Updates can be vexing. There you are, just minding your own business or, even worse, working, when all of a sudden your browser or your entire system decides it is time to update. Yes, it’s done in a few minutes, but that’s a few minutes when you can’t do anything and they always change the layout so you have to learn the thing all over again.
Well, it’s not actually like that. Updates are a very important part of keeping the browser (and any other piece of software) not only functional but efficient as well. Here are a few reasons to keep your browser and plug-ins up to date.
Security
Everything changes over time and nowhere is it more apparent than in the world of technology. That means that the attacks on personal computers have become more elaborate. Even now, people are losing personal data because of phishing attacks and unwittingly visiting malicious websites.
You may think that all you need is your trusty antivirus and you can browse the web in peace. However, to add some security to your internet stroll, it is important to update your browser. Every update comes with solutions to anticipated problems. For example, you may have noticed your browser warning you not to visit a site, because it seems suspicious. The older your browser is, the more likely it is to be attacked.
Convenience
The quality of the content we see online improves all the time. You can now watch certain YouTube videos on your big screen TV in HD, whereas up until relatively recently 480p was the dream come true. Web design, text fonts, and video players – all of these are striving for improvement. If you choose not to update your browser (though, it is often that this process is done automatically), you might miss out on many awesome things.
For example, the older browsers don’t support HTML5, which makes it easy to embed videos into web pages. Before that, we had to rely on plug-ins like the Flash Player. That same player is getting decommissioned in 2019. Why update? To enjoy the content.
Bugs and Errors
No browser is perfect, though the users of Firefox 68.0.1 and Chrome 76.0.3809.100 might have a few words on the subject. There are constant problems of different kinds, so it is important to keep updated to get the latest bug fixes. Every new version is much more user-friendly and more oriented towards operating efficiently.
Chrome and Firefox are the most popular web browsers at the time of writing this piece, followed closely by Opera and Microsoft Edge. Safari and Vivaldi are also used fairly frequently, whereas the Internet Explorer is still joked about on the internet.