Forgot Android Screen Lock Password

Did you forget the screen lock password to your Android device? It’s happened to the best of us. Here are some solutions if you have forgotten the PIN or unlock pattern on your Android device.

Option 1 – Samsung Unlock

If you are using a Samsung Galaxy Android device and you have used a Samsung Account, you may be able to unlock your device from the Samsung Account page.

Option 2 – Factory Reset

If the above options don’t work for you, unfortunately, you’ll have to factory reset the device. The data you have stored in memory will have to be cleared.  This includes data such as notes or saved game data. Almost any third-party app data will be lost unless the app was written to store data on your SD card. Your personal data that is on the SD card, like photos and music should be safe and available to use. Data that syncs with Google such as email, Contacts and Calendar should be preserved, since you can simply re-sync this data once you have a usable device again.

Factory Reset From Device Manager

1. Ensure the device is turned on and is connected to the Internet via Wi-Fi.
2. From a PC, visit the Android Device Manager page.
3. Select your device, then choose “Erase“.
4. Select “Erase” again.
5. Once the reset completes, setup your Android device again.

Factory Reset From Device Startup

Manufacturers provide a way to restore the phone before it boots into the Android OS. This usually involves holding a button or combination of buttons while you are powering on the device. Almost every device has a different way to do it. Unfortunately, many manufacturers don’t commonly provide instructions for the button method factory reset in their manuals or on their websites. HTC is one of the few manufacturers that do provide this information in their user guides. If you have a device by a different manufacturer, you should be able to search this site or Google for instructions.

Once you obtain the instructions and perform the factory reset, you’ll be able to access your device without issue and without having enter a screen lock password. Good luck!