Pattern Locks Are Unsafe: Secure Your HTC U23 Phone Now with These Tips

Pattern locks have been available for about as long as people can remember, and they have been hugely popular with people thanks to how easy it is to simply swipe your screen and unlock your smartphone, as against, say, keying in the 4-digit PIN/ 6-digit PIN. However, pattern locks are easy to crack, and today, we bring you all you want to know about pattern locks and how to create a hard pattern lock. Further to this, we also tell you how to move beyond pattern locks and what to do in case you forgot the hard pattern lock you just set and are unable to unlock your smartphone.

Part 1: What You Need to Know About Pattern Locks

Pattern lock is an Android-only feature that makes it easy for users to have a modicum of security on their smartphones. Most users do not prefer using and remembering a PIN to unlock the smartphone. Creating a pattern makes it easier, somehow.

There is a 9-point grid on which you swipe your finger from point to point, in any direction, and when you take your finger off, that pattern you swiped becomes the key to unlock your smartphone.

Pattern locks were exceedingly common only a few years ago, and they are not recommended for use any longer due to concerns (mentioned later in the article).

1.1: Popularity and Usage

Old habits die hard, or so they say, right? That’s because it is true. We are creatures of habit, and pattern locks have been around for a long, long time. We are accustomed to pattern locks. So, even with even easier technologies such as fingerprint recognition and face recognition, we tend to gravitate towards the familiar old pattern lock.

The only thing is, there is a reason why pattern locks are no longer the preferred option to use for unlocking your smartphones. As it happens, that reason is security, and it can be very easy for humans to take a swipe (pardon the pun) at your pattern lock. And guess what? The research conducted suggests that they would get it right with an unsettling accuracy.

1.2: Advantages and Drawbacks

With on-the-go lifestyles, our smartphones have become indispensable and contain some of the most sensitive aspects of our lives – IDs, credit and debit cards in digital wallets, photo and video memories, business documents – you name it, the smartphones have it, on the go. This has opened our lives up to the public at large, and if someone steals our smartphone or, best case, finds it, the only barrier preventing them from being privy to all that wealth of our sensitive information is that screen lock – the pattern lock that we set on our smartphones. That’s it – the single pattern lock stands between malicious actors and our data. You might be beginning to realize just how crazy this is.

Advantages of Pattern Locks

There are two advantages to using pattern locks. One, they are better than nothing. Two, they are easy to use. And that’s about it. There is no third advantage to pattern locks. We might think we set a hard pattern lock that nobody could guess, but, as research proves, we might be thinking too low of human prowess.

Disadvantages of Pattern Locks

Security, or rather, the lack of it, is the lone disadvantage of using a pattern lock. What good is a pattern lock that can be easily deciphered? Sure, they are easy to use, and they are better than not having anything, but would you really want to protect your life’s data with something that could be, as researchers found out, breached in under 5 attempts? We don’t think you do!

The research found that 64% of test subjects who were shown videos of people unlocking their phones could correctly guess a 6-point pattern lock, that too after viewing the video only once! That number shot up to 80% if they were allowed to see the video again. That is simply astounding and a nightmare for security. When it comes to PINs, only 11% could guess a 6-digit PIN after viewing the unlocking video once, and that number shot up to 27% when they could see the video two times.

Part 2: How To Create a Hard Pattern Lock (Including Remembering Complex Patterns)

Now, if you must continue using a pattern lock, let’s help you know how to create a hard pattern lock that would not be as easy to decipher as easy pattern locks. For that, you should know how people use pattern locks, the kind of pattern locks they create, and the ones that are the most commonly used pattern locks. That way, you can avoid those fallacies and create a hard pattern lock for your smartphone.

2.1: The Pattern Locks People Use Most Commonly

Marte Loge, an M.Sc. Computer Science student, gave a presentation on pattern locks at DEFCON 23 and made a bold claim. She said, “Tell me who you are, and I will tell you your lock pattern.”

She presented the following statistics to support her claim:

• - In her research, she found that 77% of people started with one of the 4 corners when creating a pattern lock.
• - 44% of people started with the top-left dot and 15% with the top-right, while the bottom-left was preferred by 14% of her test subjects.
• - People set 5-point pattern locks on average, and most users were content with a 4-point pattern.

These are some of the most common pattern locks people create:

• - patterns in the shapes of alphabets,
• - patterns in the shapes of numerals,
• - patterns in any other simple shape, such as square, triangle, star, etc.

To understand how this is a security nightmare, the possible combinations for a 4-point pattern are a measly 1624, whereas by adding just 1 more point to the pattern and creating a 5-point pattern, the number of possible combinations becomes 7152, an increase of 5528 combinations. In stark contrast, creating a 9-point pattern would give you over 140,000 possible combinations!

2.2: How to Create a Hard Pattern Lock

Knowing what most people do when creating a pattern lock, it becomes easy to avoid those mistakes and instead create a hard pattern lock for oneself.

• - Do not start creating a pattern lock from any of the 4 corners of the grid.
• - Never use your first initial as your pattern lock.
• - Never use the shape of a numeral as your pattern lock.
• - Use all 9 points on the grid to create your pattern lock, and contrary to popular belief, you can go over the connecting lines several times, creating a hard pattern lock that would not be as easy for people to decipher!

Part 3: Going Beyond Pattern Locks

You might think that now that you have set a hard pattern lock, you are good to go. Hardly. Technology has evolved, so have methods to break into your device.

Step 1: Set a 6-digit PIN

The minimum you should do today is set a 6-digit PIN to unlock your phone. Consider this a necessary investment into the safety of your data residing on your smartphone.

Step 2: Use Fingerprint Recognition (or Face Recognition on Apple Devices)

All modern smartphones released over the last decade have come with fingerprint recognition. Using fingerprint recognition requires you to set a 6-digit PIN and then set a fingerprint to unlock your device. You can set additional fingerprints, too.

This way, your device is the most secure it can be today. In case your fingerprint is not recognized for any reason, the phone falls back on the 6-digit PIN that you can enter and unlock your phone.

While face recognition is available on both Android and Apple devices, it is truly secure only on Apple devices. This is why Apple iPhones released after the iPhone X in 2017 have come only with Face ID. They fall back on a minimum 6-digit PIN (called Passcode in Apple world) to unlock in case the face does not get recognized in the first attempt.

Part 4: How To Unlock Phone If Hard Pattern Lock Forgotten

Just in case you set a hard pattern lock and promptly forgot that abstruse pattern you just set, we have a tool for you to quickly unlock your phone in case of a forgotten hard pattern lock: Wondershare Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock.

Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (Android)

Remove the Hard Pattern Lock on Your HTC U23 If You Forgot!

• Remove all Android screen locks (PIN/pattern/fingerprints/face ID) in minutes.
• Bypass the FRP lock of Samsung without a PIN or Google account.
• Everyone can handle the lock screen without any tech knowledge.
• Provide specific removal solutions to promise good success rate.

4,008,671 people have downloaded it

Download the latest version of Dr.Fone from the Wondershare website and launch the app.

Step 1: Click Android under Toolbox > Screen Unlock.

Step 2: Click Unlock Android Screen.

Step 3: Select your device manufacturer.

Step 4: Prepare your device to unlock the screen.

When the greyed Next button becomes available, click it and wait for your device to be unlocked.

All data on the HTC U23 device is wiped under this method. Select Samsung phones may be unlocked without data loss. Check this list for devices that may be unlocked without data loss.

Closing Words

Whether it is an easy pattern lock or a hard pattern lock, the fact is that pattern locks are antiquated and a security nightmare. A minimum 6-digit PIN must be used, and using fingerprint recognition is the preferred way to go for Android devices. Using fingerprint recognition will require that users create a 6-digit PIN. On Apple devices launched after 2017, there is Face ID, Apple’s marketing term for face recognition. If you did indeed still set a hard pattern lock, only to promptly forget it, use Wondershare Dr.Fone – Screen Unlock (Android) to seamlessly unlock your phone right now.

5 Solutions For HTC U23 Unlock Without Password

One out of three people forget their phone’s password every day or make continuous wrong attempts that lock their phone. However, you can’t unlock your phone without the screen lock pattern or password. If you are an HTC U23 user, and you can’t remember your device’s pattern or password, we have the best solution or you. Here, you will find the easiest and foolproof methods for an HTC U23 pattern unlock.

Here is the complete guide with five methods to unlock an HTC device that works in various situations. Every method is easy to use, and you can unlock your phone as long as you follow each step precisely. With our guide, you can remove your HTC ‘s pattern, PIN, or password with your Google account. We also have various ways to unlock HTC U23 without your Google account.

Here is a video for you to learn how to unlock HTC U23 without password:

Part 1: Lock System About HTC U23

1: Lock Types

Before we move towards the HTC U23 pattern unlock, let’s talk about its lock types and security system. HTC U23 is one of the older versions of HTC android phones that was released in 2016. At that time, only flagship phones from each brand came with features like fingerprint sensors and facial unlock. HTC U23 doesn’t offer these lock types. You can only set up a screen lock as a password, pattern, and PIN. You can also lock apps on HTC U23 with its privacy password settings.

2: How to Set Them up?

Follow these steps to set up any type of lock on your HTC U23 .

• Open “Settings” on your mobile and select “Lockscreen and Password”.
• The lock system menu would appear if your device had no screen locks. If your device has a screen lock, you will have to enter the password to enter the settings.
• Select the “Lockscreen Password” option at the top and tap on the “Enable Lock Screen” button.
• Select the type of lock you want to set and create a password.

3: How to Remove Them with Password or Pattern?

You can easily remove the lock screen of your HTC U23 if you remember your password or pattern.

• Go to “Settings” and follow the previous steps to open the “Lockscreen Password” settings.
• Disable the lock screen by tapping on the “Enable Lock Screen” button once.
• Enter your password or pattern and wait for the system to remove the screen lock.

Part 2: 5 Solutions to Unlock HTC U23 Without Password or Pattern

1: Google Find My Device

You can use the Google Find My Device for your HTC U23 pattern unlock. It is a simple privacy and security Google feature that enables users to reset their android phones. Most people use it to factory reset their phones when someone steals their phones. Although Google Find My Device works every time, it is not the ideal solution if you don’t want to lose your data. With a hard reset, you lose all your data and settings. It is not worth it if all you want to do is unlock your screen. Here are the steps to unlock HTC U23 with Find My Device.

• Open any browser on your PC and visit “Google Find My Device.”
• Make sure your phone is connected to the internet.
• Select the “Erase Device” option and log in with your Google account.
• After verification, click on “Ok” and wait for the system to factory reset.
• Power on your device and enter it without any pattern or password.

2: Google Account

Here is how you can do an HTC U23 pattern unlock without PC. You don’t need any third-party software or device for this method. Every step is easy to follow, and it only takes a few minutes for you to unlock your phone. This method requires your Google account and password. Don’t use this method if you don’t know your Google password. If you are a beginner, it is better to use other methods because this method involves the risk of blocking your device. Follow these steps to unlock your HTC device using your Google Account.

• Enter a random password or PIN on your phone’s lock screen five times.
• Wait for the system to give the alert message after you enter the wrong password five times.
• Now, wait for 30 seconds until the system asks you to enter your lock screen password.
• At the bottom left corner, tap the “Forgotten Password” option.
• Now the system will ask for your Google account and password.
• After you verify your Google account, you can enter your device.

3: Answer Security Questions

If you want to unlock your HTC phone, you can also answer some security questions and reset the password. This method does not work on all HTC devices, but you can use it for HTC U23 screen unlock without PC. You will see various questions if your Google account is linked with the HTC U23 device. All questions are based on your profile and credentials. You have to answer precisely with proper spaces. Here are the steps to unlock HTC U23 with security questions.

• Use a random password or PIN five times and wait for the 30 seconds alert message.
• Tap on the “Forgot Pattern” option and move to the next screen.
• Select the “Answer Question” option if you want to unlock security questions. You can also select “Enter Google account details” if you know your Google account password.
• Tap on the “Next” button and answer every question that comes up.
• If you give correct answers, the system will open the screen lock.

4: Hard Reset (data loss)

A hard reset would be the best solution if you forgot your phone’s lock screen password or pattern. However, you can unlock your phone with your Google account as well. Do a hard reset if you can’t remember your Google account password and don’t want to use third-party tools. The only problem with hard resetting is that you lose all your data, images, files, settings, and personalization. That is why you can’t recover any of your data after the hard reset if you don’t have a data backup. The process of hard reset is different for every device. Here are the steps for HTC U23 pattern unlock without a PC through a hard reset.

• Switch off your HTC U23 with the power button.

• Press and hold the Volume down + Power buttons together for a few seconds. Hold the keys until you see the HTC logo on the screen.

• Select the Language using the volume keys to navigate and the power key to select.

• Go to the “Wipe Data and Cache” option and select twice using the power key.

• For confirmation, select the “OK” option and wait for the system to reboot.

5: Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock

You can easily unlock your HTC device without your Google account password and losing data. The best way is to use an HTC U23 pattern lock removal tool. If you want an easy-to-use tool with fast and safe working, we recommend Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock. Dr.Fone enables users to unlock any android device within five minutes without password, Google account. You can unlock your HTC U23 without effort. With Dr.Fone, you can also back up and restore your data , do a system repair for your mobile, and transfer WhatsApp with a few clicks. Here are the steps to remove the pattern lock from HTC U23 with Dr.Fone – Screen Unlock.

Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (Android)

The Best Tool to Unlock HTC U23 Without Any Hassle!

• Remove all Android screen locks (PIN/pattern/fingerprints/face ID) in minutes.
• Remove the lock screen without data loss for part of Samsung and LG devices.
• Everyone can handle the lock screen without any tech knowledge.
• Provide specific removal solutions to promise good success rate.

4,008,672 people have downloaded it

Step 1. Click the “Start Download” button to download the software on your PC.

Open Dr.Fone on the PC with a USB cable connected to your phone > click “Screen Unlock” from the home page.

Step 2. Select Unlock Android Screen

With the button “Unlock Android Screen”, you can unlock your HTC U23 via this part.

Step 3. Select Unlock mode: 100% Remove Screen Lock

When you’re on this page, “100% Remove Screen Lock” can unlock most phone brands’ screens. Because of the different recovery modes of different phone models, selecting the HTC U23 device brand plays a great role in removing the lock.

Step 4. Now, it’s time to start removing the lock screen

Follow the guide step by step to complete all steps, these steps are important to unlock your HTC U23 .

Now, no password or pattern to stop you from using your HTC U23 !

Conclusion

If you know your Google account password, then you can easily unlock your phone after verification. If you don’t know the password, you can use a hard reset to erase all data and settings from your device. Use the Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (Android) if you don’t want to lose your data. Dr.Fone allows you to unlock your HTC U23 within minutes with easy-to-follow steps. It works for all old and new HTC models, and the procedure is the same for every device. You can also use Dr.Fone to recover data, repair android software problems, and fix other issues.

Locked Out of Your Android Phone? Here Are 3 Solutions to Regain Access

Android mobiles are the best choice for everyone today because of the cool operating system and so many types of application availability. So users can enjoy everything on their android mobiles. Sometimes while using android mobiles, people faces issues with locking their phone. That means sometimes users lock their phones and forget the password, that time is very bad because they can’t do anything with their phones without unlocking them.

There are different types of ways available to unlock your android mobile some way allows you to unlock your phone by hard reset which is very bad because you will all available android mobile data by this method, but some method allows you to unlock your phone without losing data on some of Samsung and LG models, like Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (Android). We are going to tell you all the different ways in this article.

Part 1: Get Rid of Lock Screen with Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (Android)

Now we are presenting the best way to remove the password from your android phone without losing any data from the HTC U23 device. Wondershare Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (Android) is software available officially from Wondershare to remove forgotten lock screen passwords from your phone. It allows you to remove all types of passwords from your phone without losing anything. It works for all android devices easily and there is no need for any technical knowledge to use it. Furthermore, it unlocks your phone easily when the question comes to your mind that I locked myself out of my phone. You just need to do a few clicks only to remove the password from your screen, and your mobile will be unlocked and used again without losing anything.

4,008,672 people have downloaded it

safe & secure

Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (Android)

Get into your Android Phones within Minutes When you are Locked out

• Pattern, PIN, password, fingerprints & face screen lock can all be unlocked.
• Easily remove the lock screen; No need to root your device.
• Bypass Android FRP lock without a PIN or Google account.
• Provide specific removal solutions to promise good success rate.

4,008,669 people have downloaded it

How to unlock a locked out android phone easily with android lock screen removal

Step 1. Navigate to Screen Unlock

Firstly, you need to download and install this awesome software on your computer. After installing, run it on your computer. Click on the Toolbox and Select Screen Unlock > Android option.

Select the HTC U23 device brand that you want to unlock the screen.

Step 2. Confirm your device information

Connect your phone to your Mac or PC, and select your model from the list. Then click “Next”.

Note: This tool can remove the Android lock screen only for some Samsung and LG devices in this list without losing data. For other devices, you have to use the “100% Remove Screen Lock”, which can remove the lock screen by erasing data.

Step 3. Enter the download mode

• Now you need to enter the download mode on your phone. Follow the on-screen instructions to enter.

Step 4. Recovering device process

Dr.Fone will start downloading of recovery package to remove the lock screen from your android mobile. Wait for some time until it’s complete.

Step 5. Remove password completed

Once the recovery package is downloaded it will unlock your phone automatically. Now you can access your phone easily without any problem and without losing any data.

Remove Android Screen Lock

Part 2: Get Rid of Lock Screen by Hard Reset

If you have locked your android phone and forgot the pattern or password or any other type of password, then you can unlock it by doing a factory reset of your phone by using hard to reset it. This way enables users to reset all settings of their phones such as passwords, Gmail accounts, Wi-Fi passwords messages everything. So users will get a phone like new after reset. That means you will lose all of your data, your Wi-Fi passwords etc. You can’t get your data back again after resetting in this way. It will not unlock the only phone, it will wipe all your android mobile data as well.

How to unlock lock screen by hard reset

Step 1. Get into recovery mode

If you are unable to access your phone because it’s locked, then firstly power off your phone. When its power is off, then you need to press the volume down and the power key together to enter the boot screen. Hold these both keys for some time together. After some your android mobile will vibrate, then you can release both keys.

• Now you are entered into the recovery mode on your phone.
• on this screen, choose “Wipe data / Factory Reset” just like the below picture by pressing the volume down hard key.
• After going there, press the power key to select this option.

Step 2. Factory reset to enter your android phone

So many options will open on the next screen now. Now use the volume down key and go to the option “Yes – Delete all user data” on the menu which is there in front of you. Press the power key now to start reset of all settings and your android mobile data.

Step 3. Reboot system now

Once you have selected “Yes –delete all user data” it will reset all things and delete all of your data from your phone as well. Now select “reboot system now” on the next screen to start your phone. That’s it, you have successfully unlocked your phone now but lost everything from your phone that you can’t get back.

Part 3: Get Rid of Lock Screen with Lock Screen Bypass App

Users can unlock their lock screen with an android lock screen bypass app, this app enables you to unlock your android phone. You can use it by paying $4.99. But the problem is that this app will only work when your device is already unlocked, you can’t use it when it is locked. It means that it can help you to clear the password and reset it again, only you can’t use it on a locked phone. This application mostly works for all android users, but we don’t take guarantee that it will work for you or not. You must need the internet while using this method.

Step 1. Download and install the screen bypass app

Download and install a lock screen bypass app by running it on your laptop from the Google Play Store on your HTC U23 devicewhich is locked. You need to install the application on your mobile remotely now. Once it is started installing the app once installing icon you will see it on mobile.

Step 2. Plug charge with your android phone

After finishing the installation of the application, you will see the application installed icon on your mobile. Now you need to plug your charge with your android phone to activate and watch the lock screen on your android phone and to activate the lock screen bypass the pro application.

Step 3. Activate the app

Once your charger is connected, you need to click on the activate button. This button will automatically come on the mobile screen after connecting the charger. When you click on the Activate button your application will be activated successfully.

Step 4. Remove lock screen password

After clicking on activate, click on Remove lock Screen Password to unlock your phone.

Step 5. Remove completed

Now it will remove the password from your phone and unlock it. You will see the home screen of your device now on your mobile.

Wrap it up

We have discussed 3 different ways above to unlock the locked screen of android mobiles all these three methods will work for you, but there are some differences in every method. If you follow the second method which is resetting your phone then you will lose everything on your phone and the first method will help you to unlock your phone screen without losing a single file from your android phone, the third way is not reliable because it doesn’t work on all android devices. So finally we can say android lock screen removal software from Wondershare is the best choice for you to unlock your phone screen when the question comes to your mind locked out my phone and how I can unlock it without losing data now.

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