Pattern Locks Are Unsafe: Secure Your Meizu 21 Pro 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)

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• Remove all Android screen locks (PIN/pattern/fingerprints/face ID) in minutes.
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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.

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.

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## 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 Unlock Meizu 21 Pro Phone with Broken Screen

Seeing as the only way to control your Meizu 21 Pro deviceis the touch screen, a broken device can cause you a lot of worries. Most people think that there is no way to get their device to work again let alone be able to unlock it if the screen is broken or cracked . It is, however, important to find a way to unlock the broken device so that you can gain access to your data and create a backup to restore to a new device.

In this article, we are going to look at a few simple ways you can unlock an Android device with a broken screen.

Here is a video for you to learn how to unlock Android phone or access phone with broken screen:

Method 1: Using Android Debug Bridge (ADB)

For this method, you will need your device and access to a PC. It is the most powerful method to unlock a broken Android device. It will however only work if you have enabled USB debugging on your android phone. If you haven’t, skip this method and see if method 2 or 3 might be of help.

ADB creates a bridge between the PC and your device which can then be used to unlock the Meizu 21 Pro device. Here’s how to use this bridge.

Step 1: Download the Android SDK package on your PC. You can download it here: http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html . Extract the ZIP file on your PC.

Step 2: Download the necessary drivers for your device. The USB drivers for your device can be found on the manufacturer’s website.

Step 3: Launch Command Prompt on your PC and change the location of the ADB file. Type in the following into Command Prompt; cd C:/android/platform-tools

Step 4: Connect the Meizu 21 Pro device to your PC using USB cables. Enter the command “ ADB _device_” (without quotation marks). If your phone is recognized, you will see numbers in the Command Prompt message.

Step 5: Type in the following two commands. You will need to type in the second one immediately after the first. Replace 1234 with your password.

ADB shell input text 1234
Shell input key event 66

Step 6: Your phone will now be unlocked and you can proceed to back up its contents.

Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (Android)

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Method 2: Using a USB Mouse and the On the Go Adapter

This is a great solution if you don’t have USB debugging enabled on your device. You will need your device, an OTG adapter and a USB mouse. It involves connecting the Meizu 21 Pro device to the USB mouse using the OTG adapter. Check if your device can be connected to a USB mouse. You can find an OTG adapter online, they are relatively inexpensive and very useful.

Before we begin, it is a good idea to ensure your device is sufficiently charged because the Mouse may drain your battery.

Step 1: Connect the Micro USB side of the OTG adapter to your device and then plug in the USB mouse to the adapter.

Step 2: As soon as the Meizu 21 Pro devices are connected, you will be able to see a pointer on your screen. You can then use the pointer to unlock the pattern or enter the Meizu 21 Pro device’s password lock.

You can then go about backing up the contents of your device.

Method 3: Using your Samsung Account

This method is a reliable way to unlock a Samsung device that has a broken screen or is not working correctly. While it is highly effective you will need to have a Samsung account registered with your device. The problem is that not many Samsung device users have registered their devices with the service. If you are among the lucky few who have, here’s how to use your account to unlock your device.

Step 1: Visit the https://findmymobile.samsung.com/login.do on your PC or any other device and log in with your account information.

Step 2: Select your device from the menu on the left-hand side of the screen.

Step 3: You should see the option “Unlock my screen” on the sidebar. Click on it and you will get instructions on how to access your device.

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Conclusion

Being unable to unlock your device is never a good place to be. We hope one of the above solutions will work for you. You can then gain access to your device and back up the files and contacts. This way your life doesn’t have to be disrupted- you can just restore the backup on a new device or the old one once the screen is fixed.

How to Unlock Meizu 21 Pro Bootloader Easily

Do you want to unleash the true power of your smart phone? Do you wish to have complete control over your smart phone? If yes, well, here is the answer; unlock bootloader. For people who are already into the tricks of hacking and rooting smart phones, might be aware of this. But still, there are exciting new developments. Bootloader is a code existing in all operating systems which usually comes pre-locked. So, it is important, if you wish to have a custom ROM installed on the Meizu 21 Pro device, or if you wish to have other controls like installing applications which are incompatible, to have the Meizu 21 Pro device bootloader unlocked. But going through with the process of unlocking bootloader and rooting the Meizu 21 Pro device will not help and rather might break the warranty of the Meizu 21 Pro device. This definitely calls for a diligent watch on how to unlock HTC bootloader. So, it is imperative as a user to know the process of HTC bootloader unlock. This article serves you with some ways you could follow to unleash the true power of your HTC device. Here’s how you can do it.

Part 1: Why We Want to Unlock HTC Bootloader

For people with HTC device, unlocking bootloader would mean complete authority over the smart phone and you have all the power to control the HTC device by all means. Since, bootloader usually comes pre-locked, unlocking the bootloader is the initial step if you would like to have a custom ROM installed in your device. There are various advantages of HTC unlock starting from gaining rights of control to installing latest custom ROMs in the phone and installing incompatible applications. Moreover, HTC unlock bootloader could boost the Meizu 21 Pro device speed and battery life and also help in making complete backups of the Meizu 21 Pro device. You could also have controls to remove bloatware from the HTC device. So, all in all, while there could be certain side effects, if not done properly, there are various advantages of unlocking HTC bootloader. If the process is carried out properly, the Android device could be the perfect smart phone you would like to have.

Part 2: How to Unlock Meizu 21 Pro Bootloader

Meizu 21 Pro is the flagship device of HTC by all means. With a world of features and offerings, Meizu 21 Pro truly is a beast. While the phone is very powerful without any modifications, the true potential is yet to be seen and that can only be done if the bootloader is unlocked. So, to have a complete control over the Meizu 21 Pro device, it is important to unlock the bootloader and the process has to be carried out diligently. One of the initial things that needs to be ensured is that the Meizu 21 Pro device is fully charged or atleast 80% mark. Make sure you have the fastboot drivers for the Meizu 21 Pro device configured on the windows machine and the Android SDK. Here are some of the steps which can be followed to unlock bootloader.

Step 1: It is always very important to keep the phone data backed up and more so when you are planning to unlock the bootloader.

As one of the initial measures, backup the Meizu 21 Pro device completely as bootloader unlocking process will wipe all the data off. So, backup all the data like photos, contacts, multimedia files, documents, etc.

Step 2: Go to htcdev.com/bootloader. Ensure that you are registered with HTC and once the sign up is done, log in to HTC dev.

Now, ensure that HTC Sync Manager is installed on the PC.

Step 3: From the bootloader page, select your device using the drop down option as shown in the picture below.

After selecting the Meizu 21 Pro device, click on “Begin Unlock Bootloader”, and then confirm all the dialogue boxes which come your way on screen.

Step 4: Now, you will be presented with four steps to put the Meizu 21 Pro device in bootloader mode. Disconnect the Meizu 21 Pro device from the PC and turn the Meizu 21 Pro device off completely. Press the volume down button along with the power button to switch the Meizu 21 Pro device on in bootloader mode.

Step 5: Use the volume keys of the Meizu 21 Pro device to select Fastboot option along with pressing power button to confirm, after the Meizu 21 Pro device is in bootloader mode. Now, connect the Meizu 21 Pro device to the computer using a USB cable.

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Step 6: Go to Fastboot folder on the PC and holding down the shift key, click on any empty space followed by a click on “Open command window here”.

Step 7: In the command prompt window, type “fastboot devices” and press enter. Meizu 21 Pro will show up in the command prompt.

Note: The drivers have to be installed correctly to see the Meizu 21 Pro device in the command prompt. So, if the Meizu 21 Pro device does not show up, reinstall HTC Sync Manager and try again after restarting the computer.

Step 8: On HTC Dev’s website third page, click on “proceed to Step 9”. Follow the steps listed and then click on submit. The unlock token code for the Meizu 21 Pro device will be mailed by HTC. Download the token and name it “Unlock_code.bin” and place the token in the fastboot folder.

Step 9: Now, in the command prompt window, type the following:

fastboot flash unlocktoken Unlock_code.bin

Step 10: On the Meizu 21 Pro , one message will appear asking if you want to unlock the Meizu 21 Pro device bootloader.

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Use volume keys to select and power button to confirm. Once this is done, the Meizu 21 Pro device will restart once and it’s done. The device is now bootloader unlocked.