The scariest part of your device getting stolen isn’t that you’ll have to break the bank by buying a new one—it’s the fear of someone breaking into it and accessing your private data. Luckily, Android devices are getting a new security feature that’ll make this a lot harder.

Your Android Device Will Now Reboot After 3 Days of Inactivity

As first reported by 9to5Google, Android is launching a new security feature that will force your device to automatically reboot if it remains locked for three consecutive days. This feature is part of April’s Google Play Services update, and can be found under the Security & Privacy section:

[Phone] Enables a future optional security feature, which will automatically restart your device if locked for 3 consecutive days.

Whenever your Android device reboots, it automatically enters a Before First Unlock (BFU) state, which is essentially a security state your phone is in before you’ve entered your PIN or used biometrics, during which all your device’s data is encrypted and inaccessible. In this state, you can’t use biometrics (Face ID or fingerprint) to unlock your device, leaving you with the option to either enter your device’s PIN or use the pattern to unlock it (if you have one).

You might have noticed a message like Unlock for all features and data appearing on your Android device after a reboot before, which is exactly what will happen during this security state.

Since the Google Play service’s release notes explicitly mention “Phone,” it’s assumed that the feature will also extend to tablets, while categories like Auto, PC TV, and Wear will likely be excluded.

Whenever a feature like this is released, one of the first questions that comes up is whether your data will be wiped completely if it’s ever triggered. Don’t worry, it won’t be. This feature is nowhere near the same as a “device reset,” and your apps, files, and settings will remain intact. The reboot simply restarts the phone to put it into a more secure state, ensuring it can’t be accessed until you unlock it yourself.

Related

11 Essential Tips I Use to Keep My Android Phone Secure

Be mindful and be secure.

This “new” Android feature isn’t exactly novel, though. Apple introduced the same feature with iOS 18.1, called inactivity reboot, which triggers iPhones to restart after being left idle for four days. Sounds pretty similar, right?

Unfortunately, Google hasn’t shared too many details, and it’s unclear whether the feature is being rolled out to select Android devices or all of them, or when exactly the Google Play Services 25.14 update will be released.

More importantly, there’s no word on whether the feature will be enabled by default for everyone, or if users will have the option to opt in or out. Regardless, it’s definitely a feature we’re glad to see added,