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If you find yourself locked out of your Android phone due to a forgotten lock screen password or pattern, or if your phone has been lost or stolen, resetting it to factory settings is a sure-shot way to protect your data, including important files, bookmarks, images, and passwords.
When you reset your Android device, all the data will be erased. However, if you have previously backed up your data to your Google account or other cloud services, you can restore it later.
In this article, we will explain how to reset an Android phone when locked.
Method 1: Using Google Find My Device
Google Find My Device is a service that allows you to locate, lock, or erase your Android device remotely.
You can use this service to reset your locked phone. But there’s a catch — you can only use this service if you have enabled it on your phone before and signed in with your Google account.
To use this method, you need another device (laptop, PC, or phone) with internet access.
- Open any web browser and head to android.com/find.
- Next, sign in with the same Google account you used on your locked phone and select the phone from the list.
- Click on Erase Device and follow the on-screen instructions.
As soon as your phone will connect to the internet, the factory reset process will start, and all the data will be lost.
Also read: How to remove a SIM card from Android?Â
Method 2: Using Samsung Find My Mobile
Samsung Find my mobile is similar to Google Find My Device, but it is exclusive for Samsung devices.
If you have enabled the Remote Control feature on your Samsung phone, you can reset your locked Samsung phone using this feature.
You will need another device to connect you to the internet to use this method. Once you have the device, follow the instructions given below:
- Head to smartthingsfind.samsung.com.
- Sign in with the same Samsung account you used on your locked phone.
- Select your phone and then click on Erase Data and follow the instructions.
Also read: How to change the notification sound on Android?
Method 3: Using Recovery Mode
Recovery Mode, a native feature on your Android phone, allows you to execute different actions like data wiping, cache clearing, or software updates.
When you have physical access to your locked phone, you can use this mode to reset it. To do so, you must know the specific button combination required to enter Recovery Mode for your phone model.
Here are the steps to reset a locked Android phone using the Recovery Mode:
- Turn off your phone and press and hold the power and volume up/down buttons simultaneously for a few seconds until you see a menu on the screen.
- Use the volume button to navigate to Wipe data/factory reset and press the power button to select it.
- Finally, confirm your selection by navigating the volume buttons to Reboot system now and pressing the power button to restart your phone.
Resetting your Android phone when locked is a drastic measure that should only be taken when necessary. It will delete all the data on your phone and make it unusable until you set it up again. Therefore, you should always back up your data regularly and remember your lock screen password or pattern.
Also read: How to use Find My on your iPhone or iPad?
