Users warned Android phones will now automatically restart every 3 days in new change

Android devices have just received a significant cybersecurity boon, as phones with the operating system will now automatically restart every three days in a change that might sound annoying at first glance, but provides a major boost to the safety of your device.

You can have the most complicated password for your smartphone and follow all of the security advice given by hacking experts, but there are still some 'vulnerabilities' baked into the gadgets that allow people with the knowledge to access your data and devices.

This leaves the sensitive information on your phone accessible by both law enforcement and nefarious individuals, and it also makes it far easier for thieves to sell your devices cleanly.

However, one major new feature being added to Android devices could provide a significant counter to these vulnerabilities, although it comes in a package you might not expect.

Android users will now be able to enable a setting that automatically restarts their phone every 3 days (Getty Stock)

As reported by Mashable, Android users will now be able to activate a setting that automatically restarts their phone every three days - but this only occurs when the device hasn't been unlocked for an unbroken 72-hour period.

So, in theory it won't have any effect on the day-to-day operations of the average smartphone user, as most people unlock and use their device multiple times a day, but if you were to lose your phone, have it stolen, or confiscated, it makes it far harder for people to access what you don't want them to.

This is due to the state your phone transforms into once you've unlocked it for the first time following a restart. It won't be something you necessarily notice, but data become unencrypted to a certain degree once you unlock the phone for the first time, meaning that it's far easier to access the information hidden inside without having to directly get into the phone itself.

So, having your device perform a forced restart means that it enters the 'Before First Unlock' state without you having to turn it off and on again yourself, adding a significant level of protection that will likely block out most people trying to get in.

Apple also have a similar feature named 'inactivity reboot' which equally restarts the device automatically after 72 hours of inactivity, so it's great that the two main operating systems will now share what has come to be accepted as an essential security block if your phone is taken away from you.

It is currently an optional feature that is turned off by default, so it's recommended that you head into the settings in order to enable it on your current device. Where to find the setting depends on the Android phone that you have, but most have it located in the power settings section.

Enabling this setting provides far more security to your device than it would have otherwise (Getty Stock)

Some have pointed out that most phones would be dead after 72 hours, but the likelihood is that both authorities like the police and malicious actors would equally put your phone on charge to prevent that from happening, so this is the last line of protection you have against your data being stolen.

"Think about your phone being confiscated by police and put into an evidence locker," writes one comment on Reddit regarding the feature's announcement. "They're instructed not to turn them off and connect them to a charger because phones lock themselves on restart. This feature will make their life much more difficult."

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