Android users always ask of how to unlock locked phones without losing data. This question is common because we have all been in the situation or know someone who has been locked out of their phone after multiple attempts to unlock their phone with a wrong password or pattern.

Normally, phone technicians would have a solution for unlocking your phone, and this is to flash a new operating system onto the device, with there seemingly not being a way of unlocking the phone without losing your data.

If you are also looking to learn how to unlock your phone without losing any data, you are at the right place. We will show you fast, easy, and safe different methods of doing this.

Unlock Locked Android Phone without Losing Data by Booting into Safe Mode

To unlock Android phone that was locked with a third-party app without losing data, access your device by booting into safe mode, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Press and hold your phone’s Power button.

Step 2: When the power menu (Power Off, Shut Down, Restart) pops up, press and hold Power Off.

Step 3: Confirm to boot into safe mode by clicking OK.

boot-into-safe-mode

Step 4: Uninstall the screen lock application and restart your phone.

This removes the lock that was set by the third-party screen lock app. After uninstalling, you could opt to reinstall the application and set a new password or pattern.

In addition to this way, there are also many other ways to unlock a locked Android phone. However, in few cases you can unlock Android phone without losing data. If you have backed up your vital information previously, you can try the following methods which will wipe all your data on your phone, including photos, videos, settings, contacts, text messages, apps, and so forth.

Remove Android Phone Screen Lock without Password via iMyFone LockWiper (Android)

iMyFone LockWiper (Android) is a fantastic program that performs different kinds of unlocks, including removing forgotten screen locks, such as passwords and patterns. We recommend that you use this tool because of the following reasons among all:

product

100,233,123 Downloads

Features of iMyFone LockWiper (Android):
  • Instantly remove Android phone screen lock without password.
  • Bypass all sorts of screen locks including PIN, pattern, password, face lock, fingerprint, etc.
  • Support more than 6000 Android devices of different brands, such as Samsung, Motorola, LG and Huawei, etc.
  • Compatible with most Android OS version from Android 2.3-13.0.

How to Unlock a Locked Android Phone with iMyFone LockWiper (Android)

Step 1: Connect your device to the computer and launch LockWiper (Android).

connect device via usb

Step 2: On your PC, click “Start”. iMyFone LockWiper (Android) loads your device information automatically.

remove screen lock

Step 3: Check if the information is correct. If it isn’t, you can change it manually, but if it is correct, click “Start Unlock” to commence the process.

start to unlock

Wait for a moment as the program downloads and sends the firmware to your device.

Step 4: Put your device in Recovery Mode and wait for a few minutes for the program to unlock your Android phone.

removing screen lock

removal completed

When the process finishes, you have successfully removed your Android phone screen.

Watch the video to unlock your phone without losing data:

Unlock Locked Android Phone with Google Find My Device (Android 4.4 or below)

Android operating systems from version 4.4 and below allow you to enter a wrong password or screen pattern about five times before prompting you to try again in the next 30 seconds. If after the given 30 seconds, you still enter a wrong password or pattern, your phone then lets you use Google’s Find My Device feature to unlock your phone.

This method needs some prerequisites in order to work. One is that you must have enabled Find My Device on your phone. Also, there must be a Google account associated with the device. Google’s Find My Device not only helps you locate your Android device remotely, but with it you can also remotely unlock your locked Android phone. Continue reading for how to use this feature:

Step 1: Navigate to the Find My Device website from another device via the following link: https://www.google.com/android/find

Step 2: Log in with your Google account and select the locked phone.

Step 3: To erase your screen password or pattern, click "Erase".

find my device

This feature is quick and easy, but only works if you had enabled it previously on your device. So, we recommend that you enable it now because you may need it in the future. To activate Find My Device, navigate to Settings > Google > Security > Find My Device.

enable find my device

Note:

This method only works for Android 4.4 or below version.

Bypass Android Lock Screen through Android Device Manager

This is another simple method that only works if Find My Device was enabled on the phone before it got locked. With this technique, you will lose your data. Most unlocking techniques wipe your data, and this is important for obvious privacy reasons.

Steps:

Step 1: Navigate to https://www.google.com/android/find and sign in with your Google account linked to the locked phone.

Step 2: Select the specific Android phone that you wish to unlock.

Step 3: On the following screen, click Lock.

Step 4: A window pops up. Here, you can set a new lock screen password.

android device manager

NOTE:

Google has stopped this method, as it no longer works for newer devices.

Bonus: Be Cautious That Your Device Might Be Locked in These Situations

You now know solutions on how to unlock locked Android phone without losing data and some other methods in which you might lose data. However, since most unlock methods wipe off your data, the best forms of protection include:

  1. Always backing up your device either with a PC or to the cloud. Back up so that you can get them back from the backup if you ever have to unlock your phone with a method that wipes your data.
  2. Learn how and when your Android phone gets locked out. Here are some of the most common times it happens:
  • You purchased a used phone for which you do not know the password.
  • You forgot your password and keep trying wrong ones.
  • Screen is cracked or faulty and cannot receive input.
  • Your phone is hacked.

Conclusion

You have learnt different safe methods of unlocking your Android phone with and without losing data. You should not be worried about losing data if you have recent backups. But if not, you can still try out the methods that do not wipe your phone. Next time you are locked out or see any one get locked out of their Android phones, there would be no need to fret as these methods are 100% safe and 100% work. What's more, have an unlock tool handy in case the need arises. We recommend iMyFone LockWiper (Android).