Your Android phone obtains a new secret weapon of safety – and it’s a big problem


Kerry Wan / Zdnet

A new Google safety feature means that Android devices could soon start to restart automatically – and this is not a bad thing. In A recent update of Google Play servicesGoogle details how your Android phone will restart soon if you have not used it for three consecutive days.

How restarts help

This is important for two reasons. The first is because, to open a phone after restarting, you must enter a pin – no biometrics or other unlocking method. Access to PIN only means that the phone and data on this are more difficult to access to anyone with bad intentions. If you are one of the people who use a phone without any A kind of unlocking protection, it is an important safety layer.

Also: why restart your phone daily is your best defense against zero attacks click

The second reason is a little more technical, but just as important. Mobile phones have Two locking states: Before the first locking (BFU) and after the first lock (AFU). In BFU, information and files on a phone is solidly encrypted and completely inaccessible, even with complex extraction programs.

It also means that the authorities who have entered a phone as proof, such as local police or the FBI, will have a shorter window to access the device before becoming much more difficult.

Also: Biometrics vs pass codes: what lawyers recommend if you worry about telephone research without a mandate

A BFU phone remains connected to Wi-Fi or mobile data, which means that if you lose your phone and restart, you can always use location search services.

Apple presented a similar functionality for iPhones last year.

Exceed

This new feature is one of the version notes in the Google April 2025 system. It would also apply to tablets, but would not apply to portable devices such as the Pixel watch, TVs or Android car devices.

Also: How to reset the factory of your Android phone without unlocking it first

Google has not said if you will be able to switch this functionality or modify the restart period.

Since this feature is part of the Google Play services, you will see it without your phone going through a full system update.

Get the best morning stories in your reception box every day with our Newsletter Tech Today.



Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *