How to Break Into Your Locked Android Device

To prevent unwanted access to your phone, it is always wise to enable certain security measures. By design, Android devices come with very helpful security features that you can set up to protect your device from prying eyes. Two of the most commonly used security measures are the pattern lock and the personal identification number (PIN). Unfortunately, you may be locked out of your own Android device due to a forgotten password or pattern lock. While being locked out of your Android device can be frustrating, it is only a minor setback as you can easily bypass these security measures and break into your Android device so you can use it again.

Steps

Bypassing the Pattern Lock

1. Read the notification. If you have incorrectly tried to unlock your device more than five times, your device will notify you that the pattern has been attempted beyond the number of wrong tries allowed.
   
   
   • At this point, the device will notify you that you will need to wait for thirty seconds before attempting again.
2. Follow the instructions on your device’s screen. Depending on your device, options may vary in order to recover your forgotten unlock pattern. The device may prompt you to answer a security question that you had provided during the setting up of the pattern.
   
   
   • Alternatively, you may be prompted to provide your Gmail account address, and Google will then send you the forgotten pattern to your Gmail account.
3. Set up a new unlock pattern. Choosing the security question option will reset the unlock pattern, and this will give you the option of setting up a new unlock pattern.
   
   
   • It may be wiser to use a pattern that is easier for you to remember.
   • Taking the Gmail option, just log into your Gmail account, and check your inbox for the email Google sent you, which will contain your current unlock pattern.

Bypassing the PIN or Password Lock by Hard Reset

1. Understand what a hard reset will entail. It is basically a factory reset and will wipe out all the data on the device, reverting it to its factory state (the state it was in when you bought it).^[1]
   
   
   • If you don’t mind losing the personal data stored in your device, proceed to the next few steps.
2. Turn off your device. Just press down on the Power button and select “Power off” from the menu that pops up.
   
   
   • Alternatively, you can also just hold down the Power button for five seconds until your device powers off.
3. Perform the three-button push. Press down the Volume Up button, the Home button, and the Power button simultaneously. Let go when you see some text flash on the screen. What you should expect is a graphically simple menu, and if your phone boots on normally, repeat process until you get the said menu. This should send your phone into system recovery mode.
4. Look for the Factory Reset option. For navigation, do not use the touchscreen to select options as that will not work. To navigate up and down, use the Volume button, and to select, use the Power button. Scroll down to the “Factory reset” option, and select it.
   • You may have a second screen where you'll need to choose the option "delete all data" and select it, again using the Power button.
   • On your screen, you will see the progress of the “wiping clean” process, and once it is complete, you must select "reboot system now" on your screen. It is also possible that your phone may automatically restart. Your phone should then be as good as new.

Using a Lock Bypass App

1. Make sure your Android device is online. This method works only if your device is connected to the Internet, and it is signed into your Google account.
   
   
   • If you wish to retain the data on your device, using a lock bypass app is a viable option. However, there is no guarantee that the app will work for your particular device.
2. Find the app using a PC. Open the Google Play store on your PC browser and log in with your Google account. The app recommended is Screen Lock Bypass.^[2] Just enter the app name in the Search bar, and click on “Search.” Once you have found the app, click on “Buy,” and then “Install.”
   
   
   • Select your device from the list of registered devices. Then the application will automatically be sent to your device, and will be installed.
3. Activate the bypass app. Once the app installation is complete, reboot the device to activate the app. Alternatively, you can trigger the app by plugging the USB charger into the phone.
   
   
   • Once the app is activated, a screen will appear with an “Activate” button. Click on the button to effectively reset your password or PIN on your lock screen. On the next screen, you will have to select "Remove Lock Password." This will allow you to access your phone again.

Related wikiHows

• How to Customize Your Android’s Lock Screen
• How to Lock an LG Cell Phone
• How to Keep Playing a YouTube Video on Android While Locked
• How to Reset Your Android Phone
• How to Reset a HTC Smartphone when Locked Out

Sources and Citations

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