April 17, 2025 – Google has revised its support documentation to clarify that the “auto-reboot after three days of continuous lock” feature remains unreleased and will be offered as an optional setting in the future.
The company’s recent update to Google Play Services (v25.14) initially stated, “Enabling this feature will automatically reboot your device if it remains locked for three consecutive days.” However, Google has since adjusted the wording to read, “A future optional security feature has been enabled: If your device remains locked for three days, it will automatically reboot.” This change addresses concerns from users who rely on continuous background tasks or real-time notifications, alleviating fears of forced functionality.
While Google has not publicly disclosed the rationale behind this planned rollout, technology outlet Android Authority suggests a link to File-Based Encryption (FBE). Since Android 7.0 Nougat, Google has shifted from Full-Disk Encryption (FDE) to FBE, which encrypts user data partitions at rest and decrypts them upon first unlock. This transition introduces two states: Before First Unlock (BFU) and After First Unlock (AFU). The proposed auto-reboot mechanism aims to revert devices to BFU after prolonged inactivity, bolstering defenses against unauthorized data extraction by hackers or state actors.
