BlackBerry Android phone owners should be on the lookout for the May security update, which BlackBerry is rolling out to select devices right now. BlackBerry’s entire Android lineup is presumably on board, including the DTEK60, DTEK50, Priv, and KEYone. It should be noted, however, that the only variants of these devices that are set to receive the update right now are unlocked ones bought from BlackBerry’s official online store. Those with carrier variants will have to wait for their carrier to get the update out to them. This patch includes a large number of crucial fixes, and can be checked for, downloaded, and applied in the same way as any other update.
The May security patch for BlackBerry owners is not strictly the same update that Google pushed out. While Google’s patch was produced in collaboration with Qualcomm and contains well over 100 vulnerability fixes, BlackBerry’s customized update focuses on fixes and tweaks that specifically affect BlackBerry devices, while leaving out many patches and fixes that are geared toward Nexus and Pixel devices. Fixes that are meant to address core Android vulnerabilities and issues, of course, are intact in this patch. The same goes for issues that would affect multiple devices, such as issues with Qualcomm and Broadcom hardware. The vulnerabilities being fixed here range from your run of the mill privilege escalation exploit to far more critical and sinister security issues. Interestingly, it doesn’t look like BlackBerry contributed any patches of their own this month; this update is simply Google’s security bulletin, but with updates that wouldn’t affect BlackBerry devices taken out.
Checking for the update can be done by going into the About Device heading inside your settings menu, then clicking the relevant option. All unlocked BlackBerry Android devices bought from BlackBerry’s online shop should have the update available, so if you fall into that crop and can’t see the update yet, rebooting your device may do the trick. This patch is rather large, so take caution to make sure that you have a good battery in your device with at least 80% of its charge intact, or your device is on a charger – turning off the device or losing power in the middle of the update could result in erratic function, data loss, or even the device becoming inoperable.