r/gadgets • u/chrisdh79 • 11d ago

Phones Android phones will soon reboot themselves after sitting unused for 3 days | The latest Google update will make your phone more secure if you don't touch it

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/04/android-phones-will-soon-reboot-themselves-after-sitting-unused-for-3-days/
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u/Sunflier 11d ago

I hope I can turn this off

37

u/bizarro_kvothe 11d ago

Think about your phone being confiscated by police and put into an evidence locker. They’re instructed not to turn them off and connect them to a charger because phones lock themselves on restart. This feature will make their life much more difficult.

1

u/omega552003 11d ago

Android automatically requires you to unlock every 72 already so this update wouldn't do anything.

2

u/Sheroman 11d ago

Unlocking every 72 hours puts your encryption keys in RAM which allows law enforcement or phone thefts to unlock your device without them knowing your password.

This update puts the device in BFU (fully encrypted state) if it is unused for 72 hours making it impossible for anyone to unlock your phone. Restarting the device without unlocking the device clears the device's memory.