Lock Screen suddenly asks for Password (always used fingerprint or pattern before)

[HelloPatricia]

I have been using the lock screen pattern for a little over a year now and I always remembered it so it was no biggie. Today, literally out of nowhere, my phone asks me to enter a password. I have no idea why it asked me this, so I tried entering a variety of passwords. All it does is lock the phone for 30 seconds before I can try entering another password once I've had too many tries.

I have no idea what password it wants from me, I only have so many and I tried all of them. It says: "Use password after restart (before I restarted it said Use password to unlock screen), Your password contains at least 4 characters, including at least 1 letter." What password?! See, that's why I hate installing updates, this is just bull*****. I also tried to unlock my phone using Find My Phone and it does not work as it is not connected to the network (I tried restarting it before and I guess that screwed me now). I honestly don't even know if a factory reset would work at this stage, since it does not show any notifications either (apart from:  Phone restarted, Unlock your phone to get app notifications).

Did anyone run into the same problem as I did and find a solution? I honestly don't want to try a factory reset (and I don't really think it's gonna work anyway since it's not showing any incoming notifications, either and I can't let my phone ring using Find My Phone).

This seems to be a major issue as I use my phone for work and can't log into the various accounts now as it is a two step verification...

[TonyW66]

THANKS SO MUCH❤❤❤❤
It was the Outlook password

[WildChild54]

I have a Galaxy S20 FE 5G and I also never set up a PIN when I set up the fingerprint biometrics.  Since I have unlimited data as well my internet connection should still be active on the phone butFindMyMobile does not give me an option for Unlocking the phone! 

[WildChild54]

The findmymobile app does NOT give me an option to unlock the phone!

[Firmwear]

You don't have a choice you have to set up a password when you first attach a Google account to the phone. 

But being an Fe I'm not quite sure. 

I do know that it will take your Google account password as a password did you try that? But it didn't ask for a password when you set up the phone initially? I'm not believing that. 

You just forgot what it was. But I would try to Google account password, that for a fact for sure I know you it would have had to have done use the phone.

[WildChild54]

It's not asking for a password, it's asking for a 4-digit PIN and that's what I have never set up.

[Firmwear]

You have a Samsung account PIN, use that

[Firmwear]

By the way the four digit device pin is not only for digits that's the minimum, it has to have at least one letter, mine's longer than that and it can be longer. But you definitely set it up when you first got the phone and turned it on, you had no choice you can't set up fingerprint without also setting up a login pin, end of story. Tell us something else.

[WildChild54]

I can't input letters with just a number pad.

[WildChild54]

Can you tell me how to find out what that is?  I spent 20 minutes being dead back at the end of May and I have trouble remembering numbers now.  I lost most of what I had as passwords and PINs.

[Firmwear]

Samsung can reset your pin for you