C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Samsung has rolled out a new “Inactivity restart” feature to the Galaxy S26 series.
- Inactivity restart is a security feature that automatically restarts your phone if it remains locked for 72 hours.
- An automatic restart will have the phone enter into a higher security state, ceasing to display notifications and incoming calls until unlocked.
Samsung’s Privacy Display is one of the most interesting features on the Galaxy S26. When enabled, it can prevent nosy onlookers from seeing what’s on your screen. But that’s not the only new privacy feature on the Galaxy S26. Samsung has quietly rolled out another feature with the February 2026 patch.
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Spotted by Sammy Fans, the security page within Settings on the Galaxy S26 now has a toggle for “Inactivity restart.” As the toggle’s description reads, this feature will “Restart your phone if it remains locked for 72 hours.” This isn’t necessarily a new feature, as Google introduced an Inactivity reboot feature on Android 16. However, it appears that February’s patch has added it for the Galaxy S26 series.
Underneath the toggle is the following warning:
After your phone restarts, you need to unlock it before you can receive notifications and alarms from some apps and see the names of incoming callers. If your SIM is locked, you need to unlock it to receive incoming calls.
This is an optional feature, so you can decide whether to enable it or keep it off. You’ll be able to find it going to Settings, finding Security and Privacy, and tapping on more security settings.
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