Did you just setup a new password, PIN or pattern for your Android device and forgot what you set it as? Did you just get a used phone and don’t have its password to actually use it? Whatever your reason, you need not to panic. In this article, we’re going show you 4 easiest ways to unlock your Android phone when you forgot its password, PIN or pattern. Keep reading to find out what you’re supposed to do.
1. Use “Forgot Pattern” Feature
If your locked device is running Android 4.4 or lower and has a pattern screen lock, then you can unlock it using the Forgot Pattern feature.
After 5 unsuccessful attempts to unlock your Android device, you’ll see a message that says “Try again in 30 seconds.” While this message is showing up, tap on the button at the bottom of the screen that says Forgot Pattern. And enter your backup PIN or your Google account username and password that’s associated with the device. After that, you’ll be redirected to the Security options in your phone’s main Settings where you can setup a new screen lock.
2. Use Android Device Manager
If your locked device has Android Device Manager enabled and it’s connected to the Internet, you can unlock it using Google’s Android Device Manager.
First, visit the Android Device Manager website and log in with the same Google account you use on that Android device. Select the device that you’re locked out of (if you’ve more than one device, they’ll all be listed here) and click the Lock option. You’ll be prompted to enter a new password which will replace any password, PIN or pattern that you forgot. After typing your password, click the Lock button to apply the new password.
Once done, you should be able to unlock your device with the password you just created at the Google’s Android Device Manager website. You may have to wait up to 5 minutes for your new password to take effect.
3. Use Safe Mode to Bypass Third-Party Lock Screen
If your device is locked with a third-party lock screen rather than the stock lock screen, then you can unlock it by booting your Android into Safe Mode.
To boot Android into Safe Mode, varies from phone to phone. For most Android devices, you can press the Power button and long-press the Power Off option. Keep pressing it until you see a prompt that asks if you’d like to boot into Safe Mode; tap OK button when prompted, then wait your device to boot into Safe Mode.
After booting your device into Safe Mode, head to your phone’s main Settings and tap on Apps or Applications. Scroll down and find that third-party lock screen app, then select it. Simply clear data of the third-party lock screen app or just uninstall it if you’d like. After that, reboot your device to exit Safe Mode and you should no longer be locked out of your device.
4. The Last Resort: Perform Factory Reset
If everything fails, then you can unlock your Android device by performing a factory reset. A factory reset will erase all the data stored on your device, like your apps, photos, and music, so it’s recommended to perform this as a last resort if you can’t bypass your lock screen.
If you’re trying to bypass someone’s phone by performing a factory reset and the phone is Android running 5.1 or later, you’ll be out of luck due to anti-theft feature called Factory Reset Protection (FRP), which requires to login with the Google account associated with the device after the device has been wiped. This prevents a thief from resetting and using your device.
The process varies from phone to phone. For most Android devices, start by powering the device completely off and hold the Volume Down + Power buttons simultaneously, which will bring up Android’s Recovery Mode. From here, press the Volume Down button to scroll down to Wipe data/factory reset option and press the Power button to continue. Press the Volume Down button to scroll down to Yes - erase all user data, and then press the Power button to confirm it.
When the factory reset process is finished, select the Reboot sytem now option and you should no longer be locked out of your phone. However, if it’s running 5.1 or later, you’ll be prompted to login with the Google account associated with the device before it was erased.
Hope you found this article helpful. If you’ve have any other methods for unlocking password, PIN or pattern on Android device, do share it with us in the comments below.
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