There’s something good coming our way to Android phones. If a phone is left untouched for three days, it will auto reboot. That’s to safeguard your phone’s data. When three days (or 72 hours) of inactivity is triggered, the device will restart on its own and enter what’s known as the “Before First Unlock” (BFU) state. Due to which, user data will remain encrypted and inaccessible until correct PIN, pattern, or password is entered.
Upcoming auto-reboot on Android devices stays fully optional
But until now, we were aware that there’s no option to enable or disable this feature. Turns out, there actually is. Android Authority reports that Google has quietly clarified that the auto-reboot setting is optional, not mandatory. The company updated the description in its Google System Release Notes. The pdated description reflects that this is a future security feature that users can turn on if they want. So if you rely on your device for background tasks or don’t want unexpected reboots, there’s no need to worry.
The feature appears to be linked to Advanced Protection Mode, a new setting in Android 16 for high-security users. This mode enables apps and system functions to recognize when someone is enrolled in Google’s Advanced Protection Program.
While most users may not need this feature, it could prove valuable for those worried about physical tampering or unauthorized access. If someone takes your Android device and it remains unused for a few days, the system will auto-reboot and revert to a secure state.
Google hasn’t shared an official release date yet, but the feature is clearly in development. When it does arrive, it’ll be a welcome addition — especially for those managing multiple devices. And in case you missed it, Apple has already rolled out a similar feature in iOS 18, and it’s also available on GrapheneOS.
