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How to Unlock your Samsung Smartphone Without your PIN or Password

NextPit unlock samsung phone without pin
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Are you lost in front of your Samsung smartphone, staring at it in despair because you have forgotten the unlock code? That can be a very annoying experience, but it is not the end of the world. In the best case, you can still unlock your phone without a password. In the worst case, Samsung devices can also be reset without a PIN. We will go through all the possibilities in our primer here.

If you use a Samsung smartphone, it is protected by various security mechanisms. That is all well and good until you lock yourself out, be it by accident or design. If the fingerprint sensor no longer works and the face recognition also fails, you can still enter your PIN. But what if you have forgotten the unlock code?

In this case, you have several options to unlock your Samsung device. However, some of them do have unpleasant consequences. In the best-case scenario, you unlock your smartphone via the computer before proceeding with a brand-new PIN. In the worst case, you will have to reset your smartphone which will result in erasing all data on it, but at least it can still be used.

Jump to:

  1. Unlock your smartphone with Samsung Find My Mobile
  2. Reminder: Have you used Smart Lock?
  3. Reset your smartphone from another device
  4. Reset your smartphone with a keystroke

With the last two methods, it is a necessary evil to reset your smartphone. Needless to say, you should make a backup of your data beforehand. This is also possible in a few circumstances if your smartphone is locked. You can find more information on this topic in our special article about backing up your smartphone.

Unlock your Samsung smartphone with "Find my Mobile"

Let's begin with Samsung's very own solution, which is known as "Find My Mobile". To use the platform, you will first need a Samsung account set up on your smartphone. If you do not have a Samsung account prior, then you, unfortunately, will have to jump to the next option.

In addition, your smartphone must have an active Internet connection, either via a Wi-Fi network or a mobile network. Are these requirements met? Then let's get started:

Samsung remote unlocking feature screenshot
You can unlock your Samsung phone via a web browser. / © NextPit
  1. Go to Find My Mobile in your browser.
  2. Log in here with your account information or your Google account.
  3. Click More.
  4. At the bottom is the Unlock option.
  5. Enter your password again and select Unlock.

When creating these instructions, the website showed me an error message. It is rather silly that to use remote unlock, you will first have to enable a toggle in your Samsung smartphone's settings. Even if this is of little use to you in your current situation, you can find the required toggle for future use under Settings > Biometric data and security > Find My Mobile > Remote Unlock.

Screenshots of how to setup Find my mobile
You should activate this option on every new Samsung smartphone! / © NextPit

If you cannot unlock your phone via Samsung's service, you'll, unfortunately, have to reset it. Of course, this is unless you have used the "Smart Lock" feature in the past, which is available on every Android device.

Have you used Smart Lock?

Maybe you didn't think of it in your state of panic, but have you possibly set up the Smart Lock feature on a device or WLAN network? This is a system feature found in Android that allows you to bypass the authentication on the smartphone in combination with certain devices or locations.

Smart Lock also works with Bluetooth headphones or other devices. Unfortunately, you cannot set up the function without an unlock code, so this section is just a quick reminder. If you have never heard of Smart Lock, you will be unable to do so without a reset.

Reset your smartphone via a browser

If you can't unlock your phone with Samsung Find My Mobile, you will have to reset it. This will delete ALL DATA from your smartphone. So if you have not made a backup before the lock, you can expect to lose a huge chunk of your digital memories and data in one fell swoop.

Screenshots of phone reset via browser
You can also reset your smartphone via a browser. / © NextPit
  1. Go to Google's service page, Find My Device.
  2. Log in with your Google account.
  3. Select the device that you want to reset.
  4. Select Erase Device to remove all data, including the forgotten lock code, from your smartphone.

Once you have reset your smartphone, you can set it up again. You will have to log in with your Samsung account and your Google account again, and you may be able to download previously saved data from those accounts to the smartphone again. You can read about setting up Android phones to find out more.

Reset smartphone without a browser

Every smartphone can be reset without a computer or a second smartphone. You just have to restart it in recovery mode.

Bear in mind that there is a security feature involved here since Android Lollipop. You will first have to log in to a Google account that was activated on the smartphone prior to deletion. This is to prevent thieves from deleting the smartphone via recovery mode and using it afterwards. If you have used different accounts, simply choose any one of them.

How to erase your Samsung smartphone with a single keystroke:

  1. Turn off your smartphone.
  2. Press and hold both the power button and the volume up button to enter recovery mode.
  3. Navigate the menu using the volume rocker. Use the power button to select an option.
  4. Select Recovery Mode and then Wipe data/factory reset and confirm this option.
  5. Once the process is complete, your smartphone will reboot and you can log in with your Google account as usual.
Screenshot of recovery mode on Galaxy S7 edge
You can also reset your smartphone using the keys. / © NextPit

In summary, there is only one way to bypass the unlock pattern or PIN on Android without fearing any form of data loss. Therefore, it should always be part of the setup of your new Samsung smartphone in the future to ensure that all the proper settings are correctly configured in the event of any future mishaps. 

Did you ever have to completely reset your phone or did the unlocking work via your Samsung account? Did this guide help you and do you have any other tips that we should include here concerning Samsung smartphones?


Guide updated on January 2022 with updated instructions. Existing comments on this page were not removed and may refer to previous versions of this article.

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Benjamin Lucks

Benjamin Lucks
Head of Editorial DE

Ben has been working in tech journalism since 2018, was a freelancer in the middle of the CoVid-crisis and has been full-time at NextPit since November '20. Since then he has tries to find the right mix between professional competence, humor and fresh perspectives in reviews and texts.

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5 comments
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  • Vali Dragomir (isshmen) 1
    Vali Dragomir (isshmen) Jan 29, 2022 Link to comment

    How about unlocking Samsung passwords through ADB. There's needs of some knowledge, I know, but in case there's no linked account with device, it may be a good solution.


  • 1
    Sylvia Noon Oct 14, 2021 Link to comment

    I no longer use my Samsun phone so it is not hooked to any network. i cannot remember any of my passwords or pins. i would like to get it open so i can use it as a music player. can you help.


  • 1
    badman Sep 7, 2020 Link to comment

    How about network unlock?


  • marco sarli 39
    marco sarli
    • Admin
    Oct 8, 2019 Link to comment

    This is exactly why I do not put a password or pin. I do not have any secrets to hide but would prefer to keep my data and apps.


    • 1
      william rhodes Oct 28, 2020 Link to comment

      And then you leave your phone in the store accedently and someone walks off with your phone. And they swipe it oh shit they have whatever info you have in that phone at yhere finger tips will they be good or bad with it. Next thing u know they have used your phone to do all kinds of damage. A splt second is all it takes

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