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How do I Reset My Samsung Galaxy If I Forgot my PIN?
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How do I Reset my Android phone if it's locked?
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What happens if I forget the code on my Android device?
Nov 17, 2018 · Tap Factory data reset to erase all data and restore default settings. Tap RESET PHONE > Delete all to perform a factory reset. Your device will restart when the reset is complete. Note: If a lock screen code is enabled you will be prompted to enter this to continue with the factory reset.
- Hard Reset
If you forget your lock sequence and backup PIN, you will...
- Hard Reset
- Unlock With Smart Lock
- Samsung SmartThings Find
- Erase or Reset
- Android 4.4 and Below
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If you've forgotten your PIN, pattern, or password, Android's Smart Lock feature may be able to save you. For example, let's say you've set up Smart Lock on your Android phone and have it automatically log in when it's on your home Wi-Fi. You can take your phone to that home Wi-Fi network, and it will automatically unlock for you, even if you can't remember the normal unlock code.
The problem with this solution is it only gets you into your phone, it doesn't help you reset your PIN, pattern, or password. You will still need to know that if you want to make changes to Smart Lock. Plus, the bigger problem is you can't use Smart Lock to get into your phone after it has been restarted. If you're able to get back into your phone with Smart Lock, you should back up all of your important stuff, and then use one of the following solutions.
Samsung Galaxy owners have the best option when it comes to recovering a phone when you've forgotten your PIN, pattern, or password. You can use Samsung's SmartThings Find tool to unlock the device and reset the lock screen security remotely. The only catch is you need to have already been signed in with your Samsung account on the device—which you probably did during the initial setup—and it needs to have a Wi-Fi or mobile data connection.
First, head over to the SmartThings Find website on a desktop or mobile browser. After you sign in with your Samsung account and grant location permission, you'll see a list of your connected devices. Select the device you need to unlock.
Now select "Unlock" from the tools menu.
A menu will explain that your phone will be remotely unlocked, and all the screen lock information will be deleted. Select "Unlock" to proceed.
Unfortunately, if you don't have a Samsung Galaxy device, your options are pretty bleak—remotely erasing the device or performing a factory reset. The remote option is useful if you can't get into the phone at all. The factory reset essentially does the same thing, just not remotely.
To remotely erase the device, you'll need to use Google's "Find My Device" tool, which is automatically available for all Android devices. Simply sign in with the same Google account as your phone at google.com/android/find, choose the locked device, and use the "Erase Device" tool.
Older versions of Android — Android 4.4 KitKat and older — have an integrated way to bypass your pattern, PIN, or other password if you forget it. To find this feature, first enter an incorrect pattern or PIN five times at the lock screen. You'll see a "Forgot pattern," "forgot PIN," or "forgot password" button appear. Tap it. You'll be prompted to enter the username and password of the Google account associated with your Android device.
Modern Android devices work a lot more like Apple's iPhones and iPads. If you forget the code, you'll need to reset it to its factory default settings to regain access. This begins to make sense when you consider Google's desire to encrypt all Android devices out of the box automatically. The PIN or password is used as part of the key to decrypt the data stored on an encrypted Android device.
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- Joe Fedewa
There are two ways to factory reset an Android phone if you’ve forgotten the password and can’t get past the lock screen. The first is to use Google’s Find My Device, which allows...
- Use Smart Lock. One way to get back into your Android device is to take advantage of Smart Lock. The only caveat here is that you needed to have already established the requirements for unlocking the device.
- Use Find My Device (Android 5.0 Lollipop+) If your phone is running Android 5.0 Lollipop or newer, your best bet is to use Google’s Find My Device. However, this requires your Google Account credentials.
- Use Find My Mobile (Samsung only) If you have a Samsung phone, created a Samsung account, and activated Find My Mobile during the setup process, then you can also use this feature to unlock your phone remotely.
- Unlocking Android 4.4 KitKat or older devices. The unlock process is much simpler when you forget your password, pattern, or PIN on an older Android device.
Nov 10, 2022 · If your mobile phone device still runs on Android version 4.4 or older versions, use the steps below to get past your Android screen lock security pattern when you are locked out.
If you forget your lock sequence and backup PIN, you will have to perform a hard reset to gain access to your phone.
You can erase your locked phone using its power and volume buttons. To learn how to reset your specific phone this way, visit your manufacturer's support site. After you've tried to...
