Android phones will now restart every three days

Google has rolled out an update to Google Play Services that will make Android smartphones automatically reboot if they remain locked for three consecutive days.

The feature is designed to improve data security. Until a phone is unlocked for the first time after a reboot, its data remains fully encrypted, making it significantly harder to access without a password. This state is referred to as "Before First Unlock" (BFU). Notably, biometric authentication methods like fingerprint or face recognition are not available in this mode.

Once the phone is unlocked, some data becomes accessible and could potentially be retrieved through password guessing or security vulnerabilities.

Apple has already implemented a similar security measure in iOS 18: iPhones also restart after three days of inactivity and require a passcode instead of Face ID or Touch ID.