Google’s mobile operating system, Android, will now automatically restart if a device remains locked for three consecutive days. On Monday, the company implemented updates to Google Play services, a crucial component of Android that supports both app functionalities and the operating system itself. A new security feature, listed under “Security & Privacy,” details that the device will automatically reboot if it remains locked for three successive days.
This feature mirrors a similar update introduced by Apple for iOS last year. The intent behind implementing an automatic reboot after extended periods of inactivity is to complicate efforts to unlock or extract data from the device, such as those undertaken by law enforcement using forensic analysis tools from companies like Cellebrite and Magnet Forensics.
When a phone is powered on and locked, certain stored data is fully encrypted, making access without the user’s passcode challenging. This state is referred to as the “Before First Unlock” state. Once the device is unlocked, however, some data becomes decrypted, potentially allowing access through passcode brute-forcing or by exploiting security vulnerabilities, which is commonly the method employed by forensic devices used by law enforcement. This condition is known as the “After First Unlock” state.
Google has not yet provided a response to inquiries about the reasoning behind the introduction of this new feature.
