April 20, 2025, 9:06 am | Read time: 2 minutes
Automatic restarts are soon coming to Android smartphones. Here’s what you need to know.
Users can restart their smartphones at any time if needed. This is sometimes necessary if something isn’t working quite right. Additionally, it enhances security, as a U.S. intelligence agency explains. Otherwise, a restart is mainly required for a major system update. Soon, however, automatic restarts will be coming to Android smartphones. To prevent any confusion, TECHBOOK explains what function they are supposed to serve.
Automatic Restarts Coming to Android
As reported by “9to5Google,” a new update for Google Play Services has recently been released. The changes for version 25.14 state under the “Security and Privacy” section that the update enables automatic restarts for Android smartphones.
According to the brief note, this option is yet to be finalized. It will then be optional and aim to enhance security by automatically restarting the device if it has been locked for three consecutive days. The report speculates that the feature should also come to Android tablets, while Android Auto, the “Play Games Windows” app, TVs, and wearables will be excluded.
iPhones have apparently been given a new secret function
Google Update Brings Practical Functions for Android Smartphones
What You Can Do If Your Android Smartphone Crashes
How Automatic Restarts Make Android Devices More Secure
A restart puts the device in the “Before First Unlock (BFU)” status, meaning it can only be unlocked with a PIN. The advantage here is that data on the smartphone remains encrypted in this state, making it harder for potential hackers to access. Biometric functions are also not yet active. Once logged into the device, it enters the “After First Unlock (AFU)” status, where data is more accessible.
The automatic restarts for Android are apparently intended to help especially if the device is stolen, making it more difficult for criminals to gain access. However, the feature will need to be activated once it is rolled out. For the update, a major OS update with a restart will likely not be necessary in most cases.
Which Android versions will benefit from this is not yet known. Google is not the first company to implement such a security measure. Last year, Apple made a similar move. iPhones are also expected to automatically restart if they have been inactive for too long.