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Summary: Google is adding an auto-restart feature to Android devices to improve their security. This feature will force Android devices to restart automatically if they have been locked for a certain number of days in a row. After the reboot, a PIN or password will be required to lock the device.
Google is beefing up security on Android with yet another new method of bolstering the protection against thieves, by way of an auto-restart feature for devices after they’ve been locked beyond a certain length of time. While this is in no way the same thing, Google’s new security feature reminds me of people’s online accounts being deleted after they’ve been dormant and unused for a while.
That’s not really the concept here, save for the action happening after breaching that threshold of a certain number of days. But it does draw attention to the fact that Google thinks having a time barrier could be a good way to further secure devices. Google’s new security feature, which is being pushed in an update to Google Play Services, is intended to put a phone back into the state of security before the device has been unlocked for the first time.
This happens after every time the phone is rebooted, forcing the user to input a passcode to unlock all features. Google also won’t be the first to implement something of this nature. As 9To5Google notes, Apple added an inactivity feature in 2024 with iOS 18.1, and GrapheneOS also offers a similar reboot lock.
To bolster security, Android phones will now auto-restart after three days of being locked
This feature isn’t live yet because the update to Google Play Services isn’t live, but this is what you can expect after Google rolls it out. According to the report, Android phones will now auto-restart if they’ve been locked for three days. Specifically, three consecutive days. Google is implementing this feature as a means to protect phones that have either been lost or stolen.
As it’s more likely that a phone would stay locked for three consecutive days in situations like theft. Users shouldn’t experience any issues with this if they’re actively using a device. Why? Because you’ll be constantly locking and unlocking your phone throughout the day. That being said, this is something to pay attention to if you have multiple phones. Say, a work phone, or just a backup you keep on in case something happens to your primary device.
If you’re not using that other device as much, then you may encounter an auto-restart. Still, it’s a small price to pay if it means your device is better protected.
Devices locked with this method will require a password or PIN
Once a device is rebooted automatically, it will enter what’s called a “Before First Unlock” state. The user will then be required to enter a PIN or password to fully unlock the device. Biometrics will not be accepted until this is done. After the PIN or password is entered correctly, biometrics should work fine from that point forward.
But with the BFU state in place, thieves would likely have a harder time getting into a phone. As mentioned earlier, it’s not clear when this update is going out. Google could be rolling it out already, and it’s possible it may not have started yet. Either way, it should be available over the next week or two.