Android Pattern Lock ..... Help needed

[Technohead]

Young master Technohead got a nice new Motorola G4 recently. Yesterday he foolishly changed the pattern he uses to lock the phone without committing said pattern to his own internal memory bank. Result ..... he can't access his phone. Seems that the latest versions of android no longer allow reset or bypass of the lock code with your google account, so it seems the only thing that can be done is a factory reset, the possibility of which has reduced Technohead junior to tears as he will lose all his (unbacked up) data, including photos from a once in a lifetime school trip he recently went on.

Lesson learnt hopefully for the youngster, but I did mention to him that the good folk at NSC, with a wealthy of experience and knowledge, might be able to provide a solution that would negate the need for a reset.

 

[AmexRuislip]

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Young master Technohead got a nice new Motorola G4 recently. Yesterday he foolishly changed the pattern he uses to lock the phone without committing said pattern to his own internal memory bank. Result ..... he can't access his phone. Seems that the latest versions of android no longer allow reset or bypass of the lock code with your google account, so it seems the only thing that can be done is a factory reset, the possibility of which has reduced Technohead junior to tears as he will lose all his (unbacked up) data, including photos from a once in a lifetime school trip he recently went on.

Lesson learnt hopefully for the youngster, but I did mention to him that the good folk at NSC, with a wealthy of experience and knowledge, might be able to provide a solution that would negate the need for a reset.

Surely if all of his photos would have been backed up automatically to Google, a reset if possible.
Can you check on Google drive on a normal computer, for their photos?

https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6156103?co=GENIE.Platform=Android&hl=en

 

[¡Cereal Killer!]

Are you able able to copy the pictures from the phone to the PC via USB?

 

[Technohead]

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Surely if all of his photos would have been backed up automatically to Google, a reset if possible.
Can you check on Google drive on a normal computer, for their photos?

https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6156103?co=GENIE.Platform=Android&hl=en

Unfortunately not .... another lesson learned, this time by me. As he's too young to have his own google account (should have just lied about his age) I set it up with my google account on google play. But didn't want his contacts, calendar entries, etc syncing with mine so disabled syncing, which also in turn meant none of his photos were saved to google drive. Lessons I have learned include:-

1) set up smart lock so there is always an alternative method of unlocking the phone
2) enable USB debugging so ADB commands can be used
3) don't believe that every new version of android is better than the previous one in all aspects

Thanks for the useful comments though.

 

[AmexRuislip]

http://forums.androidcentral.com/ge...de-accessing-locked-phone-cracked-screen.html

Similar scenario, but could this help?

 

[Swillis]

Unfortunately not .... another lesson learned, this time by me. As he's too young to have his own google account (should have just lied about his age) I set it up with my google account on google play. But didn't want his contacts, calendar entries, etc syncing with mine so disabled syncing, which also in turn meant none of his photos were saved to google drive. Lessons I have learned include:-

1) set up smart lock so there is always an alternative method of unlocking the phone
2) enable USB debugging so ADB commands can be used
3) don't believe that every new version of android is better than the previous one in all aspects

Thanks for the useful comments though.

Have you tried the wrong pattern five times? As that's when the email recovery should come up.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Unfortunately not .... another lesson learned, this time by me. As he's too young to have his own google account (should have just lied about his age) I set it up with my google account on google play. But didn't want his contacts, calendar entries, etc syncing with mine so disabled syncing, which also in turn meant none of his photos were saved to google drive. Lessons I have learned include:-

1) set up smart lock so there is always an alternative method of unlocking the phone
2) enable USB debugging so ADB commands can be used
3) don't believe that every new version of android is better than the previous one in all aspects

Thanks for the useful comments though.

I presume you don't have device manager installed on your son's phone?

 

[Swillis]

https://www.google.com/android/devicemanager?u=0

Click the link and sign in(Device manager) with your email, it should give you the option to unlock, ring, etc

Edit: make sure phone is on

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

https://www.google.com/android/devicemanager?u=0

Click the link and sign in(Device manager) with your email, it should give you the option to unlock, ring, etc

Edit: make sure phone is on

Probably have to go through motions of locking it, then entera new password on device manager and then unlock. Then the option to enter the new password is given on the phone. And of course, it depends on whether the device manager is already on the phone itself!

 

[Technohead]

Are you able able to copy the pictures from the phone to the PC via USB?

Seems that USB debugging is disabled, so wont access the phone, just charges it.

 

[Technohead]

https://www.google.com/android/devicemanager?u=0

Click the link and sign in(Device manager) with your email, it should give you the option to unlock, ring, etc

Edit: make sure phone is on

Device manager in latest android doesn't work .... they have tightened up the security so that when you go to the lock option and try and put in a new passcode it just comes up with "Since google has verified that a screen lock is already set, the password that you entered won’t be needed".

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Device manager in latest android doesn't work .... they have tightened up the security so that when you go to the lock option and try and put in a new passcode it just comes up with "Since google has verified that a screen lock is already set, the password that you entered won’t be needed".

Do you get this screen? This is on android nougat but I'm not sure offhand when the device manager app was updated.

 

[Technohead]

Do you get this screen? This is on android nougat but I'm not sure offhand when the device manager app was updated.

Yes .... enter the new password and confirm password then press lock .... the phone does indeed lock but because there is already a pattern lock on the phone android retains that lock rather than using the new password.

 

[StonehamPark]

Can you boot the phone in safe mode, then sync his phone to your gmail account/transfer docs via usb?

If not, transfer a zip file from this website onto a micro SD, pop the SD into the phone, boot into recovery, flash the file whilst in recovery, reboot, et voila.

More here (scroll down to Disable your lock screen using custom recovery and “Pattern Password Disable”).

 

[Technohead]

Can you boot the phone in safe mode, then sync his phone to your gmail account/transfer docs via usb?

If not, transfer a zip file from this website onto a micro SD, pop the SD into the phone, boot into recovery, flash the file whilst in recovery, reboot, et voila.

More here (scroll down to Disable your lock screen using custom recovery and “Pattern Password Disable”).

Thank you StonehamPark. Safe mode still wont allow usb connection recognition, so thats a no go.

Have also tried the flash file route, but stock android recovery does not recognise an external SD Card. Entering the Recovery Mode and selecting "Apply update from SD Card" will only show a path on the internal memory and there is no way of changing the path to the actual SD Card.

Dont think there is anything more I can do so factory reset it is I guess. Thank you to everyone for their suggestions.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Yes .... enter the new password and confirm password then press lock .... the phone does indeed lock but because there is already a pattern lock on the phone android retains that lock rather than using the new password.

Gutted. Out of interest, what phone is it? I always install a custom recovery on mine, helps in a situation like this.

Edit: just seen that it's a Motorola g4.

 

[StonehamPark]

Thank you StonehamPark. Safe mode still wont allow usb connection recognition, so thats a no go.

Have also tried the flash file route, but stock android recovery does not recognise an external SD Card. Entering the Recovery Mode and selecting "Apply update from SD Card" will only show a path on the internal memory and there is no way of changing the path to the actual SD Card.

Dont think there is anything more I can do so factory reset it is I guess. Thank you to everyone for their suggestions.

Can you get onto the phone's main menu/home screen whilst in safe mode?