Pattern Locks Are Unsafe: Secure Your Samsung Galaxy A14 5G 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 Samsung Galaxy A14 5G 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 Samsung Galaxy A14 5G 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.

Delete Gmail Account With/Without Password On Samsung Galaxy A14 5G

Email accounts have proven their worth in digital devices beyond sending emails. Lately, Android devices have only operated with a Gmail account. This is because most of the data, such as contact information, messages, and other details, are saved across the storage space offered with the email. Against all recognizable uses of Gmail accounts, users look for ways how to delete Gmail accounts.

To this day, it is known that Gmail accounts can be removed with or without a password. However, one should know that if they consider deleting their Gmail account, they won’t be able to send or receive emails. With that, let’s proceed to reveal all essential methods that can be used to delete a Gmail account permanently. This article will also focus on a perfect tool that assists in making the process easier.

Part 1. Synopsis: Things To Know Before Deleting Gmail Account

Although the process of deleting a Gmail account sounds basic, there are many pointers connected to it. For that, this part is putting up a discussion on the important things that a user should know before they delete their Gmail account permanently:

• No Going Back: If you delete a Gmail account, the process is irreversible. All details and information will be lost, and the email won’t be trackable ever again.
• Cannot Reset Passwords if Connected: If the Gmail account is connected to any other service, make sure that you remember their passwords. Since the account will be deleted, you cannot reset their passwords.
• Access to Other Services: Although you are deleting your Gmail account, you can still access Google Photos, Google Drive, and other services.
• Lookout For Emails: Ensure that the emails in your account are saved. You can easily download them anywhere before deleting the Gmail account.

Part 2. Delete Your Gmail Account Using Your Password: Desktop Solution

For the first method, we will discuss how to delete a Google account with your password. You will use your computer for this process and access the Google Account services. The service helps you save all your essential Gmail data before you remove it. To understand how it makes it possible, look through the steps provided below:

• Step 1. Access the website https://myaccount.google.com/ on your desktop browser and log in with your credentials. Proceed to the “Data & privacy” section from the left panel.

• Step 2. On the following window, scroll down and look for the “Delete a Google service” option. Accessing this would allow you to delete your Gmail account permanently.

• Step 3. You will be led to a new screen where you need to provide your password credentials again. On successfully providing your password, look for the “Gmail” option on the next screen. Click the “Trash” icon to continue deleting the Gmail account.

• Step 4. A new pop-up window opens, demanding another email address that can help connect to other Google services. Provide the email address and continue to click “Send verification email .” The Gmail account won’t be deleted until the user verifies the email sent to the new address.

• Step 5. For those who want to save their email data, look for the “Download your data” option in the same window. This leads you to the Google Takeout window, where you need to select the data to include. After selecting the data, define the file type, frequency, and destination for exporting all important data.

Part 3. Delete Your Gmail Account From Your Smartphone: Android & iOS

If you use a smartphone device and want to delete your Gmail account from that particular device, you are at the right place. The following methods will help you understand how to delete Gmail from your Android and iOS devices:

Android Devices

• Step 1. Look for “Settings” on your Android and continue to the “Accounts & sync” option in the list. As you proceed into the next window, look for the Google account and select it.

• Step 2. Select the “More” option at the bottom on the following screen. Choose the “Remove account” option in the pop-up menu and provide your credentials to execute the deletion of your Gmail account.

iOS Devices

• Step 1. Open your iPhone’s “Settings” app and scroll down to the “Mail” option. You will find the “Accounts” option on the following screen, which you need to tap to proceed.

• Step 2. Discover the option of “Gmail” in the list of signed-in accounts and continue to the next screen. Select “Delete Account” to remove the account from your iOS device.

Part 4. Don’t Know Password of Device? Reset To Delete Gmail Account

What if you’ve forgotten the password to your smartphone device, and you have to delete your Gmail account permanently? In such cases, you are left with the option of accessing the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G device’s Recovery Mode and factory resetting the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G device, where possible. To know how it is done flawlessly, look through the steps provided next:

Android Devices

• Step 1. Those owning an Android device need to put it in Recovery Mode first. For that, use the combination of the “Power” and “Volume” keys to put the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G device in Recovery Mode.

• Step 2. Once you boot into the Recovery Mode, use the Power and Volume buttons to scroll through the menu. Scroll down with the Volume buttons and select the “Wipe data/factory reset” option with the Power button.

• Step 3. Select “Factory data reset” on the next screen and confirm that factory reset your Android device successfully. The device automatically gets out of Recovery Mode and starts normally after resetting.

iOS Devices

• Step 1. You need to turn on Finder if you own a macOS Catalina or later device. Conversely, use iTunes if you have a macOS Mojave or earlier version or if you are using Windows. Connect your iPhone to the computer using the lightning cable and put it in Recovery Mode.

• For iPhone X or Later Models: Press and release the “Volume Up” button, followed by the “Volume Down” button. Hold the “Side” button until the Recovery Mode screen appears.

• For iPhone 7 Models: Hold the “Side” and “Volume Down” button until the Recovery Mode screen appears.

• For iPhone 6 and Earlier Models: Hold the “Side” and “Home” buttons simultaneously until the Recovery Mode screen appears.

• Step 2. The device automatically gets detected on Finder/iTunes, and a pop-up appears on the screen. Click “Restore” to reset your iOS device to factory settings.

Part 5. Remove Gmail Account From Device Without Password: Using Wondershare Dr.Fone

While you seek some appropriate way to close a Gmail account from a device whose password you’ve forgotten, you might get into Wondershare Dr.Fone. This all-in-one service offers a unique Screen Unlock feature that helps you restore your device. If you have forgotten the lock screen password of your Android device, Dr.Fone – Screen Unlock (Android) makes it exceptionally easy to recover.

Key Features of Wondershare Dr.Fone

Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (Android)

The Best UnlockJunky Alternative to Bypass FRP and Solve Your Screen Locks

• 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

Whether it is your latest Samsung or other Android smartphone, the process is easy to work with. You might look for more details about this unique tool, for which some important features are highlighted as follows:

1. It removes all major types of screen locks from your Android devices.
2. Provides support to the latest Android devices, along with all mainstream brands.
3. You can recover your device with and without data loss, according to your discretion.

Steps To Remove Google Account While Removing Screen Lock

The following steps highlight the way to remove screen lock from your Android device, which would also cover removing the Google Account automatically:

• Step 1.Launch Screen Unlock Feature

To start with the process, launch Dr.Fone on your computer and navigate to the “Toolbox” section. Proceed to the “Screen Unlock” feature, which opens a new window. After selecting “Android” as your device type, select “Unlock Android Screen” from the available options.

• Step 2.Select Device Brand and Unlock Mechanism

As you direct into the next window, select the brand of your Android device. Continue to select “100% Remove Screen Lock” from the following window.

• Step 3. Follow the Instructions and Successfully Remove the Screen Lock

According to your selected device brand, Dr.Fone provides guidelines for entering the specific mode. Follow the on-screen instructions to start unlocking the screen of your device. If the process is successful, click “Done” to conclude using Dr.Fone – Screen Unlock.

Conclusion

This article has specifically provided you with some important details on how to delete a Gmail account with ease. The article explains everything from the methods of deleting it from the computer to removing it from the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G device. Furthermore, it also serves as a guidance for those who have forgotten their device passwords. For that, they’ve provided an insight into Wondershare Dr.Fone – Screen Unlock and its unique functions.

How to Unlock Samsung Galaxy A14 5G Phone with Broken Screen

Seeing as the only way to control your Samsung Galaxy A14 5G 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 Samsung Galaxy A14 5G 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 Samsung Galaxy A14 5G 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)

The Best Tool to Reset Phones Without Android Factory Reset Codes

• It enables your Android phones to get safe, simple, and trustful after reset.
• It is still helpful even though you don’t know the OS version of your devices.
• Everybody can handle it without any technical background.
• Provide specific removal solutions to promise good success rate.

4,008,670 people have downloaded it

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 Samsung Galaxy A14 5G 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 Samsung Galaxy A14 5G 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 Samsung Galaxy A14 5G 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.

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.

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