Lost or stolen? New Google feature makes it harder to access your data: All you need to know

Google is introducing a new security feature for Android devices that will automatically restart a smartphone if it remains locked for three consecutive days. The update, part of Google Play services version 25.14, began rolling out on Monday and is designed to prevent unauthorised access to user data by placing the phone in a secure state.

If a device hasn’t been unlocked for 72 hours, it will reboot automatically, entering what is known as theBefore First Unlock (BFU) state.