Android new security feature: If your phone has been locked for 3 days, it will.....

April Google system update: Users of Samsung Galaxy devices, be advised that a new function is coming out that may surprise you if you're not aware of it. Google has launched an automated restart feature for phones that are locked and unusable for three days in a row in collaboration with manufacturers such as Samsung.

Although it may initially seem concerning, the goal of this update is to secure your data and device further. This is a development you should fully comprehend whether you frequently lose your phone or simply enjoy keeping up with the most recent software updates.

In this article, we explain everything you need to know about this latest update.

Google update for Android smartphones: What is it all about?

Google is rolling out this change as part of the Google Play services update | Credit: Canva

Google is presently rolling out the most recent method by which the manufacturer of Android can release some updates apart from the OS updates, and that's precisely what's taking place right now.

If your Android phone has been locked for three days in a row, it will automatically restart after it has received the most recent Google Play Services update, which is 25.14.

Thanks to this security feature, the phone will enter its "Before First Unlock" state after the auto-reboot. Data is encrypted and more difficult to access in this state than when the phone is in its "After First Unlock" state, which occurs after you input your passcode on any restart.

It's good to see Google adopting a similar functionality to the one Apple introduced last year in iOS 18.1 (named Inactivity Reboot there). Wear OS devices won't be able to use this, but Android phones and tablets will.

A device passcode will be needed to gain access to all features

After a restart, the phone enters a security mode where data is inaccessible unless you enter the unlock pattern or PIN | Credit: Canva

When the device is rebooted, it enters a stage known as "BFU," or Before First Unlock, where the encryption of the data is significantly stronger. In order to restore access to all features, users must input the device's PIN and turn off biometric unlocking.

Instead of waiting for a Samsung firmware upgrade, this capability is being made available to all Android smartphones via the most recent Google Play services update. Verify whether the auto-reboot feature has been added by checking the Google Play services version on your device, which is 25.14.

It is comparable to the "Inactivity Reboot" feature that Apple introduced to iPhones with iOS 18.1. iPhones that are left locked for four days in a row will automatically restart, thanks to this feature.

Although the most recent version's change log only refers to "phone," it is reasonable to believe that Android tablets will likewise be protected similarly but not other device types like TVs and wearables with Android.

Though in reality, you already need to input the device passcode after rebooting in order to enable all functions, including biometric access, it's unclear if your Galaxy phone would alert you when it has rebooted automatically.

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