There’s a new free Android update available for the latest smartphones, sort of. It’s actually a Google Play Services update, but still brings a huge new security feature to Android devices.
Google is rolling out a new feature through Play services (version 25.14) that automatically restarts your device if it’s been locked up and gathering digital dust for three days straight or more. You might be wondering why this is important, but it’s actually a big security upgrade.
When your Android phone or tablet (but not smartwatch, TV, or Android Auto) sits idle for more than 72 hours, it now gets an automatic reboot. The whole point is to shove your phone back into the “Before First Unlock” state. In non-geek speak, that means the screen where you need physically enter your passcode rather than using biometrics. You usually see it when you reboot your phone, before you unlock it for the first time. Hence the name.
If someone nicked your Android phone, it’s now harder to get in. This BFU state encrypts everything, and your phone isn’t much use when plugged in until unlocked. So it’s harder to steal data off it or brute force your way in. Plus, rather than looking to bypass certain Android features like Face Unlock that aren’t all that secure (since it doesn’t use biometrics), a would-be thief would have to crack your passcode.
So far, we’ve only seen the official release notes for Google Play Services which reference the feature. So, as with most things Google, there are still some unanswered questions. We don’t know which Android versions officially get this or if there’ll be a setting you can toggle. A heads-up message when your phone’s rebooted itself would be lovely too.
Still, this update is exactly the kind of silent but significant change I love to see. You don’t need to do anything, but your Android phone just got a bit smarter and a whole lot safer for free.
