How to Reset Android Phone when Locked – Easy Ways

Having your Android phone locked is one of the worst scenarios you can ever find yourself in as far as smartphone problems are concerned. Yes, we create these patterns and passwords to reinforce our device security but at times they can be detrimental. If your phone has ever been locked, you know what am talking about. Android technology is a widely used mobile OS in the world.

Does that explain why searches like how to unlock my Android phone when locked? how to bypass my forgotten pattern/password etc. are common. And perhaps you are here because yours has the same problem. Thankfully, if you can’t quite put your mind to remember your security combinations, there is a way out.

Today, we reveal the four best methods to reset your locked Android phone. All of these methods work differently on different android phones. Some will accept a certain method while others reject it. Therefore, it’s upon you to try and see which one works for your device. Although, keep in mind that your data may be lost in the process. Ideally, when resetting your phone, you are wiping out everything unless only in special instances.

This includes settings, data, applications name it. Even though some methods suggest you won’t lose your data, there’s no guarantee to that. So, just you better be prepared for anything.

How to Reset Android Phone when Locked – Easy Ways

So, you have tried everything and you can’t unlock your locked Android phone? All hope isn’t lost. The methods below should grant you unfettered access to your device within minutes.

Manual Hard Resetting

All Android phones have a unique way to factory reset them even when in a locked state. The manual hard reset process is a combination of predefined steps which differ from brand to brand. With hard resetting, there is no way to recover or back up your data. For that reason, most developers won’t advise you to attempt this method. Although, if you don’t need the data or the other methods just can’t unlock your phone, a hard reset may be your magical antidote.

Below, we show you how to hard reset some of the common mobile brands in the market. So, read on;

1. HTC Android Phone

HTC is a premium phone and the thought of it lying functionless like a junk can be haunting.

To reset your HTC smartphone, follow the steps below;

1. Long press power and volume down keys simultaneously.
2. Wait until you see the Android logo on the screen.
3. Release the buttons then use the volume up and down to navigate through options.
4. Scroll down until you find the Factory reset option.
5. Use the power button to select this option.
6. Follow the prompts to confirm the process. As you do this, you should ensure your phone has enough charge.
7. Wait sometime. Once resetting is complete, your phone will launch the original home screen.

2. Samsung

To reset any locked Samsung android phone, do the following;

1. Hold down Volume up + Power + Home key buttons at the same time.
2. Wait until the Samsung logo appears on the screen then release the buttons.
3. Several options will be printed on the screen and one of them will be a factory reset.
4. Use the volume button to navigate through the options.
5. Select factory reset and confirm with volume down key.
6. All your phone data will be erased.
7. Finally, the phone will reboot and open to its primary home screen, and it’s reset.

3. Motorola

To hard reset your locked Motorola android phone, do the following;

1. First, switch the phone off, if it is on.
2. Press Home + Power + Volume Up buttons simultaneously.
3. Hold the buttons until you see the Motorola logo on the screen.
4. Release the buttons and use the volume key to scroll.
5. Navigate to factory reset/wipe data.
6. Use the power button to select this option.

4. LG Mobile

To manually hard reset your locked LG Android phone, follow the steps below;

1. Press and hold Volume + power buttons simultaneously.
2. Wait until you see the LG logo.
3. Release the volume button and long-press the power button when the factory hard reset is on screen.

5. Sony

Manual hard resetting of a Sony phone follows the steps below;

1. Press and hold down the following keys; volume up + power + Home key.
2. Hold the buttons until the Sony logo appears on the screen then release them.
3. Use the volume key to scroll through the options.
4. Navigate to the factory reset option then use the Home or Power button to select.

6. Huawei

To manually hard reset your Huawei phone, do this;

1. First of all, ensure that the phone is off.
2. Press and hold down Volume up and power buttons at the same time.
3. Scroll to wipe data/factory reset option using the volume key.
4. Use the power button to approve the rest.

Using a Third-Party Tool

It is not every day you will be willing to give up your data. The advent of third-party screen unlocking software is a great relief for people who want to unlock their phones without losing data. One of those tools is the Dr. fone toolkit.

This is a comprehensive Android phone unlocking feature that can save your precious data when unlocking your phone. However, as of now, this provision is only available for limited brands like Samsung and LG. So, other phones can also be reset with this tool though with the loss of data.

Features of Dr.Fone:

• It can unlock different types of locks including Passwords, fingerprints, patterns, and PIN.
• It can unlock all Samsung and LG phones without erasing your data.
• Doesn’t need any expertise so anyone can use it. Its user interface is very friendly.
• As of now, it isn’t working with all models but the development continues.
• It supports both Mac and Windows OS.
• Supports Android phones from version 2.0 and above.

How to unlock your phone with Dr. Fone Toolkit

• Step 1: Before anything else, launch Dr. Fone app on your PC. That means you should have it installed in your PC. If not, download and install it. After launching, click Screen Unlock option from the interface.
• Step 2: Connect your phone to the PC with a USB cable.
• Step 3: Select the device (Phone) you want to unlock from the drop-down list. That should include its brand, model and name.
• Step 4: If your device is available, click next to move to the download modeand start factory reset. To accomplish that, follow the steps below;
  • Power off your device.
  • Long press Home Key + Volume down + Power button simultaneously.
  • Press the Volume up to enter the download mode and wait for the process to complete.
• Step 5: Download recovery package. After the above steps, you’ll be prompted to download recovery package. Accept and wait to complete. Once completed, click remove now. Your phone will now be accessible.

What if you can’t find your device on the Dr. Fone drop-down list

You can still unlock your phone through the advanced mode. In step 3 where you are asked to select your device, tick “I can’t find my device model from the list above” option. Select the “Unlock Now” button and follow the steps prompted on your screen.

Using Android Device Manager

Android phone’s device management can help you reset your locked smartphone. Even though the feature is mainly designed for purposes of locating a lost phone, it can still play this role. Device managers contain crucial services that help to locate a lost or stolen device.

These include lock, erase and ring your phone. One thing worthy noting is that to use device manager in this manner you must have enabled it beforehand.

If you have, follow the steps below to unlock your Android phone;

1. On your browser, visit Google/Android/devicemanager.
2. Log in to your Google email address.
3. Once logged into your Google account, select the Android phone you want to unlock.
4. A pop-up will appear when you select the phone to unlock. Choose “Lock” from the three options of “Ring,” “Lock” and “Erase.”
5. A new lock screen form will be available. Fill in a new password, confirm it then click lock. By doing so, you have created a temporary password that you can now use to access your phone and modify the password.

Find My Device Feature

This method is meant for Samsung devices only. Besides unlocking your phone, this feature can be used to locate, ring, and erase data from your phone remotely.

To use this method to reset your Samsung phone, two conditions must be met. One, the phone should be connected to the internet. The source of internet can be Wi-Fi or mobile data. Number two, your Samsung account should be active. That means your account should be preactivated otherwise your phone won’t accept this method.

If you have satisfied all the conditions, follow these steps to factory reset your Samsung phone with this feature;

1. Open your PC browser and head to findmymobile.samsung.com.
2. Log in to your account with your email and password.
3. Click “Find my mobile” then “Unlock my device” to unlock wirelessly.
4. Complete the process by entering your Samsung account credentials then unlock. Your phone should now be unlocked and will open freely.

What are the Reasons of Factory Resetting an Android Phone

There are three main reasons why one would want to reset their Android phones.

These include;

• To clean the system to make it faster
• When your phone cannot boot due to wrong Android settings a factory reset will restore the default settings.
• When the phone is locked and you can’t remember the password, PIN, Fingerprints, or pattern.

Conclusion

If you can’t remember your Android phone password, that’s not the end of it. Using the above methods, you can unlock your phone without much straining. These methods are brand specific though, some of them may not work on your phone. Therefore, it’s upon you to check which one works for your device.

Don’t Miss It:

• How to Unlock Android Phone Password without Factory Reset
• How to Reset iPhone that is Locked – Easy Ways
• How to Unlock Motorola Phone Password without Factory Reset

Frequently Asked Questions