In this tutorial we will show the best ways for you to unlock an Android phone in case you forget its pattern or PIN. While you will find many different options online, they might involve a factory reset which will certainly erase all your data. A few of them require an external toolbox or app which is again a complicated thing.
Instead, the methods described here do not require a hard reset of the phone or downloading any apps. They are directly based on Google Help Center suggestions on this issue.
What Happens When You’re Locked Out of Your Phone?
In case you find yourself locked out, just remember that the phone manufacturer took care to secure your device from miscreants. The pattern lock is one of the most common ways to enforce the security. In case you forget the pattern, you can no longer use your phone even after a restart.
You can alternatively choose a PIN, but it is also very common to forget the number. So it’s better you write it down somewhere or save it in a password manager.
Learn the following steps if you think you might forget your Android phone’s pattern or PIN. It is better to be prepared for such an event in advance.
Also read: How to Back Up Your Text Messages in Android
Reset Your Phone’s Pattern for Android 4.4 and Below
If you have an Android 4.4 or anything below it, you will see a “Forgot pattern” option after a few unsuccessful break-in attempts. In the next step you can easily unlock the screen either with a security question or your Google account details.
Although Google has discontinued the “forgot pattern” option for higher-version Android devices, similar methods do exist for many individual handsets.
Use Google Find My Device
If your locked phone is online, you can reset or unlock your phone from another device using Google’s Find my device app. Download and install the app and log in with the Google ID which you had used to register the locked phone.
After a while, you will be able to locate your locked device.
If you don’t mind a factory reset, you can use the “Erase device” option. However, the other option is to go for “Secure device.”
After you secure the device using the “Find my device” app, the previous pattern is nullified. Now you will be asked to make a call to another number.
As soon as the call is received, the lock screen will unlock itself.
In case this method didn’t work for you, there’s no need to worry. You can still unlock your phone using methods recommended by the phone manufacturer. We will discuss the available options for a few handsets below.
Unlocking Coolpad
With Coolpad, the handset I was using here, I get an option to log in with a company account. It suggests that the password can be reset easily from another phone or laptop if I have a company account.
Unlocking Samsung Phones
For locked Samsung phones, you need to visit this link and log in with your Samsung ID and password. It will show a map location of the device after you check all the legal information options.
On the map, you can locate an “unlock” option which you need to double-click.
Confirm your choice to unlock the remote phone. Next you will be asked to complete a Captcha. Following this, your device is unlocked.
Unlocking Oppo, Acer, Sony, LG and HTC
If you’re using Oppo, Acer, Sony, LG or HTC, you can use a common “Forgot pattern” method. It’s similar to the step for Android 4.4 and below discussed earlier. After a few unsuccessful attempts, your device will show a 30-second timer. Before it runs out completely, click “Forgot pattern.”
As soon as you log in with your device username and password, your phone is unlocked.
For other handsets, check their respective manufacturer guidance on dealing with a locked pattern or PIN.
Conclusion
Being locked out of your own phone is quite an unpleasant experience. However, as long as you can unlock it with your user credentials, there is no need to panic.
Are you locked out of your handset? Do let us know in the comments, and we’ll try to help you.
Sayak Boral –
Staff Writer
Sayak Boral is a technology writer with over eleven years of experience working in different industries including semiconductors, IoT, enterprise IT, telecommunications OSS/BSS, and network security. He has been writing for MakeTechEasier on a wide range of technical topics including Windows, Android, Internet, Hardware Guides, Browsers, Software Tools, and Product Reviews.
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