Your Android phone now auto-restarts if it's been locked for three days

16 April 2025
It's a security feature that Google is rolling out through a Google Play Services update.

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  • Anonymous
  • srr
  • 16 Apr 2025

Anonymous, 16 Apr 2025Just info what their built-in SoC or SELinux can do ! :)) If Revolut can work without Spywares, that's the Benchmark for the rest of the Industry. I actually wait EU Commission to start demonopolizing Location Services for the rest of the sanity.

    • ?
    • Anonymous
    • srr
    • 16 Apr 2025

    Anonymous, 16 Apr 2025Kinda creepy that Google can update your OS via Google Play... moreJust info what their built-in SoC or SELinux can do ! :))

      Ami, 16 Apr 2025Fortunately, it is an optional feature. Security & P... moreGood find.
      Sometimes the comment section is more useful the article itself.

        • ?
        • Anonymous
        • PxE
        • 16 Apr 2025

        J, 16 Apr 2025After seeing the outrage about this... are there really tha... moreOld folks
        Some old folks that's not too tech savy
        And some "emergency phone" that like the extra phone that replace the landline that always at home and only connect to WiFi and only call through whatsapp or telegram or wechat

          • ?
          • Anonymous
          • JH2
          • 16 Apr 2025

          J, 16 Apr 2025After seeing the outrage about this... are there really tha... moreQuestion should be:

          If my phone gets stolen and deactivates itself after 72 hours, can I locate it?

            • ?
            • Anonymous
            • upi
            • 16 Apr 2025

            Dimi68, 16 Apr 2025I don't use any password or unlock features So what then!!Same here

              I don't use any password or unlock features
              So what then!!

                • ?
                • Anonymous
                • fCC
                • 16 Apr 2025

                my phone running android 7 restarts everyday. It's more advanced

                  I will delete play store and services.. and keep just samsung shop

                    From now on I will be buying android phone from aliexpress with china version

                      • J
                      • J
                      • d@v
                      • 16 Apr 2025

                      After seeing the outrage about this... are there really that many people who don't unlock their phones for 72 hours? Genuinely curious.

                        • ?
                        • Anonymous
                        • p1g
                        • 16 Apr 2025

                        Kinda creepy that Google can update your OS via Google Play Services.

                          • A
                          • Ami
                          • myn
                          • 16 Apr 2025

                          Fortunately, it is an optional feature.

                          Security & Privacy
                          [Phone] Enables a future optional security feature, which will automatically restart your device if locked for 3 consecutive days.

                          https://support.google.com/product-documentation/answer/14343500

                            • ?
                            • Anonymous
                            • YUU
                            • 16 Apr 2025

                            Welcome to iOS feature 😎
                            Opss.. Wrong one 🤭🤭🤭

                              • ?
                              • Anonymous
                              • nD$
                              • 16 Apr 2025

                              I had my phone programmed to reboot every 1 week, this makes it actually worst for security because will be come world wide known information and a bad actor will try to extract data in the 1st 3 days of having your phone basically making my trick useless

                                • ?
                                • Anonymous
                                • vGN
                                • 16 Apr 2025

                                It is an OPTIONAL feature (source: Google's official release notes). GSMArena, I didn't expect you to put such a clickbait title that misleads us into thinking all our phones would restart whether we like it or not.

                                  nemesis8, 16 Apr 2025my poco already declines fingerprint unlock every 72hrs, fo... moreThis is different.
                                  The current features utilized by many OEMs are simply disabling biometrics every 72 hours, regardless of how you use your phone. The phone OS itself is still running.

                                  This Google feature actually reboots the phone. This puts the phone into the pre-boot up state where the system is not completely loaded as the phone is waiting for the first passcode unlock to decrypt its data.

                                    • ?
                                    • Anonymous
                                    • PxE
                                    • 16 Apr 2025

                                    DarlingYext, 16 Apr 2025"Xiaomi employs a near similar feature that doesn'... moreI hate this feature a lot.
                                    I hate when this happened and I need the phone to do something.
                                    Example, paying with phone, need phone for verification, etc.

                                      • ?
                                      • Anonymous
                                      • PxE
                                      • 16 Apr 2025

                                      ☠️☠️☠️🤯🤯🤯
                                      I really hope it can be opt out
                                      Reason: Some "emergency" only phone that not used much by eldery will become unreachable.

                                      I already hate that Google require every now and then we must use our password
                                      Especially when it happened in "bad" situation

                                        I just hope there will be a way to turn it off, because this is simply an awful feature.