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The Galaxy S26 just got a quiet security upgrade that could save you if your phone gets stolen

Even Apple didn't nail this feature from the get-go.

By Peter Kostadinov

Published: Mar 10, 2026, 11:01 AM

Samsung Galaxy S Series

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The Galaxy S26 just got a quiet security upgrade that could save you if your phone gets stolen

The Galaxy S26 family bets on security. | Image by PhoneArena

Galaxy S26 devices are scoring a new security feature right before their official market release on March 11. If you leave them locked for more than 72 hours, the devices will reboot as a security precaution.

This "Inactivity restart" feature originally rolled out to Pixel devices earlier, but Samsung is now seemingly rolling it out to Galaxy S26 devices that have already made their way to their new owners. Yes, this happens regularly, as preorders often tend to ship way earlier than the phone's standard market launch date, so don't act surprised if many people online are already flaunting their new Galaxies.

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The Galaxy S26 Ultra has been announced, bringing a Privacy Screen feature, insanely fast processor, and multiple Galaxy AI enhancements. Right now, you can save up to $720 at the Samsung Store with eligible trade-ins. Alternatively, you can save $200 with Samsung Instant Savings.

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The Galaxy S26+ is here, bringing improved software and a more powerful processor. The device can now be yours for up to $450 off with eligible device trade-ins. Alternatively, you can get it with a $200 discount, no trade-in required.

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The Galaxy S26 is currently available at the Samsung Store with an exciting trade-in discount. Right now, you can buy the model with a $400 maximum price cut. If you don't have a suitable trade-in device, you can get the model at $100 off.

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Back to the security feature, it will reboot your phone after 72 hours of inactivity with the goal of putting your phone in the so-called BFU (Before First Unlock) mode, which requires a successful PIN or password input to unlock and wouldn't receive any incoming notifications or ring any alarms. Provided that you've enabled SIM lock as well, your phone wouldn't be able to receive any incoming calls or messages either.

But probably the biggest security boon here is the fact that no USB accessory will be able to successfully connect with your device, which could thwart bad actors from accessing your data if your phone gets stolen.

Would you enable this security feature?

Yes, for sure

81.25%

No, I can't imagine not using my phone for three days

18.75%

16 Votes

This security feature isn't enabled by default, but users can easily enable it by going to Settings > Security and privacy > More security.

Aside from the Galaxy S26, we can logically expect the inactivity reboot feature to roll out to other Galaxies as well. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Galaxy Z Flip 7, for example, have already scored this feature along with their respective February patches. Others will certainly follow.

Apple first offered such a security feature back with iOS 18, where it initially rebooted iPhones after seven days of inactivity, but this was later reduced to the familiar three days.

Never can't be secure enough

It's my honest opinion that you can never be too secure, so such security features are always more than welcome.

My only wishlist: make this feature customizable. Three days is okay, but I'd love to be able to make the duration a day or two so that I have an even greater peace of mind that nobody would be messing with my phone if it happens to be out of reach for a while.

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Peter is a skilled writer with over 13 years of experience at PhoneArena. He has published nearly 300 phone reviews and comparisons. This vast experience helps him navigate the mobile tech landscape with ease. He enjoys everything Android but relies on a MacBook Pro daily.

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