Google has added a new security feature to the Android operating system. With this feature, which came with Google Play Services version 25.14, Android phones that have been locked and unused for 72 hours will automatically reboot.
Android increases user security with its new feature
After the reboot, the device enters the BFU (Before First Unlock) state. Since biometric data, passwords and user accounts are not loaded in this mode, the security of the device is significantly increased.
This feature is activated when the device has been locked for three days without any user interaction. The reboot process does not directly protect the device’s data, but it restricts access to the sections where the data is stored encrypted.
It becomes much more difficult to access data on a device in the BFU state than in the AFU (After First Unlock) state. This makes an Android device that has been physically seized more resistant to malicious access.
Google automatically activates this feature without asking the user. There is no statement on whether device manufacturers will be able to customize this feature or whether users will be given the option to disable it.
A similar feature was brought to iPhone models by Apple last year with iOS 18.1. On the iOS side, this feature was activated when the device was locked for four days. Google’s new step will bring a similar approach to increasing data security to the Android ecosystem.
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