Forgot Your Unlock Pattern?

If you've already set up a Google Account on your tablet:

1. Try entering unlock patterns several times right in a row. It *should* ask you to enter your Google Account info as an alternative way of letting you in, after which you can turn off pattern locking or set a new pattern.

2. If you set up a Google Account and the tablet isn't asking you for that info you can try to unlock it from this page:
https://www.google.com/accounts/DisplayUnlockCaptcha (this might only work on hardware authorized by Google, I'm not sure)

3. BUTTONS! There is usually some combination of button presses on boot that can get you into a "reset" or "safe mode" where you can reset it. It varies from tablet to tablet, however. For example, on my Haipad M701-R when I flip the on/off switch off and then on, short press the "end/sleep/power" button and immediately press and hold the "Menu" button through the boot process I go into "Safe Mode."

Also, some APAD tablets have a small, unmarked hole on the side of them that you can stick a paper clip into and press a soft-reset button. No idea if that clears an unlock pattern though.

4. If those options don't work, or if you have not set up a Google Account (either because you bypassed it or you have a tablet without official Google apps on it) another option is to use ADB (Android Debug Bridge) to unlock it. Go to Google and download the Android SDK (if you haven't already) and install it. If you're on Windows you'll also need the USB drivers.

1. Plug the tablet into the computer via USB and turn it on/boot it up.
2. Open a Terminal/Console and change directories to your Android SDK /tools/ folder.
3. Enter ADB commands. On Windows these will be "adb.exe" and on Mac/Linux "./adb" - I'll just use "adb" below for simplicity:

Code:

> adb devices

This will let you know if ADB can "see" and "talk to" the tablet. If you don't get any devices reported back check the USB cable, drivers (on Windows), and that the tablet didn't shut down on you. I should warn you, however, if the tablet didn't have "USB Debugging" turned on, this will not work. Assuming it reported back finding a device proceed:

Code:

> adb -d shell
# sqlite3 data/data/com.android.providers.settings/databases/settings.db
sqlite> update system set value=0 where name='lock_pattern_autolock';
sqlite> .exit
# exit
> adb reboot

If all went well the tablet should now boot WITHOUT the pattern lock enabled!

It will probably ask you for account info again like the first time it was booted. You can bypass that by pressing in all four corners in sequence upper left, upper right, lower right, lower left (if I recall correctly). Once into the tablet perform an actual factory data reset or it will pester you for setup info EVERY time you boot it. Go to Privacy>Factory Data Reset>Reset

5. Last resort is to reflash the tablet. Without knowing SPECIFICALLY which tablet model you have, though, there's no way anyone could tell you how to flash it or where to get compatible firmware. Assuming you DO know what you have and where to get a compatible rom for it, check elsewhere on the forums for instructions on how to flash your specific tablet with that firmware. Once it is flashed the "drive" is wiped and reset so you'll have to go through the "first run" setup again, but at least it won't have a pattern lock on it.

Some workarounds to try if you forgot your unloch pattern.

1. try entering null as password. (together with your google username) 2. try entering your username without @gmail.com.

3. Combine 1 and 2
4. Call yourself from another phone, answer, without hanging up press the home button, then menu button, settings, try to disable pattern-lock
5. Call yourself from another phone, answer, hang-up, directly after hanging up start pressing your buttons like a madman for <30-60 seconds ending with your home button (might take a while to get the timing right). Go into settings and disable pattern-lock.
6. Try the normal recover password routine from gmail.com and start over from 1.
7. Perform a factory reset. YOU WILL LOOSE all not-synced DATA (SD card will be left untouched).
1-6 are possible workarounds, these doesn&#8217;t work for everyone but can be worth a try to avoid factory reset. 6. is what should work but hardly never does. 7 &#8211; The factory reset always work.

how do i perform a factory reset on my m-001 tablet?

The table where the variable 'lock_pattern_autolock' has changed from system to secure. The command line for Honeycomb would read:
update secure set value=0 where name='lock_pattern_autolock';
instead of:
update system set value=0 where name='lock_pattern_autolock';

I wrote the Honeycomb image to a 16GB class 10 uSD. This allows me to insert it into my Nook Color and when powered on with the uSD inserted, I have a vanilla Honeycomb tablet. I have found that android tablets are treated significantly different from phone devices when it comes to support. Most of the apps I have needed to be sideloaded. An app called vendor.apk helps somewhat, but it seems not to find many apps on android.market. ADB is a very powerful tool. It with decent working knowledge of Linux and SQL helps support what I need of the tablet. Power down, remove the uSD and power up to Nook Color....its a nice combo!

I think it is same protocol!

How do you set a unlock pattern? Is it predetermined and you got to memorize their unlock pattern or is it user determined?

i have an kyros coby Android tablet model MID8125 and i forgot the password, how can i unlock it, its new, nothing saved with a pattern lock

It is user-defined. It's under settings.

Sent from my DROIDX using Android Tablet Forum

ok so how do i unlock it?

You enter the unlock pattern you chose.

Sent from my DROIDX using Android Tablet Forum

but i forgot my password, how do i get in?

Then, you follow the instructions listed in the first post.

Sent from my DROIDX using Android Tablet Forum

can i go into 'safe mode' with my klu android tablet LT7029?

Im running into trouble, everything is fine until i try the commands.
I keep getting "permission denied", any ideas?
Im using a mac and the tablet itself is android 2.2

Great advise, thanks ! My CUBE U9GT 2 was locked. Been following from step 1 to 5. And got it unlocked & reseted on the 5th step. I was hoping it could unlocked on the 4th step, but seems my device wasn't USB Debugging turned on before the locked up. Now it got resetted, but at least it allows me thru now. Thanks.

For some reason, my tablet isnt getting recognized...usb debugging is enabled: the tablet says so in the title bar when I connect it. My usb is securely plugged in...and my tablet is still securely locked...

Got it. Vista and the usb drivers at fault. Or maybe I should say it was my fault. I had the tablet (which is called a vortex) plugged in before I installed the sdk, so windows wouldn't recognize it as an adb device. I uninstalled the generic "portable device" in device manager. Re-installed.

But now, I messed up before I got ADB working...I tried the pattern 20 times. That locks me into using the google account to unlock it. ...is there any way to clear that??? I don't have the information...