Pattern Locks Are Unsafe: Secure Your Lenovo ThinkPhone 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 Lenovo ThinkPhone 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.

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Step 3: Select your device manufacturer.

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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 Lenovo ThinkPhone 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.

How to Reset your Lenovo ThinkPhone Lock Screen Password

Android phones have the option of locking the screen using a PIN, pattern, or password. This is meant to keep the phone secure and prevent any unwanted intrusion. PINs and patterns are somewhat easy to remember, but it is common to forget the Android lock screen password. The phone gets locked if someone consecutively enters the wrong password multiple times. Then it is a common question to ask, “How to reset your Android password?”

The device becomes inaccessible and requires an Android password reset. But there is no easy way to do that. Either one needs their Gmail account or has to forget about getting back the Android data. Today we will deliver how to reset Android passwords and teach 6 useful ways. They can be used to reset the Android password and use the phone again. But if someone has to perform a factory restore, they need to depend on backups to get back the data. Now let’s begin with the first way and learn how to reset your Android phone password.

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Solution 1: Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (Android): A Direct Way to Unlock the Phone

Using Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (Android) is a direct way to Android reset the password and unlock the phone. There is no tension of data loss, and this phone unlocking software works for different lock systems. It can reset the Android password, pattern, PIN, and fingerprint lock in under 5 minutes. It is straightforward to operate and does not require any technical knowledge.

Wondershare offers you 100% security as it only authorizes you access. It is simple and user-friendly and keeps all the data on the Android device ( Samsung and LG only) intact.

Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (Android)

Get into Locked Android Phones Within Minutes

• 4 screen lock types are available: pattern, PIN, password & fingerprints.
• Easily remove the lock screen; No need to root your device.
• Unlock 20,000+ models of Android phones & tablets.
• Provide specific removal solutions to promise good success rate

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How to reset an Android phone password with Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (Android)

Step 1: Select “Screen Unlock”

Open the program. After that, select and click on “Screen Unlock” on the right side of the window. With this option, you can Android reset your password and remove the lock screen of PIN, password, pattern, and fingerprints.

Now get the Android phone connected to the PC and select the Lenovo ThinkPhone device model in the list to proceed.

Step 2: Activate download mode

You have to put your device into download mode. For that, follow the instructions given by Wondershare:

• 1. Switch off the Android device
• 2. Tap and keep holding the volume decrease button along with the power and home button simultaneously
• 3. Now tap the volume increase button to initiate download mode

Step 3: Download the recovery package

After the download mode has been entered, the program will begin to download the recovery package automatically. You have to hold your horses until it is complete.

Step 4: Remove the Android password without data loss

Soon the recovery package finishes downloading. Then the program begins to remove the lock screen. After the process is over, you can access all your data on your Android device and reset your Android password.

These simple steps will ensure that you can secure your Android lock screen easily, without any worries. You do not have to worry about data loss, and you will reset your Android phone. Even if you have forgotten your Android password and are thinking about starting your Android phone again, these simple tips will help.

Solution 2: How to reset Android Phone Password with Smart Lock?

Setting up Smart Lock on your Android device adds a convenient and straightforward method for unlocking your screen. Smart Lock provides different alternatives to bypass the lock screen based on specific situations.

These alternatives encompass trusted locations, connected devices, or facial recognition. For devices operating on Android 14, it’s now referred to as Extend Unlock. Here’s a guide on utilizing Smart Lock to unlock your Android device:

Step 1. Set a pattern, PIN, or password for your screen lock if you haven’t already. Open the Settings on your Android device and tap on “Security & Privacy.” Here, tap “More Security & Privacy” and select “Trust agents.”

Step 2. Within “Trust agents,” toggle on “Extend Unlock” and then return to the previous screen. Select “Extend Unlock” and input your pattern, PIN, or password to confirm. Next, pick your desired Smart Lock type and follow the on-screen prompts to activate.

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Solution 3: How to Unlock Samsung Phone with SmartThings?

Unlocking an Android phone using SmartThings is an option available for Samsung devices. SmartThings offers remote control and management of Samsung devices. It also includes the ability to unlock your phone under specific conditions. Here’s a general guide on how to use SmartThings to unlock your Samsung phone:

Step 1. Access the SmartThings website, where you should click on the “Sign In” button. Now log in using your Samsung Account, and you’ll be directed to a new screen displaying a map pinpointing your phone’s location.

Step 2. Select the “Unlock” button located in the top right corner of the menu. Then, proceed by clicking “Unlock,” and entering your Samsung password. Finally, confirm by clicking Unlock once more. This action will reset all your lock settings, comprising biometric security, PIN, password, and swipe pattern.

Solution 4: How to Reset Android Password using Google？

To reset the Android password using Google, it is necessary to remember the Google password and ID. Google account must also be activated on the phone. Also, this method only works on devices running Android 4.4 or below. Follow the steps below for the Android password reset.

Step 1: Access Google login

Enter the wrong password 5 times till the Android device gives you a “Forgot password?” prompt. Click on the tab and choose “Enter Google Account details.”

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Step 2: Enter credentials and do an Android reset password

Now enter the Google ID and password and log in. You will be able to Android reset your password and get access to your phone.

Solution 5: How to Reset Android Password using Android Device Manager？

Familiar with Android Device Manager? Well, it has been renamed now as Find My Device. This service provided by Google helps you find, lock, or wipe your Android device. Plus, if you have enabled Find My Device, it might prove very helpful to assist you in unlocking your device. Check out these easy-to-follow steps for unlocking your Android device. For this, you need to use Find My Device, the upgraded Android Device Manager:

Instructions. On a computer or another device, go to the “Google Find My Device ” website. Here, sign in using your Google account linked to the locked Android device. Once you’ve logged in, the website will present a map revealing the most recent location of your device. Next, navigate to the left side and select “Erase Device.” Follow the prompts on the screen to finalize the process.

Solution 6: How to reset Android Phone Password using Factory Reset?

This method can be used when no other means of Android password reset works. This will erase all your data, so it is better to have backups created before. Now perform the steps to Android reset the password.

Step 1: Initiate factory restore.

Turn your Android device off. Press and hold the power button + home button + volume up button. This will bring up the recovery mode to initiate factory restoration.

Step 2: Factory restore

Now use the volume +/- button to navigate to the “Wipe Data / Factory Reset” option and press the power button to select it. Wait till the process complete.

Step 3: Reboot and reset the password.

From the available options, choose “Reboot System Now.” After the Android device powers on, you will be able to do the Android password reset.

Bonus Part: Useful Tips to Prevent Future Lockouts on Android

Here are some helpful tips to prevent future lockouts on your Android device and ensure better password management.

• 1. Use Password Managers: Consider using reputable password manager apps that securely store and manage your passwords. These apps often have features to generate strong, unique passwords for different accounts and help you remember them.
• 2. Set up Biometric Authentication: In case your device supports it, use biometric authentication methods for a better experience. These can be fingerprints or facial recognition. These methods can be more convenient than remembering passwords and offer added security.
• 3. Create Memorable Passwords: If you opt against using a password manager, craft robust yet easily remembered passwords. To improve your security, try to use a sequence of lowercase and uppercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Plus, avoid easily guessable details like birthdays or common phrases to make your password strong.
• 4. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Enable two-factor authentication whenever possible for your accounts. Likewise, this provides an added layer of security by requiring a secondary verification method. It could be a text message code or authentication app in addition to your password.
• 5. Regularly Back Up Your Data: Make it a habit to consistently back up your device data . To prevent potential data loss from forgotten passwords or unexpected issues, take precautions. Safeguard your crucial data by creating backups, whether in the cloud or on an external storage device.

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Conclusion

This article guided all the possible ways available in 2024 to reset your Android lock screen password, such as using the Smart Lock, Google Find My, Samsung SmartThings, and Wondershare Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (Android). The most recommended method out of these methods is Dr.Fone because it can handle all Android brands without restrictions.

On the other hand, other methods have their limitations. For example, SmartThings can only work for Samsung smartphones. Moreover, Wondershare Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (Android) is compatible with Android 14 and can unlock the screen within 2 minutes.

How to Show Wi-Fi Password on Lenovo ThinkPhone

Since the invention of Android OS in 2008 by Andy Rubin, our world has faced a dramatic change. Android seems to be controlling a considerably high portion of our life. We have bought many gadgets that use this amazing OS and most of which are phones. But how much can you do with your Android phone? Developers are always making it more interesting to use this interface.

Most of the time, we use Android phones, we get faced with the need to access the internet. The Wi-Fi capability of these Android gadgets makes it super easy for us to surf the web. Throughout using Wi-Fi, we connect to a number of them. This could be at school, a sub-way café, the gym, buses, hospitals, hotels, towns, and the list is endless. A password secures most of this. Needless to say, our brain is weak to store all these passwords for future use, especially if you would want to connect with a different gadget you have recently bought or even your laptop. In this article, we will introduce you to how to find wifi password on rooted and also unrooted Android devices.

Part 1: Show Wifi Password on Rooted Android Device

What is Rooting?

First of all, what does rooting mean? You have probably used a Windows computer or even Linux. For the case of Windows, when installing a new program or software, it always prompts a dialog box saying, “Administrator permission required to run this program.” If you don’t have the administrator permission, you won’t install the program. In Android, this is called rooting. In simple terms, it means having the root permission to your phone. Some Android apps will require you the root permission, e.g., flashing your ROM. In this part, we will explain how you can show the Wi-Fi password on your Android with root.

To find the Wi-Fi passwords on your Android phone, you need to have an app to explore files which also supports a root user. In this case, ES FileExplorer or Root Explorer will come in handy. However, it turns out that the latter is offered at $3. Let’s use the free ES File Explorer.

Steps of getting Wi-Fi password on Android with root

In only four steps, we, at this moment, learn how we can find the password of a Wi-Fi on an Android phone.

Step 1: Install the ES File Explorer

Download the ES File Explorer from your play store, install it, and open it.

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Step 2: Enable Root Explorer

The root explorer needs to be enabled so that you can reach the root folders of the Wi-Fi passwords you need. By default, the root feature in this ES explorer is not enabled. To enable it, just tap on the list menu on the top left corner.:

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This will drop down a list of controls. Scroll down and find the Root Explorer option and enable it.

Step 3: Get the passwords’ file.

Go back to ES file explorer, and this time, find the folder named data.

When this folder opens, find another one named misc. Open it and find another one named wifi. Here, find a file named wpa_supplicant.conf.

Step 4: Retrieve the wifi password on Android

Make sure that you don’t edit anything in the file. You might mess up with important data and fail to access the Wi-Fi(s) in the future.

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As you can see above, we have found the Wi-Fi passwords on the android device. On each network profile, we have the name of the network represented by name (ssid=”{the name}”), the network’s password represented by psk, the network’s access point represented by key_mgmt=WPA-PSK and its priority represented by priority.

Part 2: Show Wifi Password on Android without Root

What if I don’t have root access to my Android, can I still see Android Wi-Fi password? The short answer is yes. However, this is a bit involving but simple. You don’t need to be a computer guru to do it, but you need to have a computer and some internet access of course. The key thing is to find a way through which we can fetch the password file from the phone without using a root access protocol in the Android. This is made possible by some little programming insight using the Windows Command prompt.

Steps to show Wi-Fi password on Android without root

Step 1: Access the Developer authority

To access the files that Android uses to run passwords, you must first become a developer. This is very simple.

Get your Android phone and go to settings. Scroll down and find “About phone.” Tap on it and scroll down again to find Build number.

Tap on this “build number” 5 to 6 times until a message pops up, saying, “You are now a developer”.

Step 2: Enable the debugging.

Go back to Settings. Scroll down for developer options. Turn on the button for “Android/USB debugging”.

Step 3: Install ADB drivers.

Now, open your Windows desktop. Download and install ADB drivers. (Use this download link adbdriver.com ). You need to download and install platform tools (minimal ADB and fastboot) from http://forum.xda-developers.com/... Now open the folder where you’ve installed the above tools. By default, it is in the Local disc C\windows\system32\platform_tools location. However, you might want to locate them by searching on the windows search engine. You have to hold the Shift key and right-click inside the folder to click on”Open Command Window Here.”

Step 4: Test the ADB

Here, we would like to test whether the ABD is working properly. To do this, connect your phone to the PC using a USB. In the command prompt, type adb services and then press enter. If it’s working properly, you should see a device on this list.

Step 5: Find the Android wifi password.

Now, it is time to type the given command in the command prompt and type: adb pull /data/misc/wifi/wpa_supplicant.conf c:/wpa_supplicant.conf. This will fetch the file from your phone to the local disc C drive of the PC.

Step 6: Get the wifi passwords.

Lastly, open the file with a notepad, and there you go.

Now you learned how to show the wifi password on your Android device.