How to Access an Android Device if You Forget Your Pattern or Pin

How to Access an Android Device if You Forget Your Pattern or Pin

 

The chances are rare that you will forget your screen lock (pattern or PIN) and are locked out of your device if you are a constant user of your Android device like me but it happens, we know; it could be when you changed your PIN or pattern recently or because your kid decided that the pattern lock looked like a nice enough game to play with.  This guide is just for those times and will show you how to get past that screen lock and access your device.

I.  Prerequisites

1.  Your device needs to be connected to the internet for this solution to work; this could be a WiFi access point you have already added to your access point list or plain old internet provided by your mobile carrier.

2.  You will need access to the Google account you have your phone linked to.  If you have forgotten your Google account password, then a hard reset is the only way to go, losing your data in the process.

 

II.  Installing Screen Lock Bypass and Using it

1.  Go to the web version of Google Play.

2.  Login with the Google account associated with your Android device.

3.  Install Screen Lock Bypass.

4.  Reboot your device.

You should now be able to access your homescreen and everything else.  Please note that while the Screen Lock Bypass does not remove your PIN or pattern, it will give you access to your device so you can back up the necessary data; ultimately, a hard reset is the only way to go if you want to change the security settings.

III.  Backing up your Current Data

Now that you have access to your device, it’s better to back up the important data you’ll need after you hard reset your phone/tablet.  Here are some ways to back up some common components:

• Contacts – This is already taken care of by Google if you have opted to sync your contacts with your Google account.
• Messages – A good option for this is SMS Backup+; this app backs up your texts to GMail under a different label and can restore them after a hard reset
• Pictures and Video – These could be backed up to your PC by connecting your device in USB Storage Mode; this mode can usually be activated by selecting the type of connection from the notification area after you have connected your device.
• Apps – Google usually takes of your apps (both paid and free ones) but just in case, look up File Expert and its app backup option for the same.

 

IV.  Hard Resetting your Device

A hard reset is usually done in two ways:

1.  Factory Reset by heading to Settings > Privacy > Factory Data Reset.

OR

2.  Hard Reset via Recovery Menu.  This usually involves holding certain keys when your device is being powered up and then selecting Wipe Data/Factory Reset in the Recovery Menu.

Install Android apps on iPhone and iPad

Install Android apps on iPhone and iPad

If you have an Apple iPhone or iPad then here is a way to install the android apps on your device.

Another success story in cross platform development.

FlexyCore  has created an app called iSpecturm (open source project in Java SDK) which allows your iOS device to run android apps.As we know there is a huge market on android OS like Samsung becoming a successful smart phone maker so Apple started focusing on its android cross platform development, which can be installed on iPhone and iPad.
 

 

Download iSpecturm from Apple app Store or iTunes and then visit the Android market to enjoy the android apps.

The number of free softwares available on Android market is much larger than that of Apple app Store.

How to hard reset the Samsung Galaxy S

We show you how to factory reset the Samsung Galaxy S to clear all data and restore its original settings

Samsung's flagship Android phone, the Galaxy S

Published on Jun 3, 2010

The Samsung Galaxy S is highly customizable and you have been hard at work tweaking it to your liking, but now the fun is over and you want to return it to its factory settings again. Here, we show you how to hard reset the Samsung Galaxy S with step by step instructions.

Please note that all data will be deleted from the Samsung Galaxy S as a result of this procedure. This process does NOT delete data stored on the microSD card. We recommend backing up all of your personal data before proceeding.

First, try this:

1. From the main home screen, tap menu
2. Tap Settings, then Privacy
3. Tap Factory data reset
4. Tap Reset phone
5. Enter your password, then tap Yes to confirm

If that doesn't work, or if your phone is frozen:

1. Turn the power off. If your Samsung Galaxy S is frozen, pull the battery out and reinsert it
2. Hold the Volume Down button
3. Press and release the Power button
4. You are now presented with a menu that allows for Fastbook, Recovery, Clear Storage, and Simlock
5. Select Clear Storage by pressing the Volume Down button
6. Press and release the Power button
7. Now simply confirm your decision: Volume Up for YES and Volume Down for NO

If you selected YES, all data including third-party applications will be deleted from the Samsung Galaxy S. Once the wipe is complete, the phone will reboot to its factory fresh state.

Time saving tricks for the Samsung Wave

Time saving tricks for the Samsung Wave

We all like to save time so now I'm going to show you a few quick tricks to save a few seconds whilst using the Samsung Wave, many of the tricks are also possible on other Samsung mobiles. None of these are particularly amazing though they will help you save a small amount of time which can add up if you use the phone a lot.

We start by looking at the quick method of opening the task manager. If you want to open the task manager the "normal" way you need to go through a number of menu screens which can take quite a while and is incredibly fiddly. If you just go to the home screen and hold the "menu key" for a few seconds you jump straight to the task managed saving yourself the time and effort of going through the settings screens. In fact this takes about 3 seconds and is very direct.

The other method of finding the task manager is following this small guide:
Menu>Setting>About Phone>System info>CPU>Task Manager
So as you can see this short cut is much better.

This is a trick most users should already be well aware of but if not it's worth sharing. This little menu you can see is just a drag down menu from the top of the screen and by dragging it down you can turn on, or off, the Wi-Fi, the Bluetooth and Silent mode. This is great for when you just need to turn off something like Wi-Fi to save the battery or turn the volumne off to go into a meeting.  

Each of these 3 settings can be turned on or off through the various menu's though the fact you can do them all here is much quicker and easier than fiddling with a host of multiple screens.



 This final time saving trick takes a little while to set up so I've broken it into the steps you need to use for it to work. It's a trick that some folks will find of more use than others, though if you use the phone for one thing a lot it will be a good trick to learn. Firstly you need to open the "Menu" then click settings and "General" which puts you on this screen here. The you need to select "Gestures" from this screen.



In "Gestures" you will see a screen like this. The option you want to set it "Double tapping" and make sure that a little light is showing next to it as this is what we are wanting to use. After you click on the dot to put the light on you need to click where it says "Double tapping" to open a long list of options.

 The options screen should look something like this (though it has a lot more options than were caught on this screen shot) you need to select the option you want to use. In the case of this example it's going to be "Music" as I like to use my phone to listen to music so it's a good short cut for myself. Others may want to use it to skip to the camera, or the games or soemthing else. 

By double tapping the screen on the homepage I'm now zoomed straight to my music and ready to listen to all my tracks with out needing to go through the menu screens. This is a great little trick though one that you need to really use the phone a fair bit to make the most of.

Although this trick does take a little whilst to set up it's pay off in the long run is great and really is a trick you should be using if you want to use the phone for all it's worth. 




Of course the phone will have more time saving tricks though these are some of the best ones and easiest ones so are worth using and knowing that they are all there to use.

Samsung Galaxy S2 FAQ's

Samsung Galaxy S2 FAQ's

If you've not seen a guide for your problem on the main blog then this is the place to look for regularly asked questions on the Samsung Galaxy S2, if you've got any more to ask feel free to leave a comment:

Is the phone worth getting?
At the moment it's the best phone on the market (IMO) and until the iPhone 5 it's likely to remain that way. With contracts some can be as tasty as £30 a month (24 month) for 1GB internet, unlimited texts and 500 minutes (with 3 in the UK) it's really a phone worth getting and is more than affordable

How do I make the camera quiet?
You need to upgrade to the latest firmware and then set the phone to silent mode.
NOTE-The current version of the firmware takes away the ability to change text skin

Why is the home button slow?
When you press the home button you may notice a few seconds of lag, this is the phone waiting to see if you are pressing it once (to go home) or twice (to open up Vlingo voice control).

Is the home button supposed to click?
Yes the home button is supposed to make a quiet "click" sound when you press it. Unlike the "back" and "menu" keys this is a "real" key and you are pressing a small plastic button which is clicking.

Does the radio use up the internet?
The inbuilt FM Radio application does NOT use the internet at all and instead uses an internal FM receiver. If you're using an application however such as TuneIn radio, BBC iPlayer or doubleTwist for the radio functions these DO use internet (be it Mobile Internet or Wi-Fi)

How do I use the FM radio on loud speaker?
I did touch on this very quickly when talking about how to get the most from the FM radio app, but what you need to do is press the phones "menu" button and then select "Via Speaker".

How do I set an SMS ringtone?
With the Samsung Galaxy S2 an SMS ringtone is actually considered as part of "Notification ringtone" and a guide for setting that can be found here.

How do I browse the desktop version of facebook on a Galaxy S2?
Firstly you will need to log into it via a browser and not the facebook app. There should be an option at the top that says "More". If you click on that a long list opens and at the bottom of the list is "Desktop site". Clicking on this opens a desktop version of the site.

Does the GPS use mobile internet?
Technically the right answer is no...though this is a case where the technicality isn't the best answer. The Maps application that you will likely be using GPS with does use internet to update the map so you will need a data connection for that. There is some work around solutions but none that are particularly simple.

Is my accelerometer broken?
This question seems to come up on a lot of forums what you need to do is enter the test screens (guide here) and click on sensor and see if the accelerometer responds the way it should in the "Sensor" test. If so take it back to the place where you bout it, whats more likely is that you've just twiddled with a setting and confused yourself.

Can I change the dock?
The dock, or in laymans terms the icons at the bottom can be moved and changed almost at will. The application icon cannot be moved but the others can, a guide on doing that can be found here.

Can I use the phone to browser the internet on my laptop?
Yes. There is two ways of using the Samsung Galaxy S2 to allow your laptop to browse the internet, the first option is via a wired "USB tethering" option and the second is by turning the phone into a "Portable Wi-Fi Hotspot".

What can I do with the front camera?
You can do 4 things with the front camera. At the moment the stand out function is making Skype video calls (though other video calling systems do work I recommend using Skype), though can also take self shot photographs and self shot videos and of course, you can use it as a mirror.

When is the phone out in the USA?
The Samsung Galaxy S2 hasn't got a confirmed release date in the USA at the time of writing. What is however know is that the device will be given a number of different names depending on which provider you get the phone with.
Samsung Within (Sprint)*
Samsung Attain (AT&T)
Samsung Function (Verizon)

*The Samsung Within is also rumoured to have had another name change and will become the Samsung Epic Touch 4G

Why have the US had to wait for the phone?
This has been, partly anyway, due to the previous question. The carriers (or networks) all want their own version of the phone which has slowed down the release dates. Whilst a number of countries, including the UK have had the phone for well over a month it still isn't available in the US.

Can I root the handset?
Yes you can. I've not done a guide on it as I won't be rooting mine though you can feel free. I would advise XDA forums as the place to look if you want to start.

What is the Galaxy S2 chihuahua?
This is one of the phones most bizarre secrets. If you open the test menu and click on"Sensor" then "Image test" you will be treated to this picture which is the Galaxy S2 chihuahua.

What security options is there on the Samsung Galaxy S2?
So far on this site we have looked at the 3 screen lock security methods. 
Pattern-You draw a pattern on 9 circles on the screen, to get access to the phone the pattern needs to replicated.
PIN-You need to enter a 4 digit PIN (Personal Identification Number), to get access you need to correctly enter the number.
Password-This is the most secure method of locking your screen as you can enter a long and complex password that really could be as good as impossible to hack.
As well as these you can remotely factory reset your phone over Samsung Dive which gives you an added layer of protection.