Your Android phone is getting a major new security feature – here's how auto-reboot works

• An auto-reboot feature is rolling out to Android phones and tablets
• This will automatically restart your device after three days of inactivity
• Your phone is more secure after a restart, helping to prevent unauthorized access

Not long ago we reported on how Android could get a thief-thwarting security feature already seen on iPhones, and now that feature is arriving.

As spotted by 9to5Google, the latest Google Play services update includes a feature that will restart your phone or tablet automatically after three days of inactivity. So in other words, if your device has remained locked for three consecutive days, it will shut down and restart, and there’s a good reason for this.

You see, after a restart, an Android phone or tablet will return to its ‘Before First Unlock’ state, in which its data is encrypted and it’s harder to unlock, as biometrics are disabled until after the ...