How to Unlock an Android Phone When You Forgot the PIN

You enter the PIN you remember, and the Android lock screen refuses to open. The next move depends on what is actually blocking you: a recent lock change, a saved trusted-unlock setup, a broken screen, a child or work restriction, or a fully forgotten device credential. Start with the non-erasing options below, then move to the official reset routes when the phone cannot be unlocked any other way.

1. Check the lock method already on the phone

1. 1.Wake the phone.
2. 2.Use the lock-screen prompt for PIN, Pattern, Password, Fingerprint recognition, or Facial recognition.
3. 3.After the phone opens, go to Settings > Security > Screen lock.
4. 4.Enter the current PIN, Pattern, or Password.
5. 5.Choose the new lock option, or choose None.

Android only lets you change or remove a screen lock after you prove the current one, which makes the built-in lock prompt the first stop. Fingerprint and face unlock work only when they were already enrolled. After a restart, timeout, or security event, Android requires the primary PIN, pattern, or password again.

2. Recover a Samsung lock changed in the last 72 hours

For Galaxy devices running One UI 6.1 or later, Samsung's current recovery option applies when the PIN, password, or pattern was changed within the last 72 hours.

1. 1.Enter the wrong lock-screen PIN, Password, or Pattern five or more times.
2. 2.Tap Forgot PIN?, Forgot Password?, or Forgot Pattern?.
3. 3.Enter the previous PIN, Password, or Pattern.
4. 4.Tap OK.
5. 5.Select a new screen lock type.
6. 6.Enter the new PIN, Password, or Pattern.
7. 7.Tap Continue, enter it again, then tap OK.

Samsung deletes the previous lock data after 72 hours, and the recovery can be used once per screen lock type.

3. Open it with a trusted or accessibility unlock already set up

Trusted unlocks help only when they were configured before the lockout. On stock Android, the setup path is Settings > Security & privacy > More security & privacy > Extend Unlock. On Samsung, it is Settings > Lock screen and AOD > Extend Unlock, and older One UI versions show it under Lock screen as Smart Lock. Samsung notes Extend Unlock is not available on all carriers. When the trusted place, trusted device, or on-body condition still matches, wake the phone and swipe to open it. This does not work after a restart or after about four hours without the primary unlock.

Voice Access can also open a PIN screen if it was prepared in advance. Wake the screen, start Voice Access, say Show numbers, say the number shown for the unlock control, then use the on-screen Voice Access labels to enter the PIN. Google lists PIN unlock as the only lock-screen type currently supported by Voice Access.

4. Rule out an app problem or damaged hardware

• Restart the phone in Safe mode using the device's safe-mode steps.
• Check whether the lock screen or input problem is gone.
• Open Play Store > Profile icon > Manage apps & devices > Manage.
• Select a recently downloaded app.
• Tap Uninstall.
• Restart normally after each removal.

If the lock screen is freezing, the keyboard will not appear, or touch input is unreliable, fix the obstruction before resetting the phone. Safe mode can expose a downloaded app problem, but it does not bypass Android's built-in PIN, pattern, or password.

For a broken touchscreen or display, use hardware only if you still know the PIN or password. Connect a USB adapter, then use a mouse or keyboard to enter the lock. On supported Samsung phones with a blank screen, connect a USB-C or HDMI adapter, a monitor or TV, and a mouse or keyboard, then use the mirrored phone screen to unlock and back up data.

5. Separate child and work locks from a forgotten PIN

A Family Link screen-time lock is not the same problem as a forgotten device PIN. On the parent device, open Family Link, select the child, tap Screen time, then under the child's device name tap Unlock. When the child device is offline, use the Family Link parent access code on the child's Android device or Chromebook.

For a company-owned Android phone, contact the device administrator. In supported Google Workspace or Cloud Identity editions, and only when the Android phone is in device-owner mode and listed in the company-owned inventory, an admin with the Mobile Device Management privilege can use Admin console > Menu > Devices > Overview > Mobile Devices, select the device, choose Reset Device Password, enter and confirm the new password, then select Reset Password.

6. Erase the phone with Google Find Hub

When the device credential is forgotten and no recovery path above applies, Google's supported remote option is factory reset. It does not set a new Android lock-screen password.

1. 1.On another Android device, open the Find Hub app, or use a browser and go to google.com/android/find.
2. 2.Sign in with the Google Account on the locked phone.
3. 3.Select the device.
4. 4.Open Settings.
5. 5.Choose Factory reset for that device.

The phone must have power, mobile data or Wi-Fi, a Google Account, Find Hub turned on, and visibility on Google Play. The reset erases the phone. Afterward, device protection may require the Google Account previously synced to the device.

7. Reset it with the phone buttons

Use the recovery or fastboot menu when remote erase is not available. The exact buttons depend on the manufacturer and model, but the reset erases the phone and may require the previously synced Google Account afterward.

• For Google Pixel, turn off the phone. On Pixel 6 and later, hold Volume down and Power until Fastboot mode appears. On earlier Pixel models, hold Volume up and Power. Select Recovery Mode with the volume keys and Power. At No command, hold Power, press Volume up, release both quickly, then choose Wipe data/factory reset, Factory data reset, and Reboot system now.
• For Motorola, charge the battery to at least 30 percent, turn the phone off, then hold Volume Down and Power until it turns on. Choose Recovery mode, press Power, then at the Android robot or No command, hold Power and press and release Volume Up. Choose Wipe data/factory reset, confirm Factory data reset, then choose Reboot system now.
• For Samsung Galaxy phones and tablets, switch off the device, or let the battery drain if the lock screen prevents shutdown. Plug it into a computer with a USB cable. Open recovery with the model's key combination: newer models without a Home button commonly use Volume Up and Side or Power; older models may use Volume Up, Bixby, and Power, or Volume Up, Home, and Power. Select Wipe data/factory reset or Delete all user data, confirm with Yes or Factory data reset, then select Reboot system now.

8. Erase a Galaxy through SmartThings Find

1. 1.Go to smartthingsfind.samsung.com or findmymobile.samsung.com.
2. 2.Sign in to the Samsung account on the locked device.
3. 3.Select the device.
4. 4.Choose Erase data.
5. 5.Verify your identity if prompted.
6. 6.Select Erase.
7. 7.Enter the Samsung Account password.
8. 8.Choose Next.

Samsung also gives Galaxy owners a remote erase route. Use it when the locked device is registered to a Samsung account, connected to a network, and has remote controls enabled.

This is remote erase, not remote unlock. Samsung UK says SmartThings Find can no longer remotely unlock a phone, and current general guidance should treat remote unlock as unavailable unless the live SmartThings Find page for that exact signed-in device shows Unlock.

9. Avoid old unlock methods that no longer apply

Do not use old Android Device Manager advice that tells you to set a new lock-screen password remotely. Current Find Hub options include locating, playing sound, marking as lost, and factory reset. Mark as lost locks the device with its existing PIN, pattern, or password; it does not create a new unlock credential. On Android 17 and up, when Fingerprint or Face Unlock is set up, Google says the device then requires both the existing screen lock and a biometric unlock, and access to notifications, widgets, and quick access is disabled.

The Android 4.4-and-lower Forgot pattern Google-account reset is an old method for old devices only. It is not a current Android unlock fix.

After any factory reset, stop at the Google account screen if you do not know the prior account. Use Google account recovery first. For Samsung devices, Samsung says to bring or send the phone with proof of purchase to an authorized Samsung Service Centre when the Google account information cannot be recovered.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the first thing to try when I forgot my Android PIN?

Try any lock method already enrolled on the phone, including fingerprint or face unlock. If you get in, change the lock through Settings > Security > Screen lock.

Can I unlock an Android phone without erasing it?

Yes, but only through a recovery option that already applies: Samsung previous lock recovery, Extend Unlock, Voice Access PIN unlock, Family Link screen-time unlock, a work admin reset, or hardware access when you still know the PIN.

Does Google Find Hub create a new lock-screen password?

No. Current Find Hub can locate, play sound, mark as lost, or factory reset. Mark as lost uses the existing PIN, pattern, or password.

Why does Android ask for the old Google account after factory reset?

Device protection can require the Google Account previously synced to the phone before setup continues. Use Google account recovery if you do not know it.