Pattern lock broken S10e

[CoffeeMonster]

My pattern lock is broken and locked me out of my phone. I've used the same lock for years so I know it's the right one I'm trying. Soft reset (volume down + power for 10s) didn't help. I tried the pattern 30+ times now and just get the error:

         "incorrect pattern drawn"- or - "Try again in 30 seconds"

Didn't set up the Samsung account before so I can't do remote unlock, and don't have other security access set up. I'm not out of the house much so just kept things simple.

Now I'm panicking because I need this phone for 2-factor authentication, to access my work on Microsoft account, banking, etc. Factory reset would be disruptive, it'll take me hours to set up my phone with everything again; and I can't believe that's the only option. I didn't forget the code. How can the software forget my security pattern?

[LiquidSnake]

I would advise taking it to a local phone repair shop near you, as they can use software they can bypass your screen lock, without factory resetting the device 😎. Hope this helps! 😀

[xSteveuk]

Hi
Try below

Restart your phone.
Press and hold down the Power button until the Restart option appears on the screen.

Tap Restart and wait until your phone reboots. ... Wait one or two minutes and only then check if the phone recognizes your PIN or pattern

[CoffeeMonster · Accepted solution]

Thanks for replies. I've got a partial solution, and a guess as to what went wrong.

After another soft reset (restart not an option while locked) my pattern worked - once. I tried to change my security settings (eg. switch on remote unlock, remove screen locking) but needed pattern lock for any of these and again it wouldn't work. I noticed it failed as soon as I started the pattern, just the first node.

Here's what I think went wrong: my screen has had a small crack in it for several months - quotes from local repair shops were an unbelievable £150; it was a small crack, screen appeared to work totally fine, so I put it off.

So my guess is that the screen crack was affecting the touch screen sensors in a sudden and very specific way, perhaps creating a sort of phantom contact elsewhere. That would explain why pattern recognition failed most of the time, but *very occasionally* worked... eventually I was able to unlock the switch for remote unlock and - having logged my phone into my newly registered Samsung account - I was then able to log in to Find My Phone on the laptop, and remotely unlock the phone. The amazing news there was that it also wiped my pattern lock, so I could also have control over my security settings again without relentlessly trying the pattern lock hundreds of times in the hope the screen would recognise it.

So, kind of fixed - and as well as a pin (also susceptible to touch screen failure) I've set up finger print recognition; it was a bit unreliable in another samsung I used, but this phone has the sensor on the power button. Hopefully having two options, plus remote unlocking, means this won't happen again.

Of course any organised thief can clearly bypass any of these measures in minutes with software, but for one less organised, the security pin will hopefully slow them down.

I'll skip over the five hours troubleshooting and despair it took me to get to this stage.

• Documents that may help others: Find My Phone, Access your phone with a smashed screen