Google Borrows An IOS Feature To Improve Your Android Phone’s Security

Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority

We recently learned that Google was working on a new security feature for Android devices that would trigger an automatic reboot if the devices remain locked for three consecutive days. We first spotted evidence of the auto-reboot feature in a teardown late last month, with strings related to the feature suggesting it could arrive as part of Android 16’s Advanced Protection Mode. However, Google is rolling it out earlier than expected.

Google has included the new auto-reboot feature in the latest Google Play services update (version 25.14). As per the release notes on Google’s Play System updates page, the feature will automatically restart your device if it remains “locked for 3 consecutive days.” This new security feature works much like the auto-reboot feature in privacy-focused GrapheneOS and the Inactivity Reboot feature in iOS 18.1.

9to5Google explains it will put your device in a more secure Before First Unlock (BFU) state. In this state, all the data on your phone is encrypted and difficult to access as you haven’t entered your passcode after the reboot. In contrast, your data could be easier to access if you’ve entered your passcode after a reboot and the device is in the After First Unlock (AFU) state. Therefore, by automatically rebooting your device if it remains locked for three days, the feature will make it more challenging for malefactors to access your data in case your device is stolen.

Although Google has started rolling out the latest Google Play services update, it may be a while before the new auto-reboot feature reaches your device. We expect Google to share more details about the feature, like the supported Android versions, closer to the rollout.

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