Have you ever been locked out of your Android phone because you forgot the passcode, pattern, or PIN? It’s a frustrating situation to be in, especially if you have important data, photos, and contacts stored on the device that you don’t want to lose. The good news is that there are ways to bypass the Android lock screen without having to factory reset the phone and lose all your data. In this article, we’ll walk through several methods you can try to regain access to your locked Android device while preserving your important information.
1. Check if you’re signed into your Google account
One of the first things to check is whether you’re signed into your Google account on the locked Android phone. If you are, you may be able to use the Find My Device feature to remotely unlock it:
- On another device or computer, go to android.com/find and sign into the same Google account that’s logged into your locked phone
- If your locked phone has an internet connection, it should show up on the map. Select it.
- Choose the Lock option and enter a new password. This will override your old lock screen password.
- On your phone, enter the new password to unlock it. You can then go into your phone’s settings and set a new password.
2. Use your Google account to unlock the screen
If the above method doesn’t work, you can try using your Google account to unlock your Android device directly:
- After entering the wrong password, pattern or PIN five times, you’ll see a message that says Try again in 30 seconds.
- Tap the Forgot Pattern, Forgot PIN or Forgot Password button below this message.
- Enter the username and password of the Google account associated with your Android device.
- If you have more than one, choose the account you want and tap Sign in to unlock your device.
3. Use Samsung’s “Find My Mobile” service
If you have a Samsung phone, you can use the Find My Mobile service to remotely unlock your device:
- On another device, go to findmymobile.samsung.com and sign in with your Samsung account credentials
- Select your locked phone from the list of devices
- Choose the Unlock option to remotely unlock your phone
You can then access your phone and change the screen lock in settings. Note this only works for Samsung devices.
4. Use the “Forgot Pattern” feature
Many Android phones have a Forgot Pattern feature you can use if you’re locked out:
- After 5 unsuccessful attempts to enter your pattern, you’ll see a message that says Try again in 30 seconds.
- Tap the Forgot Pattern button below this message.
- Enter your Google account username and password to unlock your device.
- Draw a new unlock pattern and confirm it to regain access to your phone.
5. Use device manufacturer’s “Find My Device” tools
In addition to Samsung and Google, some Android device manufacturers have their own Find My Device services you can use to remotely unlock your phone:
- Xiaomi: Go to i.mi.com, log in with your Mi account, select your device, and choose Unlock
- Huawei: Go to cloud.huawei.com, sign in with your Huawei account, click Find My Device, select your phone and tap Unlock
- Oppo: Go to i.oppo.com/login, log in with your Oppo account, click your device, and choose Unlock
Check if your Android phone’s manufacturer has a similar service you can use to unlock your device.
6. Use Android Device Manager
Android Device Manager is an older service that has been mostly replaced by Google’s Find My Device, but it’s still worth trying if the other methods don’t work for you:
- Go to google.com/android/devicemanager on another device and sign in with your Google account
- Select your locked phone and choose Lock
- Enter a temporary password and tap Lock again
- Enter the temporary password on your locked phone to access it
You can then remove the temporary password and set a new unlock method in your device’s settings.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are several ways to bypass an Android lock screen without having to factory reset your device and lose all your data. Start by seeing if you’re logged into your Google account and using the Find My Device feature. If that doesn’t work, try using your Google account credentials directly on the device after a few failed unlock attempts.
For Samsung phones, the Find My Mobile service can be used to remotely unlock your device. Many other Android manufacturers have similar tools available. And if all else fails, the old Android Device Manager may still do the trick.
Hopefully one of these methods works for you and you’re able to regain access to your locked Android phone without losing any important data or information. Just remember to write down your passwords somewhere safe so you don’t get locked out again in the future!
