Google has significantly changed its monthly Android security updates.

Recent Android Security Bulletins (ASB) have shown a change: the July release had no listed security vulnerabilities for Pixel phones, but the September update included 119. Google has modified the monthly ASBs, of which there are two types. The public bulletin is released on the first Monday of each month.

A private ASB is also distributed to phone manufacturers and chip suppliers 30 days before the public one. This allows them time to test the patches before they are announced publicly.

Not all Android phones get monthly security patches; lower-end models may receive them quarterly, bi-annually, or not at all. These devices are more vulnerable to exploitation, risking personal data theft. To address this, Google is implementing a "Risk-Based Update System" (RBUS) for the Android Security Bulletin.

Google will now only release monthly information about "high-risk" vulnerabilities, with the majority of fixes delivered quarterly. High-risk vulnerabilities are defined as critical issues needing immediate attention, such as those actively exploited or part of an exploit chain, where attackers link vulnerabilities to gain control of a phone's system.

This "high risk" classification differs from the "critical" or "high-severity" ratings in ASBs.

The updated ASB release plan may simplify monthly updates for phone manufacturers, potentially leading to more frequent security patches for some phones. Manufacturers can concentrate on larger quarterly updates and limit monthly releases to high-risk vulnerabilities.

Under the new plan, some monthly bulletins, like July's for the Pixel, may list no vulnerabilities, although that update included two functional patches, which fix bugs that hinder feature functionality. Security patches address flaws that could be exploited.

While the July bulletin showed no security patches for Pixel, Samsung's July report included 17 Samsung Vulnerabilities and Exposures (SVE) fixes, as well as several issues patched by Samsung Semiconductor.

Many phone users may not closely follow monthly security releases. Pixel users often focus more on quarterly Feature Drops than monthly security updates. Functional patches are also highly anticipated, while security patches offer less immediately noticeable changes.

Regardless of update frequency, installing security updates promptly is crucial. Timely installation protects Android phones from potential security breaches.

In other news, "Iconic Phones: Revolution at Your Fingertips," a coffee table book about the 21st century's tech revolution, will be released in a few months.