What if you forget the unlock pattern on your Android phone? Resetting to the factory settings is undesirable, since for sure you have very important data that cannot be lost. How to remove the pattern on Android without data loss?
If you're lucky, you can remember him after several attempts, relying on the memory of his hands. But what if you absolutely do not know how to enter it? Is there a way to remove the pattern key without losing data? There are several methods to unlock Android without resetting to factory settings.
Solution # 1: try using ADB (Android Debug Bridge)
The method only works if USB debugging was enabled on your Android phone or tablet before you forgot your password. In addition, it is required that you allow and trust the computer with the installed program before trying to reset the key on the device. Even worse, this method will not necessarily work for devices with encryption enabled. However, if you are lucky and your settings meet these requirements, you can easily unlock the password. How to remove the pattern from Android in this way? This is done like this:
- Connect your Android phone to your computer via USB.
- Open a terminal window in the ADB installation directory on the computer.
- Enter the following command: adb shell rm /data/system/gesture.key.
- Restart your Android device and you will see that the secure lock screen has temporarily disappeared.
Set a new key (PIN or password) before restarting the phone again. Otherwise, your device will be blocked again.
Solution # 2: reboot in safe mode
It is easy to bypass the key lock from third-party applications (but not the default smartphone setting) and gain access to the Android device. All you have to do is download the phone in safe mode, because it will disable the “non-native” service that you temporarily installed on it. How to remove the pattern using this method? Follow some simple steps:
- Press and hold the power button until a menu appears on the Android screen.
- Press and hold the shutdown button.
- Click on the “OK” option when a confirmation message appears.
- Uninstall the third-party lock screen application and reboot the device.
After that, you can download this service again, and then configure a new key.
Solution No. 3: apply the FoneCope service
How to delete a forgotten graphic key using a special program? FoneCope Android Screen Lock Removal is an excellent service for unlocking Android. It will allow you to delete the pattern key without losing data. It should be noted right away that this method does not work on all smartphone models. How to use it? Follow the instructions below:
- Download and run FoneCope on your PC.
- The program will ask you to connect your phone to the computer via a USB cable and will automatically detect it.
- And then you can click “Start” to go to the next steps.
- Select your device model and download the recovery data package.
- Manually select the correct device model, otherwise your phone may be locked.
So far, the list of supported smartphones is limited. If you cannot find the device information in the list, it is not yet supported. This means that you cannot use this software.
- After you select and confirm the brand, name and model of your device, just click the “Next” button to continue. Put your smartphone in boot mode.
- To do this, turn off the Android device, press and hold 3 buttons (volume down, Home and power), then release them when you see a warning message on the screen. At this point, quickly press the volume up key. So you can enter boot mode.
- Click Start to download the recovery page. It will take 5 to 10 minutes to complete this download task.
- As soon as FoneCope stops downloading, the graphic key will be completely removed, however, the files or settings from the phone will not be deleted. Take the device and press Home. You will find that you can access and enter the phone without a key.
Solution # 4: Use Android Device Manager
How to remove the graphic key from the phone using the service from Google? This method only works if the Find My Device feature was turned on before the smartphone was locked. In addition, Google Android Device Manager will not help you remove the key if you blocked Samsung S6 / S6 Edge or newer Samsung devices.
How to remove the pattern using this service? This is done like this:
- Log in to Android Device Manager on the Google website.
- Find the locked phone that was associated with your Google account.
- Select the “Lock” option on the screen.
- When a pop-up window appears, you can enter a new password and confirm it again.
Finally, you can save the screen lock changes to remove the key on the device without restoring the factory settings.
Solution # 5: Reset Lock for Android 4.4 KitKat and Below
How to delete a pattern key if you forget it on your old phone? You can easily do this without data loss if your phone is running Android 4.4 or an older OS. To do this, do the following:
- Enter the wrong key 5 times to display the prompts.
- Click on "Forgot your key?".
- Enter the name and address of your Google email, as well as the password to enter the unlock page.
- Press “Screen lock” in the “Settings” menu list and select the type of screen lock that you want to use on the phone in the future.
- To set a new setting, you can select “No”, “Slide”, “Key”, “PIN-code” and “Password”.
You will be returned to the main Android screen as soon as a new screen lock is set.
It is worth noting that using older versions of the Android OS is not suitable for protecting important personal data. It is recommended that you transfer them regularly to your computer if you are using an outdated smartphone for simple calls and sending text messages.
Solution No. 6: reset to factory settings and delete information (for Android 5.0 and higher)
How to delete a forgotten graphic key on the "Android" if the above methods do not help? If you use OS 5.0 and higher, unlocking the device will not be very simple, since new versions of the platform perfectly protect your data.
In this case, you need to restore the original factory settings of your Android, as a result of which the key will be deleted along with other information. You can do this without a Google account. But remember that this will erase everything on your Android phone without the ability to recover. Therefore, this is the most undesirable way.
What to do in this situation?
If none of the above methods help, except for resetting the settings, is there any way to protect the data? Unfortunately, this will not work. But at least you can remove the SD card before removing the key on the phone.
How is reset performed on different devices?
How to remove the pattern by resetting the device? On different models, this is done in different ways. The most common options are presented below.
Reset a locked Samsung phone: turn off the device> press and hold the volume up, Home and power buttons, and release them when the logo appears on the screen. Wait 10-15 seconds to enter Android recovery mode.
For various models of LG, HTC, Sony, Motorola and others: turn off the phone> simultaneously press the volume down, Home and power keys. Release the buttons when the device turns on again and a logo appears on the screen.
Reset Google Pixel and Nexus: turn off your Google phone> simultaneously press and hold the volume and power up buttons. When the quick boot mode is activated, scroll down to the recovery option and quickly press the power button.
As soon as you make the necessary settings on your phone model, click on “Reset to factory settings”. A message appears asking you to confirm whether you want to delete all the data. Select Yes.
The process of deleting information will take several minutes. Do not press any buttons at this time. After rebooting the phone, the key will be removed.
Final word
Listed above are 6 effective solutions to remove the pattern on your Android phone. It can definitely help you if you forget it. You can choose the best method for your smartphone, as some of them are very individual.