Android phones will soon reboot if they’re locked for a few days

Android is launching a caller information diagnostic that volition unit devices to reboot themselves if you haven’t unlocked them for a while, making it harder for different radical to entree the information inside. The diagnostic included successful the latest Google Play services update says that Android phones volition automatically restart “if locked for 3 consecutive days,” requiring users to participate their passcode the adjacent clip they privation to unfastened the device.

As 9to5Google notes, this update should use to some Android phones and tablets, but volition exclude different instrumentality categories similar Auto, TV, and WearOS. The reboot relation — not to beryllium confused with a instrumentality reset that returns it to mill settings — puts phones and tablets into a Before First Unlock (BFU) authorities that encrypts information files and disables biometric login enactment until the instrumentality PIN has been entered.

Apple introduced a akin iPhone “Inactivity Reboot” diagnostic successful iOS 18.1 that triggers a instrumentality restart aft 4 days of being locked.

We’ve asked Google to clarify erstwhile the Google Play services 25.14 update volition beryllium rolling out, and which Android devices volition enactment the caller auto-reboot feature. These Android diagnostic drops tin typically instrumentality a week oregon 2 to appear.

It’s unclear if devices volition notify users wherefore an automatic reboot has occurred, though Android phones already show a connection connected the PIN surface if users request to participate their passcode to afloat unlock the instrumentality aft a reboot.