Your Galaxy phone will now restart automatically if locked for three days

A new security feature has been introduced to Android through the latest Google Play services update version 25.14. It will automatically restart phones that have been kept locked for three consecutive days.

This new feature applies across the board to all Android devices, including Samsung Galaxy phones. It's going to make it a lot harder for someone to access the data on your phone if it's left unattended for more than 72 hours.

Rebooting the device puts it into “BFU” or Before First Unlock state where data has much stronger encryption. Biometric unlock is also disabled and users must enter the device PIN to regain access to all functionality.

This feature is being rolled out to all Android devices through the latest Google Play services update, so you won't need to wait for a firmware update from Samsung. Check the Google Play services version on your device to confirm if it has arrived, version 25.14 brings the auto-reboot feature.

The feature is similar to “Inactivity Reboot” that Apple brought to iPhones with iOS 18.1. The feature automatically restarts iPhones if they're kept locked for four consecutive days.

Even though the change log of the latest version only mentions “phone,” it's safe to assume that similar protection will also be implemented on Android tablets, but not on other device categories like Android-powered wearable devices and TVs.

It's unclear whether your Galaxy phone will notify when it has rebooted automatically, though in practice, you already need to enter the device passcode after reboot to unlock all features, including biometric access.