If you’ve set up a passcode on your Android phone for privacy, but you’ve forgotten it, don’t worry, there are ways to access your device still. While it can be frustrating, forgetting your Android PIN doesn’t have to be the end of the world if you use one of the methods described in this post
Good to know: check how to unlock an Android phone from a service provider.
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Related: For iPhone user, here is how you can unlock the phone if you forgot the passcode.
Unlock With Smart Lock
To prevent losing to access your Android device in case you can’t recall your passcode, you can set up some precautions. This will enable you to unlock your phone quickly without further complications.
For instance, Smart Lock (or Extend Unlock on Samsung or Pixel phones) is an Android feature that allows your phone to remain unlocked as long as you’re in motion or you’re near a trusted location, or connected to a trusted Bluetooth device.
To set up Smart Lock on your device, you’ll have to navigate to Settings -> Security & privacy.
Tap on More security & privacy at the very bottom of the screen.
On the next screen, go to the Security section and select Extend Unlock.
At this point, you’ll need to enter your PIN. Remember that you’re setting this up as a precaution in case you might forget your PIN later, which means you should able to key in your passcode now.
Tap Got It on the next page which explains a little bit about Extend Unlock (or Smart Lock.)
You’ll find three options under the Extend Unlock page:
- On-body detection – this option keeps your device unlocked while it is in motion, such as when you’re walking with it. The phone will remain on for up to 4 hours or until you put it down.
- Trusted places – if you opt for this option, your device will stay unlocked as long as you’re at or close to a trusted place. You need to add this place(s) manually.
- Trusted devices – this option enables the device to remain unlocked when it’s connected to a trusted device such as a Bluetooth watch or car system.
Note that while having Smart Lock enabled might help you unlock your device without having to input your PIN, it won’t unlock your device if you decide to restart it.
Tip: check how to make your Samsung phone light up when receiving a notification.
Perform a Factory Reset
Another solution, albeit a more drastic one, is to perform a factory reset on your device. Before you proceed, keep in mind that this operation will wipe all your data from your device. You’ll need to create a backup first, so you don’t end up losing everything. For instance, you can easily create a backup using Google Drive.
It’s possible to do a factory reset using your phone’s Settings. Or you can do it remotely through services like Samsung SmartThings Find or Find My Device.
Via Android Settings
On your device, go to Settings -> System -> Reset options.
Select Erase all data (factory reset).
If you’re ready to continue, press the Erase all data button on the next screen.
FYI: this is how you can set up (or turn off) Google Chrome sync on your PC or mobile device.
Using Samsung SmartThings Find
If you have a Samsung device, you should know that you can wipe out your device remotely using the Samsung SmartThings Find service.
Note: Samsung SmartThings Find used to offer an Unlock option, which was, unfortunately, discontinued not so long ago due to security reasons.
For this to work, you must be signed in to your Samsung device on your phone with your Samsung account. Next, go to the Samsung SmartThings Find page in your browser and log in with the very same account.
Select your phone from the left side of the display and press the Erase Data option.
Next, you need to verify your identity in order to continue with the process.
Through Find My Device
Google has a similar service to Samsung’s SmartThings Find. It’s called Find My Device and if you own an Android phone you can use it. You will need to log in on your phone with the same Google account you’ll use to sign up for Find My Device.
Find your device on the left side of the screen and click on it. While in the past, Find My Device used to allow you to lock and unlock a device remotely, this is no longer possible. Instead, you can perform a Factory Reset remotely. Click the option.
Note: the device has to be online, otherwise you won’t be able to perform the factory reset.
Hopefully, you’ve previously created a backup, so you don’t stand to lose all your data by going forward with this process. Press Next in the pop-up.
You’ll now need to verify your identity by logging in with your Google account (the same that you have on your phone.) After that, you can continue with the factory reset.
Via Recovery Mode
If you’ve created the passcode via a third-party app and not through the phone’s stock settings, then it might be possible to reset it by booting the phone in Recovery Mode.
The exact steps differ depending on the type of Android phone you have. Yet in the majority of cases, you’ll have to turn your phone off. Then long-press the power and volume button down together when booting up the phone.
You should see the Android logo and then a menu of options. Use the volume buttons to get to Recovery Mode. Press the Power button to select it.
Next up, select the option to boot up the phone. When it finally does so, you should be able to access your device without inputting a passcode. Remember that this will not work if you set your passcode via the Android system. You’ll still have to input the passcode when booting up the device. On some phones, the option Forgot Password is provided in Recovery Mode, but opting for that will result in your device getting wiped out.
Note: in older versions of Android (4.4 KitKat and below) the Forgot Password option is present on the lock screen. Input the wrong password a few times and you should be able to spot it. Select it and then log in with your Google account to start the reset process.
Related: have an Android with a broken screen? Here’s how to access it.
Now that you have access to your phone again, educate yourself a bit on the issue of protecting your privacy and security on Android. At the same time, you might want to check how to connect your Android to a Windows PC and sync data between the two for a more seamless experience.
Image credit: Freepik All screenshots by Alexandra Arici
Alexandra Arici –
Staff Writer
Alexandra is passionate about mobile tech and can be often found fiddling with a smartphone from some obscure company. She kick-started her career in tech journalism in 2013, after working a few years as a middle-school teacher. Constantly driven by curiosity, Alexandra likes to know how things work and to share that knowledge with everyone.
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