Google clarifies: Android auto-restart security feature isn't live yet

Yesterday a deep dive into the latest release of Google Play Services revealed that it's coming with a new security feature, which auto-restarts your phone if it's been locked for three consecutive days.

However, Google has now clarified that this isn't live yet, as it doesn't have a user interface at the moment. That will arrive with a later update, and when it does finally become available, it will be an opt-in feature, so it won't be turned on by default, you will have to go into Settings and manually do it yourself if you want it.

It's unclear when exactly this will get a UI and will be actually usable, but hopefully sooner, rather than later. Apple has baked something similar into iOS 18.1 last year, and especially if it's opt-in, there's no harm in having it.

Once it lands, if you turn it on, it will auto-restart your Android phone or tablet when it's been locked (thus, on but unused) for 72 hours in a row, then putting it into its "Before First Unlock" state, where data is encrypted and harder to access than it is if the phone is in the "After First Unlock" state which is where it goes after you've entered your passcode upon any restart.

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