← Glossary Term
Patch gap
The window between a security fix becoming public and that fix reaching users' devices.
When software makers fix a security hole, the fix often becomes visible in public code or test builds before it reaches everyone’s phone, browser or router. The time in between is the patch gap. During that window the bug is fixed on paper but still open in practice for anyone who has not updated.
It matters more now because a fix is also a clue. Anyone, or any AI model, can read it and work out where the original flaw was. Faster releases and automatic updates are the simplest way to shrink the gap, which is why turning on automatic updates is such good advice.
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