Setting up a PIN code or pattern to unlock your Android phone is a crucial security measure if you want to protect your data and keep your messages and photos safe from prying eyes.
But what do you do when Android does not accept your PIN or pattern although you know you’re using the correct one? There are plenty of reports about PIN codes or patterns that suddenly stopped working one day. While this is very frustrating, rest assured, you’re not the only one experiencing this problem.
If the Android OS does not recognize your PIN code anymore, stop after the second attempt. Entering a PIN code that the system no longer recognizes as being the correct one will block your phone and you’ll need to use the PUK code.
Luckily for you, we did the heavy lifting work and we found a few solutions to this problem.
Fixing an Android Phone That Doesn’t Recognize the Correct PIN or Pattern
1. Reboot your phone
Maybe this is only a temporary glitch. Try waiting a few minutes. Many users confirmed the phone unlocked all of a sudden without them doing anything.
You can also restart your phone. Press and hold down the Power button until the Restart option appears on the screen. Tap Restart and wait until your phone reboots.
But don’t enter the PIN code or pattern as soon as your device has rebooted. Wait one or two minutes and only then check if the phone recognizes your PIN or pattern.
2. Use your Google credentials
Use this solution if your phone is not accepting your unlock pattern. It is worth mentioning this method usually works for Samsung phones and only if there’s an active Google account signed in on the device.
After making a series of incorrect patterns on your phone (at least 10), you should be prompted to enter your Google account username and password to unlock the phone.
2. Factory reset your phone from Recovery Mode
Recovery Mode is a useful built-in troubleshooting option that can help you to fix your Android phone.
While the steps to follow to enter Recovery Mode may be different depending on your phone model, you should be able to enable Recovery Mode by using the instructions below.
Keep in mind that factory resetting your phone will delete all the data on your device. Don’t forget to back up your data before proceeding.
- Turn your phone off
- Press and hold the Volume down and Power buttons at the same time until your phone turns on
- Use the Volume down button to navigate to Recovery mode
- Use the Power button to select it
- Once you’re in Recovery mode, hold the Power button, and press the Volume up button once
- Release the Power button now
- Use the Volume down button to scroll down to Factory reset
- Use the Power button to select this option.
If this method didn’t work on your phone, go to your phone manufacturer’s support page for detailed instructions. Or you can contact directly your phone manufacturer’s support team and have them help you troubleshoot this problem.
As you can see, there is really not much that you can do if your phone is not accepting the correct PIN or pattern. If you’re not lucky enough for this glitch to go away by itself after rebooting your device, you need to enter Recover mode and factory reset your device.
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