How to Reset A Samsung Phone That Is Locked

If you get locked out of your Samsung phone because you forgot your complicated password, PIN, or pattern, the quickest way to gain access is through a factory reset. If you don’t worry about your phone files, it’s really the best course of action.

Another instance where a reset comes in handy is when your Samsung phone has been stolen and you need to make sure no one can get to your personal files.

With those situations in mind, the big question is: How to reset a Samsung phone that is locked or stolen? Is it even possible? Now, if you’re looking for ways to reset your locked Samsung phone, you’ve found the right page. Read on and you will find the answer.

FYI: Is It Possible to Reset A Samsung Phone When Locked

It’s a big, juicy YES! You can reset a Samsung phone that is locked. And this is possible by using the Recovery Mode and resetting the phone from there Recovery Mode is a built-in feature on any Android phone that allows you to access system functions regardless if the device is locked. All you need to do is boot the phone into Recovery Mode using specific key combinations to access it.

Another way to reset a Samsung phone when locked is via Samsung’s Find My Mobile. It’s an official service provided to Samsung users that has a registered Samsung/Google account. You can access it in any web browser, and you can track, lock, unlock, and erase your Samsung phone with it.

Method 1: Reset A Samsung Phone That Is Locked via Recovery Mode

If you have physical access to your phone, using the Recovery Mode is the best way to reset it. The steps that we are going to show is was done on a Samsung Galaxy S21. They can be applied on newer models such as S22 and S23, though. But if your phone is of a different Samsung model or series, we suggest that you search for specific methods for it.

Nevertheless, the steps below are pretty much similar as the names of options are the same.

Step 1

Turn off your Samsung phone. When completely shut down, press and hold the Volume Up and Power buttons together Then, release them when the Samsung logo appears on the screen.

Step 2

After the Samsung logo appears, the Recovery Menu should appear shortly after. There will be a list of options there. Use the Volume Up and Down buttons to navigate through the list, and then press the power key to confirm the selection.

Step 3

Select the Wipe Data/Factory Reset option. Then, confirm the action by selecting “Factory Data Reset”. After that, the phone will start the reset and you just need to wait for a few minutes.

Step 4

When you see the “Data Wipe Complete”, it means the reset is complete. Proceed to Reboot System Now to turn on the phone.

That’s it! You should be able to use your phone without the forgotten lock screen PIN, password, or pattern bugging you. However, if you’ve previously registered a Google account on your Samsung phone, you may need to log in for Google Verification after the reset.

It’s necessary because there’s a feature called FRP or Factory Reset Protection that protects your phone from attempts to unlock it via reset. If you remember the account, just sign in it and you’re good to go. Otherwise, you need to bypass Google FRP.

Method 2: Reset A Samsung Phone When Locked with Find My Mobile

In case your Samsung phone was stolen and you need to remotely reset the phone and erase all the data in it, use Find My Mobile. This method works if your Samsung or Google account is linked to the phone. Otherwise, you can’t perform it.

And if you are only dealing with getting locked out of your Samsung phone, Find My Mobile can unlock it as long as the device is connected to the WIFI to apply the action.

Step 1

Open a web browser on a computer, then visit the Find My Mobile webpage.

Step 2

There, sign in to the Samsung/Google account that has an active session with the locked phone.

Step 3

Once you successfully logged into the Find My Mobile website, you will immediately find all the linked devices to the account. Select the locked Samsung phone.

Step 4

Below the Samsung device info, you can find a couple of remote control options. If your phone was stolen, choose Erase data and click Erase when the prompt appears. You may be asked to re-enter your Samsung account credentials for confirmation.

If you just forgot your password, PIN, or pattern, just select the Unlock option. Then, you will be asked to set up a new one.

Bonus: Reset A Samsung Phone That Is Locked

Sometimes, the methods above may not work due to certain conditions. If they didn’t work for you, it doesn’t mean that you can no longer unlock your Samsung phone. In fact, there’s an Android Unlock tool called Tenorshare 4uKey that allows you to get rid of any lock screen security features such as:

• PIN
• Password
• Pattern
• Fingerprint
• Face Recognition

4uKey works by removing the lock screen security feature and helps you reset your locked Samsung phone. In fact, the program makes it easier for users to unlock and reset Android phones. Yes! If you have a Samsung phone, you don’t have to manually boot into Recovery Mode to reset the phone. 4uKey will do it for you. You only need to connect your phone and click a few buttons.

And if you have an older Samsung phone (Samsung Galaxy S5 and earlier), the program will unlock it immediately without a reset. How cool is that?

Besides that, rest assured that the reset process is safe for your device. 4uKey has Auto System Detection that checks whether your device is ready to undergo the whole removal process. That way, you can make sure your phone won’t break or get damaged in any way.

Besides Samsung, 4uKey also supports unlocking over 6000+ Android phones of different brands such as Motorola, Huawei, Xiaomi, Google Pixel, and more. Apart from the wide support, you may also find it interesting that 4uKey can bypass Google Lock on Samsung phones.

How to Reset A Samsung Phone That Is Locked Using 4uKey

Step 1

Download the 4uKey by clicking on the banner above. Then, install and open it on your computer. Connect your phone afterward.

Step 2

On the app’s main screen, select Remove Screen Lock. Then, you will have to choose between two options according to your situation: Remove Screen Lock without Data Loss (for older Samsung phones) and Remove Screen Lock (for most Android devices/newer Samsung phones)

Option 1: Remove Screen Lock without Data Loss

Choose Screen Lock without Data Loss. Then, hit the Start button.

Provide your phone’s information by selecting the Name and Model. If you don’t know, just click on “Don’t know the device model?” for assistance.

You will be asked to confirm if the device information you’ve selected is correct. Click “Confirm “.

After that, 4uKey will download a data package for your Samsung phone. When it’s done, just hit “Next” to proceed.

The program will then ask you to boot the phone into Download Mode. Just follow the on-screen guide to know how.

When the device is finally in Download Mode, just wait for the program to complete the removal process. After a few minutes, your Samsung phone should be successfully unlocked.

Option 2: Remove Screen Lock (involves reset)

Select Remove Screen Lock. Then, 4uKey will detect the brand of the phone. If it does not show Samsung, you may need to click “Is your phone not from this brand?” to manually choose the brand. Click Start afterward.

A confirmation screen will appear. Click Yes if you are sure that you want to erase your phone’s data to unlock it. The software will then proceed to remove the lock screen. Just wait for a few minutes and the phone should be unlocked.

Conclusion

To get locked out of your Samsung phone is a misery in itself, especially if you really need a phone you can use right away. But don’t worry. You can reset a locked phone on your own by following the methods above. Depending on your situation, surely the ones we’ve provided can solve the problem without much difficulty.

But if you are unsure about doing it on your own, you can always go to a friend your trust or a professional phone repair technician for help.

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