Your Android smartphone may become locked for a variety of reasons. This can happen to anyone. Often, the solution suggested to us is to reset the phone. However, this results in the loss of all the data stored in its memory. For this reason, we need an alternative and effective solution. Indeed, there are methods that allow you to unlock your Android phone without losing any data. To find out more, read on to the end of our article.

Reasons why an Android phone gets locked

First of all, it’s important to understand the reasons behind your phone’s lock. This way, you can better tailor the unlocking solution to your specific situation.

Most of the time, an Android phone gets locked because the code or password has been forgotten. After several failed attempts, the smartphone will block access to the screen. This protects the device against a potential thief or similar situation. The same applies to a forgotten PIN code or fingerprint recognition. 

In addition, your smartphone may also be locked due to a virus or malware that you accidentally opened. In that case, there aren’t many options available to you — you’ll need to reset your smartphone, and this will involve data loss. It may be possible to repair only the faulty parts, but this will depend on the extent of the damage.

Unlocking a smartphone without using software

If your device is locked with a pattern lock or a password, there are two methods available to unlock it without data loss and without using software. These are solutions particularly suited to those who aren’t comfortable handling IT tools.

Using the PIN code and PUK code

First, you can use your PIN code or your PUK code to unlock your smartphone. These can be entered once the screen unlock attempts have reached their limit. After entering your PIN code, you’ll be redirected to the settings to unlock an Android smartphone so you can recover or erase the password. It should be noted, however, that this solution only works on older smartphones running system version 4.4 KitKat or earlier. Your PIN code and PUK code are provided to you when you purchase your SIM card.

Using Google Android Manager

A practical and more effective solution is to use your Google account to unlock your device without losing any data. To do this, go to https://android.com/find. Once on the site, enter your Gmail account details. This account must be linked to your smartphone for the process to work. After that, you can see whether your phone is connected to your Google account or not. Once you’ve found your icon, you can access various features of your smartphone. You can then change your password and remove the pattern lock without much difficulty. Then save the changes, and that’s it.

Unlocking an Android smartphone using software

You can also use practical software that lets you unlock your phone without losing any data. Online, there are plenty of options available, such as Dr.Fone, which requires USB debugging, DroidKit, iSkysoft Toolbox Unlock, and others. Some software is paid, while other options are free. However, the safest and most effective approach is to subscribe to a paid offer to ensure an unlock without data loss.

The various steps for unlocking an Android phone are almost the same, namely :

  • Download and install the software on your computer.
  • Start the software on your computer and click the Start button.
  • Then connect the smartphone using a USB cable for detection.
  • Fill in the information regarding your phone’s model and brand.
  • Launch the phone’s download mode to apply the new changes.
  • A process will then start.
  • Once this is done, the device will restart and the password will be reset.

The steps may vary slightly depending on the software you choose, but the differences aren’t very significant. There are also programs like Aroma File Manager that use external files for the reset. The process is carried out in Recovery mode. It should be noted that this is done without data loss, but this method is only recommended for those with experience in the field.

So, you have the choice of whether or not to use software to unlock your Android device without losing your stored data. Software can be effective depending on its reliability. But in cases where it doesn’t work, you can always turn to a professional in the field if you’re worried about losing control of your device.