Teacher and student talking in the classroom as the student uses a Chromebook.

As tech directors and Chromebook procurement teams choose devices for their district, there is a balancing act between purchasing devices based on capability and also taking into consideration Google’s support of Chrome OS on the device. Similar to smartphones, Chromebooks require regular auto-updates. These updates are made by Google to ensure the device is up-to-date with the latest features and are current on security upgrades

In a recent interview, a California-based Information Systems Specialist said, “I’ve been doing a lot of research in looking for our next Chromebook and...I have a hard time making a recommendation [on a device that only has] a guaranteed 2-3 more years. My goal is to get the expected life of a textbook out of the devices we deploy.”

Since 2017, Google updates have been supported on Chromebooks for 6.5 years, but today, Android Police broke the news that Google auto-update expiration (AUE) dates have been extended for over 130 devices across several models. This means that Google OS has extended their support upwards of two years, depending on the model. It is great news for school districts because this stretches the lifecycle of the device.

There were a few lifespans that were reduced including the Prowise Chromebook Eduline, Acer Chromebook Spin 11 (R751T), and the Asus Chromebook C223. This update follows the recent extension of seven Lenovo Chromebook expiration dates. With the importance of standardized testing and other state-required performance assessments, districts now have the ability to extend deployment periods if their Chromebooks landed on the list.

Download the extended Google auto-update expiration dates here

Why is this AUE extension a win for EdTech? While 6.5 years may sound like a relatively long lifecycle for Chromebooks, the OS support cycle doesn’t begin when the Chromebook is purchased, but rather when “Google completes the hardware platform, which can be months before a Chromebook based on when it’s released,” Corbin Davenport from Android Police wrote. While some districts purchase their device upon release, many bring them into their district months or years later, causing end-of-life (EOL) to be too close for comfort.

The extension of AUE is a step in the right direction for K12. This change gives schools the opportunity to deploy their devices for a longer period of time and get more out of Google support. With the increase in popularity of Chromebooks for education, we believe there will be an increase in similar practices across the EdTech industry in the years to come.


Trying to get your school district to invest in technology? This could be a good time to begin putting a pitch together. Read our blog here to gain a few tips on how to guide the conversation with administrators.