Google has rolled out a new security update that will make Android phones automatically restart if they remain locked for three straight days.
This update was added on Monday through changes to Google Play services, which support both Android apps and system functions.
The auto-reboot feature was included under the “Security & Privacy” settings. Its purpose is to protect user data by resetting the device if it has not been unlocked for 72 hours.
Once this happens, the phone restarts on its own.
This approach is meant to protect data from being accessed by force.
When a phone is turned off or has not been unlocked since it was turned on, its contents are in a fully protected state, meaning most of the data is unreadable without the user’s passcode.
This period is known in tech terms as the “Before First Unlock” state. In this mode, data is encrypted and cannot be easily retrieved.
However, once a user unlocks the device, certain data becomes easier to access. Forensic tools used by law enforcement, such as those made by Cellebrite or Magnet Forensics, often rely on phones being in this unlocked state, known as the “After First Unlock.”
They can then try to break into the phone or search for loopholes in the system.
Apple had introduced a similar feature for iPhones last year, aiming to improve privacy and protect users from unwanted data access during long periods of inactivity.
Although Google hasn’t explained in detail why it added the new Android reboot setting, it clearly fits into a broader effort to keep user information safer and less vulnerable to tampering when devices are not in use.
