Locking yourself out of your phone is a challenge that most of us have to deal with at some point. We are encouraged to use a hard-to-guess passcode to keep our phones secure. Unfortunately, you may end up forgetting the new passcode and lock yourself out of your phone. Do not panic if you have forgotten your pattern, password, or pin and cannot log in to your phone. We will show you how you can get around the passcode problem.

If your phone does not have alternative login ways, or you have not set them up, you can still log in to your phone even if you have forgotten your password. The right method will depend on your phone operating system and personal choices like backup options.

The methods you can use to log in to your Android phone are different from what an iPhone owner can use. This article will show you how to unlock your phone when you forgot the password for Android devices.

How to Unlock Your Android Phone When You Forgot The Password

Before we look at the technical solutions, you should try to use simple alternative methods. Most modern smartphones come with alternative ways that you can use to log in into your phone, including face recognition and fingerprint scanner.

We encourage individuals to set up all possible login options available on their phones as they configure their new devices. It can help you overcome login challenges if you forgot your password.

Nonetheless, you can use the following ways to unlock your phone when you forgot the password if the alternative login ways are not available:

1) Google Find My Device

Google Find My Device (initially Android Device Manager) is a practical solution for Android phones with at least an Android 5 operating system. You will have to log in into your Google account from another device and erase the phone that you forgot its password. You will then set up a new password for your device.

Likewise, you will have to turn your location on and have a Wi-Fi or data connection to use Google Find My Device. The phone must also be visible on Google Play and have the Find My Device feature turned on. Erasing your device will make you lose your apps and photos, but you can restore them later if you had backed them up in your Google Account.

Use the following steps to unlock your device with Google Find My Device

1. Use your computer or another phone to visit Google Find My Device and log into your Google account.
2. Select the Android smartphone you want to unlock.
3. Click unlock my Device option and follow the instructions.

2) Smart Lock option

You may be able to access your phone without using a password if you have configured the Smart Lock feature. The Smart Lock feature automatically unlocks your phone if it is in a location it recognizes. The feature is useful if you configured it before you forgot your password.

You can turn on Smart Lock and future-proof your phone by going to settings, security, and lock screen, and then Smart Lock. The Smart Lock feature offers several ways you can unlock your smartphone without a password, including:

1. On-body detection – The phone will automatically unlock if it detects you are carrying it in your hands or pocket.
2. Trusted face – The phone will automatically unlock if it recognizes a familiar face.
3. Voice match – Voice match is more secure than other options, as your voice is unique. You may have to speak specific words or letters to unlock your phone without a password. Nonetheless, the voice option is no longer available on devices that use Android 8 Oreo and later operating systems.
4. Trusted places – The feature will automatically unlock your phone if you are in a trusted address.
5. Trusted devices – You can set your phone to automatically unlock if it connects to a trusted Bluetooth device.

3) Forgot PIN prompt

Older Android devices that use Android 4.4 KitKat or an earlier operating system allow you to reset your password through the lock screen. You will need your Google account details to use this method. Use the following steps to reset your password with Forgot PIN prompt:

• Enter a wrong password or pattern several times until you get a prompt, try again in 30 seconds.
• Select Forgot Pattern. You will receive a prompt to enter your Google account information.
• Enter your email address and password and log in to your account.
• Go to the Screen Unlock settings and set a new pattern

4) Hard reset your device manually

If the above methods do not work for you, you will have to factory reset your phone. Hard resetting your device will erase all your data and apps to the status it was on when you first bought it from the manufacturer. You may be able to restore all or some of your data if you have backed it into your Google account.

The process of manually hard resetting a Samsung device varies by brand and operating system. You will have to look at the manufacturer’s guide or website to find out how you can factory reset your device. Make sure that your phone is fully charged before you perform a factory reset. Nonetheless, you can use the following steps to factory reset your Android phone:

1. Press the power button to turn your phone off.
2. Simultaneously press the volume down and power buttons to enter the Android bootloader menu. The button's combination could be different for your device.
3. Use the volume down button to select the Recovery Mode, and then press the power button.
4. Press the volume up button to activate the recovery mode.
5. Navigate the recovery mode menu with volume keys to the Wipe Data or Factory Reset option.
6. Follow the instructions to factory reset your phone. Wait for the process to complete.
7. Set up your phone again. Your phone will be in default factory status. You will have to enter a new password, install apps and configure your preferences. You may also restore your backed-up data.

How to Unlock Your Apple Device When You Forgot The Password

The process of unlocking your iPhone if you forgot your password is different from that of an Android phone. Apple gives you a few chances to try your passcode before locking your device. You can use the several attempts available to guess your password. You will have to enter five wrong passwords for your iPhone to disable it for one minute.

The phone will then disable for five minutes after seven wrong entries, 15 minutes after eight wrong entries, and 60 minutes for nine wrong entries. The iPhone will disable indefinitely after ten wrong entries. Therefore, you can try nine different password combinations before you try other, more advanced ways to reset your password.

If you fail to guess the correct password, you should proceed to advanced ways to unlock your iPhone without a password. Apple offers several ways you can unlock iPhone, including:

1) Unlock via iTunes

You can use iTunes to unlock your phone when you forgot the password, especially if you are using an iPhone with an older operating system. This method will not work with iPhones that use macOS Catalina or later operating systems. You can use the following steps to unlock your iPhone:

1. Set up iTunes on your PC or Mac.
2. Power your phone off.
3. Press and hold the right button to activate the recovery mode. Use the volume down for iPhone 7, the home button for iPhone 6, and the side button for iPhone 8 and newer models.
4. Find your iPhone in iTunes and select the update or restore option and wait for the device to boot up.
5. Disconnect your iPhone and configure it again.

2) Unlock via Find My iPhone

You will only use this method if you had enabled Find My iPhone option before you forgot the password. Use the following steps to unlock your disabled iPhone.

1. Visit icloud.com on your Mac or PC and use your Apple ID and password to log in.
2. Go to the Find iPhone option and click the all devices option.
3. Select the iPhone you want to unlock and choose the Erase iPhone option.
4. Confirm your selection and follow the instructions.
5. Restore your data from iCloud. You may also set up your iPhone as new if the backup is not available.
6. Complete the process

3) Unlock via Erase My iPhone

You can use the Erase My iPhone option to unlock your iPhone if it runs on iOS 15.2 or a later version. Use the following steps to unlock your disabled iPhone:

1. Enter a wrong password several times until an Erase iPhone icon appears.
2. Click the Erase iPhone option and enter your Apple details.
3. Confirm you want to erase your iPhone and wait a few minutes for the process to complete.
4. Configure your iPhone.

Conclusion

It is beneficial to use multiple login methods, as you will have a way to access your phone if you forgot your password. You may also consider writing down the password in a secure place for reference if you forgot the details.

That said, you can hard reset your phone or use other alternative ways like unlock via iTunes for Apple and Google Find My Device for Android phones if you forgot your password.

Snippet – You can easily and in a few steps unlock your phone if you forgot the password. However, if the methods described are not working for you, you might give a chance to Unlocky Tool.