Chrome launcher up to two versions in advance.
Find the date of the end of life
For specific date based on Google policies, the search giant maintains a support page loaded with devices listed in the model label and EOL date. Navigating to that page and then scrolling down a little further reveals a list of supported Chrome OS tools housed in collapsible menus.
The first step here will be to find the appropriate brand name for your Chromebook and click or tap to expand the list. Our machine was HP. The trademark is usually found printed or stamped on the exterior of the Chromebook, on the front screen, or on the keyboard.
The list of devices under a particular brand can be either short or long, especially if it's made by one of the most prominent Chromebook manufacturers like Acer. So the easiest way to find the right device to look at is to press the "Ctrl" key, then the "F" key.
This brings the page search bar to the front and places the cursor focus there. Typing the widget's template name - in our case, "Chromebook x2" - automatically scrolls the page to and highlights this item. After the same row to the EOL column reveals a date in month and year format. For a Chromebook set in June 2024, this date will mark the last month that the HP Chromebook x2 will see an automatic update.
For those looking to clear the list in preparation for purchasing a new or used Chromebook, there are two primary aspects to listings to jot down. If the tool's EOL date has already passed, the date will be displayed in italic typeface. Those dates set within the current year are displayed in bold.
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