Galaxy Tab won't unlock

[RobinElvin]

I am unable to get into my tablet after leaving it on charge. The unlock requires a PIN and biometrics are unavailable until next time. I enter my PIN and it just takes me back to the lock screen. It looks like the PIN unlock is crashing.

Because the PIN unlock doesn't work I can't reboot or shut down either.

How can I get around this? The battery is at 100% so it'll be over week before it runs out.

[Novala]

Hi! This post is quite old so I'm not sure if anyone is still active, but none of these solutions seem to work for me. Power + Volume Down button just takes a screenshot, Power + Volume Up does nothing at all, and holding down Power + Volume + Home does nothing either. Holding Power does bring up the buttons "Power off" or "Restart" but when I click these it just tells me to enter my password; and of course, when I do it just takes me back to the Lock Screen. I've tried a whole list of solutions now and nothing has been effective. Please help!

[Makster]

I had the same issue and posted it here, nothing worked and I ended up doing a full factory reset of the tablet. I lost all data that was not backed up.

[vikkiric]

Try the power plus both volume buttons. It restarted for me.

[TimoUK]

Forced reboot with power + vol. down worked and tablet restarted with original pin now working.

[chuckberry]

brilliant! thanks it worked for me. galaxy Tab A ,only had it 2 weeks.

[Trevorl]

Worked for me also. Seems an update was pending also.

[F0NZY]

Thanks, this worked.  Looks like something bad with latest updates

[Smurfette64]

None of the solutions is working for me. If I press power and volume it comes up with the Power Off or Restart option but if I choose either I get the same result - it wants me the enter my pin - which is tells me is incorrect - it's not - and tells me to retry in 30sec. I can't even shut the stupid thing down or reset it. I'm tearing my hair out here. I was using it ok a couple of hours ago - put it on charge and now this UG!!!

[RobinElvin]

If you keep holding Power + Volume Down even after the Power Off/Restart menu appears it will eventually power off.

[FoyleFlyer]

The only thing I can think of is that the pin you are asked for could be one of two things, your personal Samsung pin or the default pin. If you know the default pin or you are using it and it doesn't work, is there anyway you may have changed it? If you don't know the default pin you could do a google search quoting your model number and requesting the default pin.

Hope this helps, 

Jim