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...

[Firmwear]

Somebody trying to cast my chastise me and say it was from a 9 plus that would be no to that person

[Lockedout]

Why would the phone lull anyone into a false sense of security and then suddenly demand a PIN where the only recourse is to lose all of your data?

But to more accurately answer your question, I got the phone through a half off offer in which I had to carry another carrier's service for 3 months, then they unlock the phone to any carrier you want. So I was simultaneously using both my backup phone a One Plus 9 as well as my new S24. I took an international trip where my S24 was my primary phone but also left my OP9 in my hotel in case I got robbed, lost the phone, etc. while being in a foreign country. I took over 2,000 photos using my S24. Roughly a month or two after returning home, the phone pulls the PIN stunt and Im forced to lose all of those photos.

Your only option for cloud backup shouldnt be a paid service because Samsung wants to partner with Microsoft. Nor should you have to find out the hard way that Samsung disabled any form of remote unlock feature when you clearly have access to your account. 

[Happyfeets]

Been reading this thread a while since we just had a family member get this bug.

You are so wrong in your replies in here its like you completely missed the point.

Our family members phone (Samsung Galaxy) didn't have any security. Was only swipe to unlock. No pin, no biometrics, nothing. And this was how it was set up from the beginning. 

Today out of nowhere it asked for a password. (Not a pin. A password), to unlock the screen. I was there when it happened. He used the phone for a while, put it back in his pocket. Next time he picked it up, it asked for a password out of nowhere.

Tried every password he had. Nothing was accepted. Only thing to do was factory reset. 

You're talking about other things, like attempting to unlock the phone too many times with faulty password or pin. But this happens even when no security has ever been used. It's a devastating bug by Samsung.

[Marvs]

Yes this is common issue w/ Samsung Phones. I would like to believe that this is a systemic issue yet randomly scattered globally. This is no different from the 'green lines' issue of Samsung. It looks like the Samsung Brand has some sort of time limit so that one will be forced to change the unit by purchasing a new one.

[Members_nMWTEcv]

go into samsung pass and re-verify your samsung account / profile to make fingerprints work

[Firmwear]

On the u24, and any other Samsung back to many versions, you cannot set up a swipe pattern, or a bio, or a quick lon WITHOUT FIRST  setting up a phone PASSWORD.

That is fact 

You HAVE to remember it OR factory reset MAY by - but for most of us, usually is -  your only option.

Sometimes we do that so blindly we don't even remember doing it, and we assume you're never going to have to use it again. Because biometric her pattern or a quick pan that's always been okay. It's always worked. 

The phone is also very clear when you set up the password that from time to time you will be asked to enter this password, for security reasons. You know like you put your phone down and then the quickly pick it up, and then put it down and pick it up and walk away 20 minutes later take it out of your pocket and you try to go in your phone. 

That activity that physical action is something that would be typically done by someone who has seen you put your phone down, and then picked it up and walked away with it. 

[Firmwear]

A PIN is NOT the same the password, which is required of all Samsung models from 2010.

[Firmwear]

Yes. It was and still is required of a new phone setup.

It's EASY to forget we did it.

[Happyfeets]

You seem to not be able to read.

I just did a factory reset on my relatives phone where this happened.

Literally a few days ago. No password or pin required at all. You just press skip down in the left corner. 

There is no password or pin required. You're 100% wrong on this, or it's different in your region or something. Here in Europe, it's not required. Clearly. That's how I set up my relatives phone the first time and now the second time also. No password, no pin code, nothing. Maybe you've missed that there is an option to skip it. 

[emin3]

Pls help, this is exactly what happened to me I ignored the Samsung update for a while and then my password no longer worked