Android, Google’s mobile operating system, has introduced a new feature where the phone will automatically restart if it remains locked for three consecutive days.

On Monday, Google released updates for Google Play services, a fundamental component of Android that enables various app and operating system functionalities. Under the “Security & Privacy” section, a new security feature has been added, which states that the device will “automatically restart if locked for 3 consecutive days.”

This move follows a similar update by Apple last year, which introduced the same feature for iOS devices. The underlying rationale for implementing automatic reboots after a period of inactivity is to hinder attempts by individuals, such as law enforcement, to unlock or extract data from a device using forensic analysis tools like those provided by Cellebrite or Magnet Forensics.

When a phone is in its initial state, prior to being switched on and unlocked, the stored data is fully encrypted and more challenging to access without the user’s passcode. This state is referred to as “Before First Unlock.” In contrast, once the device is unlocked, certain data becomes decrypted and potentially vulnerable to access through brute force passcode attacks or exploitation of security vulnerabilities, which is a common approach used by law enforcement forensic devices, known as the “After First Unlock” state.

Google has not provided a comment on the motivation behind this new feature, despite being asked for clarification.