Your Samsung Galaxy phone is about to receive a subtle yet powerful security upgrade. As part of the April 2025 Google Play services update (version 25.14), Android phones and tablets โ including Galaxy lineup โ will now auto reboot if theyโve been locked for three consecutive days.
Androidโs auto-reboot feature is definitely a nifty little security upgrade
This auto-reboot feature is designed to activate after 72 hours of Android device inactivity. When triggered, your Galaxy device will restart on its own and enter whatโs known as the โBefore First Unlockโ (BFU) state. In this mode, all user data remains encrypted and inaccessible until the correct PIN, pattern, or password is entered. Biometrics like fingerprint or facial recognition wonโt work until the passcode is manually entered.
If you leave a phone at work over the weekend, your data stays safe. So if one of your Android devices restarts unexpectedly, itโs likely the new security feature kicking in. It adds an extra layer of protection, especially if a phone is lost, stolen, or left unused. After reboot, anyone trying to access your Galaxy device will be locked out, with no access to apps or files.
The update is rolling out through Google Play services, so no full system or One UI update is needed. Thereโs no toggle to enable or disable the feature. It runs quietly in the background. Youโll likely only notice it if youโre prompted to enter your PIN after an unexpected restart. Youโve probably guessed it. This is Google borrowing from Appleโs playbook (iOS 18.1) and GrapheneOS, both of which have introduced similar proactive security measures
To check whether the auto-reboot feature has arrived on your Android device, youโll have to follow these steps. Open Settings > Security & privacy > Google Play system update. If an update is available, go ahead and install it. As 9to5Google notes, the Google Play services version 25.14 will begin rolling out over the coming week, though the feature itself may take additional weeks to become fully available.
