Chromebook Extended Updates - Opt In Required

[DavR]

Just dropping this here for info, in case others hadn't noticed this.

 

Most of us are aware that Google retrospectively extended the Automatic Update support date on quite a number of older devices, when they introduced their 10 year device support commitment. Great news! What I didn't realise is, that for some devices, you need to change a policy to 'allow' to enrol your older devices and receive this extended support. By default, this is turned off.

 

The policy is here, in your Google Admin Console - https://admin.google.com/ac/chrome/settings/device/details/device_extended_auto_update_enabled_setting_group

 

The reason I think it's off by default, is that it removes support for Android apps and Google Play Store, for those devices. I guess that's a condition of the extended support - they'll support the devices, but not with Android apps. This is fine for us as we're no longer using that feature, but others may need to bear that in mind.

 

You can check your devices against this list for Extended Support - https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/14328032?hl=en - if it has one asterisk * by it, then it's extended support is conditional on the above setting.

[David44]

Thanks for the reminder on this. I was meaning to post on this subject myself. We have an OU set up on our Google domain which has the setting 'Impacted devices are allowed to receive updates during the extended auto-update period' set to 'Allow updates during extended auto-update period' (the only other option being 'Disallow...'. I have moved a few of our HP Chromebooks in to the OU but when I check the device in Google Admin console, it hasn't been opted-in for updates. On the OS tab of the device under Automatic updates, 'Automatic updates until' shows 'Jun 2027' but 'Extended support' shows as 'Disabled. Opt-in is required for extended support. Starts on Jun 2024'.

 

If I sign in to the Chromebook and go to chrome://policy I can see that the 'DeviceExtendedAutoUpdateEnabled' policy is set to true.

 

Maybe I am missing something or maybe the Admin Console only updates when the next LTS version of ChromeOS becomes available (which is what these extended support Chromebooks should be receiving AIUI). Ours are already on version 126 which is the current LTS version.

 

Are other people seeing the same or do your devices get opted-in as soon as they are moved to a relevant OU?

Edited December 10, 2024 by David44

[DavR]

Interesting. Have your devices passed their original support dates, into extended support, yet?

 

I noticed yesterday that despite changing the setting to Allow, it still said 'Disabled - Opt in required' on the device record in Google Admin. Mine don't expire until June 2025 though, so I thought maybe they opt themselves in after the end of mainstream support.

 

Be really interested to hear others experiences in this. Can't help by feel this field should show enabled, after turning on the policy to enable it, the fact that it still says opt in required suggests there's another step we're missing somewhere :/

[PotNoodleTech]

Hmm interesting. it says on the admin page.

 

Chromium name

 

Supported on

 

DeviceExtendedAutoUpdateEnabled

ChromeOS since version 126

 

So does this mean if you have a device on less than 126 as it has not been able to update for a while - it won't be able to pick up new updates even if it is on exended updates list?

[David44]

We have a mixture of devices.

 

We have devices that ended support in June 2024 that have now opted in and show as such in the Google Admin Console and now get updates until June 2027 (although they haven't had any yet, they are still on 126).

We also have devices that end support in June 2026 and despite being in the same OU, they have not opted in to extended support yet. Maybe it's only the devices that have passed support that shows as opted in.

 

As for old devices that are on a version lower than 126, I assume they will still update or in the worst case scenario, you can just upgrade them using recovery media.

[DavR]

Maybe it's only the devices that have passed support that shows as opted in.

 

 

This is my working theory at the moment, and the fact that your expired devices are showing as opted in @David44, but your currently not expired devices are not, would seem to support that.

 

I guess we'll find out in our workspace next June (assuming I remember to look!)

[DavR]

Just an update on this one, as I happen to have just looked at the console for one of my Chromebooks that is on the extended support deal.

 

The Admin Console looks to have been updated to clarify the extended support status of devices. My devices which end mainstream support May/June this year, are now showing as "Extended Support - Enabled - Starts June 2025"

 

Tiny screenshot below:

[Soundman58]

Good Morning,

 I'm having and issue with the opt in for extended chrome updates. I got word from our librarian about a month ago that a cart full of Chromebooks that hadn't been updated since last summer wouldn't update any further. I looked in admin console and saw that they were eligible for extended updates through June of 2027 but that extended updates hadn't been turned on. I turned on the setting to allow extended automatic updates in the top OU of admin console. I've checked all the way down through my OU's and extended support is on all the way down to the device OU that my test Chromebook is in but in admin console this device still says "Disabled :opt in is required for extended support. Starts on June 2024". The Chromebook is on version 126. I've tried manually updating, power washing, restoring from USB, moving it to a different OU with a specified minimum version of 127, just in case it will only move one or two versions at a time, and deprovisioning and re-enrolling. When I do a manual update from the settings it tells me that it's up to date and when I did the OU with the minimum version of 127 I just get an "oops, something went wrong" message. I checked the policy in the Chromebook and the value for extended updates is "true".  Is the issue that I didn't have extended support enabled when the Chromebook aged out of standard updates? This concerns me because we have just begun a 4 year device refresh cycle but most of our current fleet goes into extended support next June and I'm worried about how that is going to play out. 

 

[DavR]

In our experience, I think you just have to leave it a while. I've just been to check on ours, which were expiring May/June 2025, and they're now showing as Extended Support - Enabled with a start date of June 2025. It took quite a while for this to show up, so I don't think it's something you can push through.

 

AFAIK, as long as they're eligible and you've set that setting (and you aren't locked to a specific OS version anywhere) you can just walk away and let Admin Console and device work it out for themselves. Maybe give it a week and see what the console looks like then.

[David44]

I don't think it will update beyond 126 yet as extended support only upgrades to each LTS version (long term stable).

 

Look at this page...

https://chromeos.dev/en/releases

126 is the current LTS version.

 

When 132 becomes the LTS version, it will probably upgrade to that.

That's my understanding anyway.

[paulkerton]

Chrome 132 LTS was released last month.

https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2025/04/long-term-support-lts-channel-for.html

Anything that froze on 126 should be getting 132 at this point, as long as you've opted in.

Edited May 13, 2025 by paulkerton