What you need to know
- Samsung is reportedly rolling out “Idle Reboot,” a security feature that automatically restarts Galaxy phones that are left idle, in a recent patch.
- Another report suggests that this is likely an expansion of the feature to more Galaxy phones, as the Galaxy S25 and S26 have it, while the Fold 7 just added it.
- Samsung’s biggest privacy feature will be the Privacy Screen for the Galaxy S26 Ultra, which hides the contents of your screen from prying eyes.
Samsung has some new things to talk about, and one of those new things is a security update that could have expanded a key feature.
After hearing the reports, Sammy fans indicates Galaxy phones (other than S26 Series) have started to notice an “Idle Reboot” security feature. This feature has reportedly been added to the “More security” section of the “Security & Privacy” tab of Galaxy phones in the Settings app. Samsung’s new idle reset says it will “reboot your phone if it stays locked for 72 hours.” This option can be toggled, so you don’t need to enable it if you’re not feeling it.
An additional description reads: “After your phone restarts, you’ll need to unlock it before you can receive notifications and alarms from some apps and see the names of callers.” In this sense, Samsung is increasing its protection for devices that are left unattended for any reason. We all know that it’s easy to see a notification on your device, especially if you have the lock screen set to display its content. With this, there is a safety net.
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Android Central’s opinion
It’s the little features like this, the little security features, that Samsung occasionally adds to the mix. Idle reboot probably won’t be used by many users, myself included. I use my phone daily. I even took it a moment ago to make sure I didn’t dream I already had this. The point is: this is a niche feature that sounds cool and made me go “ooooh”, but it may not see widespread use.
The description adds: “If your SIM is locked, you must unlock it to receive incoming calls.”
the people of SamMobile He also noticed this and added that this is probably just an expansion of the idle reset. I’ve noticed this before on my Galaxy S25 Ultra; However, the post indicates that more phones, such as those in South Korea and beyond, may see it more prominently with the February 2026 security patch.
Another step for privacy
If we talk about privacy, it’s hard not to mention the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s privacy screen. Samsung was at MWC 2026 to highlight the Ultra newest privacy featurethat captivated visitors. The privacy screen works to prevent prying and anxious eyes from seeing what you’re doing on your phone. Unless they are facing you, they will see a dark screen. Users have a little wiggle room with this, as they can decide to hide the entire screen, notifications, or certain apps with the Privacy Screen.
Android Central’s opinion
The privacy screen is not a “small feature.” It’s a big part of what makes people talk about the Galaxy S26 Ultra, as it’s (arguably) the most interesting thing about it. Sure, we have improvements to the camera, but Privacy Display is practical and I can very easily see its uses in daily life. Sitting on a train or just standing at a red light? Now no one sees who you are talking to or what you are doing. It is effectively telling others to mind their own business without you speaking.
Another report related to the Galaxy S26 claims that Samsung apparently added a secondary NFC sensor. This works to give users a little more choice and convenience when paying for items via NFC. The report says that the Galaxy S26 is capable of completing a scan when its “top edge” is placed close to one. The original NFC sensor near the center of its back panel still exists.
