How to unlock a password locked Android tablet
If you have forgotten the passcode to unlock your screen Android tablet, it will be helpful to read the next paragraphs, in which I will indicate the procedures you can perform to restore it and continue using it. But remember to always make a backup of your data, so as not to incur in their loss.
Recovery (TWRP)
If your Android tablet has root permissions, you can remove the password from the screen easily, without the risk of losing the data contained within it. Don't know what it means? Then read this other guide of mine, where I showed you how to root Android. Obviously you will have to follow the steps that I will show you to the letter, because, if you make any mistake, you may no longer be able to access it, therefore having to perform a Factory reset.
If you have Custom Recovery TWRP, you can access the File Manager integrated, so as to browse system files and remove those that hold data for the lock screen. If your tablet has a different Custom Recovery, the procedure may be different or may require the installation of additional components.
If up to this point everything is clear to you, the first step you need to take is to turn off the tablet and start it in mode Recovery. Then turn off the device, holding down the button shutdown that you can find on the side and select the item Switch off from the menu that opens. Now wait a few seconds, so as to be sure that the terminal is actually turned off, and hold down the key power on along with that Volume [+]: Keep pressing them together until you see the logo of TWRP.
From the main Recovery screen, then tap on Advanced and then File Manager, thus accessing the integrated functionality for browsing files. Scroll through the folders you see on the screen and access the one named first Data and then to that System. You must now locate some files whose name is preceded by the captions gatekeeper e locksettings: you will then find the gatekeeper.password.key, gatekeeper.pattern.key, locksettings.db, locksettings.db-shm e locksettings.db-wal. By tapping on each of them, select the item Delete and confirm the removal operation with a swipe from left to right on the bar in the lower section of the screen.
When you have deleted all the files I indicated, press the button with the symbol of an inverted triangle (Go back) and return to the main screen of TWRP. Now select the buttons reboot and then System, to restart your tablet. If the procedure is successful, you will be able to access the home screen of your tablet without being asked to enter an unlock code.
Find my device
If you have not unlocked the root permissions on your device, the solution that is best for you is the reset to factory settings: you can run it both remotely and by key combination, which I will tell you about in the next paragraph.
The remote procedure consists in accessing the Android Device Manager, via the official website or the Find My Device app. This Google tool was created to allow users to remotely access the Android device associated with their account, locating it and running some commands on it. Among them, I'll tell you about the remote reset functionality. But be careful: this procedure will result in the loss of data; therefore remember to periodically make a backup of your Android tablet.
Since the use of this tool is the same both from an app and from an online service, in this guide I will show you the procedures that you can perform through the Web interface. Then start your favorite browser and access the official page of Android Device Manager. Then enter your details Google account (which must be the same as the one set on your tablet) and click on the device you want to unlock, located in the upper left section.
You will be presented with some commands to execute, in the left pane. Then select the item Reset device and confirm the operation by pressing the button Reset device. Your tablet will then be reset to factory settings and you will need to configure it. Follow the instructions on the screen and enter the Google account to which the tablet was previously associated, in order to restore some data.
Factory reset
If you want to perform an alternative procedure of reset to factory settings, you can use a specific combination of the tablet's physical keys. Similar to what you read in the previous paragraph, this solution results in data loss.
Then turn off your device by pressing the key shutdown for a few seconds and then tapping on the item Switch off in the menu that opens. With the tablet turned off, press and hold the keys Switching e Volume [+], until you see the robots on Android lying down with an exclamation point. Then press the side button of Power on / off, in order to access the mode Recovery of Android.
To scroll through the items you will need to use the keys Volume [+] e Volume [-], while to select them you will have to use the key Power on / off. On some devices the button Volume [-] serves to scroll through the items and that Volume [+] to confirm them. What I advise you to do is to carefully read the instructions you see on the screen.
Having said that, select the option Wipe data / factory reset and then the one indicating the wording Yes delete all user data. Wait for the operation to finish and then select the item Reboot system now, to restart your tablet. You will then need to perform the initial setup of your Android device.
How to unlock a password locked iOS tablet
If you own a iPad, the only way you have to unlock the tablet screen is the device reset. What I advise you to do, therefore, is to carefully read the next paragraphs, in which I will indicate the procedures to be performed in order to restore the device, even with the possibility of not losing any data present in its memory. If, however, you have not already made a backup, then you should inform yourself on how to backup to iPad or how to backup to iCloud.
Find iPhone
unlock an iPad whose screen is protected by a passcode, you will need to proceed with his reset to factory settings. This operation can be performed remotely, through the free service offered by Apple, Find iPhone. This tool allows, through a web interface or a dedicated application, to remotely access devices with iOS operating system registered under the same iCloud account and be able to control them. The use of Find iPhone it may cause data loss if a prior backup has not been made.
To use this feature, however, the device must have been previously configured. If you want to know more, you can learn more thanks to my tutorial in which I guide you step by step to activate the necessary settings. I also remind you that, to execute commands remotely, the iPad must be connected to the Internet. Without these conditions, the possibility of resetting it remotely will be impossible for you and you will therefore have to proceed with the instructions in the next paragraph.
In this tutorial of mine, I will only show you the procedure to be performed from a web browser, as there is no substantial difference compared to that performed by the application for iOS. Then, to access the web service Find iPhone, open your favorite browser and go to the iCloud website.
In the text field named Apple ID, enter your iCloud email address, followed by the password associated with it. Then wait for the interface to load and, in case your device is not shown immediately, tap on the wording All devices and then select the name of your iPad.
If on-device location is enabled, you will be shown the location of the tablet in real time on a map. But what you are interested in is performing the remote reset to unlock the screen. From the box at the top right, press the button Initialize the iPad and, in the window that appears, confirm the operation by pressing the button Initialize. Now you just have to wait for the process to finish and then configure the device following the instructions on its screen. If you want to know more, you can check out my article on how to set up an iPad.
restore backup of your iPad, during the configuration phase you will have to enter the same Apple ID it was associated with before it was initialized. iCloud will then restore the data, such as photos, mail, contacts and all those data for which you requested the backup in the section iCloud of your device. If you are not sure about the options you activated earlier, you can refer to this guide, so as not to be mistaken the next time you will be forced to reset it again. In any case, I can give you more information on restoring the iPad by consulting this other tutorial of mine, in which I indicate the two recovery systems of an Apple device: iCloud e iTunes.
iTunes
Another method of unlocking an iPad is by using software iTunes, developed by Apple. This free program allows you to manage and play multimedia files that have been purchased through iTunes Store; it also manages iOS devices (iPhone, iPad e iPod Touch), being able to synchronize all their contents, so as to make backups for recovery.
In this paragraph, I will then explain to you the possibility of using iTunes to restore your iPad to factory settings. If before its block you had already synced it with iTunes on a computer, you can make a full backup and then restore it without losing any data, by reconnecting it to the same PC. If you've never synced it with iTunes or you want to connect it to a different PC, you will not be able to make the backup and you will have to restore it with the risk of losing data. Let's go in order.
To unlock your to iPad with iTunes, connect it to the same computer you synced with this software for the first time. As soon as you have connected it to your computer via the supplied Lightning cable, iTunes it will start automatically. Then click oniPad icon which will appear in the upper left corner and, by selecting the tab Riepilogo found in the left sidebar, locate the box named Backup. Then select the box What computer and check the box as well Local backup encryption, entering a Password which should be easy to remember, as you will need it to restore the backup. Click the button Make backups and wait for the procedure to complete. To verify that the operation was successful, check if in the box Backup the date and time of the last backup performed are present.
Now is the time to reset the iPad. Then click the button Restore iPad and wait a few minutes for your iPad to complete the reset process, returning to the initial configuration screen. I advise you not to close iTunes.
To restore the backup you made previously, still connecting the iPad to the computer, click on the button Restore backup and select the one you created a few minutes earlier from the drop-down menu. You can recognize it by the date and time that are shown on the screen. Then click the button Restore and, after having entered the previously set password, wait for the iPad to be brought back to the same condition it was before it was reset: obviously in this case without the passcode that blocked access!
If you've never synced your iPad with iTunes or you need to connect it to a computer other than the one you used for the first synchronization with this software, the initialization procedure may result in data loss.
In fact, when you connect the passcode protected iPad to a PC with iTunes installed, if the sync has never happened, this program will ask you to unlock the tablet screen by typing the passcode. Of course, since you have forgotten it, you will not be able to perform the procedure that I have explained to you in the previous lines and therefore you will probably have to rely on an outdated backup or the iCloud backup, if you have it activated. You can refer to my guide on how to backup to iCloud or how to backup to an iPad, to never run into these kinds of problems. I also recommend that you read my guides on how to download iTunes and how to use it.
The operation you will need to do is to put your iPad in recovery mode. This is done via a key combination on your device. Then connect the iPad to the computer via the Lightning cable and launch iTunes; then force restart the tablet, holding down the key Home and Power on / off. Continue to hold down both keys until the appears Apple logo, followed by a screen indicating that the iPad has entered Recovery mode.
A warning message will then appear on your computer screen. Proceed by clicking the button Restore. At this point, iTunes will download all the components needed to reset the device and then restore it to factory settings. If you want to be sure of the steps to take to set up your iPad, you can consult my guide on how to set up an iPad. Remember to connect the same iCloud account with which your device was previously associated, so as to restore some data on it.
If, on the other hand, any error occurs during the above-mentioned operations or your iPad has been unlocked by jailbreak, you will be forced to start your iPad in DFU mode: this allows you to bypass the boot of the device and therefore some restrictions for its restoration. Then connect the iPad to the computer and turn it off by pressing the button shutdown for a few seconds. Then move the lever Swipe to turn off from left to right, so as to confirm the shutdown operation.
Now hold the keys together Switching e Home for about 10 seconds, until the appears bitten apple logo on the screen. At this point, release the key power onwhile holding down the key Home, until iTunes it does not detect the recovery mode you are doing on your iPad. Your device screen will remain dark and a warning will appear on the screen, which you can close by pressing the button OK. Then click the button Restore iPad, to begin the process of resetting the device to factory settings.
How to unlock a password locked tablet
