How to check if your phone is missing security patches with ‘SnoopSnitch’

This morning, a report came out explaining that a research firm discovered some Android OEMs were lying to customers about their device’s current security patch. Thankfully, there’s an app called ‘SnoopSnitch’ that allows you to check if your phone is running the security patches that the phone claims to be running…

How to check if your phone is missing security patches with ‘SnoopSnitch’

1. Download SnoopSnitch
2. Run Android patch level test
3. Analyze the results

1. Download SnoopSnitch

First things first, you need to download SnoopSnitch from the Google Play Store. Thankfully, the app is free, but if you’re running Android 8.1, the test is extremely limited and won’t properly analyze your handset.

2. Run Android patch level test

Once you have SnoopSnitch installed, launch the app. You will first tap on the Click here to test patch level button and then select Start test. After, the test will run for up to a couple of minutes before showing you your results

Use the images below for help if you get lost along the way.

3. Analyze the results

As I mentioned in the first step, the SnoopSnitch app isn’t fully working on devices running Android 8.1 like the Pixel 2. But the other two screenshots below are from the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Note 8. As you can see, other than some inconclusive portions, the Galaxy S9 showed to have received all of the patches that Samsung claims to have given it.

But for the Note 8, the SnoopSnitch identified several patches that were after the claimed patch level.

If you have any questions, make sure to leave them in the comment section below or hit me up on Twitter.

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