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Pretty much everyone understands that modern electronics receive regular updates, introducing new features or critical security patches for potential vulnerabilities. Everything from your smartphone to your computer or laptop, game consoles, and even smart home devices like smart switches or smart bulbs receive updates. People tend to forget or ignore updates on certain devices longer than they should, though. There are two types of updates that you need to know about: firmware updates and software updates. The terms are sometimes used interchangeably, which can get confusing, but they are definitely two different things.
Both types of update packages are designed to enhance, improve, or modify the existing software on your devices. But the types of software they target are distinct. You can think of firmware as hardware-tethered software designed to control and facilitate the use of your device. It contains all the core functions and instructions your device needs to operate and is generally stored on non-volatile memory, like internal ROM or flash memory. Firmware is considered to be embedded with the hardware itself and is not accessible by the user — you can’t invoke firmware or interact with it directly. Software, on the other hand, includes the applications you have installed on those devices — games, word processing tools, camera apps, etc. Software updates are often downloaded and installed for core software packages that reside on a hard drive or SSD, versus the internal ROM.
The simplest way to put it is that firmware updates address the core system while software updates usually address user interactions and experiences. Your router or smart plug might receive firmware updates to improve the system performance or fix security issues. Your favorite mobile apps instead receive software updates, which might introduce new features that you’ll actually see.
Why does it matter which is which?
Because firmware and software updates are different and address different needs, there are some devices that get both, so it’s easy to neglect one or the other. For example, your phone or computer might receive critical firmware updates — one example for computers is BIOS, or Basic Input/Output System– that you miss, despite installing important software updates for your most used applications through an app store. A device may need updates for one or the other, or it may need both.
Your router is another example. A router can receive firmware updates for the hardware, while the app you use to connect to it receives separate software updates. Most phones and smart home devices support wireless firmware updates, often downloaded and installed automatically through an app or over the internet to make it easy. With other devices, you may need to update manually, transferring the update package to a flash drive or memory card first and then using that to install on your device. The best way to understand the firmware update process for any gadget is to review the original user manual or the manufacturer’s support documentation.
The biggest takeaway is this: you should keep an eye on both firmware and software updates and install them whenever available, especially if they offer critical security fixes. That’s also why you should always update your TV’s software, and the software on other devices you use. Do note that if you’re dealing with something like an Android system update, there may be some cleanup to do afterwards, like clearing the system cache.
