Android 8.0 Oreo is finally here, and with it comes Picture-in-Picture support, a redesigned settings page, notification dots, and plenty more. We’ve had a solid idea of what to expect with the 8.0 update ever since the first developer preview was released, but it looks like there’s a new feature being introduced that we weren’t anticipating…
That new feature is called Rescue Party, and its main purpose is to prevent devices from getting stuck in reboot loops (more commonly referred to as bootloops). Bootloops can happen for a number of reasons, including flashing custom ROMs, installing software updates, or owning a Nexus 6P.
With Rescue Party on Android 8.0 Oreo, Android will recognize if a device is currently running through a bootloop if it sees that core components of the system are repeating themselves over and over again with continued failed results. When this error is recognized, Android Oreo will send out a “rescue party” to then perform a number of different actions to hopefully recover the device and bring it back to a working state.
Should these attempts occur with no change, Rescue Party will then force the bootlooping device into recovery mode so the user can then do a factory reset and get the phone back in a working state that way.
Rescue Party lies within the /services/core/java/com/android/server/RescueParty/java string of code, and this code will come to life if either system_server restarts 5 times or more within 5 minutes, or if an application repeatedly crashes 5 times within 30 seconds.
Google says that Rescue Party doesn’t require any additional hardware support from OEMs in order to work, and while OEMs are given the option to disable Rescue Party if they’d like, we can’t see any reason as to why they would choose to do so.
Rescue Party is enabled by default on all devices running Android 8.0 Oreo, and while this may not be a flashy feature that’s easy to show off to friends and family, it’s likely going to be one that saves a lot of people from having to send devices out to get repaired or replaced.
More Android 8.0 Oreo News:
- Hands-on: New features in Android 8.0 Oreo incl. new app shortcuts, revamped notifications, picture-in-picture, more [Video]
- LastPass launches public beta, introduces support for Android O’s autofill APIs
- How to install Android O factory images on Pixel, Pixel XL, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus Player, and Pixel C
- Android Oreo day: Mountain View statue, promo video, actual Android Oreos
- Android 8.0 Oreo launching today w/ AOSP push, Google Pixel/Nexus update coming soon
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