Forgetting your Android lock screen password, PIN, or pattern can be more than just annoying as it can lock you out of your phone entirely. If you find yourself in this predicament, don’t panic. Here are some methods to bypass the Android lock screen to regain access to your device.
How to bypass Android pattern lock screen without Google account?
On more recent Android versions, you can’t do much to bypass the Android pattern lock screen without pre-configured tools, such as Samsung Find My Device. Some OEMs offer the Forgot Password functionality, but that’s a rarity and it requires access to an OEM account to use it. So, with all that in mind and limitations on ADB loopholes available on previous Android versions, there’s no way to unlock the device.
What you can do is reset the device to factory settings from the Recovery menu but, even then, some devices require previous log in credentials due to FRP (Factory Reset Protection). Unless it asks for your Google Account or confirmation on an alternative device.
Can you bypass screen lock without losing data?
Yes, it’s possible to bypass the lock screen without losing your data, but it usually requires that you’ve previously set up some form of account recovery. Most OEMs offer remote unlocking in one way or another, but you’ll need to set up that security method beforehand. For example, you should be able to unlock your Samsung remotely with Find My Mobile. However, you need to log into Samsung Find My web client in order to do so.
Here’s how to remotely unlock your Samsung Find My Mobile:
- Open Samsung SmartThings in a web browser.
- Log in with your Samsung Account.
- Select your phone and, in the top right corner, click Unlock.
Is there a Master Unlock code for Android?
There’s a misconception that a universal “Master Unlock Code” can bypass any Android lock screen. In reality, no such universal code exists. Unlock codes are typically unique to each device and are based on its IMEI number.
If you’re looking for an unlock code, you’ll likely need to contact your service provider, and even then, it’s not guaranteed that you’ll receive one.
What do I do if I forgot my screen lock password?
Forgetting your screen lock password, PIN, or pattern is, more times than not, absolutely detrimental for your data. Unless you get a lucky guess, you’ll need to reset your device to factory settings. Have in mind that even then you will trigger the FRP (Factory Reset Protection) and have to insert the previous PIN or Password to set up your device again and restore it from backup. In which case, you can try the following steps:
- Connect your smartphone to your PC and press and hold Power (Side) button and the Volume Down button until your device reboots into the Recovery mode. You can usually let go of the Power and Volume button once the boot logo appears.
- By using Volume buttons, navigate to Factory Reset option and use the Power button to confirm.
- Once your device boots on the setup screen, try alternative methods other than lock screen password/PIN/pattern to sign into your device.
In that case, we recommend going to a customer service center or a repair shop. They might be able to help you bypass the FRP but don’t expect to recover your data unless it’s backed up to cloud storage.
With that, we can conclude this article. Thank you for reading and feel free to share your thoughts, questions or suggestions in the comments section below. We look forward to hearing from you.
Editor’s note: This article was initially published in May 2017. We made sure to revamp it for freshness and accuracy.
