How to unlock your phone if you've forgotten your password, PIN or pattern

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Panic aside. These steps will help you unlock your Android or iOS device.

How to unlock your Android phone

1. Use the Smart Lock function

Smart Lock function automatically unlocks the screen when a certain condition is met. For example, if the device is in your home or your other device is connected to it via Bluetooth.

You can use the function only if you have activated it in advance and have selected the condition for unlocking. If so, just follow it. For example, if you specified automatic unlocking when a trusted Bluetooth device is connected, activate the wireless module on both gadgets. When the connection is made, you will be able to access the phone without entering a PIN, password or key.

If Smart Lock has not been configured in advance or you cannot fulfill the specified condition, then this method is not suitable.

2. Bypass protection with your Google account

Some Android 4.4 and older devices allow you to unlock your screen using your Google account. Provided that the device is connected to the Internet.

To check if your smartphone supports this method, enter any password, PIN, or pattern five times. After five incorrect unlock attempts, the screen should display the message "Forgot your password?" or a similar tip. Click on it and enter the login and password from the Google account with which your device is synchronized.

After a successful login, the screen will unlock. If you also forgot your Google account password, try to restore access to it using a special service of the company.

3. Use the service from the smartphone manufacturer

Some brands offer additional unlocking tools to their device owners. For example, Samsung has a Find My Mobile service that can remove your pattern, PIN, password, and even your fingerprint. To do this, your device must be connected to the Internet and a Samsung account and support the service.

To find out if such an opportunity is provided for your model, look for this information in the instructions or on the manufacturer's official website.

4. Remove the password through your Google account on your computer

There is a remote factory reset and all content erase function, which will erase all data, including the lock password. Later, you can set a new access password and synchronize your data through your Google account.

This will only work if the smartphone is turned on and has a Google account and Play Store configured on it. In addition, the gadget itself must be connected to the Internet, and the "Location" and "Find device" functions must be active.

If these conditions are met, proceed as follows:

• Follow the link and log in to your Google account.
• If you use several Android gadgets, select the one you need from the list on the left.
• Click on the item "Clear device", and then again on the button of the same name.

For further use of the smartphone, after resetting the lock code, you will need to enter the password from your Google account.

5. Reset the machine to factory settings

If other options do not work, it remains to return to the factory settings. This will result in the loss of all data that is not backed up in your Google account and other cloud services. But you can remove the protection from the screen.

Turn off your smartphone and remove the memory card if it was inside. Then try the following key combinations in turn until one of them works (you need to hold down the buttons for 10-15 seconds):

• volume down key + power button;
• volume up key + power button;
• volume down key + power button + home key;
• volume down key + volume up key + power button.

When the service menu appears on the display, select Recovery with the volume up button and confirm with the volume down button.

Then use the volume keys to select the command Wipe data or Factory reset and confirm the action by pressing the power button.

If none of the above combinations work or you don't see the commands you need in the menu, look for the reset instructions for your device model on the manufacturer's website.

After that, the smartphone should return to factory settings within a few minutes. The device can request a login and password from a previously connected Google account, but you no longer need to unlock the screen. After logging into the old account, the system will restore the settings and data synchronized with it.

How to unlock iPhone

If you forget your Apple smartphone password, you have only one way out: factory reset. This procedure will remove the passcode, but it will also erase all photos, notes, apps, and other data from the iPhone. If you have a backup in iCloud or on a computer, all information and settings can be easily restored.

To reset, you need a USB cable, a Windows or macOS computer, and iTunes. If it is not installed, download it from the official Apple website. On macOS Catalina or later, you must use the Finder app instead of iTunes.

First of all, turn off your smartphone through the standard menu by holding the side or top button. Next, make sure that the gadget is not connected to the computer, and proceed depending on the model:

• On iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone SE (second generation), iPhone X and later: while holding down the side button, connect the device to the computer with a USB cable and do not release it until the recovery screen appears.
• On iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus: while holding down the volume down key, connect the smartphone to the PC via a USB cable and do not release it until you see the recovery screen.
• On iPhone SE (first generation), iPhone 6s, or older: while holding down the Home button, connect the device to the computer with a USB cable and do not release it until the recovery screen appears.

When the dialog box appears on the PC display, click “Restore” and follow the prompts from iTunes or Finder. First, the system will restore the factory settings, and then it will offer to restore the saved data. As a result, the password will be deleted and the device will be unlocked.

If the wait time exceeds 15 minutes, iPhone will exit recovery mode. In this case, reconnect the smartphone to the computer by pressing the corresponding button again until the required window appears. Then click "Restore" again.

This material was first published in July 2019. In December 2020, we updated the text.