Has Tesco killed off its Hudl tablet?

I want to warn Tesco Hudl tablet users that the retailer has withdrawn software support which means if you try to restore your tablet to factory settings, it will not restart and is, in effect, useless.

The problem first emerged in January and, until now, Tesco has claimed to be working on a fix. But it has just announced via Twitter that “Hudl 1 and the first edition Hudl 2 have reached the end of life. This means the update that has been put in place will not fix the issue you’re seeing, we’re afraid.”

This is a potential disaster, and yet Tesco has said almost nothing formally. Hudl tablets have been really successful, and there is still a buoyant second-hand market as they are easy to use, fast and powerful.

For Tesco to kill off the majority in a single blow, without any warning, is not right. Surely it should have made a public announcement before pulling the plug or advising Hudl 2 owners that, if they want to keep their tablets running, they must update to the Android 5.1 Lollipop version before a certain date.

ALC, by email

This could affect a lot of users – the £119 tablet was a big seller between 2013 and 2015, as customers were offered a decent, cheaper alternative to the iPad. Your tablet will continue to work as normal as long as you do nothing – so don’t try to restore it to factory settings or update its operating system.

Given that there could be as many as 500,000 still in use, it is surprising that Tesco had not formally said anything about this issue that has caused considerable anger among users. However, Tesco tells us that it has not switched off the Hudl servers. Newer versions of Hudl 2 devices can be fixed, and it is working on a solution for older models.

“We’re aware of a technical issue affecting a number of Hudl users and apologise to customers for any inconvenience caused. We have already fixed the issue for the majority of those who have contacted us and are urgently working on resolving any outstanding queries.”

If yours has been bricked and you can’t wait, the Amazon Fire tablets are a great, good-value alternative.

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