It's okay if your Samsung Galaxy phone restarts by itself; it's for your safety.
Is your Samsung device moving slowly? The key to a fast and safe phone is automatic restart. Safeguard yourself against cyberattacks and easily keep your RAM running at its best.
The FBI says you should restart your phone at least once a week, and other experts say you should turn it off every day to lower the risk of cyber threats and free up RAM.
Do you have a Galaxy S25 or another new Samsung phone? Then you don't need to worry about your phone restarting automatically. One of the new features of Android 16 is the ability to restart when inactive, which was added to these devices in the One UI 8.5 user interface.
Following the February 2026 security update, users will be able to use this feature, which focuses on protecting data from the "Before First Unlock" (BFU) state to improve device security and integrity.
Why is the automatic restart feature on Samsung devices so important, and how is it activated?
This new security feature takes over the responsibility of restarting the smartphone after 72 hours of inactivity, and it has been integrated into the brand's latest phones.
The idea is that if three days pass without use—which is unusual for most mobile phone users—the device will automatically turn off and restart to enforce a "background functions" (BFU) state.
This feature requires the user to enter a PIN or master password to regain access to the user interface. Furthermore, from this lock screen, alerts, calls, and notifications are disabled, and the USB port becomes unusable.
Once the device is unlocked, everything returns to normal, acting as a protective barrier that prevents any hacking attempts when the device is not used for a long time or in case it is lost or stolen.
It's important not to confuse this feature with the older, improved reboot feature, which relied on periodically restarting the device to improve performance. This new method completely silences the smartphone, encrypts data, blocks USB connections, and refreshes the memory.
In most cases, this feature is disabled by default, so you need to enable it through Settings > Security and Privacy > More security > Restart when idle.
Once this is completed, and after the specified time period has elapsed, the aforementioned procedure will be executed. In fact, this is very similar to a feature Apple added to iPhones in iOS 18 in 2014, which performed almost the same function, but for a duration of 7 days, although it was later reduced to 3 days.
.jpg)
Which Samsung phones will receive the Safe Reboot feature?
The idle reset feature was gradually integrated into Samsung's phone series. Initial testing was conducted on the Galaxy S25 running the One 8.5 beta in November 2025, and the feature was officially launched in February 2026.
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 were the first devices to receive this feature. Since March 2026, the entire Galaxy S26 series has been compatible, and it will soon expand to include other generations, such as the S24.
It is important to remember that this is due to inactivity, so whenever possible, turn your computer off and on periodically; this will greatly benefit your cybersecurity.