Summary:\u00a0Google is adding an auto-restart feature to Android devices to improve their security. This feature will force Android devices to restart automatically if they have been locked for a certain number of days in a row. After the reboot, a PIN or password will be required to lock the device.
\nGoogle is beefing up security on Android with yet another new method of bolstering the protection against thieves, by way of an auto-restart feature for devices after they\u2019ve been locked beyond a certain length of time. While this is in no way the same thing, Google\u2019s new security feature reminds me of people\u2019s online accounts being deleted after they\u2019ve been dormant and unused for a while.
\nThat\u2019s not really the concept here, save for the action happening after breaching that threshold of a certain number of days. But it does draw attention to the fact that Google thinks having a time barrier could be a good way to further secure devices. Google\u2019s new security feature, which is being pushed in an update to Google Play Services, is intended to put a phone back into the state of security before the device has been unlocked for the first time.
\nThis happens after every time the phone is rebooted, forcing the user to input a passcode to unlock all features. Google also won\u2019t be the first to implement something of this nature. As 9To5Google notes, Apple added an inactivity feature in 2024 with iOS 18.1, and GrapheneOS also offers a similar reboot lock.
\nTo bolster security, Android phones will now auto-restart after three days of being locked
\nThis feature isn\u2019t live yet because the update to Google Play Services isn\u2019t live, but this is what you can expect after Google rolls it out. According to the report, Android phones will now auto-restart if they\u2019ve been locked for three days. Specifically, three consecutive days. Google is implementing this feature as a means to protect phones that have either been lost or stolen.
\nAs it\u2019s more likely that a phone would stay locked for three consecutive days in situations like theft. Users shouldn\u2019t experience any issues with this if they\u2019re actively using a device. Why? Because you\u2019ll be constantly locking and unlocking your phone throughout the day. That being said, this is something to pay attention to if you have multiple phones. Say, a work phone, or just a backup you keep on in case something happens to your primary device.
\nIf you\u2019re not using that other device as much, then you may encounter an auto-restart. Still, it\u2019s a small price to pay if it means your device is better protected.
\nDevices locked with this method will require a password or PIN
\nOnce a device is rebooted automatically, it will enter what\u2019s called a \u201cBefore First Unlock\u201d state. The user will then be required to enter a PIN or password to fully unlock the device. Biometrics will not be accepted until this is done. After the PIN or password is entered correctly, biometrics should work fine from that point forward.
\nBut with the BFU state in place, thieves would likely have a harder time getting into a phone. As mentioned earlier, it\u2019s not clear when this update is going out. Google could be rolling it out already, and it\u2019s possible it may not have started yet. Either way, it should be available over the next week or two.
\nThe post Android’s new auto-restart feature fights thieves with time limits appeared first on Android Headlines.
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\nSource: ndroidheadlines.com
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