Samsung has added a new security feature to Galaxy phones that can restart your device if it’s left unused for too long.
The Restart on Inactivity feature automatically restarts a Galaxy phone if it remains locked for 72 hours without successful unlock attempts. This makes it difficult to access your data if the phone is lost or stolen.
This is how Samsung’s inactivity restart feature works
According to Sammy Fans, the feature is hidden in the phone’s security settings and needs to be activated manually. To find it, you need to open Settings, go to Security and privacy, then tap More security settings and toggle Restart if inactive.
Once turned on, the phone will automatically reboot if left continuously locked for 72 hours. If the device detects that there has been no successful unlock attempt in these three days, the system will silently reboot on its own without requiring user interaction.
After the phone restarts, it will enter a stricter security state. Notifications from some apps and incoming call details may remain hidden until the device is unlocked.
Alerts from certain apps may also remain restricted until authentication is complete. If the SIM card itself is locked, users will need to unlock it before answering calls.
This extra layer of protection works because restarting a phone resets certain security conditions and requires the user to re-enter their passcode before full access is restored.
The feature has started appearing on some Galaxy devices since the February 2026 security update.
Sammy Guru reports that it is also available for the Galaxy S25 series with One UI 8.5 beta and the Galaxy Z Fold 7 with One UI 8. With the latest February patch, the Galaxy S26 series now also receives it.
Samsung isn’t the first to introduce inactivity-based reboot protection. Apple has added a similar security feature in iOS to protect iPhone data, while Android devices have also introduced security measures that trigger a reboot after a long period of inactivity.
Samsung made the feature optional and left it disabled by default. But once activated, it provides Galaxy devices with additional security protection in case they are left locked and unattended for days.
