When will Android updates end for your Nexus device? Google has made it easier to find out

Over eight months after Android 6.0 Marshmallow was released, just 10.1% of active devices are now running that version. Meanwhile, the next major update - known for now as Android N - is already in development, and on track to be released this summer.

Even many of the newest devices are often left waiting for months on end for the latest Android updates to arrive - but of course, those who purchase Google's Nexus devices generally don't have to endure such hassle, as they're usually the very first to receive any new Android version.

But for just how long can users can expect to continue receiving updates to their Nexus devices?

Google has now made it easier for users to get the answer to that question, publishing details on its Nexus support site:

There are a couple of things to be aware of here. First of all, the dates above aren't absolutes - Google only says that OS updates will not be 'guaranteed' after those end-dates have passed. That means, for example, that the Nexus 9 could well get a further OS update beyond October 2016 - but that will be at the discretion of both Google and HTC, which manufactured the device.

Google says that Android OS updates are guaranteed for Nexus devices "for at least two years from when the devices became available on the Google Store". That echoes a commitment that Google made last August, when it announced the launch of its monthly security updates for Nexus devices.

Nexus devices enjoy longer support when it comes to security patches than for OS updates. Google says that it will provide security updates to Nexus devices "for the longer of 3 years from availability or 18 months from when the Google Store last sold the device".

Curiously, neither the Nexus 6 or Nexus Player are mentioned in the table above - both of those were 'showcase' devices for Android 5.0 Lollipop, and were unveiled in October 2014 alongside the Nexus 9.

Source: Nexus support (Google) via Android Police