Last updated: November 3, 2026.
That update notification you keep dismissing does more than you think.
The main software update benefits are fixing security holes, patching bugs, improving performance, adding features and keeping your apps working together. Skipping updates leaves gaps that criminals actively scan for and exploit.
Key takeaways
- Install security updates first. They close specific, publicly known holes.
- Turn on automatic updates for your operating system, browser and phone.
- Software that is past its end-of-support date gets no more security fixes.
- Antivirus software is only as good as its latest threat definitions.
The Benefits of Updating Your Software
- Closes security holes before criminals find and use them
- Fixes bugs that cause crashes or glitches
- Improves speed and performance
- Adds new features
- Keeps apps compatible with each other and with new hardware
- Keeps support running, since unsupported software eventually gets no help at all
1. Security: Updates Patch Known Vulnerabilities
This is the single biggest reason updating matters. A vulnerability is a flaw in code that lets someone bypass normal security. Once it becomes public, criminals move fast, and automated tools scan the internet for devices still running the unpatched version.
A security update is built specifically to close one or more of these known flaws, rather than add features. Install security updates first, ahead of anything else in the queue.
The Equifax breach is the classic example. According to Dark Reading’s coverage of the US Government Accountability Office report, attackers began scanning Equifax’s systems for a flaw in Apache Struts within two days of its public disclosure, and about 145 million people had personal information taken. Attackers do not wait.
Phones deserve special attention. An older phone that no longer receives security patches stays exposed to every vulnerability found after its last update, and no fix is coming. For a deeper look at how the two big platforms compare, read our guide to Android vs iPhone mobile security.
2. Antivirus and Security Software Need Updates Most
Antivirus tools work by matching files against a list of known threats, and that list needs constant updating as new malware appears. Antivirus running on an old definitions file can miss a threat that appeared last week even though the program is technically working. The US cybersecurity agency CISA explains the basics in its guide to understanding anti-virus software. If you prioritize one type of update, make it this one.
3. Performance and Speed Improvements
Updates often include optimizations that make software run faster and use less memory or battery. That matters most on older devices, where a performance-focused update can make a phone feel snappier without any new hardware.
4. New Features and Compatibility
Updates add features, but just as importantly they keep your apps compatible with each other. A browser, a messaging app and an operating system all need to work together. When one updates and the others do not, you see crashes, broken formatting or features that stop working.
5. Bug Fixes and Stability
Every piece of software ships with bugs that developers missed. Updates fix them: a crash under specific conditions, a setting that does not save, a battery drain traced to one process. Some bugs stay invisible until they suddenly are not, which is why updating regularly beats waiting for something to break.
6. Staying Inside the Support Window
Every major piece of software eventually reaches an end-of-support date, after which the developer stops releasing updates, including security ones. Every flaw found after that date stays open for good.
A current example is Windows 10. Its regular support ended in October 2025. According to Windows Central, consumer Extended Security Updates run until October 12, 2027, and are free if you sign in with a Microsoft account and sync your settings, or cost $30 otherwise. Check Microsoft’s own page for the terms that apply to you. If your PC cannot move to Windows 11, those extended updates are a bridge, not a long-term plan.
Why Updating Your Operating System Matters Most
Updating the operating system matters more than updating any single app, because the OS controls access to everything else: your files, camera and network. A flaw at that level can expose every app on top of it. On Windows, Windows Update delivers monthly security patches, and leaving it disabled is one of the more common and avoidable ways home PCs get compromised.
Updates Are Not Just for Phones and Computers
Modern cars run on software too, and over-the-air updates regularly fix bugs in driver-assistance features such as automatic braking and lane keeping. The same logic applies to routers, smart TVs, cameras and smart home devices. If it has a chip and a network connection, it can be updated, and it can be attacked if it is not.
What Happens If You Do Not Update?
Skipping updates does not hurt immediately, which is why it feels safe. The risk builds quietly:
- Known vulnerabilities stay open and publicly documented, so attackers need to discover nothing new.
- Malware and ransomware often target specific unpatched flaws, sometimes within days of a fix being released, because the fix itself points to what was broken.
- Performance slowly degrades as bugs pile up.
- Compatibility breaks with newer apps, accessories and file formats.
How to Turn On Automatic Updates
Menu names vary by version, but these paths are close:
- Windows: Settings, then Windows Update, then check for updates and turn on options to get the latest updates as soon as they are available.
- Mac: System Settings, then General, then Software Update, then the automatic update options.
- iPhone: Settings, then General, then Software Update, then Automatic Updates.
- Android: Settings, then System or About phone, then Software update. Also keep Google Play system updates and app updates on.
- Browser: Chrome, Edge and Firefox update themselves. Restart the browser when it asks.
How Often Should You Update?
For most people, let automatic updates do the work and never skip a security update. If you update manually, install security patches right away and other updates within a week or two. Feature updates are rarely urgent. Security ones are.
Updates also pair well with other basics. Use a password manager, as we explain in our guide to protecting your data online, and learn the types of attackers you are defending against in our article on types of hackers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are software updates important?
They close security vulnerabilities before attackers can use them, fix bugs, improve performance and keep apps compatible.
Can I safely skip a software update?
Feature updates can wait a short while. Security updates should not be skipped, because they close specific, publicly known holes.
Is it good to update your phone software?
Yes. Phone updates carry security patches, and phones that stop receiving them stay exposed to every later vulnerability.
Do updates slow down older devices?
Sometimes a big feature update can strain older hardware, but many updates include performance and battery improvements. Security patches are worth installing either way.
Why install updates as soon as they are released?
Once an update is public, so is information about the flaw it fixes. Attackers target devices that have not installed it yet, so waiting raises your risk.
What if my device no longer gets updates?
Move sensitive activity such as banking to a supported device, and plan to replace the old one. For Windows 10 PCs, check whether you qualify for Extended Security Updates in the meantime.
The Bottom Line
Updates are not busywork. Security patches close real, documented holes, bug fixes solve problems you may not have noticed yet, and performance updates help old hardware feel newer. The downside of updating is a few minutes of waiting. The downside of not updating is running software with a public list of ways in.
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