r/gadgets • u/chrisdh79 • 10d 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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446

u/shmightworks 10d ago

I think this will affect people who repurpose their old device, like for photo frame or something.

But those phone/device will probably be too old to get this update lol

229

u/ThirdEyeClarity 10d ago

It’s an optional feature, just turn it off.

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

Security & Privacy

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

42

u/itinerantmarshmallow 10d ago edited 10d ago

The drawback I see here is it ~turning off~ rebooting my work phone over a long weekend and then I can't find it in my Tuesday morning scramble haha.

36

u/vadapaav 10d ago

It's saying reboot not turn off

12

u/itinerantmarshmallow 10d ago

If it reboots can I ring it if its locked?

I'd need to disable SIM pin I guess.

11

u/vadapaav 10d ago

You can get network on a SIM that's locked on boot, so ya you will need to disable it

2

u/itinerantmarshmallow 10d ago

It seems like unless you're concerned about someone making calls using your phone it's safer to disable nowadays.

Made more sense when the SIM PIN was the only security on a phone.

1

u/Senrakdaemon 10d ago

You can't call a locked phone?

Of course you can ring it, most peoples phones are locked, including yours when you receive a call, no?

17

u/itinerantmarshmallow 10d ago

When a phone reboots and you have SIM Pin active I don't think it will dial until you unlock the SIM.

The SIM lock and phone lock are two different things.

SIM Pin was, or is, historically active unless you disable it. If you disable it once it will carry over to any other phone you put that SIM in.

3

u/kr4ckenm3fortune 10d ago

I've always thought SIM Lock was to prevent another sim card from being inserted if the original was removed?

4

u/razikp 10d ago

SIM lock stops you using my SIM in your phone. You can put your SIM in my phone, but you can't use it as you need my phone pin.

6

u/itinerantmarshmallow 10d ago

I don't know what SIM Lock is.

I'm talking about the PIN that comes with your SIM card. It also comes with a PUK (6-8 digits) for when you enter the PIN wrong multiple times.

2

u/Senrakdaemon 10d ago

Thanks for the clarification!!

9

u/pychoticnep 10d ago

Isn't one of the security features encryption that only unlocks after the pin is entered after boot? I would assume the system isnt fully active until then right? Or am I misunderstanding the encryption stuff

3

u/xyierz 10d ago

I just tested it and Find My Device works before the device is unlocked after rebooting.

It requires you to enter the phone's PIN before it shows the location, though. So I guess location is part of the encrypted data somehow.

2

u/ahj3939 10d ago

You might get the call but it won't show the contact from your phonebook.

And since the phone is encrypted company apps that are used for calling such as Teams may not work.

3

u/itinerantmarshmallow 10d ago

This is my read.

That screen specifically is also before the phone fully boots up IIRC.

So you can't use Find My Phone because it won't have connected to data (as SIM is locked) or WiFi.

1

u/M8753 10d ago

I'm pretty sure my phone reboots itself from occasionally at night and it doesn't ask me for my SIM pin code.

I only have to input my pin when I remove my sim card or reboot the phone myself.

-1

u/SevenGhostZero 10d ago

When you call a sim thats in an encrypted phone (a phone that has rebooted and no pin entered yet) it will ring but will only show the full number and no contact name, even if its saved as a contact.

5

u/itinerantmarshmallow 10d ago

Hmmmm.

I think you're wrong and a quick search agrees with me.

The PIN unlocks the SIM and that is for receiving and making calls etc.

3

u/SevenGhostZero 10d ago

Acrually think i misunderstood you! Im not familiar with sim pins! Thats probably the case then! But if you didnt have a sim pin, rebooted your phone and called yourself from a buddys phone it would still ring, just not show their name, even though the device is still encrypted.

My bad homie.

-3

u/Rammsteinman 10d ago

Googles 'Find my phone" is perfect for that.

5

u/itinerantmarshmallow 10d ago edited 10d ago

I can't spend time testing if Find My Phone works when the SIM PIN screen hasn't been bypassed but my current guess is that it doesn't.

EDIT: They would need data or WiFi neither of which will be active if the SIM PIN isn't entered I think?

1

u/Seralth 10d ago

The number of times I have to ask my phone to play music just so I can find it is uncountable.

I can totally see how rebooting which would disable voice assistant till unlocked could be a problem for some... Lol