As part of the latest Google Play services update, the Search conglomerate has introduced additional security to beef up your Android device. Should you make like the Big Man himself and leave the world (and your device) behind for three or more days, it will automatically initiate a basic reboot, ensuring that the data tucked inside is a bit more difficult to access.
Android’s calling for backup
The security update is set to hit compatible Android devices as soon as this week. These typically happen automatically, meaning you won’t have to seek out Google’s newly introduced security upgrade. The security feature mentioned may take a full week or two to appear on your device, however. Specifically, Google’s version 25.24 patch notes include:
- [Phone] With this feature, your device automatically restarts if locked for 3 consecutive days.
While Google does single out [Phone] in the notes, it should also be implemented on Android tablets with the latest 25.14 Google Play services update, too. Android devices using Android Auto, Wear, TV, and PC are all excluded from the change. We don’t need to tell you why leaving your car on for three days is a bad idea, right?
It should be made clear that this will not implement a full factory reset. This is simply a soft reboot that will return your smartphone and/or tablet to the ‘Before First Unlock’ state, where biometric logins are automatically disabled and the data is encrypted. From here, the device will require a passcode before it returns to its original state.
